In 1861, a French botanist searching for orchids in the jungles of Cambodia stumbled on the monumental temple of Angkor Wat, one of the world's greatest gifts from a lost civilization. In fact, Angkor Wat is one of more than 100 temple complexes hidden in 320 square kilometers of dense rainforest. Old Cambodia hands speak of a time, little more than a decade ago, when Angkor's village, Siem Reap, had a single luxury hotel. Now the road from town to the World Heritage Angkor Archaeological Park is littered with five-star hotels, for it's now one of travel's hottest destinations. A day is not nearly long enough to explore the park. Plan at least three to soak up the legacy of the Khmer empire, which prospered from the ninth to the 15th centuries. A three-day ticket allows time to visit outlying sites, far from the sometimes madding crowd. It also means you can visit the temple of Angkor Wat more than once, at dawn, when mist rises off the still waters of the moat, and in the glorious golden light of sunset.