Angkor Wat

With its startling rediscovery (seemingly right out of an "Indiana Jones" film plot) Angkor understandably remains today one of Cambodia's most famous tourist attractions.

As the true story unfolds, the mysterious city of Angkor lay hidden under jungle vegetation for centuries before it was rediscovered accidently in 1861 by a French expedition.

There, archeologists found massive buildings that hadn't seen the light of day since they were first built in the 12th century.

Later sparking the imagination of researchers, the once-thriving Angkor population was estimated to have grown to 1 million before the Khmer civilization abadoned the sprawling city two centuries later.

Modern "raiders" now visit the carefully restored site each year by the millions, and are most attracted to its most famous building, the Angkor Wat, or temple, featuring exquisite architectural details and breathtaking stone carvings throughout.

Other major must-sees at Angkor include the multi-towered Bayon, along with the sculptural masterpieces at Banteay Srei.

Lastly, and perhaps the most intriguing of all, is the unrestored temple of Ta Phrohm, which was purposefully left entangled in the roots of giant silk-cotton trees, and can still be viewed just as archeologists found it more than a century ago.

Trivia Note: today, Ta Phrohm will instantly be recognized by movie fans as a prominent set location in the Hollywood action-adventure film, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (more in Cambodia.)