Experience · Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek and AngkorA story we are still researching.
Cambodia's Khmer Rouge memorial sites in Phnom Penh, paired with the Angkor temples near Siem Reap.
A closer look
The story
Tuol Sleng, a former high school in Phnom Penh, was converted by the Khmer Rouge into Security Prison 21 (S-21), operating from 1975/76 to 1979. An estimated 15,000–20,000 people were imprisoned and tortured there; only a handful of survivors are known. Prisoners were transported at night to Choeung Ek, about 17 km south of the city, where they were executed and buried in mass graves — a memorial stupa there holds thousands of recovered skulls.
The full story
Both sites reopened as museums soon after the regime fell in 1979. In July 2025, UNESCO inscribed Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek and the former M-13 prison together as the 'Cambodian Memorial Sites' World Heritage listing, documenting the Khmer Rouge's system of repression between 1971 and 1979.
Many visitors combine these memorials with Angkor, the vast 12th-century temple complex near Siem Reap (322 km from Phnom Penh), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992 and one of the world's largest religious monuments.
Written from the sources listed at the end of this page. If we have something wrong, tell us.
- S-21 operation
- 1975/76–1979 under the Khmer Rouge↗
- S-21 prisoners
- Estimated 15,000–20,000 imprisoned; around 12–23 known survivors↗
- Choeung Ek victims
- Up to 20,000 killed; 8,895–8,985 bodies exhumed from 129+ mass graves↗
- UNESCO inscription
- Cambodian Memorial Sites (Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek, M-13) inscribed 11 July 2025↗
What you will see
Stops on the trail.
- 01Tuol Sleng cell blocks
- 02Choeung Ek memorial stupa
- 03Killing Fields audio tour
- 04Angkor Wat
- 05Ta Prohm and Bayon
When to go
November to March is Cambodia's cool, dry season and most comfortable for both the memorial sites and Angkor.
Getting there
Phnom Penh International Airport serves Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek (17 km south of the city); Angkor is reached via Siem Reap International Airport, about 322 km from Phnom Penh by road or a short domestic flight.
How to visit
- Maintain solemn, quiet behaviour at both Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek — avoid loud conversation or casual photography poses.
- At Angkor, dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) when entering active temple shrines.
- Let time pass
- Behave as a guest
- No smiling selfies
- Tread lightly
- Leave something behind
More Experiences
Where else we could take you.
ResearchingAuschwitz & KrakówPolandThe largest Nazi German concentration and extermination camp complex, preserved as a memorial museum near Kraków.
ResearchingPompeiiItalyThe Roman city buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, preserved almost intact under volcanic ash.
AvailableNahargarhIndiaA hilltop Jaipur fort said to have been built only after the restless spirit of a Rathore prince, Nahar Singh Bhomia, was appeased with a temple in his name.Sources for this page (5)
Today’s price, after the calls
Tell us about the Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek and Angkor Experience.
Message us with the place, the dates and how many are travelling. We reply with a plan and today’s price, usually within the hour in India hours.