The capital Phnom Penh, little more
than an hour's flight from Bangkok, lacks monumental sights but
this is more than compensated by the city's considerable charm,
derived in part from its attractive location on the banks of
the Mekong and the Tonle Sap tributary. With one international-standard
hotel and several good smaller properties, Phnom Penh is a convenient
staging post en route to Angkor. Sightseeing possibilities extend
to the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, the little chedi-topped hill
which gives the place its name, a handful of other Buddhist temples
and the National Museum which houses one of the world's finest
collections of Khmer art.
The ancient ruined city of Angkor,
the Khmer capital from the 9th to the 15th century, is situated
close to the modern provincial centre of Siem Reap, a 40-minute
flight from Phnom Penh. The site comprises some 70 major archaeological
monuments, the most famous being 12th-century Angkor Wat, the
largest religious building in the world with a rectangular stone
base of 1,500 metres by 1,300 metres, with three more levels
rising to a central core topped by five distinctive towers, the
tallest reaching 65 metres.
Other not-to-be-missed monuments include the Bayon, an imposing
stone pile of 54 towers, each hauntingly carved with four enigmatic
faces of the Bodhisattva; the Baphuon, a pyramidal representation
of Mount Meru; the labyrinthine temple complex of Preah Khan;
the jungle-shrouded ruins of Ta Prohm, and Banteay Srei, an architectural
jewel in red sandstone.
Larger and more densely populated
than its Mekong neighbours, Vietnam is also culturally distinct.
Whereas ancient Laos and Cambodia were influenced by India, Vietnam's
cultural roots are Chinese. Thus art, architecture, religious
mix and the social fabric in general are quite different.
The two principle destinations are
Hanoi, the capital in the north, and the bustling commercial
centre of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the south, both
of which have direct air links with Bangkok. Hanoi is the smaller,
quieter and more traditional of the two, noted for its lakes,
parks and pagodas, while Ho Chi Minh City is a lively, more modern
metropolis with a wealth of hotels, restaurants, shops, and nightclubs.
Immediately south of Ho Chi Minh City is the Mekong delta, vast
flatlands which are still largely untouched by tourism and offer
views of traditional lifestyles in a setting of exceptional topographic
interest.
Between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
are several noteworthy attractions, and a north-south itinerary
should included the old imperial capital of Hue; Danang, major
port and centre of ancient Cham culture; the coastal resort of
Nha Trang, and the old colonial hill resort of Dalat.
