Cambodia

Few places on earth stir the imagination like Angkor. As dawn breaks, the five towers of Angkor Wat rise in silhouette above their reflecting pools, and the jungle slowly comes alive with birdsong. Nearby, the serene stone faces of the Bayon gaze out in every direction, while at Ta Prohm giant tree roots wrap around crumbling galleries as if nature and temple have grown into one. Further out, the pink sandstone carvings of Banteay Srei reveal some of the finest detail in Khmer art.

Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor, has grown into a relaxed town of boutique hotels, lively night markets and graceful Apsara dance performances. A short boat ride away, the floating villages of Tonle Sap lake show a way of life shaped entirely by water.

Phnom Penh brings a different rhythm. Set where the Mekong meets the Tonle Sap river, the capital pairs the golden spires of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda with French colonial boulevards, riverside cafes and a growing food scene. West of Angkor, Battambang offers colonial streets, countryside cycling and the famous bamboo train, while the south coast adds Kampot's pepper farms and quiet island beaches.

What travellers remember most is the warmth of the people: a blessing from a monk, a meal of fish amok shared with a family, the laughter of children waving from a village road.