Angkor Wat: The Crown Jewel of Cambodia

One of the most sought-after destinations in Southeast Asia is Angkor Archaeological Park, just north of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The area is comprised of an extensive collection of Hindu and Buddhist temples (mostly built between the 9^th and 12^th century) – with the most famous being Angkor Wat, a complex that symbolizes Cambodian national identity. After arriving in Siem Reap, we bought a 3-day pass to visit the ruins, but were able to cover all of the ones we wanted to see in two days. Because the distance to and between the temples is so vast, we hired a tuk-tuk driver to take us to each of the sites from our guest house in the city. The temples of Angkor are an absolute must-see in this part of the world, so much so that most visitors to Thailand make the arduous overland journey to Cambodia just to spend a few days to see the relics of the Khmer civilization. Although there are dozens of temples throughout the park (and many more in other parts of the country), there are three primary categorizations of temples. 

1. The “Stars” of Angkor

The “must-see” temples of Angkor Wat, Bayon, and the ancient city of Angkor Thom are the reason most travellers make the pilgrimage to Siem Reap.  For this reason, we were warned about large crowds and tour buses taking over the complexes (something that we try to avoid). To our surprise, however, we usually found ourselves alone at most of the temples that we visited, which made the experience even better. This was probably due to a combination of us trying to visit the temples when crowds tend to be at other sites (e.g. tour groups visit Angkor Thom in the morning, so we went in the afternoon), and visiting in low season. The Stars of Angkor live up to the hype – we climbed the towers of Angkor Wat, and sat in the famous “face” Indiana Jones temples at Bayon. If we had one day to visit Cambodia, seeing these two temples would definitely be at the top of our list.

Angkor Wat

Bayon

Bayon

2. Pyramid Temples

While the temple pyramids aren’t usually as sought after as Angkor Wat or Bayon, they were usually the most fun (and harrowing) to climb, and gave the best views of surrounding jungles and mountains. We met a friend from Vietnam on top of isolated Ta Keo, chatted with monks at the summit of East Mebon, and watched the sunset at Pre Rup. These temples are far less visited than other temples, and usually only get less attention because there is less detail to their carvings (one of Angkor Wat’s major assets). The pyramids were probably the most challenging and exhilarating temples to visit, and helped us find quiet spots away from the crowds.

3. Jungle Temples

The jungle temples at Angkor were made famous because they were in the Tomb Raider movies, and are probably the most photogenic ruins to visit. The most famous of these is Ta Promh, though there are several others, including Neak Prean, Preah Khan, and Ta Som. One of the most appealing and unique aspects of the jungle temples is that in contrast to the well-preserved Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Angkor Thom, they’re famous for their destruction by the jungle – with enormous trees slowly breaking down walls and growing through hallways. These temples best portrayed the juxtaposition between human ingenuity and the endurance of nature. 

Most visitors to Angkor find the temples breathtaking, and we were no exception. Visiting the ruins was a perfect way to wrap up our time in beautiful Cambodia.

Taking the (Bumpy) Road Less Travelled

On our last day in Phnom Penh, we took a tuk-tuk ride an hour outside of the city to get a glimpse of rural Cambodia. We figured that the most exciting way to visit local villages would be by quad-biking on dirt roads with a company called Nature Cambodia. After we got to the centre we were given brief instructions on how to operate the bikes (essentially like four-wheeled motorcycles), and were soon driving through the countryside with a guide, a mechanic, and two Irish guys around our age that had also booked the trip. We chose Nature Cambodia because of their excellent reputation for safety, as well as their commitment to minimal impact on the villages in which they operate.

We spent the morning driving through agricultural areas, the city local markets, and small villages. The people we saw were curious and friendly – the older people smiled and waved, and children ran out of their houses yelling “Hellooo” and giving us high fives. Rural Cambodia is absolutely beautiful, and is mostly characterized by long grassy fields studded with palm trees. Being on the bikes definitely made going through the villages more exciting (and a little harrowing at times), and we had the rare opportunity to see how Cambodians live outside the cities. Both of us consider the quad-biking to be a highlight of our trip – the pictures don’t come close to capturing how amazing the experience was.  

Tragedy and Resilience in the Kingdom of Cambodia

During our time in Cambodia, we visited two places that are essential (but difficult) to see in in Phnom Penh. Both are a product of the genocide that occurred under Pol Pot’s regime in the 1970s, during which approximately 2 million Cambodians were killed. The first is Tuel Sleung (S21), a high school turned prison where political dissidents (including women and children) were held and tortured. The buildings at S21 contain the 2m x 0.8m prisoner cells, torture rooms/tools, photos of victims (before and after their detainment), and biographies of the perpetrators and prisoners. The building looks like any other school in the city, but is a chilling reminder of the atrocities that were committed in this country.

S21

Barbed wire to prevent prisoners from committing suicide

The second location we visited was Choeng Ek Killing Fields, believed to be the largest in the country. These are located just outside the capital, where a memorial containing skulls and old clothing of victims now stands amidst mass graves. While many former S21 prisoners were eventually brought here to be killed, Killing Fields existed throughout the country during the genocide. While both places were difficult to see, they gave us a greater appreciation and understanding of the history and people of Cambodia. 

Choeng Ek

On the other hand, however, Phnom Penh seems to be moving past its brutal history, and retaken its place as the “Pearl of Asia.” We also visited The Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and National Museum, which depict the Khmer Empire at its pinnacle. The Royal Palace is a series of golden temples, monuments, and Buddha statues, with monks dressed in orange in most of the buildings. The National Museum holds artifacts retrieved from the Angkor Temples that we’ll be visiting next week, and had an interesting collection of statues and pretty courtyard. We’re happy that we were able to see the brighter side of Phnom Penh as it moves beyond its tragic past toward a promising future.  

Three Reasons to Love Phnom Penh

We recently made the 6 hour overland journey from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The city is rarely associated with anything other than Pol Pot’s brutal regime in the 1970s, but Phnom Penh has since flourished into one of the most charming cities in Southeast Asia. Here are three reasons why our stay in Phnom Penh has been outstanding.

1. The Pavilion

This Phnom Penh hotel, just steps away from the walls of the Royal Palace, was our big “splurge” for this trip. We were picked up from the bus station in a red jaguar, given welcome drinks, and had a private garden bungalow with floor to ceiling windows right beside the pool. The complimentary breakfast of assorted bread, pastries, eggs, pastries, and passion fruit juice was delicious, and the entire staff was excellent. We have been living in the lap of luxury for the “steep” price of…$40/night - definitely worth the extra money.

2. The Riverfront

The city centre is located along the banks of the Tonle Sap River, with different temples, restaurants, and bars lining wide boulevards. Walking down the riverfront covers the small downtown area, and is pretty deserted during the day, but is packed at night. The charm of Phnom Penh is accentuated by the river, and even though most people spend a day passing through to see the sights on the way to Angkor Wat, the atmosphere of the city makes it attraction in and of itself. 

 3. The People

Cambodian people are reserved and shy, but always warm and smiling. At night, local parks are full of families playing badminton or volleyball, and parents with small children. There is greater economic disparity here than in Vietnam – hummers drive past landmine amputees living on the streets, and the children that aren’t playing games are usually selling books or jewelry. The residents of central Phnom Penh are more affluent, while many of the people in outlying areas live in poverty. But regardless of social position, all the people here are always friendly, curious, and happy to meet foreigners.

The Best of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Top 5 Things We Learned

1. Don’t pay 60 000 dong to visit Reunification Palace

2. Malls in Vietnam are more modern than malls in thewest

3. Even if you refuse to buy marijuana from the same person three times in one day, you will get asked a fourth time

4. Motorcycles here are even crazier than in Hanoi

5. You can smell dead jellyfish being peddled around on the back of a bike from miles away

 

Top 5 Places to Eat

1. ABC Bakery – cheap baguettes, croissants, and pastries

2. Quan An Ngoc – street food served in a high-end restaurant

3. Pho2000 – delicious street-style pho across from Ben Thanh Market

4. Allez Zoo Bar – backpacker with good rice

5. Le Pub – expat bar with cheap Tiger Beer

Top 5 Overall Experiences

1. Crawling through the underground Cu Chi Tunnels

2. Floating up the Mekong Delta into rural Vietnam

3. Examining the stunning photograph exhibits at the War Remnant Museum

4.  Eating, drinking, and people-watching in the backpacker district

5. “Acting” for an English language interview show for Ho Chi Minh City Television outside the Saigon Centre

Apocalypse Now

On our final day in Vietnam, we travelled to the Mekong Delta which runs through several countries in Southeast Asia, and is the thirteenth largest river in the world. We spent the day eating tropical fruit, walking through the jungle, and visiting a floating village. The highlight of the trip was boating through the backwater of the Mekong Delta, which reminded me of the cinematography from Apocalypse Now, a movie based on Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” (both of which I love). We were iffy about booking the trip, but ended up booking a bus ticket late the night before, and were glad we did. Here are a couple pictures from our trip up the Mekong, which made it easy to imagine how early explorers or American troops first perceived the lush (but isolated) river leading into Southeast Asia.

During the visit, we spent some time with a man from Santa Barbara, CA, travelling alone for a few weeks, and an Australian couple backpacking for six months through Southeast Asia and China. We also made friends with (possibly) the most adorable man in the world from South Korea. After travelling through the Delta, we made our way to a Pagoda, before spending our last night in the backpacker district of Saigon.  

Happy Buddha