Although the notorious Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge no longer exist, armed gangs still roam certain regions of the country; making traveling dangerous and inadvisable. Presently, the only real safe travel destinations within the country are Phnom Penh, Siam Reap and the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat.

The majority of visitors to Cambodia tend to fly straight into Siam Reap in order to experience the mystical beauty of Angkor Wat. Without a doubt, it is the jewel of Cambodia's tourism industry and should not be missed. It has been deemed by historians as one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world

The temples of Angkor were built from 879 to 1191 AD, when the Khmer empire was at the height of its power. In 1431, the Thais invaded and drove the Khmers out of Angkor. Angkor Wat became virtually deserted for centuries, and was thought to be nothing more than a myth. However, in 1860, French explorer Henri Mouhot, rediscovered the ruins. Angkor Wat remains an area of untouched beauty. Today over 100 temples still exist, covering an area of 400 sq. km. Most of these temples are still in very good condition.

Its beauty is not hard to find within its palaces, temples and museums. The Grand Palace, (Royal Palace) in Phnom Penh was built in 1866 by the French and is located in the heart of the city. Its architecture resembles in many ways the Royal Palace in Bangkok, except it is much less extravagant. Within the Palace is the Coronation Hall, as well as an open-air theatre in which the Royal Dance Troupe performs. The King's private residence is also located within the palace compound, however, it is closed to the public.

Also located within the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda, (which is also known as Wat Preah Kaeo). It is made up of 5,000 individual silver tiles. Much of the Khmer artwork that was housed within the pagoda was destroyed during Pol Pot's reign of terror. However, some interesting pieces still remain, including a 90 kg. solid gold Buddha decorated with 9,584 diamonds and a 17th century Buddha made of crystal. There are numerous other gold Buddha's as well as beautifully carved Khmer masks on display.

Although there is beauty to be seen in Phnom Penh, the obvious links to its cruel past remain ever present. Visits to Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide, and to the Killing Fields, presents a visual history of the atrocities committed by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It has been estimated that they were responsible for the death of between one and three million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979.

The Tuol Sleng Museum is located about ten minutes from downtown Phnom Penh. It is unlike any museum you will ever see. Although it gives an accurate testament to Cambodia's past, it is incredibly horrifying. The building that now houses the museum, was originally Tuol Svay Prey High School; but in 1975, Pol Pot's security forces converted it into Cambodia's largest detention centre. It became know as Security Prison 21 (S-21).

It is almost impossible to comprehend what went on here. From outside its barbed wire fence, it looks like any other high school in Cambodia. The grounds are full of palm trees, and the sounds of laughing children are everywhere. The school's volleyball court is still used by neighbourhood teenagers, and yet this is where 20,000 men, women, and children were interrogated and tortured by the Khmer Rouge.

Many died while being interrogated, and as testimony to this, there are fourteen graves set within the courtyard. The graves are those of the last people killed at S-21. Ironically their deaths occurred on the very day the Vietnamese liberated the city in 1979.

Located 15 km outside of central Phnom Penh, is the infamous Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. The one-time orchard was converted by the Khmer Rouge into an extermination camp. Between 1975 and 1978 the prisoners of S-21 were forced to march to Choeung Ek where they were executed upon arrival. In order to avoid wasting bullets, the prisoners were simply beaten to death and then thrown into mass graves.

In 1980, the remains of 8,985 bodies were discovered in mass graves in Choeung Ek. Forty-three of the one hundred and twenty-nine graves have been left untouched. In 1988, a Memorial Stupa was erected to honour those who died here at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Inside the Stupa, behind glass are the remains of over 8,000 human skulls. It is a very sobering reminder of what happened on this land, less than twenty-five years ago.

Yet to look around at the luscious green fields, to listen to the birds chirping, and to see the people smiling, is all too surreal. However, therein lies the secret of Cambodia's resilience. They don't forget their past, but they also don't allow it to consume and destroy them.

The damage inflicted by the Pol Pot regime will be felt by generations to come. The country's literacy rate is incredibly low, largely as a result of the number of teachers that had been killed. The destructions caused by landmines has given Cambodia the highest per-capita rate of amputees in the world, while poverty and disease gives it one of the highest infant mortality rates.