GB 22 02 2023 TRAVEL DIARY
TRAVEL NOTEBOOKS
FROM PHNOM PENH TO SIHANOUKVILLE:
GETAWAY TO CAMBODIA
One of the features that we observe in our globalized world is the diversity that we find in particular on the Asian continent when we visit a country like Cambodia whose very attractive geographical and tourist data allow us to discover radiant spaces in the closer to nature in its purest form.
Located to the west of the Indochinese peninsula with a very particular geographical configuration, Cambodia is borde- red in its eastern and western parts by the Gulf of Thailand and the China Sea in parallel with its border areas, with China
Vietnam and Thailand including the city of PHNOM PENH, a large city of 2.2282 million inhabitants became capital of the
kingdom at the time of French Indochina and called in the 1920s " Pearl of Asia " supplemented in its South West and
North East parts by medium-sized cities, particularly coastal one such as Sihanoukville.Travelling through Cambodian
cities is enriching where you discover places of life and ways of typical means of transport in addition to their architec-
tural steeped in Frenchspeaking culture and history and this great country has a specific topography consisting of rug-
ged plains and tropical forest that cover two-thirds of its territory with important geographical landmarks such as the
occupies two-thirds of its territory with important geographical landmarks such as the Mekong River and Lake Tonlé
which is located practically in the center of the country in parallel with its link with the river, the whole being completed
by mountains ranges found in the southwestern part of the country with the Cardamom Mountains, Phnum Kravanh
and the chain of the elephant which is frequently referred to as the famous Phnom Damrey.
Wild Spaces Full of Emotions
Going along the mountains and following the Cordilleras is pure wonder, especially that of Phnum Bokor which culmina-
tes at 1079 meters to then reach wild spaces full of emotions located near the Dangrek Mountains. These regions also
have a rich fauna and a diversified flora that is pleasant to admire and including no less than 1 50 animal species for 200 plant species that are found mainly in regions with high biodiversity like that of Mondol Kiri supplemented by the
Mekong Valley. A particularity that is worth the detour and that also represents the originality of this wonderful country
is to travel by boat the ancient peaks that stand on the ocean which are the consequences of karst formations emblema- tic of the relief of the country expressed by the big limestone which has gradually sunk into the sea and which gives
these landscapes shapes that are both magical and magic that we never tire of admiring .Benefiting from a typical type
climate in the South and Subtropical in the North integrating monsoons, Cambodia, a land of sun-drenched rice fields
and bamboo hedges embellished with exciting encounters with its inhabitants wearing sumptuous conical hats is also
a country representing of a eternal picture, vibrant and authentic Asia that fascinates with the beauty of its landscapes and the serenity of its places.
Report : Gabriel PAGE
Photos credit: Gabriel PAGE-Getty Images
