Cambodia is a place, which conjures images of a glorious and mysterious past even if one is reminded of more recent tragedies. The divergent facets of the Kingdom provoke both the serious and casual traveler, generally charmed and sometimes bewildered by its mysteries.

Cambodia is a land of treasures. There are temples still buried in the jungle, hill tribes settled in remote areas, colorful pagodas, strings of pristine islands anchored in the waters of the Gulf of Siam, and Cham villages. And the most precious treasure of all is revealed to the visitor who encounters the country's friendly and gentle inhabitants.

For most, Cambodia first conjures up the legendary Angkor, the magnificent Empire erected by Kings between the 9th and 13th Centuries. Wars of nature and humanity have failed to compromise the awe of Angkor. The temples remain with an enigmatic grandeur, as a testimony to the Empire which - centuries later - symbolize the country. They are the silent witnesses to the perennial cycles of life, which occur with each passing rainy season.

Every year, the country is transformed in a natural cycle, which is unique to Cambodia. After months of implacable heat, the Kingdom emerges from its lethargy and springs back to life. Clouds pour their monsoon rains to swell the Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and rain streams over the stone smiling faces, on the graceful shapes of Apsaras, on the giant roots of ancient trees. The countryside dons a green mantle; the tender sprouts of rice reach towards the hovering sky. The flow of the mighty Mekong River swells until it forces the Tonle Sap to reverse its course, pushing up stream from the ancient capital. And each year, the reversal of the river is celebrated with the country's most spectacular Water Festival in November.

The country is changing and the economy is developing. Hope has gained the heart of the Cambodians, and Cambodia has gained the heart of the visitor. Welcome to the well-named Land of a Thousand Smiles.