Geography and climate of Cambodia
Cambodia’s land mass is divided up by two dominant bodies of water: the mighty Mekong river and its delta, and the Tonlé Sap lake (also called the Great Lake). The Tonlé Sap lake is linked to the Mekong river via a canal 100 km in length. When the waters of the Mekong river rise during the rainy season, the water level in the canal rises so much that it is forced back into the lake. As a result, the area of the Tonlé Sap lake extends to more than double its size each year. The country has three large mountainous regions, with the Elephant and Cardamom mountains in the southwest, the Dangkrek mountains along the northern border towards Thailand and the Eastern Highlands in the northeastern corner towards Vietnam and Laos. Most of the inhabitants work in agriculture and grow rice, maize, pepper or tobacco. Cambodia’s climate is dominated by two monsoon seasons. The cool northeasterly monsoon, which only brings a little rain, keeps average temperatures from November until March around 20–25°C. From May until October, the southwesterly monsoon brings strong winds, high humidity, rain and temperatures of around 30°C. The most comfortable month to visit Cambodia is January. The Cambodians themselves, however, appreciate the wet and rain-soaked summer period and celebrate the ensuing fruitfulness with their annual ‘Water festival’.
Cambodia’s history
The kingdom of Cambodia was part of the Khmer empire from the 6th to the 13th century. After 100 years as part of French Indochina, Cambodia gained independence in 1955. From a historical perspective, the country is best known for its horrendous period under the ravages of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Their deadly force destroyed practically everything that had to do with the old Khmer culture. Buildings, statues, books, musical instruments and, last but not least, human lives were wiped out in the Khmer Rouge’s attempts to make Cambodia into a Maoist agrarian society. Fortunately, the impressive Angkor Wat temple survived despite the Communist military forces’ conviction that all religion should be replaced by faith in the Party. This strategy did not succeed, however, and today almost all Cambodians are adherents of a special form of Buddhism blended with Hinduism and animism. Animism is the belief that animals, plants and places are inhabited by spirits.
The tourist sights of Cambodia
Travelling to Cambodia without paying a visit to Angkor Wat is almost unthinkable – and for good reason. This huge complex of ruins was the capital of the Khmer empire and is a shining example of unique Khmer architecture. The dilapidated walls are adorned with stone reliefs that comprehensively recount the story of everyday life and important events in the powerful kingdom. The surrounding jungle almost looks as if it is consuming the big complex of ruins, and parts of the complex are still overgrown with climbing plants, just as when they were discovered in the 19th century. A reminder of Cambodia’s horrific past can be seen at the Killing Fields, the mass graves where 17,000 people murdered by the Khmer Rouge lie buried. The capital, Phnom Penh, is also well worth visiting on a trip to Cambodia. The city is characterised by architecture from the country’s time as a French colony and boasts one of the few Buddhist monuments that the Khmer Rouge did not interfere with, the magnificent silver pagoda. Inside the pagoda, the floor is covered with silver tiles, and on the floor there are statues of sitting or standing Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal and diamonds. If you need a break from the historical and religious monuments, Bokor National Park provides a nice change. The National Park is situated in a cool forest area with beautiful waterfalls, wild tigers and elephants, together with a spooky, abandoned French mountain station. On a holiday in Cambodia, however, you must always remember to be extremely careful when rambling in the countryside. Land mines from the Khmer Rouge era remain a hazard, and you must always keep to the signposted trails. Even in popular places like Angkor Wat.