Siem Reap

This once-sleepy colonial town has woken up, thanks to Angkor Wat

Siem Reap has always been best known for being the base from which to explore the temples of Angkor, and it hosted a steady stream of luminaries like Jackie Kennedy and Charlie Chaplin until the mid-1970's, when Pol Pot's Communist regime began another, more brutal chapter of Cambodian history. But things have changed once again, and Siem Reap has been growing since the late-1990's, only this time, the change is exponential.

Somewhere along the way, the city has blossomed into a tourist mecca with options to suit every budget. Though there's not much to keep you here once you're done exploring the temples of Angkor, Siem Reap has everything you need once you've had your daily fill of temples: comfortable guesthouses, great restaurants, vibrant nightlife, and even spas to soothe your weary body. And while Siem Reap's transition into modern life may seem like an endless cacophony of traffic and construction, there are a couple of gems that evoke its increasingly distant past; make sure to wander around the Old French Quarter and the Old Market neighborhood for a glimpse into Siem Reap's more traditional side.