7 awesome experiences to be had in Cambodia

Cambodia, a beautiful southeast Asian country bordered by Laos and Vietnam, has a very unfortunate past. The Khmer Rouge Regime which lasted 4 years from 1975 to 1979 wiped out ¼ of the population and left the country in tangles for a while. While there still aren’t many educated Cambodians left over the age of 50, Cambodia has really risen and is now using their beautiful landscapes and ancient temples to their economy’s advantage. Tourism has risen over 10% in the past couple of years and continues to grow.

There are so many reasons Cambodia should be at the top of your bucket list, one of them being the variety of experiences. From marveling at Angkor Wat to wandering around the many night markets, Cambodia is full of awesome places and crazy bucket list experiences. Here is our list of 7 totally amazing experiences to have in Cambodia.

1- Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is an obvious addition to your Cambodia itinerary and is the highlight of most people’s trips. While Angkor Wat, especially at sunrise, is no secret, it is not to be missed. The already gorgeous temple becomes even more magical during the golden hours of sunrise. Try to squeeze to the front of the crowd to get a reflection picture, or head into the temple and watch as the sun hits different parts of the temple.

2- Ride a tuk tuk

Tuk tuks are a common image that comes to mind when thinking about many countries in Southeast Asia. They are everywhere around most cities in Cambodia including Siem Reap and Phnom Phen. There are some services that allow you to call a tuk tuk ahead, but the easiest way is to catch a ride on the first open one you see. Crammed into the back seat of a tuk tuk, wind blowing on your face, you experience the city in a whole different way. Some tuk tuks even have discos and music at night to dance to as you whiz through the city and past the street vendors.

3- Eat bugs and frogs

Weird foods like bugs and frogs is another image that comes to mind when I think of Cambodia. Some street vendors and restaurants sell grilled frog. Bugs are commonly eaten fried. You can buy little bags full of the goodies from any night market and while it may not be everyone’s idea of a tasty snack, it’s all an experience and something to tell you friends about when you get back home.

4- Drink fresh coconuts everyday

I had never really had many fresh coconuts before travelling to Indonesia and Cambodia so I didn’t think I liked them. After drinking 1 coconut in Indonesia, I realized how wrong I had been. As of now, coconut is one of my favorite fruits and I especially like coconut water. I sip on a coconut every chance I get. I’ve tried coconuts in South Africa, and even Colombia but none are comparable to those of Southeast Asia.

Our first week in Phnom Penh I had a coconut every day. And while that died down throughout the rest of our trip, I still ended up having them a lot. You can purchase a coconut from street vendors in the city, from restaurants, and of course at the beaches on the southern coast. Being from Colorado in the center of the US, having so many coconuts was a crazy awesome experience for me. I tried making up for all the years I had gone without having a proper coconut and drank enough for the times I won’t have any back in Colorado.

While you are in Cambodia, make it your goal to drink a coconut every day! Not only is it a great experience, coconut water is quite healthy and drinking it is a good way to keep hydrated, especially under Cambodia’s hot sun.

5- Taste a durian

Due to its hot climate, Cambodia can grow all sorts of unique fruits. Jackfruit, rambutan, and lychee are just a few. One fruit that stood out to me was the durian. Everyone we met wanted to know if I had tried it.

Durians supposedly smell really bad. The locals like to joke that they smell like hell, but taste like heaven. I personally didn’t like it and didn’t think it smelled too bad, but it is something you should be able to say you’ve tried after visiting Cambodia.

6- Do a cooking class

The most famous Cambodian food is probably lok lak, beef with rice, and amok, a coconut fish curry served in bamboo. One of my favorite ways to learn about the culture of a different place and travel like a local is to try the traditional food. And after trying it, it’s always fun to try your hand at making it.

We did a fantastic cooking class in Kampot that included a trip to a food market, noodle soup for breakfast at a local restaurant, and a lunch consisting of dumplings, curry, banana flower salad, fried okra, pork with tamarind sauce, and beef stir fry. The class was an amazing experience and is definitely something to add to your Cambodia itinerary or bucket list.

7- Lounge at the beach

Cambodia might not be known for its beaches, at least not as much as its neighboring countries like Thailand. That is part of the reason we decided to add some time on the southern coast to our itinerary. While Sihanoukville has undergone some serious changes and is not an attractive place any more, there are ways to escape the madness. I have a whole post about Sihanoukville and Cambodian beaches, but the bottom line is that there are many opportunities in Cambodia to get some quality beach time in.

Final thoughts

Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Cambodia. It is full of awesome experiences that go far beyond these 7 things. But if you really want to experience a variety of what Cambodia has to offer in a shorter amount of time, these are a great starting point.

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