Siem Reap

Tonle Sap Lake is so large that it appears like a chocolatey ocean. It’s a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve teeming with marine life. A trip on a traditional vessel through colourful floating villages and beyond is a treat for nature lovers while also giving you a peek into everyday life in Cambodia. One of the highlights of any voyage is jumping off the boat and paddling a kayak through water hyancinths and trees in the ethereal 'flooded forest' of Kompong Phluk.

Social enterprise Artisans d’Angkor is serious about preserving and reviving ancient Khmer arts and crafts while providing a sustainable livelihood for local people. High-quality handmade clothing, lacquerware, silk paintings, jewellery and ceramics are the work of over 1300 rural artisans. Take a free guided tour of the main workshop and the Angkor Silk Farm, 20 minutes away by free shuttle bus.

There are plenty of bargains to be had at Siem Reap’s homegrown boutiques. The Old Market area is sprinkled with shops selling Cambodian silks, spices – try the Kampot pepper – and herbal soaps and creams. Fashion and design has blossomed here, too: check out Three Seasons’ for funky threads, Eric Raisina for silk couture, Ambre for vibrant gowns and Garden of Desire for exquisite jewellery.

Angkor Wat itself is astonishing, but don’t miss some of the more remote temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park opens in new window. The expansive Angkor Thom, and within it Bayon Temple, its walls lined with 216 enormous reliefs, is labyrinthine. Ta Prohm, with its looping tree roots and stone walls, is one of the complex’s most striking structures. Farther afield, vegetation-covered Preah Khan and Banteay Srei remain largely unrestored – check out the elaborate carvings – while Phnom Kulen National Park in Kbal Spean, two hours from Siem Reap, is home to ancient stone carvings known as lingams (phallic symbols of the Hindu god Shiva).

Siem Reap boasts a top-drawer dining scene. Try Khmer delicacies like red ant fritters and fried tarantulas at leafy Marum, which is also a training restaurant for street kids. And don’t miss Cuisine Wat Damnak for chef Joannès Rivière's modern take on Cambodian cuisine. Try a lychee martini at the Shanghai opium-den inspired Miss Wong or enjoy a Femme Fatale – a champagne cocktail inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy’s 1967 visit – at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor.