Back in the 1960s, Siem Reap (see-em ree-ep) was the place to be in Southeast Asia and saw a steady stream of the rich and famous. After three decades of slumber, it’s well and truly ack and one of the most popular destinations on the planet right now. The life-support system for the temples of Angkor, Cambodia’s eighth wonder of the world, Siem Reap was always destined for great things, but few people saw them coming this thick and this fast. It has reinvented itself as the epicentre of the new Cambodia, with more guesthouses and hotels than temples, world-class wining and dining and sumptuous spas. At its heart, Siem Reap is still a little charmer, with old French shop-houses, shady tree-ined boulevards and a slow-flowing river. But it is expanding at breakneck speed with new houses and apartments, hotels and resorts sprouting like mushrooms in the surrounding countryside. The tourist tide has arrived and locals are riding the wave. Not only is this great news for the long-suffering Khmers, but it has transformed the town into a pulsating place for visitors. Forget the naysayers who mutter into their beers about Siem Reap in the ‘old days’, now is the time to be here, although you may curse your luck when stuck behind a jam of tour buses on the way back from the temples.Angkor is a place to be savoured, not rushed, and this is the base to plan your adven-tures. Still think three days at the temples is enough? Think again with Siem Reap on the doorstep.

Phnom Penh: the name can’t help but conjure up an image of the exotic. The glimmering spires of the royal palace, the fluttering saffron of the monks’ robes, and the luscious location on the banks of the mighty Mekong; this is one of Asia’s undiscovered gems. But it’s also a city on the move, as a new wave of investors move in, perhaps forever changing the character, and skyline, of this classic city. Phnom Penh is a crossroads of Asia’s past and present, a city of extremes of poverty and excess, of charm and chaos, but onethat never fails to captivate.Phnom Penh can be an assaulton the senses. Motorbikes whiz through the backstreets without a thought for pedestrians; pungent scents float upfrom stalls and markets; and all the while the sound of life, of commerce, of survival, reverberates all around. Butthis is all part of the attraction. It’s not just anothermetropolis, the identikit image of a modern capital; it is an older Asia that many dreamed of when first planningtheir adventures overseas.Once the ‘Pearl of Asia’, Phnom Penh’s shine was tarnished by the impact of war and revolution. But that’s history, and Phnom Penh has risen from the ashes to take its place among the cool capitals of the region. Delve into the ancient past at the National Museum or struggle to make sense of the recent trauma at Tuol SlengMuseum. Browse the city’s markets for a bargain or linger in the beautiful boutiques that are putting Phnom Penhon the style map. Street-surf through the local stalls for a snack or enjoy the refined surrounds of a designer restaurant. Whatever your flavour, no matter your taste, it’s all here in Phnom Penh

 Cambodians traditionally greet each other with the sompiah, which involves pressing the hands together in prayer and bowing, similar to the wai in Thailand. The higher the hands and the lower the bow the more respect is conveyed – important to remember when meeting officials or the elderly. In recent times this custom has been partially replaced by the handshake but, although men tend to shake hands with each other, women usually use the traditional greeting with both men and women. It is considered acceptable
(or perhaps excusable) for foreigners to shake hands with Cambodians of  both  sexes.

 Cambodia’s first census in decades, carried out in 1998, put the country’s population at nearly 11.5 million. With a rapid growth rate of 2.4% a year, the population now stands at more than 15 million and is predicted to reach 20 million  before 2020.Phnom Penh is the largest city, with a population of almost two million. Other major population centres include the boom towns of Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Battambang and Poipet. The most populous province is Kompong Cham, where more than 10% of  Cambodians live.The much-discussed imbalance of men to women due to years of conflict is not as serious as it was in 1980, but it is still significant: there are about 94 males to every 100 females, up from 86.1 to 100 in 1980. There is, however, a marked imbalance in age groups: around 50% of the population is under the age  of 16.