Inspired by other people’s travel threads, I am going to tell you why you need to visit Cambodia once we can travel again.

I lived there for 14 months a decade ago, & while I haven’t been back for almost 7 years now, it’s the place I want to go back to more than anywhere else.

This is Battambang, possibly my favourite province. Lush green rice fields everywhere (a little less so in dry season).

Here you can do a @soksabike tour (soksabai means happy in Khmer), and see some of Cambodia’s cottage industries — the people you visit benefit too.

You can also walk or get a motodop (motorbike taxi) up to the top of Phnom Sampeau to see stunning views and a beautiful temple — but also a sobering Khmer Rouge killing cave.

At dusk from the bottom of the hill you can watch tens of thousands of bats fly out. It’s incredible.

On the other side of the country, in the wild east, is Mondulkiri. Temperatures are a little cooler up here.

Stay in the little town of Sen Monorom and you can visit stunning waterfalls, and beautiful coffee plantations.

And you can visit the Elephant Valley Project. No cruelty, no riding, just conservation and happy elephants!

Take them some Sudocream, it helps if they have sores.

Further north is Ratinakiri. When I lived there it would take a full day to travel there, but I think the roads are better now.

You’ll find more waterfalls here, and a big crater lake.

Ratinakiri is one of Cambodia’s most beautiful provinces.

It’s also home to many of Cambodia’s indigenous people.

Okay now we’re going down to the coast. The beach resorts on the mainland are not my favourite — this is Otres beach, which was the best, I thought, but where you really want to be is the islands

I think sadly they’re getting more and more built up, and my favourite once-deserted island where we stayed in wooden shacks with no electricity now has a huge resort on it.

This is Koh Rong though, a bigger island, and still stunning:

I mean just look at it. The plankton here is phosphorescent, so the sea glows at night, and the seafood barbecues from the local restaurants are incredible.

In going to whizz through a couple of provinces now:

Kampong Cham — so peaceful, so relaxing, fewer tourists here, but a gorgeous place to just cycle round for days on end.

Kratie is where you go to see glorious sunsets over the Mekong River and the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins.

(I saw them but my pictures are crap so you’ll have to trust me.)

Back down south to Koh Kong if you’re interested in seeing wildlife. This is the jungle province. We did some amazing hiking and kayaking.

But if you stay in the middle of the jungle you have to be prepared to encounter *all kinds* of wildlife.

Kampot & Kep are the coast without the busy beach resorts. It’s so lovely and peaceful there, and again, there’s some great hiking.

You will also eat the best crab of you life here, with famous Kampot peppercorns.

Siem Reap. Of course you’ve got to go to Siem Reap. The temples are incredible but go early because it gets hot. And crowded.

Plenty of monkeys there too, for all the monkey fans

There is *loads* to do in Siem Reap. Visit the night market, take a cooking class (do not miss this, it’s the best!)

Two other musts! The flooded forest (only in rainy season) and the circus @PharePS (incredible acrobatics!) which is in Siem Reap & Battambang.

Phnom Penh is big and busy. The food here is amazing (as it is all over Cambodia.)

My favourite thing to visit in PP is the markets, but the national museum is also great.

The Royal Palace & the Silver Pagoda are beautiful! (Dress respectfully, as you should everywhere in Cambodia, really.)

I’m not going to put pictures up of these but you should also visit S-21 & the Killing Fields to truly understand the horrors of Cambodia’s recent past.

Finally my little province, Banteay Meanchey. No tourists ever visit, but if you’re travelling overland from Thailand you should stop off. My friends Vichet & Anna will gladly take you fishing!

I met some of the friendliest, most welcoming people in Sisophon, where I lived. The food is amazing there, and in the north of the province there are more (and much quieter temples).

There is also the Country Love Garden, an incredible tourist attraction that has to be seen.

I hope that’s enough to convince you to go if you haven’t been, and to make you want to go back, if you have.

My DMs are always open for more specific recommendations!