In Cambodia, nothing feels far away, not the glory of its temples, and not the wounds of more recent history. I walked through the quiet corridors of Angkor Wat at sunrise, and felt a stillness that spoke louder than crowds ever could.

But Cambodia is more than temples. In Phnom Penh, the sound of tuk-tuks and rooftop music blends with the weight of memory. The Killing Fields and S21 remind you how deep pain can go, and how resilience somehow grows from it.

And then, there are the islands. Not as famous as their Thai or Vietnamese neighbors, but perhaps the most beautiful of all. On Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, I swam in water as clear as glass, walked beaches with no footprints but mine, and watched the sky turn violet above the palms..