Kep Kampot and Takeo

The Austronesian language family covers half the planet so who are Austronesians, where do they live and where do they come from?

A few tips on how to get the best out of your small group tour to Southeast Asia

Favourite Southeast Asian hotels Excuses for the slightly deceptive title – it works better for SEO purposes – and our list is not in any way intended to be our all time favourite Southeast Asian hotels, but rather a rundown on some favourite new spots we’ve added recently to our range of small group tours. Obviously, new hotels and resorts…

Although the ports of Funan traded with ancient Greece and Rome, this early Southeast Asian civilisation remains very little known

The Cham civilisation once occupied large parts of what is today Vietnam and in its heyday was one of Southeast Asia;s most powerful polities

Off-the-beaten-track Temples If one checked tourist arrivals and length of stay in Cambodia it would quickly become apparent that the vast majority of foreign visitors to the kingdom don’t get much further than the Angkor Historical Park on the outskirts of Siem Reap. Spectacular as these jungle-clad, ruined temples are, often equally impressive, but far less-visited, off-the-beaten-track temples can be…

What to see and do in Kep and Kampot Note that these are very much our personal suggestions for what to see and do in Kep and Kampot and not everyone will agree with our inclusions and omissions. While we have been visiting both these Cambodian coastal provinces regularly for some 20 years now, places change – often quickly, sometimes…

Takeo Province Conveniently situated between the capital Phnom Penh, a short distance to the north, and the popular destinations of Kep and Kampot to the south, many visitors pass through Cambodia’s Takeo Province, but sadly few stop. In our opinion, a big mistake. There are some excellent and varied spots to visit, to complement the better-known sites of Phnom Penh…

Rabbit Island Koh Tonsai or Rabbit Island lies just off the coast from Kep in the province of the same name – a 3-hour drive or so from Phnom Penh. Formerly known as Kep-sur-Mer, the popular and fashionable pre-Khmer Rouge seaside resort is currently experiencing something of a renaissance. Firstly, there aren’t really any rabbits whatsoever on the island, but…

Phnom Chisor While the majority of the best-known and, of course, most frequently visited, Angkorian temples are situated in Siem Reap province and northwestern Cambodia, the well-preserved, hill-top sanctuary of Phnom Chisor, located in the opposite – southeastern – region of the country, is a reminder of the geographical extent of these fabulous ancient temples. Spectacular and often still intact,…

Phnom Tamao If Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre was located, for example, between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, it would undoubtedly see far more overseas visitors than it currently does and its location in southern Cambodia’s Takeo Province is undeniably well off the main tourist trail. The site itself is fine and consists of some 6,000 acres of protected woodland,…

Lesser-known Angkor temples As you’ll discover on our Beyond Angkor tour, there are myriad, spectacular, lesser-known Angkor temples (as well as pre-Angkor) lying the length and breadth of Cambodia just waiting to be explored. Of course, iconic Angkor Wat, Bayon’s mysterious carved faces and the roots and creepers of atmospheric, jungle-clad Ta Prom are justifiably world-famous, but some of these…