Cambodia

Angkor is not a temple; it is a drowned civilisation the size of a city, and no photograph prepares you for the scale — the five towers of Angkor Wat rising over their moat at dawn, the stone faces of the Bayon, the tree-strangled corridors of Ta Prohm. Around it, Cambodia offers Southeast Asia with the volume turned gentle: the friendliest people on the circuit, prices that undercut Thailand, and a history, at Phnom Penh's memorials, that deserves a respectful day.

The shape of the trip

The classic (6 nights): Siem Reap (4 nights) with a three-day Angkor pass — big circuit, small circuit, and a sunrise you'll forgive the alarm for — plus the floating villages of Tonlé Sap; then Phnom Penh (2 nights) for the Royal Palace, the National Museum's Khmer sculpture and the sobering history. Beach-minded travellers swap the capital for Koh Rong's sands.

The money

Among Asia's best value: charming boutique hotels with pools at ₹2,000–4,000; a fish amok dinner at ₹300–500; the three-day Angkor pass around US$62 — the trip's one big-ticket item and worth every cent; a tuk-tuk and driver for a full temple day, ₹1,200–1,600.

Worth knowing

Fly via Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City and consider pairing Cambodia with either — the combinations are natural. Hire a licensed temple guide for day one (₹2,500) so the stones speak. Dress for heat and modesty both; shoulders covered earns you the upper tiers of Angkor Wat.