There is nothing quite like the graceful poses and hand movements of a lavishly costumed Apsara dancer to rekindle to feel of the lost Khmer kingdoms. Apsara performances have been a traditional way of welcoming visitors to Siem Reap for centuries, and the tradition endures in the form of culture shows staged around town in the evenings. Live Khmer music, played on wooden xylophones and four-reed oboes, usually accompanies the dancers, whose costumes of brocaded silk, gold jewellery and ornately gilded headpieces look like scenes from the temple friezes of Angkor Wat come to life!

The same shows also tend to include performances of shadow puppetry and acrobatics. Circus is big in Cambodia. The famous Phare troupe, Indochina’s answer to Cirque de Soleil, regularly stage shows in Siem Reap, and these are well worth trying to catch.

However long you spend in Cambodia, rest assured that our love of performing arts and traditional crafts has inspired us to seek out lots of fascinating cultural experiences, which our consultants will be delighted to incorporate into your holiday.