Cambodia Tourism

Cambodia is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina peninsula in southeast Asia and surrounded by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east and the gulf of Thailand to the southwest. Phnom Penh is the largest and the capital city of Cambodia and the political, economic and cultural center of the country. The country has one of the fastest growing economies in Asia with growth averaging 7.6 percent, agriculture remains the dominant economic sector with strong growth in textiles, construction, garments and tourism.

The climate of Cambodia is dominated by monsoons and experience two seasons-dry season and wet season. The biodiversity of Cambodia contains around 180 tree species, 212 mammal species, 536 bird species, 240 reptile species, 850 fresh water fish species and 435 marine fish species.

Cambodia is an emerging tourist country with tourism as the fastest growing industry. The country received around 6 million visitors in 2017 and now focusing on increasing this number by 2020. Cambodia is visited by tourists for its pristine beaches, beautiful architecture, stunning landscapes and exotic temples.

Rice is the staple food in Cambodia and is a major portion of Khmer cuisine and unlike the neighboring Thai hot and spicy food the indigenous cuisine is predominantly prepared by black pepper. It is recommended to try the local cuisine with guidance from the chef as many dishes comprise of Prahok, which is a local fish paste and is heavily used in Khmer cuisine.

The country offers a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. One can find numerous Vietnamese style iced coffee outlets in the neighborhood which also serves refreshing ice teas of various flavors.

The country is still a developing nation and one can find traces of extreme poverty in the rural areas, this is majorly due to the opaque political practices and policies of the government. Security situation has improved drastically but it is still recommended to avoid shady areas after dark and book a stay in a decent accommodation. Although people are friendly it is still recommended to consider bargaining before purchasing anything from the local markets.

Cambodia gained independence in 1953.