Siem Reap provides perfect gateway to ancient Angkor

With a new airport, Cambodia's second city is an easy add-on to any southeast Asia travel itinerary, writes Nicole Trilivas

- Nicole Trilivas

Bigger than Greater Glasgow and decked in detailed bas-reliefs, the Unesco-venerated temples of Angkor in Cambodia's second-largest city of Siem Reap are an outlier of sorts when it comes to tourist attractions: I'd be willing to bet that no one leaves this world wonder underwhelmed or disappointed. Jaws will drop, eyes will not be believed and awe will be inspired. Whatever you’re imagining, it’s bigger and better – and well deserving of its place adorning Cambodia’s national flag.

Home to the jungle-swallowed ruins of the ninth- to 15thcentury capital cities of the Khmer Empire, the Angkor Archaeological Park has been on my to-visit list since I found out it existed – more so after watching 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which propelled annual visitor numbers from the thousands into the millions.

Lately, there has been another (albeit slower) surge in tourism thanks to a new airport, relocated from its original location near Angkor (vibrations weren’t good for the ruins). New flights and increased frequency – especially from regional high-traffic destinations like Bangkok – make Siem Reap an easy addition on to an Asian itinerary, which is exactly what I did on a recent trip to Singapore, just a short two-hour flight away.

With only a few days to spare, I immediately enlisted on-the-ground travel experts Unforgettable Travel Company to make the most of my time. As with most visitors, my trip centred around a visit to Angkor, starting with Angkor Wat, the most famous of the thousands of temples that span the 400-squarekilometre area.