Few nations have experienced the heights and depths of human endeavour as has Cambodia. In two millennia, it has risen to create one of the world's most brilliant cultures and fallen to the abyss of the Killing Fields genocide of the Khmer Rouge.

For the visitor, it is a fascinating land of contrasts, inhabited by a gentle people, who are a study in survival and whose art is an inspiration.

Half the size of neighbouring Vietnam, Cambodia is a fertile plain of rice and rubber bound by two mountain ranges and dominated by the mighty Mekong River and the enormous Tonle Sap Lake that feeds its predominantly fishing and farming population.

The capital, Phnom Penh, lies in the central region along the Tonle Sap River, but the heart of Khmer civilization is at Angkor. There, ancient kings created a stone city dedicated to the gods, a brilliant display of architecture and carving that ranks among the world's great cultural wonders.