Siem Reap/Angkor Wat

The golden age of Angkor came during the reign of King Jayavarman VII (1181-1218), when the 90-square-mile city controlled an empire covering much of Southeast Asia. Abandoned in 1431, the city slowly disappeared into the jungle, only to be rediscovered in 1860 by Frenchman Henri Mouhot. Archaeologists have been clearing the vast site ever since, the daunting task of restoration now being the responsibility of UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund.

At least three full days should be set aside to appreciate the dozens of temple complexes here: the otherworldly Angkor Wat with its five pagodas reflected in a moat once stocked with crocodiles; the colossal enigmatic faces carved into the stone columns of the Bayon temple (above) at Angkor Thom; or the jungle ruins of Ta Prohm, where ancient temples are gripped by the python-like roots of strangler fig trees.