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The flat stretch of land that fans out from Phnom Penh to the border with Thailand is sandwiched between the Cardamom Mountains in the southwestern corner of the country, and the Dangrek Range in the north. A perfect hideout, these frontier hills were home to the Khmer Rouge guerrillas for nearly twenty years from 1979. Until the defections of the late 1990s, the Khmer Rouge had a tight grip over these upland regions. However, government control has now been officially restored, and travellers are returning to areas that were previously off-limits. The towns within the former occupied territories, such as the remote frontier outpost of Pailin , are not attractive places, as you might expect after twenty years of war and isolation, but the countryside is stunning in places and has a Wild West appeal. Many of the residents are ex-soldiers who have spent most of their lives living in the jungle. Sticking to the roads and paths is essential, as this is the most densely mined area in the world. Stretching across the vast central plain is the country's largest lake, the Tonle Sap , which swells to 8000 square kilometres during the rainy season, and is the region's primary focus of transport, livelihood and leisure. The area's commercial hub is Battambang , an agreeable town, bearing traces of its French colonial days. Its northern neighbour, Sisophon makes a convenient stopping-off point on the route into Thailand.
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