The complete Siem Reap experience

It would appear that south-east Asia’s largest freshwater lake doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going.

The town this lake is accessed from — Siem Reap — is essentially famous for being the gateway to the temples of Angkor. But with more than three million people living on or around the lake in floating villages, the Tonlé Sap is a stand-out attraction in its own right. The lake is home to many ethnic Vietnamese who have emigrated to Cambodia over the past 50 to 100 years. Despite some tensions between this minority group and the local Cambodians, it’s a popular tourist stop off.

Cruising along in an old wooden boat with an equally ageing motor, I observed the locals going about their daily lives in their simple shacks, constructed from bamboo and sitting on mostly submerged stilts. Women sat on the front veranda mending fish nets; men worked on their boats and children played happily nearby.

I found this sobering reality something of a contrast with the sprawling opulence of Angkor Wat, which I visited one morning. Around 6am I found myself sitting on a rock in front of this magnificent edifice, its silhouette etched against the inky blue sky. As the sun scaled the horizon the intricate designs of this temple, once the centre of the Khmer civilisation, came into full view.

Siem Reap

The well-kept secrets of Angkor Wat

If you look beyond the smiling Buddha faces of Bayon and the towers of Angkor Wat, you might stumble upon a sleepy district lost somewhere in the shadows of its more popular neighbor Siem Reap.

Battambang, surprisingly the second largest city in Cambodia, is where I finally found the bona fide flavor of the country and which doesn't adhere to rules laid down for its tourist-centric trail.

Initially, I wanted to take a boat to Battambang from Siem Reap, despite knowing that the journey time would be doubled. The water levels of the Tonle Sap River were quite low, so that made sure I stuck to the three-hour road journey. To my surprise, this town that came across as a laid-back settlement, was actually the second-largest in Cambodia and has witnessed its fair share of tumultuous events in Cambodia's long, mutinous history.

 

A walking distance away from the Bayon is the temple-mountain of Baphuon
 which was undergoing extensive renovation.

The bamboo train

Apart from the past that it still retains, Battambang has also held on to its ancient bamboo train system. Extremely impatient for a ride, I left the very same day for Odambang, the village from where you can 'board' the train. The train is nothing more than a large bamboo platform mounted on train axles powered by a small go-kart engine, and as mundane as it looks, the journey atop is nothing short of exhilarating.

Cambodia: The Unexplored Tourist destination

Ancient temples, empty beaches, mighty estuaries and rivers, distant woodlands and also (outside Angkor) only a couple of vacationers. But the phrase is going — Cambodia offers surfaced through many years regarding war and also isolation and is also well and truly back around the Southeast Oriental travel guide.

Through Phnom Penh we fly to be able to Siem Experience. From Angkor we have three whole times to research the complicated; from your elegance regarding Angkor Wat towards the enigmatic confronts with the Bayon as well as the haunting Ta Prohm temple, enveloped inside the clutches of the jungle. 

 

Angkor Wat

Go to of the primary wats or temples regarding Angkor Wat about the small, and great circuit. Walk through the particular woodland regarding Angkor, steering clear of the key highway upon unpaved roads to become listed on the actual temples.

Pol Pot’s Clippers

Entry for the contest "Indochina in your eyes"!

Holidays can be really hard work, so after a fairly busy week and a big day at the temples I am about ready for a day off to relax, do the laundry and get a haircut. Around the corner we find a laundry and drop the washing in making sure we settle on a price which was fair at $2 a kilo. Just down the road is a barber shop with an old dude cutting hair and I think this is the spot for me, it should be nice and cheap. I walk in and do the sign language for a head and face clip and asking the old barber how much? He just smiles and gently pushes me towards the chair, I ask again how much and he just smiles and wraps the apron around my neck. I look at this man in the barber mirror and see the wise old smile on his face and get the distinct feeling that this man understands more than he makes out and I am going to get fully stitched up here. He pulls this old pair of hand operated clippers out of a drawer and proceeds to start clipping my hair clip, clip, clip, bit by bit. These clippers are that old I am sure he must have cut Pol Pot’s hair with them 40 years ago.  After about an hour the clip is finally finished, he brushes me off, unwraps me and as I stand up he sticks his hand out and says with a smile“ that’ll be $10 thank you” in perfectly good English.

Jo and the kids who have been sitting in the shop the whole time are laughing their heads off. We all know that I have just paid this wily old barber 2 days wages for a 1 hour haircut. But I figure because I haven’t paid for a haircut in over 15 years I am in front anyway. I also say that hair is overrated at the best of times, if your not paying for a haircut or shampoo or something you’ve gotta wash it, comb it, brush it and look at it in the mirror. So obviously hair is a complete waste of time and money. 

Temple hopping in Cambodia: Stories in stone

A sigh of relief and excitement enveloped me as the plane touched down in Ho Chi Minh. I didn’t have a concrete plan other than getting to Siem Reap. But I knew I was going to have the grandest time. 

I was with my friends and we were in search of a memorable adventure. We dropped the mainstream route of taking a plane to experience Cambodia -- so off to the bus stop we went, and bought our 13-hour bus ride ticket. 

It was a great decision, because the intensely rich and picturesque surroundings kept us entertained the whole trip. 

When we got to Siem Reap, we were tired but we were in awe. 

Time space warp temples

 

Angkor Wat statues adorn the halls, each with it's own story.

There are a lot of temples to see in Cambodia. So, armed with our digicams, water bottles and a thirst for adventure, we journeyed to where the action was, or at least where it used to be. 

 

Guided by our local companion, Bon, who knew a ton of background information and insights we traveled to our heart’s desire. He gave us the opportunity to pick his brain and learn to better understand Cambodians as a people.

At Siem Reap we were transported into an architectural masterpiece from thousands of years ago.
The intelligence and sophistication of the masters that conceptualized the structure shows throughout. Power, might and light-heartedness emerge from the artworks on the wall telling tales and signifying depth in their own beliefs.

The symmetry of Angkor Wat is astounding. Imagining it during the time it was fully functional was overwhelming -- Apsara dancers illuminating the halls with their energy, lectures being passed on from one elder to another and kings sharing inspiring thoughts and knowledge with their people.

Another nearby temple we visited was Bayon in Angkor Thom. It’s beauty and look enticed us to come in -- a series of intricately made smiling facades invite tourists to revisit Jayavarman VII’s work of art. I really love this temple because positivity encapsulated the whole area and the massive stone faces shine on the spotlight.

Bayon Temple.

We continued to temple hop, and it was a blast. We got to understand and learn the transfer of power that transpired, hear stories that ruled the bonfires and best of all, we got to converse with monks as they still go to the wats and pray. 

 

Inside the Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom.

A temple in Phnom Bakheng is considered to be a “hot spot.” They filmed the most exciting scenes of "Tomb Raider" in Phnom Bakheng where gigantic roots of old trees intrusively sweep the temple walls. 

 

This is where we had fun trying out creative poses mimicking scenes from the movie.

Exploring Siem Reap with my friends proved to be one of the best experiences I had in Cambodia.

We consider ourselves privileged to have been able to experience the glory that once was. If only we could have teleported ourselves back in time -- but alas, pictures and journal entries will have to do.

Nonetheless, to see and touch the pieces is to witness that once there was a time when a genuine love for architecture and passion for their belief carried far across the land.

So, after a few days of exploration, we packed our bags and left Siem Reap, bidding farewell to a beautiful place that will be sure to stick with us for the rest of our lives.

By Ara Charissa Sam 

Source: CNNGo

 

Cambodia off the beaten track

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Mention you’re going to Cambodia and chances are you’ll end up comparing notes on the glorious temples of Angkor, among the most awe-inspiring – indeed, mind-blowing – monuments ever conceived by the human mind.

It is hardly surprising that so many travelers from around the globe dream of gazing upon the towers of Angkor Wat, walking through the root-strangled gateways of Angkor Thom, and staring back at the enigmatic smiling faces that have made the Bayon famous.

But Cambodia has a great deal more to offer than its headline sights. Travelers at first drawn by the spectacular temples around Siem Reap often end up enchanted – and determined to return – thanks to the friendliness of the Khmer people, the sublime beauty of the countryside and the botanical exuberance of the country’s still-pristine tropical rainforests.

Parts of Cambodia’s south coast are fairly well-known to travelers. Beaches, nightlife, restaurants and a backpacker vibe make Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s main port, the country’s third-most-popular tourist destination. Kampot, with its run-down French-era buildings and mellow spirit, is popular as a starting point for Bokor National Park and its grand, colonial-era Casino, now an eerie ruin.

USA today recommends adventure travel tours to Cambodia

Trekking

Trekking in Cambodia offers a chance to meet local residents and experience the countryside firsthand. Active Travel Cambodia offers a trip called Trek Rattanakiri that features walking on jungle paths and on roads through towns. Rattanakiri is a rural area in northeast Cambodia known for its natural beauty, and trip activities include swimming in the shadow of pristine waterfalls. You also camp in villages and enjoy cultural interactions with ethnic minority tribes.

Trekking Rattanakiri

Kayaking

If you love the water, you can take a kayaking trip with companies such as Adventure-Cambodia. Tours range from one-day to multi-day outings. One trip features bird watching as you kayak on wetlands in the north, and others involve jungle or ocean kayaking. On an ocean trip, you kayak to islands, snorkel and stay in a beach bungalow. Adventure-Cambodia also has multi