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Cambodia was a strange land to me until my mother dragged me along on her trip there to visit her sister. Our destination: Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

Like most countries, Cambodia also requires a visa to enter the country, however, we got our visa when we arrived at the Siem Reap Airport for $20 (£10), and the entire process was luckily painless.

The day after our arrival, my aunt toured us to some of Phnom Penh’s famed attractions. Our first stop was the Royal Palace (they said the sunrise was most beautiful there but we missed it due to a languorous breakfast!) and to the Silver Pagoda, situated in the walled grounds of Sothearos. Thankfully, none of us were dressed in shorts that day, as this sacred place observes a strict dress code, with no exceptions!

We paid $3 (&pound1.50) per person and added $5 (&pound2.50) for the video camera that I brought along. Not a bad price to pay, as the sheer treasures inside were quite a sight to behold.

Cambodian Emerald Buddha

The temple featured a vast collection of the country’s religion and history, and I couldn’t help but be amazed with the Emerald Buddha and the golden Buddha behind it, which were decorated with thousands of diamonds, no less.

Next to the Royal Palace was the National Museum which housed thousands of Angkorian artifacts including the statue of the ’Leper King’, whose picture is a familiar sight in Asian History books.

After that interesting afternoon, we had a fantastic sunset dinner cruise along the river just in front of the Royal Palace. That was by far one of the best meals I have ever had in my life, and although I doubt I could repeat the names of anything that was served, just remembering the wonderful flavours make me long to return there.

Pol Pot’s Legacy

Two days after our first tour, my cousin and some of his friends showed me more of Phnom Penh. They brought me to Tuol Sleng Museum, a place that commemorates the terror of the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot, which displayed instruments of torture and more disturbing pictures of the unfortunate souls who were tortured and murdered as prisoners.

We proceeded to explore the other pagodas or wats of the city, including Wat Ounalom, the center of Cambodian Buddhism, Wat Langka, and Wat Phnom. These pagodas were sadly vandalized and destroyed during the invasion but were since restored and reconstructed — reminiscent of the country itself, and how Cambodia has managed to slowly recover after the dark years of the 20th century.

The last stop of our one—week visit was, of course, shopping! We went to the Russian Market where I bought some lovely krama, a uniquely designed scarf, which is said to be ’the souvenir’ of Cambodia. My mother treated herself to some silk fabrics of different designs and a number of animal—shaped silver boxes. I also found a gorgeous pair of sapphire earrings, among other fabulous finds.

By the end of our wonderful but fleeting journey to Cambodia, I was in love with the country. A place with a rich heritage and fabulous places to see, delicious food and unassuming people, Cambodia is no doubt an undiscovered gem in Asia. I most definitely will be returning soon.