There are places everyone should see. Florence. The Grand Canyon. Pompeii. Whether man-made or wrought by nature,they are wonders of the world — and wonders should be beheld. Trouble is, when you visit, half the world seems to be doing just that. All too often, you’re swept along with 50 coach parties and only glimpse the artefacts you came for — and miss out on the grandeur and atmosphere entirely. Which is where our new series of Smart Guides comes in. We’ll show you how to avoid the hordes while soaking up the majesty of the world’s greatest attractions.

We start with Angkor — the greatest architectural site in Asia, and Cambodia’s top draw, with visitor numbers approaching 1m a year. It’s an enormous, sprawling place: made famous, for good or ill, as the location for the Tomb Raider films, the 12th-century complex includes Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious building, as well as hundreds of other temples. The inspiration for Angkor was divine, and the experience can be too — so long as you have a little inside knowledge. And here it is.

Forget trying to do a one-day hit and run — the temples will simply morph into a muddle and you’ll be left feeling unfulfilled. Some people take a week, but given that you may have pressing engagements on the blissful beaches of Sihanoukville or Samui, we’ve served up the consummate three-day Angkor experience.

DAY 1

Wakey-wakey! Most modern pilgrims make for Phnom Bakheng at sunset, so you need to get there at sunrise. The fleet of foot can make a frontal assault on the hill, or there’s a less taxing trail to the right. At the temple, negotiate the cliffs that pass for stairs and check out the views. Stick to the southeast side and you’ll see the sun inch its way above Angkor Wat, the shadow of the sacred stone shifting by the second.

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Next up is Preah Khan (“Sacred Sword”), the colossal creation of Jayavarman VII, Angkor’s mightiest devaraja (god-king). He reigned from 1181 to 1219 and built temples like there was no tomorrow. The sightseeing masses arrive from the west. Instead, go with history and enter from the east — the original approach. Inside, veer to the right to discover a Grecian exile, a two- storey sanctuary that seems to owe more to the Acropolis than anything Angkorian. And don’t miss the southern corridor, right at the centre of the giant cruciform shrine and blanketed in lichen — it’s a serene spot to catch your breath.

Next, poke among the elegant curves of Neak Pean. This petite temple is the ultimate ornamental fountain, its series of elaborate spouts including the heads of lions and elephants. Avoiding the crowds here is pot luck, but Neak Pean is a must. If they ever open an “Encore Angkor” casino in Las Vegas, it seems certain to provide the blueprint for the swimming pool and bar.

At Ta Som, your next stop, the gate groans under a sprawling ficus tree that has wrapped itself around every stone. Look out for the small Shiva poking out among the tangle, in a feeble attempt to remind visitors that this temple is his domain.

YOU SHOULD now be ready for lunch — so detour back in time to the first Angkor capital at Roluos, 12km southeast of Siem Reap. Chronological purists might wonder why we didn’t start here, with the 9th-century temples of Preah Ko and Bakong, but you’ll understand once you roll into Roluos. It’s the perfect spot for a local lunch. Tourists are few and far between — and even those are usually just lost. Only 10 minutes from Angkor you’ve discovered the real Cambodia — a bustling community that carries on oblivious to the tourist tide sweeping Siem Reap.

Preah Ko is named in honour of Shiva’s mount, Nandin, the sacred bull. Sadly, though, his statue has had a few steaks sliced off it down the years.

The temple owes more to the pre-Angkorian brick sanctu- aries of Cambodia’s earlier Chenla empire than the sandstone behemoths that came later.

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