Our long-time Indochina expert writes:

I've travelled in Cambodia countless times and never tire of exploring this fascinating country – including the legacy of its recent troubled past, which remains one of Asia's great enigmas. Indeed, everywhere I journey, from the edgy capital Phnom Penh to bustling Siem Reap, I find my mind constantly flitting between two defining periods in Cambodian history.

On the one hand, it's easy to revel in the country's rich Khmer heritage. If you have the stamina, you could devote days to exploring the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm and Preah Khan. I've spent hours admiring the filigree perfection of the carvings at Banteay Srei and the River of Lingas. You marvel at the painstaking artistry that went into such extraordinary manifestations of human faith. And you can only wonder what life must have been like when these structures were built. For those of us brought up in the Western shadows of the Acropolis or Europe's Gothic cathedrals, this is a necessary pilgrimage to gain new perspectives on civilization's complexities.

And then, on the other hand, you try to grasp how a country with such a grand and dignified history could surrender to the delusional promises of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge – while the rest of the world stood by, apparently helpless, watching the horror of the killing fields unfold.

The two constants of Cambodia's turbulent past are the resilience and grace of its people. You see these qualities depicted in eloquent carvings of battle scenes and everyday life dating from the 12th century. And they're equally visible today: in the farmers you meet selling their produce at lively village markets; out on Lake Tonle Sap, among the fishermen who move their simple homes throughout the year to follow the rise and fall of the waters; walking among emerald-green rice paddies, where workers tend their crops by hand as they have for countless centuries; and even in the modern urban textile factories that are thriving in today's Cambodia.

My discoveries of Angkor, past and present, rank among my most memorable and inspiring travel experiences. The specifics of what your own journey might include are constantly evolving, but it's one I would strongly recommend taking, whether you're curious to know more of Southeast Asia or want to better understand the human spirit wherever it flourishes.