Two monks chew the fat in Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

Yok Seng, a Phnom Penh taxi driver, tells a tragic but familiar Cambodian story.

With his wife and 10 children, Yok Seng was moved out to the countryside by the murderous Khmer Rouge that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. The whole family was put to work under slave labour conditions. Starting in the fields at 4am, they were lucky if they finished by 10pm. For this toil, the reward might be one bowl of thin soup per day.

Yok Seng lost eight of his 10 children during this period. He says that, in total, three million people were killed by the Khmer Rouge.

The visitor to Cambodia will be constantly reminded of this tragic era – but to dwell too much on these turbulent years could be less than helpful. Most Cambodians are now trying to forget the past and build a new future.

Maybe more than any other country, Cambodia has a glorious ancient history to which it can look. This backdrop, epitomised in the temples of Angkor, is an anchor, a lynch-pin around which the country is slowly rebuilding itself.

Visiting Angkor today, you feel that here is the germ of a new civilisation. But like Angkor, the Cambodian national spirit is in dire need of restoration. Hundreds of years of overgrowth need to be removed, so that the true genius of the ancient Khmer civilisation can once again shine through.

At last, this goal seems to be within reach.

Survival guide

The good news is that unlike its neighbours in Thailand and Vietnam, Khmer (the language of Cambodia) doesn’t have tones. The bad news is that the language is full of impossible combinations of consonants, like bp-, dt-, tl- and so forth, at the start of syllables. Learning a few words is easy enough though – check out Routledge’s Colloquial Cambodian.

The best months to visit Cambodia are November to February, with December and January in particular offering clear skies, less heat, cooler evenings and very little rain. However, the rainy season (June to October) can be ideal for visiting Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor – river levels are higher, allowing easier access; the jungle is lush and green; and the temple moats and reflecting pools are full, making for great photography.

All visitors (except nationals of Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Laos) need a visa. Visas are readily obtainable for $US20-25 at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap international airports, and at most international border crossings.

The currency is the Riel (KHR). There are about 4,000 Riel to one US dollar. Note that there are no coins, and a fat wad of banknotes is par for the course.

Public transport is good, with modern air-conditioned buses running on major routes. However, note that roads may be washed out during the rainy season; at this time of year, riverboat travel (eg Phnom Penh-Siem Reap; Siem-Reap-Battembang) may be preferable.

Accommodation in all price ranges can be found throughout Cambodia, though upmarket options are limited outside Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sikahnoukville. In Phnom Penh, two options at opposite ends of the price spectrum are:

Hotel Sofitel Cambodiana, 313 Sisowath Quay, tel +855 23 426 288. Right on the River, with no fewer than six bars and restaurants. US$120-400.

Hotel Indochine at 251 Sisowath Quay (tel +855 23 724 239) charges US$15 for rooms with private bath, air conditioning, refrigerator and satellite TV. However, most rooms have no windows. Front rooms with a view overlooking the river are well worth the extra $5-10 charged.

A unique offering in Siem Reap and some other towns is accommodation in fine old mahogany-timbered stilt-houses.