The Cambodia Guide

The Kingdom of Cambodia is a South East Asian nation that borders Vietnam, Laos and Thailand and has a large stretch of coastline on the Gulf of Thailand. It is also currently one of the hottest travel destinations in the world.

When it comes to turbulent histories few countries can complete with the roller coaster that the Khmer People have been through. For a time the advanced Khmer Empire held hegemony over the region whilst creating the wonder of the world that is Angkor Wat. The Empire fell in 1431 and the Khmers then went into decline.

The French arrived in the 1900s which would eventually lead to the nation fighting for independence which it received in 1954. Its proximity to Vietnam and internal struggles meant it would inevitably be drawn into the American war in Vietnam and what followed was one of the most extreme regimes to ever grace the planet.

From 1975-79 the Khmer Rouge-ruled government of Democratic Kampuchea led to the deaths of up to 1/3 of the Cambodian population, before being ousted by a Soviet backed pro-Vietnamese regime. The Khmer Rouge retreated to the countryside and the country was to remain in some sort of civil war until 1998, also becoming one of the most heavily mined countries on earth, something that still manages to kill and main people to this day.

Despite being ruled by the same political party since 1979 Cambodia is now relatively peaceful and stable and has a fast growing tourist industry. The vast majority of people who come to the country do so to visit the temples of Angkor Wat, but there truly is much more to this majestic country.

Young Pioneer Tours have been running trips to Cambodia since 2017. We run one group tour every summer called the Cambodia Dark Tourism Tour, which also links to our Vietnam Summer Tour. For information about independent tours see below.