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For many visitors Cambodia is usually combined with one of its neighbouring countries of Vietnam, Thailand or Laos but this small country appears to have so much more to offer its visitors and so recently I set our to investigate the options for our clients.

This was my third visit to Cambodia but previously, like many tourists, I had not ventured beyond the capital Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, location of some of the worlds iconic temples at Angkor. Although clearly a booming Asian city, I found Phnom Penh to still be a welcoming city and its vibrant waterfront lined with restaurants and bars is a great place to spend an evening. Siem Reap is also growing to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers of visitors. The choice of hotels is now vast providing a wide choice of options and during my time in Siem Reap I visited many of the hotels to hand pick a selection that I think our clients would enjoy the most from grand historical buildings and exclusive boutique options all with character and charm.Inevitably this does of course mean more visitors at the temples but my guide was fantastic and arranged my sightseeing programme so that where possible we could avoid both the crowds and the heat of the day. He even managed to find a quiet spot to sit to watch the glowing sunlight fade on Angkor Wat as the sun set over a dramatic sky.

I travelled by boat to the faded colonial town of Battambang, a lengthy but fascinating journey along Tonle Sap river and across the lake.Tonle Sap, is for those live along its shores an integral part of their lives and scenes of children playing in the water, goods being traded from boats and large Chinese-style fishing nets presented endless photo opportunities. Due to low water levels, the journey took longer than planned and even involved some of the members of the party climbing out to push us off a sandbank and we reached our destination at sunset.Not for everyone but for those with a real sense of adventure, plenty of patience and a willingness to accept the unpredictability of travelling a little off the beaten track this was a fascinating journey

I then headed to the south to explore some of Cambodia’s unspoilt coastline.Passing through the fascinating fishing community of Kep, I paused to wander amongst the returning fishing boats as the villagers sorted their catch and set about negotiating the best prices.I had lunch at one of the small stilted restaurants overlooking the bay – a delicious meal of the freshest shrimps and crabs I have probably ever had.On to Sihanoukville, home to Cambodia’s most beautiful and pristine white sandy beaches. Tourism is still in its infancy here but beaches are quiet and there are a couple of good quality hotels that provide a really relaxing environment to spend a few days relaxing in the sunshine before the long flight back to the UK.