Siem Reap, Cambodia
This was my favorite stop on the trip. I felt like Cambodia was a better experience in terms of seeing how SE Asia really is and truly witnessing local life, as opposed to a commercial area catered to tourism. Don't get me wrong, the city is definitely supported by tourism so they've adapted to foreigners but that's only a small portion of the city. In general, it's still very 3rd world. It's a bit depressing, but at the same time, it makes you want to get involved and help out.
The temples of Angkor are quite impressive. There are so many temples in the area to see, but I only spent 2 days checking out various ones. My guide took me to ones that were distinct so that it didn't get to a point where I was "templed out" by looking at the same things over and over. My favorite ones were Banteay Srei, Ta Prohm, and of course Angkor Wat.
Banteay Srei is a bit further out than the rest of the temples and it's fairly small. But it's believed to have been carved by women because of the detail and intricacy of the carvings. Ta Prohm is a temple that's been overrun by the vegetation in the area. The tree roots have broken the temple apart and creates a great jungle-type feel. It's most well known as the temple featured in Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.
My tour guide was awesome in that he was very friendly and had a lot of knowledge behind the history of the temples - what kind built them, for what purpose, what the carvings represented, etc. Unfortunately I don't remember his name and don't have contact information for him since my hotel arranged all the rides and guide. However, everyone that I met there was so friendly that I'm sure all the guides are probably fairly similar. And I believe they have to pass some exams to become licensed Angkor guides.
For anyone thinking about stopping in Siem Reap, I would highly recommend a meal at Khymer Kitchen. It's across the street from the Old Market. Very good food and cheap too! I ate there at least twice in the 3 days that I spent in SR and those were probably among my best meals over the entire 2 weeks. They have a baked pumpkin dish that sounds strange but is very tasty!
I would also recommend a stop at the land mine museum. It's basically a large yard where the owner, Akira, has collected various mines and bombs that he defused as well as articles and information about landmines in general. Akira and his wife have created a home for people that are without work due to landmine injury or children that have been orphaned due to landmines. These people are sometimes hanging out around the museum so you can get a personal account about their lives. It's an eye-opening experience for people like me that have been sheltered in a comfortable world where the possibility of stepping on a landmine isn't an issue and it doesn't take days to get to the nearest hospital for medical attention.
The temples of Angkor are quite impressive. There are so many temples in the area to see, but I only spent 2 days checking out various ones. My guide took me to ones that were distinct so that it didn't get to a point where I was "templed out" by looking at the same things over and over. My favorite ones were Banteay Srei, Ta Prohm, and of course Angkor Wat.
Banteay Srei is a bit further out than the rest of the temples and it's fairly small. But it's believed to have been carved by women because of the detail and intricacy of the carvings. Ta Prohm is a temple that's been overrun by the vegetation in the area. The tree roots have broken the temple apart and creates a great jungle-type feel. It's most well known as the temple featured in Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.
My tour guide was awesome in that he was very friendly and had a lot of knowledge behind the history of the temples - what kind built them, for what purpose, what the carvings represented, etc. Unfortunately I don't remember his name and don't have contact information for him since my hotel arranged all the rides and guide. However, everyone that I met there was so friendly that I'm sure all the guides are probably fairly similar. And I believe they have to pass some exams to become licensed Angkor guides.
For anyone thinking about stopping in Siem Reap, I would highly recommend a meal at Khymer Kitchen. It's across the street from the Old Market. Very good food and cheap too! I ate there at least twice in the 3 days that I spent in SR and those were probably among my best meals over the entire 2 weeks. They have a baked pumpkin dish that sounds strange but is very tasty!
I would also recommend a stop at the land mine museum. It's basically a large yard where the owner, Akira, has collected various mines and bombs that he defused as well as articles and information about landmines in general. Akira and his wife have created a home for people that are without work due to landmine injury or children that have been orphaned due to landmines. These people are sometimes hanging out around the museum so you can get a personal account about their lives. It's an eye-opening experience for people like me that have been sheltered in a comfortable world where the possibility of stepping on a landmine isn't an issue and it doesn't take days to get to the nearest hospital for medical attention.
posted by KC at
1:35 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home