Where to stay in Cambodia

Queen Grand Boutique Hotel 

It is located at 14 Street 258, Sangkat Chaktomuk, Phnom Penh. The hotel is located at one end of the riverfront so it will take about 10 minutes to walk along the main road to the main restaurants. But you will get to walk past the royal palace! The location also means that you get no noise at night. How to get to Kep from Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and Kampot

Queen grand boutique hotel – quengrand.com

They have clean modern room that will bring a good sleep to you, great service will bring comfortable feeling, wonderful breakfast to have enough energy for all day long. Massage was excellent and rates are very good. You will have a chance to know the tasteful elegant style in a luxury dining areas. Moreover, comfortable bed in spacious room with good bathroom and hot water will help you relax.

How to travel between Battambang and Sihanoukville

Eating

You also should know how to behave at the dinner table from Cambodia politely. If you are not sure about what should or should not be done at the same table with people in this country, the easiest way is to follow the next. When you are invited to attend any meal, wait until you are seated to avoid committing the rules ordered by the hierarchy.

Some typical foods in Cambodia – toptravels.vn

Older people are most often the first to sit at the table, like that this is also the person will begin to eat first. Absolutely do not eat or talk business on occasions like this.

Central Market

Central Market

When first operating in 1937, Central Market, which is situated in Phnom Penh and today still operates as a market was claimed to be the largest market in Asia. Louis Chauchon, a French architect is the initial designer of the layouts here. Coming here, tourists can find checked scarves, stationery, household items, cloth for sarongs, flowers as well as second hand clothes, usually from Europe and the US in many stalls standing around the main buildings.

Fried noodles

Fried noodles

Well known as the simpleton cousin of pad-Thai or amazing Japanese ramen, Cambodian fried noodles are a must-try dish on your trip to Phnom Penh. In Phnom Penh, you will have a chance to both see how vendors crack open special ramen packets and fry them up in large wok pans and taste this dish with Chinese kale, sprouts, eggs together with a myriad of Khmer sauces and local spices with no more than $2.

NagaWorld Hotel & Entertainment Complex

 

NagaWorld Hotel & Entertainment Complex

Situated just 30 minute drive to the Phnom Penh International Airport NagaWorld Hotel & Entertainment Complex is a 5-star standard hotel having a strategical position in the center of the capital city of Cambodia not far from the Pencil Super Center, the Cambodia Amusement Park, coming with other governmental offices like the National Assembly, International Cooperation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Phnom Penh:

If the first set foot in the capital of Phnom Penh, all travelers are advised to contact the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. This is a magnificent temple with silver plated the entire floor and the statue are inlaid with precious stones.

Visit Cambodia

The best time to travel Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh’s climate is generally tropical so that, it tends to be hot year-round with minor variations. The average temperature is between 28 oC and 33oC

Phnom Penh has four seasons in a year: cool and dry from November to February; hot and dry from March to May; hot and wet between June and August; and cool and wet from September to early November. Cheap and delicious places to eat in Battambang

When to visit Battambang

This city has many attractions that a lot of tourists often overlook Cambodia, this is quite understandable since it can’t be a beautiful place like popular lands in Cambodia have a beach, it is also not a capital of this country and the city is not ancient like Angkor temples. But in reality, the 2nd largest city of Cambodia is a place of perfect balance, lively, friendly and hides many mysterious things that you can love to explore. Tips for hiking in Southeast Asia

Things to eat in Cambodia

The temples country has enough forests, seas, mountains and rivers should be no surprise that Cambodian food is abudant. On the tourist itinerary, do not forget to take advantage of enjoying the renowned cuisine of this country.

Referring to the South East Asia Regional cuisine is definitely Thailand and Vietnam will be the famous name. When mentioned about the cuisine of Cambodia is often not noticed by tourists, but if you have once tasted, must have you will be excited by the exclusive flavor of this country. The following is a list of some dishes that guests should try when visiting Cambodia.

When to visit Siem Reap

Being a beautiful city in Cambodia- one of the most popular tourist destinations in the South East Asia, Siem Reap attracts tourists for its large number of magnificent ancient temples as well as a wide variety of interesting activities. But to have a perfect trip in Siem Reap, you need to know the best time to visit this charming city.

Siem Reap

Visit the Angkor temples

Angkor temples are the reason for almost every tourists coming here. Whether you are the most active and enthusiastic amateur photographer or you only wish to watch the temples at their best, going on a photography tour, you will make sure to catch the hidden highlights.

Hire a tuk-tuk tour guide

Fan of tuk-tuk will immediately know the reason why all stall in the markets offer T-shirts hanged with slogan: “No tuk-tuk. Not today. Not tomorrow,” but do not let the criticizing vendors threaten you into missing out on a stunning Cambodian ride.

Travel to northwest Vietnam

A striking blend of jagged mountain ranges, lush valleys and jungle, the northern provinces of Vietnam are culturally diverse and largely inhabited by ethnic minorities. The region was important in the revolution against the French and suffered during more recent conflict with China. It remains a rural backwater and largely isolated from the country’s recent economic achievements. Tours Indochina
Thac Ba Lake
The lake and its surrounds is considered an area of ecological and cultural importance. The region is home to a number of ethnic minority groups, most notably the Dao but also Tay, Nung, Thai, Muong, Giay and others, with many living along the banks of the lake and earning a living from its waters.
The area also has historical significance: in 1285 the Thu Vat Battle took place against Mongolian invaders and during the Vietnam/American war Thuy Tien cave was the base of Yen Bai provincial committee. North Vietnam travel tours
The lake was created when the Thac Ba Hydropower Plant was constructed on the Chay River in Yen Binh district. It is immense: more than 23,000 hectares, 80 kilometres long, up to 10 kilometres wide and 42 metres down at its deepest point. The landscape is stunning, with 1,331 islands, mostly covered in forest, and still, clear water.
Although it is possible to get to Thac Ba lake independently, it's not a developed tourist location so accommodation is not easily accessible and you can't just walk up to a ticket office and buy a boat ticket -- though you could probably walk up to someone in a lakeside village and find a rower prepared to take you out. We'd therefore recommend either booking onto a tour or booking your overnight stay and activities at La Vie Vu Linh, an eco-lodge and school on the banks of the lake.

Mai Chau
In spring Mai Chau is a bright, almost parrot-green and by autumn this green transforms into golden hues as the rice approaches harvest. Taking the time to watch these transitions of colour seems like a perfectly useful way to spend your time while there.
The scenery isn't the only reason visitors flood to Mai Chau though; those bemoaning the dearth of truly budget accommodation in Vietnam will be happy to learn that this is one place you can stay for a song. The budget accommodation option is a 'homestay' in a stilt house in one of the ethnic White Thai villages a short walk from Mai Chau town: Ban Poom Coong, Ban Lac 1 and Ban Lac 2.
But while accommodation and other services are run by ethnic minority families who have lived on and worked the land for generations, this is hardly like trucking into a Karen village in northern Thailand and staying in the spare room of someone's house: here its purpose-built to give tourists the 'homestay' experience, while the watchful eye of the government makes sure they have western toilets, ample bedding, and sometimes even satellite TVs in the common rooms. Still, it's an enjoyable part of a stay in Mai Chau, particularly when your hosts roll out the rice wine and traditional dancing.

Of the villages, Ban Lac 1 is the more developed, with more gift shops and a busier nightlife -- what there is of it -- but there's little to differentiate the accommodation on offer. The lodgings are mostly traditional stilt houses with large communal rooms where you can sleep on a mat laid upon a squeaky, split bamboo floor, for just about the same cheap price everywhere. The sleeps are really a loss leader -- they make the real money off the food you eat, and the curios and textiles you buy. Not to mention, the liquor you drink. A typical charge is 100,000 VND / person for bed and breakfast and although you could save 'small money' by eating in town, family-style Vietnamese cooking is generally far superior to restaurant fare, and you wouldn't want to miss out on the nightly group meals.
Dien Bien Phu
The capital of Dien Bien province, Dien Bien Phu lies on the east bank of the Nam Rom River (Song Nam Rom) at the northern end of the Muong Thanh valley. This was the site of a 57-day siege – the famous Battle of Dien Bien Phu – which brought an ignominious end to French colonialism in Asia. It is encircled by steep green hills from which tens of thousands of Viet Minh troops launched their assault on the French garrisons in 1954.
Visitors can visit a reconstruction of General de Castries’s main command bunker, set amid a litter of rusty tanks and artillery. Not far away, A1 Hill, known as ‘Eliane 2’ to the French, was the scene of fierce fighting and is now a war memorial dedicated to the Viet Minh who died here.
On the edge of the downtown area, the Museum of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (Nha Trung Bay Thang Lich Su Dien Bien Phu) has black-and-white battle photos, an illuminated electronic model of the valley and battle positions, and a collection of Chinese, American and French weapons. Across the street is a Viet Minh Cemetery, where some of the Viet Minh soldiers killed in the battle are buried.
Towering over town from its vantage position at D1 Hill is the Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument. Unveiled in 2004, this huge bronze statue measures 12.6m (41ft) and weighs 220 tonnes. It depicts three soldiers standing atop the French garrison, one holding a flag, another a gun, and the third a child with flowers. On the flag is written: Quyet chien, quyet thang (Determined to fight, determined to win).

North Vietnam Travel Highlights

North Vietnam Travel Highlights will let you learn more about cradle of Vietnam’s culture and history in the Red River Delta. Conquer the unspoiled hidden trail through colorful ethnic minority villages in the Sapa mountains and enjoy breathtaking views of Halong Bay from a boat. Explore the rich and beautiful nature of Hoang Lien, Cuc Phuong and Cat Ba National Parks. Indochina tours Vietnam
Explore the most remote area of Sapa
Nam Cang village locates in a remote and beautiful area dominated by Red Dao minority. Visiting the most remote part of Sapa area equals real adventure and great opportunities to explore the natural life of ethnic minority groups living in the mountains. The locals will look with big eyes and followed by happy smiles as this is “off the beaten track”. You enjoy your lunch in a comfortable riverside lodge connecting with Nam Cang village with own bridge. Along the tour you will meet several different tribes, each with own language and costumes.
Halong bay
Designated a World Heritage site in 1994, Halong Bay's spectacular scatter of islands, dotted with wind- and wave-eroded grottoes, is a vision of ethereal beauty and, unsurprisingly, northern Vietnam's number one tourism hub. Sprawling Halong City is the bay's main gateway but its dowdy high-rises are a disappointing doorstep to this site. Most visitors sensibly opt for cruise-tours that include sleeping on board within the bay, while a growing number are deciding to eschew the main bay completely, heading straight for Cat Ba Island from where trips to less-visited but equally alluring Lan Ha Bay are easily set up. Halong bay cruise in Vietnam

Halong Bay attracts visitors year-round with peak season between late May and early August. January to March is often cool and drizzly, and the ensuing fog can make visibility low, but adds bags of eerie atmosphere. From May to September tropical storms are frequent, and year-round tourist boats sometimes need to alter their itineraries, depending on the weather. November's sunny blue-sky days and lack of crowds make it the best time to make a beeline here.
Ba Be National Park
Often referred to as the Ba Be Lakes, Ba Be National Park was established in 1992 as Vietnam’s eighth national park. The scenery here swoops from towering limestone mountains peaking at 1554m down into plunging valleys wrapped in dense evergreen forests, speckled with waterfalls and caves, with the lakes themselves dominating the very heart of the park.
The park entrance fee is payable at a checkpoint, about 15km before the park headquarters, just beyond the town of Cho Ra. Ba Be (meaning Three Bays) is in fact three linked lakes, which have a total length of 8km and a width of about 400m. More than a hundred species of freshwater fish inhabit the lake. Two of the lakes are separated by a 100m-wide strip of water called Be Kam, sandwiched between high walls of chalk rock.
The park is a rainforest area with more than 550 named plant species, and the government subsidises the villagers not to cut down the trees. The hundreds of wildlife species here include 65 (mostly rarely seen) mammals, 353 butterflies, 106 species of fish, four kinds of turtle, the highly endangered Vietnamese salamander and even the Burmese python. Ba Be birdlife is equally prolific, with 233 species recorded, including the spectacular crested serpent eagle and the oriental honey buzzard. Hunting is forbidden, but villagers are permitted to fish.
The region is home to 13 tribal villages, most belonging to the Tay minority plus smaller numbers of Dzao and Hmong. The park has a well-established homestay program allowing travellers who spend the night here to experience lakeside village life.

beaches in Cambodia

Top beaches in Cambodia
Ochheuteal Beach

Ochheuteal Beach holds the title for being the most popular beach in Sihanoukville. Formerly known as UNTAC Beach in the early 90s, Ochheuteal Beach is a long, narrow, sandy stretch of beach with a nice choice of hotels and budget guesthouses, restaurants and bars located either on or near the beach. In the evening, this is the place to be. Several roadside BBQ restaurants offer a nice mix of beats and fresh seafood and meat skewers. Tours indochina in Cambodia

Victory Beach

Victory Beach can be found at the base of Weather Station Hill (Victory Hill) and it is best known for its incredible views of the town and port. There are several budget guesthouses and beach bungalows for rent located on the side of the hill. Sun chairs and umbrellas, seafood shacks, restaurants, bars, and even a nightclub can be found right on the beach.

Victory Beach has developed a reputation for its incredible sunsets; the best vantage point being at the top of Sihanoukville Mountain. The western side of the mountain offers stunning views of the town, port, ocean, and several outlying islands.



  Otres Beach

Pretty little Otres Beach may be furthest from the town center, but it is also the least spoiled of all the beaches in Sihanoukville. The sand here is fine and perfect for sun bathing, while the water is clear and perfect for swimming. Best of all, this beach doesn’t draw the crowds that Serendipity and Occheuteal Beach draw. There are plenty of seafood shacks and bars on this beach. Accommodations, though, are come few and far between. Travel to Cambodia

Sokha Beach

Beautiful Sokha Beach is a wide sandy beach covered in fine, silky, sand, stretching over a kilometer in length. This quiet beach is owned by the Sokha Beach Resort, a 5-star beach resort offering luxurious beachfront accommodations. Sokha Beach is open to the general public as well as guests of the resort. A number of pretty beach gazebos and some upscale beach bars and restaurants can be found here, but if it’s cheap seafood that you are looking for, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Long Set Beach, Koh Rong

Ideal for sunbathing, collecting shells and crabbing, this beach only began to see development quite recently and retains a very calm and desolate atmosphere. Under the sea, however, is a different story. Saturated with marine life and rich coral, Long Set is one of the best locations for snorkeling and diving in Cambodia. And, if you really want to see something special, hang around until nightfall; an evening dip in moonlight unveils a host of bio-luminescent plankton twinkling like an underwater Milky Way. Now that’s something worth waiting for.

Serendipity Beach, Sihanoukville

If you’ve had enough of lazing in the placid shimmering waters and snoozing in the silky golden sands, it’s time to head to Serendipity Beach. Dotted with quaint restaurants, beach bars and BBQ shacks, backpackers tend to migrate here for late night beach parties and just an overall good time. If you’re here in high season, and don’t like crowds, this may not be the place for you. Otherwise, bring your sun hat and your party hat, and you may just end up having the time of your life.

Koh Pos Beach, Sihanoukville

Known most prominently for serving up some of the best seafood in Sihanoukville, Koh Pos Beach is home to a hidden treasure, aptly named, Treasure Island Seafood Restaurant (oddly not located on an island). Small, secluded and extremely well shaded, Koh Pos is ideal for curling up with a book, gorging on lobster and finding that respite from the hot sun while your burn is slowly turning into tan (we’ve all been there). Word to the wise, keep your possessions within reach as the resident monkeys tend to enjoy looking through bags for a new toy or snack. Or both.

Hoi An travel guide - centre Vietnam

Hoi An travel guide - centre Vietnam
Located some 25km southeast of Danang is the ancient town of Hoi An. One of the key attractions of central Vietnam, it occupies a scenic location along the banks of the Thu Bon River, just a few kilometres inland from the coast and the charms of lovely Cua Dai Beach. To the south is the Unesco-listed Cham site of My Son. Centre Vietnam travel packages
History of Hoi An
Hoi An traces its roots back to the ancient Champa kingdom, when it was a seaport known as Dai Chien. In the 13th and 14th centuries, it developed under the control of the Tran dynasty (1225–1400). At the beginning of the 16th century, the first Portuguese arrived to explore the coastline of Central Vietnam, to be followed by expeditions led by the Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, British and French. The Europeans brought the first Catholic missionaries (and later the Protestants), making Hoi An one of the earliest places to be exposed to Christianity. Among them was the Jesuit priest Alexandre de Rhodes, who devised the Romanised form of the Vietnamese language. BASSAC CRUISE

Hoi An appeared in Western travelogues in the 17th and 18th centuries as Faifo or Hai Po. For several centuries, it was one of the most important trading ports in all of Southeast Asia and an important centre of cultural exchange between Europe and the Orient. By the beginning of the 19th century, however, its fortunes were in free-fall. The conflict between the Trinh and Nguyen Lords and the Tay Son faction caused considerable damage, while the mouth of the Thu Bon River silted up and prevented the flow of sea traffic. Another port was built at the mouth of the Song Han River, and Danang replaced Hoi An as the centre of trade.

In the early 1980s, Unesco took the initiative and funded a restoration programme to safeguard Hoi An’s Old Quarter and historic monuments, leading to its achieving the World Heritage status in 1999. Unfortunately many of Hoi An’s monuments are threatened by annual floods (mainly between October and November) when the water spills over the river banks and submerges streets in up to 3m (10ft) of water, causing serious damage.

Hoi An's atmospheric Old Town
These days, Hoi An is a relaxed town of about 120,000 people, 10 ­per cent of whom live in the Old Quarter, which has been turned into a historical showpiece for tourists. Many of the older homes, with their wooden beams, carved doors and airy, open rooms, have been turned into souvenir shops masquerading as museums. While it’s certainly the old architecture that draws the tourist buses, there’s no denying that shopping is the new heart and soul of Hoi An. Bespoke tailor shops are found everywhere, and it's not uncommon to see tourists lugging entire suitcases filled with newly tailored suits and dresses. In fact, some worry that the very thing that makes Hoi An attractive – its quiet charm and peaceful atmosphere – is being ruined. Nearly all of the buildings in the Old Town have been turned into shops or restaur­ants, and about 80 per cent of the residents now directly derive their income from tourism.

My Son is the site of Vietnam's most important Cham monuments, (photo by Peter Stuckings)

Places to see near Hoi An
Cua Dai Beach

Just 5km (3 miles) from Hoi An is the broad silvery expanse of Cua Dai Beach. This stretch of sand is lined with several good beachside resorts, including one of Vietnam’s most expensive, the fabulously indulgent Nam Hai. Some 20km (12 miles), or 25 minutes by speedboat, from Hoi An and Cua Dai Beach is Cu Lao Cham Marine Park, which comprises eight islands that make up the Cham Islands archipelago. The marine park is one of the finest diving spots in central Vietnam. The main Cham Island is known for its rich bounty of swallows’ nests (the species in question is, in fact, German’s swiftlet), used in birds’ nest soup – a prized delicacy in Chinese communities all over Asia.

My Son

The ancient kingdom of Champa, which is thought to date back to the second century AD and flourished from the fifth to the 15th centuries, once occupied the central Vietnamese coast all the way to the Dong Nai River in the south. After many struggles, Champa was conquered by the Vietnamese – but the Cham people remained. As their kingdom was swallowed piecemeal by the invading Viet (Kinh), increasing numbers of Cham fled to neighbouring Cambodia, though others chose to remain under Viet tutelage in their former homelands. My Son, nestled under the green slopes of Cat’s Tooth Mountain (Nui Rang Meo) some 50km (31 miles) from Hoi An, is the site of Vietnam’s most important Cham monuments and was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1999. It is one of the most atmospheric locations anywhere in the country, with the crumbling ruins set in a verdant jungle. Chosen as a religious sanctuary by King Bhadravarman I in the fourth century, many temples and towers (kalan) were built in this area. There are 11 designated temple groups in My Son, and there are likely to be other groups of ruins that are either unpublicised or undiscovered.

Ha Giang Forest Festival

Although the Pu Peo is ethnic people in Ha Giang, they still preserved many liturgies and a folklore treasure. Along with other liturgies are held in the New Year, people prays dryad for the green of forest, security for people in the forest fest. Also, from this ceremony, the forest has the Pu Peo protected very well, especially, the sacred forest. They protect the forest in order to have water for farming and have wood for making house. Each year, on June 6th lunar calendar, people held this fest with the most solemn rites. North Vietnam tours

The fest takes place in the forbidden forest, the sorcerer faces in a big tree and bow in the ground in order to pray dryad for protecting their village. The Pu Peo always understands that preserving forest is keeping water.

All thing were displayed on the banana leaf forest, the altar was constructed of green bamboo with nearly 2 meters height, facing the mountain. The square glutinous rice pounded to a pulp to make cakes, sliced carefully. On each piece of rice is a small boiled egg. It the bottom of the altar, there has 2 chickens which are still alive. Around the altar is bottle wine and bowl. Besides, they have forced a female goat near the altar. The fest lasts several hours; sorcerer holds a fresh bamboo waving in all time of liturgy. Sometimes, he holds a dried gourd. The rite shows the respect of human divided into three stages. The first stage, chickens and goats still live, the second stage, the youngsters cut their neck and finally, people have meal in this place right. The families do not attend, they also were divided food. Halong Jasmine Cruise

During the day, with the jubilant atmosphere and the unity of ethnic groups in the village, the liturgy was implemented by the Pu Peo ethnic. The festival part is involved by whole people in the village. Having traditional sports such as: push sticks, tug, playing “ao”…attract a large number of ethnic groups. Besides, folk song programs will be presented by the Pu Peo ethnic. Jasmine Cruise

Harmony with nature, respect and protect natural forest as friend become a common sense of Pu Peo community, shown in each family, village. Each sacred forest is protected by people. It not only brings physical value and spiritual value but also contributes to protect and develop environment.

Ha Giang Praying for Rain Festival 

Praying for rain festival of the Lo Lo is common religious in agriculture. On the festival occasions, almost all activities of the Lo Lo are aimed at praying for rain. They wish the rain down to the Meo Vac field and they pray for a prosperous forever.

Every March, when the climate is dry and trees lack water, Lo Lo ethnic people in Meo Vac, Ha Giang Province often held a praying for rain festival. With typical rituals, the festival, handed down from generation to generation, is also an opportunity to meet one another.

Ha Giang Praying for Rain Festival 

The praying for rain festival is often held on the 15th, 17th, 19th of the 3rd lunar month. It is only organized when the weather is harsh or drought appears. Previously, rich people in villages used to pay for the cost of the festival but nowadays each villager contributes an item to the festival. Objects include a chicken, a dog or a kilogram of rice is taken to the house of a sorcerer or village chief. To have a successful praying for rain festival, the first procedure that cannot be avoided is to organize a ceremony to ask ancestral sorcerers for aid.

The procedure is quite easy, including a cup of water, incense and bamboo paper (a kind of papers that is used for sacrifices of the Lo Lo people). First of all, the sorcerer burns incense at the family ancestor’s altar and then, the cup of water and the paper are placed at a house corner. After that, the sorcerer starts worshipping. He covers the water cup with the bamboo paper; if the water in the cup is not absorbed or poured out of the cup, “permission is granted” and then, the praying for rain festival will be successful. Finally, the sorcerer burns the bamboo paper and the procedure is completed.

The Lo Lo ethnic people believe that after organizing the festival within three to nine days, it will rain. The festival is divided into two parts: the ritual and the festival. The ritual is made with the participation of villagers. Live objects such as dogs and chicken will be taken to the praying place and worshipped twice. After being used for worshipping for the first time, village’s boys will slaughter them and use the meat for worshipping again.

When the worship finishes, villagers drink the alcohol, eat the meat and dance. Beautiful Lo Lo girls dance in their traditional costumes weaved with colorful patterns.

The rain praying festival is a typical cultural activity bearing unique characteristics. The festival is an opportunity for villagers to pray for luck and show their faith in God