We ask travel experts not where we’ll all be going in the future, but where they’re going now. Today we talk to Andrea Ross of Journeys Within.
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The Expert:
Andrea Ross is founder and CEO of Journeys Within, a tour company and boutique hotel based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, that specializes in custom tours in Southeast Asia. An advocate for philanthropic travel, Ross also founded Journeys Within Our Community, a nonprofit devoted to improving the lives of Cambodians. She has divided her time between Cambodia and California for the past decade, and her expertise in the region has earned her inclusion in Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Travel Specialist Collection for the past five years.
The Destination:
Tucked between Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, Cambodia is widely known for the civil war that devastated the country until the mid-’90s and made it largely inhospitable to outside visitors. But the past two decades have seen a marked improvement in Cambodia’s fortune, and infrastructural improvements in the past few years alone have hugely increased its accessibility. There’s a lot to discover: ancient Buddhist temples, lush forests, pristine beaches, and elephant sanctuaries. And according to Ross, now’s the time to do the discovering.
Why and How to Go:
“People have been going to Angkor Wat for years, usually for just a few days tacked on to a larger trip. But now as Cambodia is becoming more accessible it’s a destination in its own right. People are beginning to take full two-week trips there, who are going to get below the surface and see the country in new, exciting ways.
Go visit the Preah Vihear Temple, which is up in the north near the border with Thailand. There was a dispute over it so it’s been closed for years, but it just reopened. I think it’s the prettiest temple in Cambodia, and right now it’s completely overlooked. On the way you can stop to see the temples at Koh Ker, which are pretty spectacular.
I love the beaches in the south, particularly less-traveled seaside towns like Kep and Kampot. Going there is more about the culture and the people and eating crab at the local crab shacks, or taking boat rides out to some of the more remote islands. It’s ideal for people who don’t want the overrun, crowded beaches in Thailand or Vietnam.
Lastly, I’d visit Ratanakiri in the northeast of the country. It really hasn’t been accessible, but now the roads are opening up and I think it’s a great destination. There’s a lot of culture to see: Ratanakiri is where the hill tribes are, so you can see their way of life, and now that Cambodia has started protecting their elephants there are elephant sanctuaries up there. ”
Insider’s Tip:
“I recommend hiring a car and driver. It makes everything so much easier. But more importantly, the trick to Cambodia is patience. The people are so kind and so good. Sometimes there are language barriers, and some visitors arrive expecting to get ripped off, but if you go into it with patience and trust and an open mind and a good attitude, it makes for a really rewarding experience. Cambodians are incredibly warm.”
For the original article see: https://www.archetypeme.com/article/tomorrow%E2%80%99s-trips-today-cambodia