Angkor Wat, bigger in its time than any city in Europe, attracts the bulk of Cambodia’s visitors. Few tourists come to Cambodia without spending some time exploring the extensive ruins, but many see little else. These cultural tourists take advantage of the frequent connections with Bangkok and the excellent hotels of Siem Reap to enjoy a quick break without the need to experience the notorious inconveniences of Cambodia.

For those that venture further, recent history is the attraction. The Khmer Rouge’s atrocities are so horrific, so shocking and so recent that they will cast a shadow for generations. Visiting the Killing Fields Memorial and the Tuol Sleng Museum is harrowing, but important for any visitor wishing to begin to understand the past this country is attempting to overcome and the true nature of the human race.

Though few take the opportunity to discover, Cambodia has lot more to offer. Outside the main tourist centres of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, visitors encounter a very different Cambodia – a gentle, welcoming place where people view your very presence as a sign that things are improving and the boys who stop to chat in the street really do just want to practice their English. We finished up our travels in Cambodia wishing we had more time to spend off the beaten path, but our time was up and it was time to return to Bangkok.