Cambodia
Cambodia is the third sister in the former colonies of French Indochina. As with Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia has it own ancient history prior to the 'modernization' efforts in the last 100 years. Cambodia is best known to travelers, historians and archeologist for the crown jewel, Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is the sacred remains of what was once a vast religious and administrative center in ancient Cambodia (Khmer). Built between the 9th and 13th centuries as a tribute to the successive Khmer Kings it was then abandoned around the 15th century. Completely overgrown by the dense tropical forest it was lost for almost 500 years until a publication written by French naturalist Henri Mouhout 'rediscovered' the temples. The recovering of the temples has taken decades and restoration continues today. It hails tourist from all corners of the world and is often considered among the other 'greats' such as the Machu Pichu in Peru, Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall in China.
The same safety concerns abide in Cambodia as with most of the region while traveling; land mines, assaults on tourist and occasion border violence. These incidences are rare but the rewards of travel off the beaten path continue to attract more visitors each year.
The handicrafts from this region are primarily textiles, wooden crafts and silver and gold works.
