Cambodia

Cambodia is a single-sight destination that happens to have one of the greatest sights on earth, and the honest commercial reality is that Angkor carries the entire itinerary. Agents who understand that build three or four nights in Siem Reap and sell it properly. Agents who try to stretch it across the whole country produce a programme with two strong days and three thin ones. We operate Siem Reap as the core — Angkor Wat at sunrise, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, Ta Prohm, and the Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea outlying temples for clients with a third or fourth day — plus Tonle Sap and the floating villages. Phnom Penh handles the Royal Palace and the Khmer Rouge historical sites. Sihanoukville and the southern islands work as a beach extension, though the coastal product has changed considerably in recent years and we’ll advise honestly on what’s currently worth selling there. Temple guiding is where this destination is won or lost. A licensed Angkor guide who can hold a group’s attention for four hours in heat is a different proposition from someone reciting dates, and we staff accordingly.