Tonlé Bati around Phnom Penh

Tonlé Bati
Another popular weekend haunt, Tonlé Bati is a peaceful lake with stilted huts bordering its acacia-shaded shoreline. It is frequented by locals who find it an ideal spot for a quiet picnic or fishing trip. Adding further appeal are the nearby ruins of Ta Prohm and Yeay Peau, two beautifully pre-served temples built in the late 12th century under King Jayavarman VII.
Ta Prohm’s main sanctuary has five chambers, each containing a Shiva lingam (phallic symbol), as well as a number of bas-reliefs depicting several apsaras. On weekends, the temple grounds play host to musicians and fortune-tellers catering to visitors. Located a short distance from Ta Prohm,
Yeay Peau is named after King Ta Prohm’s mother. Both sites show signs of damage by the Khmer Rouge.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center 

Opened in 1995, the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center is the largest zoo in the country. Covering 10 sq miles (26 sq km) of protected forest of which only a small part is in use, the zoo serves as a rehabilitation center for animals, many of them endangered, rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. A haven for wildlife enthusiasts, the center cares for and protects several rare birds and animals that usually inhabit inhospitable parts of the country and are therefore almost impossible to observe in the wild.
These well-nurtured animals are kept in a variety of enclosures, the largest of which houses a group of Malayan sun bears who willingly accept fresh coconuts from visitors. Other exotic species found here include the world’s greatest collection of pileated gibbons and the Siamese crocodile. The center also has several elephants that have been taught to paint, and many fully grown Asiatic tigers. These are best viewed in the afternoon, when they usually come out.

Phnom Chisor
An 11th-century sanctuary formerly known as Suryagiri, the temple of Phnom Chisor is set upon the eastern side of a solitary hill affording wonderful views of the plains below. Within its crumbling interior stand a few surviving statues of the Buddha, while the carvings on the wooden doors depict
figures standing on pigs. Best visited in the early morning or late afternoon, when it is cooler, the temple is reached by climbing almost 400 stairs
– the path taken by the king  of Cambodia 900 years ago. Directly below the summit is the sanctuary of Sen Ravang, the pond of Tonlé Om, and beyond it the Sen Ravang temple, all forming a symbolic
straight line to sacred Angkor.
Nearby stand two deteriorating brick prasats (towers) of the 10th-century temple Prasat Neang Khmau. Beside them is an active pagoda where another ancient prasat may once have stood.