As soon as I stepped out of our room into the dim, empty hallway I could tell something was wrong. There was a bizarre, almost musical humming coming from around the corner, and the light was shimmering around oddly. Curious, I turned the corner, and beheld a scene that nearly defies description.

The capital of the Ratankiri province in Cambodia is the disheveled little town of Ban Lung. Just outside of Ban Lung is fabled Boeng Yeak Lom, a perfectly-round crater lake renowned for its remote beauty. It sounded perfect. We just needed to figure out how to get there.

The temples of Angkor are some of the most stunning architectural gems in the world. Most of that world, though, had never heard of them until they were featured as a backdrop for the 2001 movie Tomb Raider. I will humbly admit that when we began planning our trip, I didn't even know what country they were in.

When you travel overland into Cambodia, there's a strong possibility you'll have to give the border guards a little extra money on top of the legal entrance fee. But don't worry: it's not as scary as it sounds.

Kampot is the essence of why we fell in love with Cambodia. This sleepy provincial town could not be more removed from the hustle and bustle of hectic Phnom Penh. Instead of cars and motorcycles, here it seems virtually everyone travels by bicycle.