Cambodia today is an impoverished step-child in the Southeast Asian region. But the Khmers once ruled perhaps the greatest empire mainland Southeast Asia ever saw -- the Kingdom of Angkor. That old Khmer capital, Angkor, is by far Cambodia's single biggest tourist draw. History aside, Angkor Wat is a work of art that took four centuries of ongoing construction to complete. Angkor's architecture would have been art enough to gain the temple recognition; but much of Angkor serves as a gallery for carvings and sculptures that serve no structural purpose. Before you decide to visit Angkor Wat, you should be aware of the problems which travel in Cambodia can pose before you decided to visit the country.