I suppose if you were to pick two places to visit in Cambodia in hope of grasping a bit of what its about they would be the two we visited: the capital Phnom Penh and arguably the most amazing ruins on the planet, the temples of Angkor Wat.

Lose yourself in the magnificence of a lost civilization. Angkor is the heart and soul of Cambodia, a place of extravagant beauty and the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion.

Angkor Wat is the most famous temple ground in the entire Angkor plain. It was built by King Suryavarman II in the middle of the 12th century over a period of about 30 years. Like many other Khmer temples, Angkor Wat was built as architectural allegory of the Hindu religion. The central tower stands for Mount Meru, the center of the universe according to Hindu mythology; the top of Mount Meru is considered the home of the gods.

The temple ground is surrounded by a wall and a moat, not only for demarcation purposes, but also because in Hindu mythology Mount Meru is surrounded by other mountain ranges and oceans.

The main entryway to Angkor Wat is a street of roughly half a kilometer length, ornamented with balustrades and fringed by artificial lakes, so-called Barays. This entryway resembles the rainbow bridge in Hindu mythology, the link between heaven and earth, or the realm of the gods and the realm of the mortals.

Angkor Wat is in better structural condition than many other temples on the Angkor plain because it has been converted into a Buddhist temple probably even before the Siamese conquest in 1431, and because it has been used as such continuously after (in the 13th century Buddhism became an important religion in originally pure-Hindu Angkor)

Cambodia promises a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences to the intrepid traveller. Your heart will race at Angkor Wat, the world’s greatest achievements, only to haltingly derail when faced with the impact of humankind’s darkest moments. After two decades of war and isolation, only now is Cambodia truly starting to recover from the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal 1975-79 rule.

Once listed as one of the most dangerous places on Earth to visit, Cambodia has stabilised to the point that it is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in south-east Asia. In fact, in the early part of this century it was almost impossible to obtain travel insurance of any kind, but now things have changed dramatically.

Travelling to any destination in Southeast Asia exposes you to some dangers, but no more than you would expect when travelling anywhere else. It is just as dangerous in some American and European cities at night as it is anywhere in Cambodia. The point is, with a little common sense a trip to Cambodia will be a rich and rewarding experience and will provide you with many a tale to tell your friends on your return.

But just to be safe, here are some timely safety tips for you to follow when you visit Cambodia.

Regional violence. There are occasional incidences of border tension with surrounding countries, particularly Thailand. Although violence is rare most countries maintain a strong military presence so you should check local media outlets for reports of danger spots.

Scams. Some tourists report being ripped off when taking long-distance car or coach travel from large cities to border crossings. Although you need to carefully negotiate the fare before you leave there is a lot of room for misunderstanding to arise especially if there are language difficulties. The best advice is to take a cool-headed view and look at the amount of money involved. Travelling is generally very cheap by Western standards and if you feel you have been overcharged by a few dollars it is probably better to ignore it and think of the big picture.

Health concerns. There have been repeated outbreaks of avian influenza, or bird flu, so it is important to ensure that your holiday insurance policy give you adequate cover. As you would expect, consuming local water can be dangerous and it is wise to limit yourself to bottled supplies. Food on the other hand should not present you with any problems and you can feel free to enjoy the local cuisine to your heart’s content. Naturally you should always be on the lookout for normal hygiene standards that you would expect in your own country and stay clear of any food outlet that looks dangerous to you.

Markets. When you purchase anything at a market you should be prepared to bargain strongly. You can easily counter offer with a bid of roughly half of what you are being asked to pay. This may appear rude in the West, but it is an expected procedure in many other cultures including Cambodia. There is no need to get ripped off in a market if you are prepared to bargain properly.

Your Cambodia holiday can be a safe and enjoyable one if you follow these few simple tips. Remember that the Cambodian people are warm and friendly. They will be only too willing to sit down and share a meal with you and help you wherever they can.

Nowadays, many people love to travel to different countries to experience new things, meet new people and just to experiences the cultures of the places that they visit. It is such a great adventure when we travel to a country that we never see or visit before and enjoy the different ambiances that we may not get in our home countries; get some relaxing massage surrounded by the beauty of Bali’s scenery or have a little adventure on Xintiandi while enjoying the entertainment that this city offers us. What a great moment that we will never forget. To enjoy the trip even more without have to worry of anything, you can easily use some safe traveling tips while you enjoy the holiday in any city on the world:

1. The perfect moment will be more unforgettable when we have someone to share with. Taking some vacations with your beloved ones or people that have close relationship with you will make the holiday even more fun than doing the traveling alone. While walking around the city, it is recommended that you keep on walking on the main street and have companion with you especially during night traveling.

2. Equip yourself with first aids, some medicines, sunglasses, and sun block, especially when you go to some tropical countries so that you can enjoy sun bathing nicely without making your skins gets burned.

3. It is necessary that you take as little as possible and pack only things that you need. For example, you don’t have to bring lots of clothes with you because you can buy some clothes on the places that you visit. Beside, you may not want to miss the chance in trying some traditional or local clothes while you visit Indonesia, Thailand, Italy, and other places. It is necessary to you don’t have to bring some jewelry with you while traveling. It is also necessary that you write your name on your luggage. Make sure that you get your travel insurance, legal documents and enough money of course.

4. Before you visit any countries, it is necessary for you to learn the law and customs in those countries. It will be very helpful to enable you in understanding what to do and what not to do while visiting the country. You may want to learn how to greet the local people with their own language; it will be a great start on communicating with them.

Those tips will enable you to enjoy the trip even more than before. You can have a great time while keeping yourself safe. Getting a holiday will refresh your mind and soul from the wearily daily activities back on your home town. Have your stress to be released and enjoy a little adventure for your holiday.

Angkor which means “great city” was the capital of the Khmer Empire, an empire that once flourished and had a stronghold over Southeast Asia. The ruins of the ancient city can be found in the province of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The site has become a major tourist attraction because of several breathtaking temples within what is now the Angkor Archaeological Park. Some of the structures date back to the 9th century. Below are the most popular and most touristy temples in the park:

The Angkor Wat

The Angkor Wat is the grand attraction of the Angkor Archaeological Park. It was constructed in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II in honor of the Hindu God “Vishnu,” known as “the preserver.” During that period, Hinduism was the country’s main religion. Etched on the walls of the temple corridors are intricate images of deities and inscriptions from Hindu literature. One of this is the “Churning of the ocean of milk,” a story that appears in the Mahabharata. It tells of the Devas and Asuras, enemy forces that are compelled to work together with the aid of the god Vishnu in a pursuit for “Amrita,” which was believed to be the elixir of immortality.

The Bayon Temple

The Bayon Temple is known as the temple of “many smiling faces.” This was also the site for the film Tomb Raider. It was constructed in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman II in his capital city Angkor Thom. Unlike other temples, the Bayon was dedicated to the god Buddha because the king was Buddhist. However, after his reign succeeding monarchs reverted to Hinduism. In modern day Cambodia, the dominant religion is Buddhism. But, Hinduist influences are still very evident in Cambodian culture and traditions.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is one of the major temples in the park. It was built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman II. It was built deep in a forest as a monastery for Buddhist monks. At present the temple is no longer used for worship but is one of the most popular temples in the park because of the giant trees growing out of its ruins.

The Banteay Srei Temple

The Banteay Srei Temple is famous for the intricate details carved on its shrines, archs and pillars. It is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It was made from sandstone evident in the reddish color of its walls.

The Banteay Samre Temple

Banteay Samre is one of the farther out temples thus it has lesser visitors. However, it has its own unique architecture and similar intricate carvings on its pillars and shrines as the Banteay Srei Temple.

The Prasat Kravan Temple

The Prasat Kravan is a small Hindu temple built in the 10th century.

The Baphuon Temple

The Baphuon temple was built in the 11th century in honor of the Hindu god Shiva, know as the destroyer. It is near the Bayon Temple and is actively used as a Buddhist shrine. Although, it is open to tourists, a dress code is strictly implemented. Open clothing like shorts, sleeveless shirts or tube tops arenot allowed and tourists must observe silence while inside the temple.

The Pre Rup Temple

The Pre Rup temple is a favorite for sunrise and sunset viewing. It was built in the 10th century and was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It is one of the highest temples in the park and is believed to be an ancient site for funeral rites.

Did it begin with the Buffalo Soldiers, a turn-of-the-century infantry who customized bicycles to carry gear over rough terrain? It was August 1896, the riders, black enlisted men and a white lieutenant, rode from Missoula, Montana, to Yellowstone and back, an arduous 800 miles. Their mission: to test the bicycle for military use in mountainous terrain.

Or was it the Velo Cross Club Parisian (VCCP) of France? Comprised of about 20 young bicyclists from the outskirts of Paris, who between 1951 and 1956, they developed a sport that was remarkably akin to present-day mountain biking. These riders juiced up their French 650-B bikes with an extraordinary degree of technical sophistication.

Maybe it was John Finley Scott who was probably the first mountain bike enthusiast in the United States. In 1953 he built what he called a “Woodsie Bike”, using a Schwinn World diamond frame, balloon tires, flat handlebars, derailleur gears, and cantilever brakes. John was more than twenty years ahead of his time, and while he remained an off-road cycling enthusiast, at the time there were not many others who shared his passion.

We believed that the inception of mountain biking needed to be a continuous series of events that connected with one another as opposed to an isolated incident. Another example, in the early 1970s there were a band of cyclists – The Cupertino Riders, AKA – the Morrow Dirt Club, from Cupertino California, 75 miles south of Marin, who were modifying their bikes. They were grafting thumb-shift-operated derailleurs and motorcycle lever-operated drum brakes to their klunkers to help them get up and down the south bay hills. They competed against some future hall-of-famers at a Marin County Cylcecross race in late 1974, where their technology was noticed. Then they disappeared.

We believe that the continuous history of the mountain bike is most evident in Northern California. There are a few areas that will claim to be the first mountain bike community, but every history book will lead you to Marin County. The origins of mountain biking were totally innocent. It came into being not as some faddist vision of profit-oriented marketing types, but rather as the product of true cycling enthusiasts trying to find something new to do on two wheels. These cyclists found through fun and competition that the old one-speed klunkers they were using could be improved with modern cycling technology. One thing led to another and mountain biking – “the sport” – was born.