Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap, Cambodia

 

For adventurous travelers, this Cambodian city is nothing short of a necessary pilgrimage. The unmistakable silhouette of Angkor Wat, the massive, 12^th century Buddhist temple, is perhaps Siem Reap’s best-known landmark. Other Khmer ruins, like Ta Prohm (recognized by the way enormous strangler fig and silk trees root down through the sandstone structure) are like gateways into an ancient and spiritual past. But this is hardly a perished city. Along the urban center’s riverfront are art galleries, where tourists can browse black-and-white prints of the striking shrines, and boutique hotels, such as the Belmond La Résidence d’Angkor and Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor. Splurge on an Angkor Wat pass, which will allow you to return throughout the day or week, for various shots of the temples in different weather and light.