Currency: riel
Language: Khmer, French and English are common in tourist areas.
Capital: Phnom Penh
Time: ahead of Moscow by 4 hours.
Flight: Singapore Airlines fly with a stop in Singapore, Vietnam Airlines fly with a stop in Ho Chi Minh City, Aeroflot + Bangkok Air with a stop in Bangkok
Language: Khmer, French and English are common in tourist areas. Religion: Buddhism
Visa: Russians receive a visa upon arrival at the airport of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (passport valid for at least 6 months)
Currency: riel
Climate: Tropical monsoon. There are two seasons: the dry season from November to April, associated with the northeast monsoon, and the rainy season from May to October, associated with the southwest monsoon. During the rainy season, up to 80% of annual precipitation falls. The hottest month is April, when the temperature reaches 35 degrees. The coldest month is January with a temperature of about 25 degrees
The best time to visit is from September to March
The Kingdom of Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia, in the south of the Indochinese Peninsula. In the west and northwest, the country borders on Thailand, in the north – on Laos, in the east – on Vietnam, the southwestern shores are washed by the waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Almost the entire territory of the country is a plain in the valley of the Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake. Only in the south are the Cardamom Mountains visible, in the eastern part of which there is a unique array of Damrey (Elephant Mountains). The state occupies an area of about 181 thousand square meters. km.
Tourism in Cambodia is still under development. Almost the only type of recreation is sightseeing. The main attraction of the country is its ancient capital, Siem Reap, which has become a place of pilgrimage for thousands of tourists.
Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. Located at the confluence of three great rivers – the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac, the city is the economic, political and cultural center of the country and home to more than 1.5 million people. As a modern Asian city, Phnom Penh has retained its unchanging charm despite its turbulent and even bloody past. The city has several wonderful temple-monasteries, Vet Ounalom and Vet Phnom – a temple on top of a mountain, thanks to which the name of the city arose. The pride of this place is the stunning Silver Pagoda, one of the few places in Cambodia where the highly artistic decoration, symbolizing the splendor and richness of Khmer culture, was not destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. Another major attraction is the National Museum, which displays Khmer handicrafts. Among the sights of the city can be noted the complex of the Royal Palace and the magnificent “Silver Pagoda”. It is also worth seeing the statue of King Norodom and the Royal Gardens.
Siem Reap was the capital of the ancient Khmer state. To date, the city has preserved the most valuable monuments of the ancient civilization of the country – about a hundred palaces and temples. The buildings occupy approximately 200 sq. km. cities. Worth visiting: the world’s largest Hindu temple complex Angkor Wat, built in honor of the Hindu god Vishnu; one of the first built temples of Phnom Bakheng; the central temple of the city – Angkor Thom; Bayon – with stone statues of Buddha’s smiles, Taprom – a temple in the jungle overgrown with trees.
ANGKOR was the cultural and religious center of the once great and powerful Angkor Empire, a symbol of its glory and greatness. For almost 6 centuries, the civilization of the Angkor Empire dominated all of Southeast Asia. During its heyday, Angkor had over a million inhabitants. However, in 1431 this rich and prosperous city was destroyed by Siamese troops and gradually absorbed into the jungle until it was discovered in 1861 by the French explorer André Muo. From that moment on, interest in this mysterious lost city did not fade away. In 1992, UNESCO included Angkor in the List of World Cultural Heritage Sites. The size of the complex is amazing – its area is almost 200 km and includes more than 100 ancient temples. How this huge complex of stone was built many centuries ago – without modern technology, without cement or any other binding material – still remains one of the unresolved mysteries of history. Many temples are covered with carved reliefs and sculptures, amazing in their perfection and variety of subjects, which are the most valuable works of art.
Bayon today is recognized as one of the most unusual architectural structures not only in Cambodia, but throughout the world. Visitors are shocked by the cyclopean stone faces on the towers – subtle smiles and half-closed eyes follow people everywhere, overwhelming and delighting them. When the French first saw this temple, they refused to believe that it was built by the Khmer, the original inhabitants of Cambodia. The authorship of Bayon was attributed to Chinese Jews, the lost legion of Alexander the Great, and even the legendary builders of Greek Troy. At different times, it was believed that Brahma, Buddha, Avalokiteshvara were depicted on the towers… The current theory ascribes the outward resemblance of the faces of Bayon with the face of the last great emperor of Kambujadesh – Jayavarman VII, who built this temple in the 13th century.
TA PROM TEMPLE – with the release in 2001 of the Hollywood film “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” starring Angelina Jolie – Ta Prohm, a temple recognized by many as the hallmark of Angkor – the remnants of a huge and powerful medieval empire, was presented to the general public Cambujadesh. Ta Prohm was built at the end of the 12th century. The country was at the zenith of its glory – the enlightened monarch Jayavarman VII was sitting on the throne, not just anyone, but Java itself paid the empire a retreat tax, the irrigation system made it possible to harvest three crops of rice a year. Under these conditions, the emperor could easily afford to adequately respect the memory of his mother. And he built a monastery in memory of her.
In those days, both in Europe and in Cambodia, monasteries were small real cities. The monks ruled the services in stone buildings dedicated to the gods, and owned some of the property bestowed upon them by the king and flock. And around the monasteries, with their capital, there was a completely worldly life: rice was grown in the villages, there was a stormy trade behind the fence of stone walls, theatrical performances were held. Ta Prom was a VERY rich monastery.
Sihanoukville is the most popular sea.