Cambodia: More Fascinating Than Ever

Siem Reap shines differently once you step off the well-worn temple trail. Do that, and you’ll find a Cambodia that is even more fascinating, deeply human and far more fun than the guidebooks will print.

If you are an independent adventurer who has the time to discover your own path, this is for you.

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Siem Reap Done Sideways

Yes, everything about Angkor is magnificent, but after that, take your time to uncover some of the lesser-known magic. Start with Phare Circus, where contemporary Cambodian stories unfold through acrobatics, live music and raw emotion. It’s modern, meaningful, and refreshingly un-kitsch.

Spend an afternoon wandering Wat Damnak, an original neighbourhood of cafés, small galleries and leafy lanes where the locals outnumber the tourists. This is authentic Siem Reap and alive with creativity.

For something hands-on, seek out artisan workshops like Khmer ceramicists, silk weavers and lacquer artists who are reviving endangered crafts, one beautiful object at a time. This is culture you can touch, talk about, and take home.

Then there’s countryside cycling at golden hour. Here, red dirt roads, sugar palms, stilted houses and ambling water buffalo invite you to watch Cambodia in the most unfiltered way. Finish the day with Apsara dance, only reimagined: find intimate performances where stories are explained and not rushed between buffet courses.

Day Trips That Feel Like Secrets

If you’re up for venturing further from Siem Reap, expect your curiosity to be rewarded.   

Beng Mealea is Angkor before restoration. Find wild, vine-wrapped temples and a wonderfully wild atmosphere, just over an hour’s drive east.

Phnom Kulen National Park for sacred river carvings, jungle paths and waterfalls, is about an hour north. Best explored early, and slowly.

Kompong Phluk, a floating village on Tonlé Sap, reveals the extraordinary phenomena of flooded forests and stilted homes. Less than 45 minutes away.

Each feels discovered, not delivered. Cambodia, done this way, isn’t just memorable, it’s the kind of trip you’ll enjoy explaining later.

Hot Deal at Karma Bayon: Your Tranquil Oasis Calls Now  

Retreat and restore from your discoveries at Karma Bayon, where you can depend on comfort, hospitality and only the finest Karma standards. Settle into beautifully appointed rooms, relax by the pools, indulge at the Karma Spa, and muse over your explorations in beautiful bar and restaurant spaces. Perfectly positioned in Siem Reap, it’s close to the action yet blissfully calm when you return.

When to go? Now, now more than ever.  

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Flash Sales for February

Meanwhile Flash Sales are flashing all over the globe because good timing deserves a little reward – simply book any of them by 16 February and get the best deals for the best destinations (note that travel dates vary).

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