PHNOM PENH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Club of the World's Most Beautiful Bays has officially recognized Cambodia's coastal areas as its member, the minister of tourism, Thong Khon confirmed Tuesday.

The recognition was made after Cambodia's proposal in May last year.

"With the club's recognition, we have optimism that our clean and well-preserved beaches will attract more foreign tourists,"he said, adding"it will also be an impetus to encourage more investors to the areas."

Cambodia's coastline is stretching in the length of 450 km in four provinces of Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, Kampot and Kep.

It is the country's second most popular destination for tourists after Siem Reap's Angkor Wat temple, the world heritage site.

The club was established in March 1997, in Berlin, Germany. Including Cambodia, it has 27 countries as member with 33 bays to be recognized as the most beautiful bays in the world, said the minister.

According to the club's criteria, to be listed as the world's most beautiful bay, a bay must be under protection project with a wildlife and flora area. Also, it must be recognized by both local and regional level, and it must possess at least two features recognized by UNESCO in the cultural or natural assets categories.

Tourism industry is one of the main four pillars supporting Cambodian economy. In 2010, the sector received 2.5 million foreign tourists generating the total revenue of 1.75 billion U.S. dollars.

More than a million people visit Angkor every year, so how can one escape the crowds? David Whitley finds out.

The temples at Angkor in Cambodia are among the great wonders of the world. Unfortunately, the world has worked this out - the small bands of intrepid backpackers who made their way to Angkor in the 1990s have turned into more than a million visitors every year.

In the past five years, visitor numbers have ballooned. Mass tourism from other Asian countries - South Korea in particular - has seen tour groups swarm to the major sites for much of the day. To get the best out of the major sites, some cunning herd-avoidance strategies are needed.

Enclosed between two countries and sat on a tiny section of the South China Sea, Cambodia has to be one of the most fascinating destinations on earth. Dreadfully poor in places, but always ready to treat you with a smile, the South-East Asian country is currently undergoing a tourist boom, and luxury resorts and boutique hotels are springing up all over. Enjoying a humid and hot climate all year round, it makes a safe romantic holiday destination where you can stroll along the banks of the Mekong or stare in wonder at the fabled Angkor Wat complex.

I DIDN’T realize that visiting the temples would be a major workout for a sedentary person like me. My mother was grateful for her twice weekly two sets of tennis that prepared her for the long walks and numerous ascents and descents in the summer heat.

The centerpiece of any trip to Cambodia is of course a tour of Angkor Wat. The word “angkor” literally means capital city, while a “wat” is a temple. Still, this is just one of a series of temples dotting the entire Siem Reap province. The Angkorian period in Cambodian history actually spans about 700 years, from the 9th to the 15th centuries.

Angkor Wat itself was built in the early 12th century, by Suryavarman II.

The entire Angkor area has been well preserved, thanks to government’s prudence over the years (this must originate from the French colonial period). There are no new buildings in the area, and nobody from outside is allowed to resettle there. Only the original inhabitants may reside there.

The drive from Siem Reap town to the area is a pleasant one, on a road lined by tall shady trees planted by the French more than 50 years ago.

A few minutes later you catch a glimpse of an imposing stone wall surrounded by a moat. This is the perimeter fence of Angkor Wat, measuring 1.3 by 1.5 kilometers in length. From the entrance it is a 200-meter walk on an uneven stone path to the inner wall, and then another 300-meter walk to the temple. The temple itself is 1 square kilometer in size. So you are now getting an idea about the workout I mentioned earlier.

A good time to see Angkor Wat for the first time is after 2 p.m. The sun is slowly coming down on the westward facing temple, and the lines come out sharply. On the north reflecting pool, a pretty reflection of the five towers offers a good photo opportunity.

Upon reaching the main building, it is the elaborate bas relief on the walls that takes your breath away. On the first level walls, one section depicts stories and characters from Hindu mythology including the Ramayana, and the intriguing representation of the “Churning of the Sea of Milk” on the east wall. It is important to note that religion in Cambodia swung from Hinduism to Buddhism and back many times in its long history. Angkor Wat was built as a Hindu temple, but became a Buddhist place of worship when that faith came into mode.

Going back to the bas relief, the victorious march of Suryavarman II and his army against the Cham people are portrayed on the south wall.

A guide will be most helpful in explaining the transforming scenery. At any given time, there is always cacophony of languages that can be heard, with guides speaking in English, French, Japanese, Russian and Chinese.

In the upper levels, both the inner and outer walls depict nearly 2,000 distinct carvings of Apsara or celestial dancers. This classical dance was developed for the kings of the Angkorian era, and was performed only for the royal household. Predictably, it suffered near demise during the Khmer Rouge era. Fortunately, the royal family, particularly Princess Devi who is a dancer, worked hard to revive this cultural heritage. The UNESCO eventually declared it as intangible heritage and earmarked it for protection. Today tourists can enjoy an evening performance in some of the larger restaurants and hotels.

Further up is the way to the towers. There are five towers in all, four corner towers, and the center and tallest towers. Visitors can walk along the wall and pass under the four corner towers, but the center tower is closed.

Angkor Wat should take up the entire afternoon for one to properly appreciate its grandeur. Most likely, you will be too tired after your visit for anything else anyway.

The next morning would be a good time to go see Angkor Thom, or Big Angkor. This is a walled city three square kilometers in size, or four times the area occupied by Angkor Wat. It was built in the later 12th century, just after Angkor Wat. This time, a Buddhist king named Jayavarman VII reigned. He built the Bayon temple (famous for the hundreds of Bayon heads) within, as well as his royal palace and structures for the royal household and his high officials. Unfortunately, the palace and other households were made of wood and did not survive the passing of time. Only the ruins of Bayon, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of Leper King remain.

Angkor Thom is likewise protected by a stone wall with five entrances or gates. There is one facing each direction, with two facing east. One of the eastern gates is the Victory Gate leading to the Royal Palace, for the exclusive use of the king. Most visitors enter through the South Gate, which brings them directly to Bayon temple. Each gate is capped by a Bayon-style tower with four giant faces. Our guide said the faces are the likeness of Jayavarman VII, but this is actually a matter of debate, with some quarters claiming they are of one Bodhisattva. Who cares? In the end, what matters is that these structures have been preserved to an astonishing degree for the benefit of all humanity.

Bayon temple itself has 37 standing towers. The lower level walls contain bas relief as well, this time depicting real life scenes from the battle between the Khmer and the Cham. One portrays soldiers in a boat rowing toward the enemy. After their decisive victory, the Khmer decided to hold a barbecue, much like one we would have today. This is charmingly depicted in another wall carving.

If you still have an hour left in the morning, head on to Ta Phrom. This is the temple of Lara Croft, Tombraider fame. The walls and walkways are overgrown with centuries old trees, and have been deliberately left that way to retain the jungle temple feel. Although I have never seen the movie, I have now put it on my “must see” list, for obvious reasons.

For people with more days to spend in Angkor, there are sites to visit further afield. 40 kilometers away is Banteay Srey (pronounced ban tey sry), more popularly known as the women’s temple. It precedes Angkor Wat by more than a hundred years, is much smaller, yet more intricate in its carvings and has an almost surreal pinkish hue.

Wat comes next?

After a respectable temple run of the three major stops, wat else is there to do?

The pulse of any city can be gleaned from their market, so after catching your breath from the temple workouts, visit the central market. If your hotel is nearby, a leisurely stroll along the Siem Reap River toward the market is highly recommended, giving you a wider view of daily life here. Among the different stalls you will find everything you’ve heard about on the grapevine: sapphires and rubies, silver, wood carvings, silk, scarves, clothing, and food. It is mainly geared toward the local population, therefore serving up fresh vegetables and meats as well.

Two most interesting visits we made were to the Senteurs D’ Angkor workshop and the Silk Farm.

The Senteurs tour takes only 30 minutes, demonstrating how plants and flowers like frangipiani, lemon grass, coconut, etc. can be infused into other material resulting in the most wonderfully fragrant candles, soaps, and oils. At the end of the tour, one is treated to a free drink of lemon grass coffee or cardamom tea, among other such choices.

The Silk Farm is 16 km out of town, and a free trip is available from the Artisans d’Angkor store in town. This is a delightful and educational tour, showing the silk making process from start to finish. From my own firsthand account, I swear the process is so tedious you cannot challenge any ridiculous amount they charge for their products. For example, an intricately designed silk scarf takes three days to finish.

Three days! And when you see the price, it’s actually very reasonable.

And don’t think twice about buying that raw silk shawl that is as warm as pashmina they say. My mother said with authority that “you will never find it anywhere else.” And she is right, of course.

Filipinos are devout Catholics in general, and if one finds himself here on a weekend, there are masses on Saturday evening in English, and Sunday morning in Khmer.

At night, the focus shifts firmly east of the central market, to nearby Pub Street. This uber popular street evolved slowly. Before 1998, it was a quiet street with no particular night appeal, until the first pub opened, named in jest as “Angkor What?” From then, one pub, restaurant or shop opened after another, until it became Siem Reap’s center of gravity come nighttime. They have wisely closed it to vehicular traffic starting at six, making it a most relaxing place for everybody, and removed from the noise and air pollution brought on by tuktuks and the like.

If only the mayor of Baguio would be brave enough to do the same, I believe our beloved Session Road will take on a much renewed spirit, and attract many more locals and tourists alike.

A most famous watering hole on Pub Street is the Red Piano, where in 2001, during the filming of Lara Croft, Angelina Jolie herself started the drink called Tombraider.

Pub Street is also a good place to sample the local fare. Have a fish in Amok (local curry concoction), try the beef lok lak, sautéed in delicate and aromatic Kampot pepper, or dine in a group and feast on what is locally known as “Volcano,” a variation of shabu-shabu.

In the end, we also visited Tonle Sap Lake, to see the floating villages and witness a traditional way of life. Now I do not highly recommend this trip, it wasn’t a pretty sight. However, if you are in for some adventure and seeing how people who permanently reside in boats live, why not give it a try?

If you plan to visit, avoid April and May though, when the heat is oppressive. The best time to come is from November to February, when the weather is both cool and dry. However, there is a certain charm in coming during the wet season (June to October) as our guide boasts of verdant lawns surrounding the temples, and the Tonle Sap Lake swells to its full level.

Siem Reap is a gentle town, a balm to one’s frayed nerves. It can be the pleasant long weekend you’ve been pining for, on top of the chance to see live what you’ve only seen in books before: the grandeur that was Angkor. 

Source: Business World Online

Top MICE hotels from colonial to contemporary

For most people, Siem Reap is synonymous with Angkor Wat, the 12th-century temple complex and Unesco World Heritage site that boasts classical Khmer architecture. While MICE groups to Cambodia all include Angkor Wat at the top of their incentive list, Siem Reap’s hotels offer unique stays with an assortment of facilities to supplement a successful event.

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor

The venerable grand dame of Siem Reap, Raffles offers a boutique and highly personalised experience with 120 guestrooms. Along with its sister property in Phnom Penh, all of its state guestrooms are currently undergoing renovations that retain its 1930s colonial charm yet with modern upgrades. Other special touches include butlers hand-picked by general manager Robert Hauck from long-service staff.

The property’s Apsara Terrace is ideal for dinners, as it overlooks the pool and can accommodate 80 people indoors with space for another 60 on its terrace. Its signature dining venue, Restaurant Le Grand, offers royal Cambodian cuisine and a distinctive wine cellar, and is available for lunches or meetings. As Raffles’s strength is its catering services, temple dinners or events for 200 at the Royal Garden across the street are easily accommodated. The Young Presidents Club has previously used Raffles for its gatherings.

A sprawling resort connected by bridges over lagoons, Sofitel offers a relaxed Southeast Asian atmosphere with plenty of amenities and distractions. The 238-room hotel includes the largest ballroom in Siem Reap, seating 300 in a separate building with its own driveway, as well as two smaller meeting rooms that seat 150 people and a boardroom that accommodates 12.

“The typical business group is around 150 to 200 people and they tend to stay three nights,” says Peter Lucas, Sofitel’s executive assistant manager. To keep groups entertained, 80 tuk tuks (motorcycle-drawn carriages that seat four to six) are at Sofitel’s disposal to take them around town. The hotel can organise poolside gala dinners, intimate cocktails at an open-air sala, or a round of golf at its 18-hole course where the Cambodian Open has been held since 2007. Past groups include Hyundai, Pepsi, Bosch, DHL and Ogilvy & Mather.

The closest hotel to Angkor Wat, Le Meridien’s contemporary elegance was inspired by the geometric perfection of the temple complex. It offers 220 rooms, a conference corridor to one side of its lobby and the 140-seat Tara Room to the other side. As its Italian restaurant L’Angelo is only open for dinner, the 70-seat facility can be booked for private lunches and events during the day.

There is a wide range of outdoor venues for cocktails, dinners and events, such as its central Elephant Courtyard for 120 people, its Angkor-style pool for 180 and its Palm Garden where tents can be set up for banquets and shows. Prior events have included Cambodian village-themed dinners with palm sugar cooking demonstrations and customised lanterns.

“Most people want to be outside under the stars,” says general manager Gregory Anderson. “Palm Garden is our ballroom.”

The hip and arty Hôtel de la Paix contains 107 crisp rooms within easy walking distance of Siem Reap’s market district. Its design is modelled after the colonnades found nearby in the ancient temples, with surprises at every turn. Kandal, its main meeting space, can seat up to 121 theatre style, while a sunken Arts Lounge facing the street exhibits up-and-coming artists and can be used for an assortment of events such as its popular ice lounge.

The 60-seat Meric offers international and Khmer cuisine prepared in an open kitchen, with an outdoor terrace that features oversized dining swings. For performances, Fire Garden and Courtyard can host Apsara dances while under its Pergola dinner for 25 people overlooking its Fountain Garden can be arranged.

A 259-room resort with on-site driving range and tennis courts, Angkor Palace exudes traditional Cambodian comfort immediately upon entering its breezy Khmer-style lobby. Its Royal Ballroom can host 120 for banquets, while the smaller Sunflower and Apsara rooms can fit 50 each.

The two-storey Soriya Restaurant features Khmer and western all-day dining, while poolside barbecues or cocktails can be easily accommodated. In addition, creative off-site outings such as gondola rides in Angkor Thom or visits to floating villages can be arranged. Angkor Palace has previously hosted delegations from Coca-Cola, Dupont, Toto and Philips Lighting.

CEI Asia

The technology for harvesting water that enabled the Khmer to thrive also led to their fall, researchers say.

The ancient Khmer city of Angkor in Cambodia was the largest preindustrial metropolis in the world, with a population near 1 million and an urban sprawl that stretched over an area similar to modern-day Los Angeles, researchers reported Monday.

The city's spread over an area of more than 115 square miles was made possible by a sophisticated technology for managing and harvesting water for use during the dry season -- including diverting a major river through the heart of the city.

But that reliance on water led to the city's collapse in the 1500s as overpopulation and deforestation filled the canals with sediment, overwhelming the city's ability to maintain the system, according to the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The hydraulic system became "not manageable, no matter how many resources were thrown at it," said archeologist Damian Evans of the University of Sydney in Australia, the lead author of the paper.

But during the six centuries that the city thrived, it was unparalleled, particularly because it was one of the very few civilizations that sprang up in a tropical setting, said archeologist Vernon L. Scarborough of the University of Cincinnati, who was not involved in the research.

Just one section of the city, called West Baray, was many times "larger than the entire 9-square-kilometer hillock on which sat Tikal, the largest city in Central America," he said.

"The scale is truly unparalleled," added archeologist William A. Saturno of Boston University, who also was not involved.

"Forest environments are not good ones for civilizations . . . because they require intensively manipulating the environment," he said. "Angkor is the epitome of this, and it is going to be the model for how tropical civilizations are interpreted."

The new data come from an unusual agglomeration of both old and new technologies. The core data came from a synthetic aperture radar unit flown on the space shuttle in 2000 and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge.

The radar pierced low-lying clouds and vegetation to give an accurate picture of soil density, local structures and moisture in soil, which reflects growing conditions.

The images revealed, for example, the characteristic moat-enclosed local temples and artificial ponds used for water storage and irrigation.

This information was supplemented with photographs taken from ultralight aircraft flown over the city at low speeds and altitudes.

Finally, the researchers used motor scooters to traverse the city and closely examine sites revealed on the radar images. But so many sites have been revealed, Evans said, that the researchers are only partway through this process.

The group, collectively called the Greater Angkor Project, released a partial map three years ago. The new one released Monday contains, among other things, an additional 386 square miles of urban area, at least 74 long-lost temples and more than 1,000 newly recognized artificial ponds.

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which got its start in AD 802 when the god-king Jayavarman II declared the region's independence from Java. At its height, the empire covered not only Cambodia but also parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

It is perhaps best known for Angkor Wat, the magnificent temple built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century.

Angkor has been studied for more than a century, but early scholars were so overwhelmed by the artworks and architecture, as well as the political successions, that they ignored the archeology, said coauthor Roland Fletcher of the University of Sydney.

In the late 1960s, French archeologist Bernard-Philippe Groslier began a more formal study of the ruins, but that work was halted for more than 20 years by the war that broke out in 1970.

After the war, archeologist Christophe Pottier of the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient in Siem Reap, another coauthor, renewed the work, beginning what eventually grew into the current project.

In the process, the researchers have begun solving many of the disputes that have arisen over the city's history, Evans said.

"The debate has always been . . . was it large enough, was the manipulation of the landscape intensive enough to cause environmental problems?" Evans said. "The answer is definitively yes."

Other arguments have been based on the assumption that Khmer hydraulic engineering technology was rather rudimentary, he said. "What our research has shown is that it was extremely sophisticated and highly complex," he said.

Many of the reservoirs and walls of canals were constructed of compacted earth, he said, but junctions and other crucial points in the system were "quite sophisticated stone structures."

The Khmer built, for example, a massive stone structure to divert the Siem Reap River from its old bed through the center of the city. Other sites have stone structures built into the walls to manage the inflow and outflow of water, he said.

The system was complex enough that the Khmer could have grown rice throughout the year and not just during the rainy season, Evans said. It is not yet clear if they did so, however.

"The intentional movement of earth to create the whole water system is just really mind-boggling," Saturno said. "It was an enormous undertaking" that required not just administrative skills, but also engineering know-how and massive amounts of physical labor.

But in the end, maintenance became too labor-intensive, Evans said. As trees were removed from the landscape, sediment began accumulating in the canals at a rate more rapid than it could be removed. Many dike walls collapsed, although it is not yet known when that occurred.

"We're going now and excavating [the sites] on the ground, and trying to get a grip on when they happened -- whether they were a precursor of the decline, a symptom or the system gradually falling into ruin after they left," he said.

Los Angeles Times

Indochina is a land of contrasts, where foreign cultures clash with ancient values and technological advancement goes hand in hand with a centuries old way of life. Rice paddy fields and buffalos meet bustling urban metropolises, where hand drawn carts jostle for space with motorbikes – nowhere else in the world quite exhibits the contrast between old and new like Southeast Asia.

And now, for those looking to explore the urban chic, wonderful nature and charming heritage of this exotic corner of the world, a new ten-day tour from Luxury Vietnam Travel looks to have all the bases covered, taking in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Beginning in Vietnam’s dynamic capital, also known as Saigon, visitors will be able to explore the city’s colorful markets, its designer shops and its delicious foods.

The legendary Cu Chi Tunnels offer a chance to relive the horrors of the Vietnam War, while an eclectic religious ceremony at the Cao Daism temple provides an insight into a unique fusion of the region’s most prominent religions.

To explore the traditional side of life in Vietnam, visitors can also take a longboat trip around the Mekong Delta and its charming narrow canals.

From Saigon, we fly to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Teeming with exquisite natural beauty, gorgeous architecture and an orgy of history, the ancient city of Cambodia is fast becoming one of Southeast Asia’s must-see attractions. Angkor Wat is resplendent as the world’s largest ever religious monument – a true wonder of the world.

Local charm and untold luxury are combined with fun-filled activities in this action packed Southeast Asian tour. Accommodation is provided in hotel state rooms where no comfort is spared, including a daily breakfast together with a candlelit dinner each night.

Other activities include a health and beauty spa, guided visits to local museums, dance classes, full-day shopping trips and a romantic charted boat cruise on the famous Tonle Sap Lake.

Visit www.luxurytravelvietnam.com for more information and bookings.

Travel News From Argophilia

Nature's been kind to Cambodia, but man hasn't. That's the fascination of the place - it's what makes it more than just another edgy tropical paradise on the backpacker trail.

In fact, this is the most compelling tourist destination in South-East Asia. You can go just to unwind.

The scenery is rich, the food - with its French colonial overtones - exotic. Park by the pool, order the beers and soak up the old Indochina, free of Thailand's rampant commercialism or Vietnam's frenetic crowds.

But this would be missing the point. The history of Cambodia adds up to a short course in human futility.

Successive rulers have tried to impose their own ideas of earthly heaven, which have all ended in varying kinds of ruin. And it is all there; awful, in every sense.

Monuments to ancient grandeur and modern cruelty, both probably unequalled anywhere in the world.

I came away half-haunted by three faces. First, King Jayavarman's is carved over and over again in stone 15ft high, staring down on what he helped to create. In the 12th century, Angkor was the greatest city on Earth. A million people lived in it - at a time when London could only count 20,000.

Now, half overgrown by tropical forest, it is arguably the greatest wonder of the old world. It is the centre of a sprawl of vast temple cities, spreading across 80 square miles, monumental in their magnificence, many covered in acres of intricate allegorical carving.

Second, there is Chan Kim Srun, who stares at you from a black-and-white photograph in the former Khmer Rouge interrogation centre, her newborn baby in her arms and an unfathomable sadness in her eyes.

Her husband was high in the ranks of those mass murdering madmen before, in their paranoia, they turned on their own. You can tell she knows they're both about to be murdered.

They were taken to the killing fields the night that photograph was taken.

And, third, Hun Sen, the current prime minister, a former Khmer Rouge commander before he ratted on them and was put into power by the Vietnamese, who brought the insanity to an end.

He's been in charge of Cambodia for a quarter of century, a former ultra-Maoist who now encourages capitalism so he and his cronies can rip it off.

He heads what is widel y acknowledged as one of the most corrupt governments in the world, a kleptocratic elite that has made itself fabulously wealthy through seizing public assets and illegal logging, leading to repeated complaints of corruption from the World Bank.

The U.S. ambassador publicly accused government officials of stealing $500 million a year. All this when one in three Cambodians live on less than $1 a day.

This is more than a holiday. It's an education. Start in Phnom Penh, an attractive riverside city, tatty but game after the years of war and extermination. They call it Lexus City these days because of all the gleaming 4x4s the officials buy with their graft money.

Stay, if you can, in Le Royal, the grandest of French colonial hotels, now done up by the Raffles Group. It has sweeping hardwood staircases, scents of cinnamon, oozing luxury and Jeeves-like service.

The ghosts of Somerset Maugham and Andre Malraux slink down the corridors in their silk dressing gowns.

Go for a drink in the Foreign Correspondents Club. I was the only real foreign correspondent they'd had in the place for years - it's now a lively gathering place for gap-year girls.

Eat at Friends - a non-profit Jamie Oliver-type place that teaches street youths catering skills; a good, cheap, philanthropic feed.

There's plenty to see here. The Royal Palace complex is a relatively modern masterpiece of distinctive Cambodian architecture. The Silver Pagoda within it has a floor made up of six tons of ill-fitting solid silver tiles.

But the real, and awful, fascination is the four-year nightmare rule of the Khmer Rouge at the end of the Seventies. They murdered a million people while a million more starved to death, one in five of the population.

The former school they used as an interrogation centre is now a museum. In its way, it's as chilling as Auschwitz.

The rough bedsteads with their iron shackles surrounded by bloodstains, the classrooms, crudely subdivided into cells like hutches, the children's climbing frame they turned into a gallows, are all still there.

Worst of all are the pictures. The Khmer Rouge photographed their victims just before they were taken off to be murdered. They look at you now, hundreds and hundreds of them, blank, bewildered, doomed.

Human bones and fragments of clothing are still coming out of the ground today. Above, clouds of yellow and white butterflies - the sacred colours of the country's two historic religions - dance in the afternoon sun.

It's a dreadful place, marked now by a stupa with 17 tiers of crushed skulls.

The glories of Cambodia are the magnificent temple cities, just north of the modern town of Siem Reap, itself a short flight from Phnom Penh. The most famous, and best preserved, is Angkor Wat, the world's largest and surely most impressive religious monument.

It is an entire Hindu universe (it became Buddhist in the 13th century) realised entirely in laterite and sandstone.

It's also huge - more than 500 acres - and fantastically rich in sculptural detail. More than half a mile of its walls are covered in narrative bas-reliefs. It is only one of numerous fabulous temple complexes.

Jayavarman's legacy, Angkor Thom, is even bigger in total area and, in places, even more intricately decorated.

But the centuries, and the jungle, have taken a greater toll - soaring tropical trees swell out and up through the ruins. This is a place to dwell on the futility of human ambition while you keep a sharp look out for Indiana Jones. 

It is joint first on my list of 1,000 places to see before you die (only Machu Picchu and the Galapagos come close). Go there soon, before the planned international airport opens and the world's most impressive tourist site becomes one of the world's busiest.

The place to stay is the Hotel de la Paix, a well-run modern hotel in the centre of bustling Siem Reap.

The service and the food are exemplary and they lay on traditional Cambodian dancing with all its old grace and control - an art thankfully recovering after the royal dancers, like everyone with any skill, talent or education, were massacred by the Khmer Rouge.

One day, somebody will explain why the most horrible things tend to happen in the nicest places.

Cambodia is utterly beautiful, its people are charming, its heritage unequalled.

Yet, in the lifetime of a single generation, it's been carpet-bombed by the Cold War, partly wiped out by a clique who made an ideology of insanity, and systematically raped by crooks with blood on their hands.

Tourism isn't the best hope. It may be the only hope for Cambodia to have the future it surely deserves.