cambodia
Destination Siem Reap Cambodia, Angkor Temple ,floating village
Cambodia is an extraordinary country, where any budget, low, big or small can grant you to a fantastic journey. It is up to you to choose the type of comfort you want to have.
You can easily survive on less than $ 10 per day by being thrifty and adventurous. A traveller who prefers comfort and enjoys a little more refined pleasure can find a high quality accommodation for less than $ 50 per day. Just like everywhere else you can play the role of a millionaire and stay in a royal palace for more than $ 200 a night. Hostels start as low as $ 2. By adding a few dollars you add extra comfort such as air conditioning, cable TV, fridge and hot water for example. Feel free to negotiate for a discount especially if you visit Cambodia in the low season.
Cambodian cuisine is not as well-known as that of its neighbours, Thailand and Vietnam, but it can easily compete with the best foods of Asia. The street food begins at 25 cents or a real buffet for only a few dollars. There are several world-class restaurants in Siem Reap; a meal with wine is around 20 USD. The food is good and prices are cheap. Many tourists come here to relish the luxury life at a discount. We got out from our guesthouse imposed on us the day before, nothing to say, good or bad, for this hotel. We walk a little on the streets to discover the city. It is a beautiful and welcoming small green town.
There are beautiful bridges and parks all along the Siem Reap River that runs through all its length. Its architecture is a nice blend of his Khmer past, Chinese architecture and the French colonialism. Compact, you can easily discover its six major areas where the services and tourist attractions are concentrated. The Old Market area, the Wat Bo, the old French Quarter, the village Taphul, the road to Angkor and the road from the airport are easily accessible on foot or by tuk tuk. Several unnamed alleys hide some treasures of shops, restaurants and monuments. Visit leisurely without planning and you will have nice surprises.
We took a tuk tuk and went to the European guesthouse (www.european-guesthouse.com). The small and friendly hotel run by my friend Siri Aasheim ,a Norwegian, who was the subject of a previous article on this site. It was $ 2 for the ride. In fact everything is “one dollar” or “two dollars”, you will see soon enough. A coke is a dollar, a dollar for a taxi, an ice cream for $ 1. Siem Reap is a gigantic $ 1 store.
Unfortunately my friend Siri went to Norway during the off season. Regardless, they offered us a room at a discount because the staffs were informed of our arrival. We were welcomed by a nice clean room furnished with air conditioned and TV for about $ 15 a night. I had a surprise while opening the balcony door. Our neighbours have a crocodile farm with hundreds of carnivores. It was not a good time to fall down when drunk. Cambodians like crocodile meat and make a variety of goods with their skin.
In the garden of the guesthouse, there is a small bar with comfortable couches where you can enrich yourself with the literature on tourism in Cambodia and the rest of Asia while sipping a cocktail or a beer. The staffs are available to help you choose from the dozens of activities posted on the walls. We reserved a driver to visit the Angkor temples the next morning for $ 15, there are several other possible activities, the floating village, visit an orphanage, waterfall, temple, farm silk and plenty more. Inquire at the counter of the hotel and they will take care of everything for an affordable price.
12:00 noon: we began on foot to explore the city. The city has markets with tons of interesting crafts, paintings, backpacks, vests, shoes and branded jeans. I am a big fan of shopping but I was tempted. However we took the time to bargain even though we knew that at the end we would still pay the ‘tourist price’, but still that’s “super savings”. We bought a “Northface vision 60” backpack that seems very fair for $ 12, three frames of a laminated picture of an elephant in front of the Angkor temple for 30 USD, branded cargo shorts for $ 15, etc. ..We came back with the backpack filled to its capacity of our purchases.
One thing that was a bit annoying, but endurable was the solicitation: the tuk tuk drivers emerged champions … every 2 minutes you will hear “tuk tuk sir, lady buy silk, Massage, one dollar.” We need to understand that this city is sustained by 80% of the tourism industry.
The Italian couple Simon and Frederica came to visit us to drink beer and chat. They finally spent the night at the same guesthouse as us and they subsequently went to the guesthouse where they already had reservations. They rented bikes and rode to the temple of Angkor. They forgot the sunscreen and they’re red like lobsters. From their comments I could tell it’s pretty strenuous to visit the temples this way.
9:30am: we were ready to board the carriage attached to Mr. Buntha’s motorbike. Mr. Buntha is a friendly driver-guide who decided to cancel his existing customers so that he could take us to the temple of Angkor. This really convenient ride consists of a little trailer hooked up to a motorcycle to provide a passenger cart. This allows the guide to serve both as a driver and guide while not worrying about transportation.
Visitors to the temple of Angkor, the vast majority of people who visit Cambodia, have to pay admission fees. The rates are at $ 20 for a one day admission, $ 40 for a 3 -day pass and $ 60 for a full week pass. Do not forget the cost of transportation to go near the ruins. There are many choices available: $ 2 to rent a bicycle, $6-$8 for a motorcycle with a driver, or as we did $ 10-15 $ for a trailer pulled by a motorcycle or a car for $ 25-30.
A 4 km ride from the city leads us to the great Angkor historical park. Along the way we saw: a children’s hospital financed by foreign organizations, some museums and several luxurious hotels. The government made efforts to revitalize and preserve the natural environment along the roads leading to its famous temple.
Mr. Buntan gave us a little “briefing” on the history of the temple and its great moments. We were sorry but our level of concentration under the sun was very limited. He had enriched us with minute details, many of which we would not have noticed.
Angkor Wat (Khmer) is a temple at Angkor in Cambodia, it was built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century to be the centre of the capital. It is the temple and the religious site best preserved of all and the largest religious building in the world. It was initially associated with the Hindu religion and his god Vishnu and then with Buddhism. This marvel of Khmer architecture has become a symbol of Cambodia, its main attraction that appears elsewhere even on its national flag. The site is administered by the private group Sokimex since 1990, which is leased by the Cambodian government. It’s a shame, because only 20% of revenue is redistributed to the association that takes care of the site (by UNESCO).
To learn more about the history and architecture of the Angkor Temple visit the official wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat
The visit of the site was breath-taking; thousands of carved stone murals tell the story of the Khmer civilization and represent battle scenes, and celebration party. Take your time, there is no need to rush through every single artefacts to enjoy this wonder of the world. Walking through the temples of Angkor is a sport. There were steep ascents with each step as high as 40 cm. You have to experience it because the pictures do not speak. But the courageous climbers have beautiful landscapes to photograph. There are many temples to visit so it is your choice to plan according to your taste for adventure and thirst for history. I do not like to overload my visits with group guides that take away the spontaneity and unpredictability.
Ta Prohm is my favourite! Invaded by the jungle, big trees did a lot of damage on the stone walls. Many of these walls have cranes surrounding them as they are being restored. Nonetheless it was a wonderful visit and everyone should see it once in his lifetime, but for me an intense day in the temples was enough. I have been in South East Asia long enough and have seen enough temples.
- Visit during off peak hours, between 10am – 2am, because most of the tour groups would have returned to Siem Reap for lunch after visiting the site since the 5:30 am sunrise.
- The street vendors before entering the sites are a little aggressive in their sales; simply go into the sites immediately to avoid them
- Moving away from the major trails, we can make some great discoveries while avoiding the crowds.
- Keep youself hydrated, get plenty of water and food
- Use sunscreen , cover your head and wear cheap sunglasses
- Keep your valuables safe and your eyes open.
- Take a map to help find your way.
- Beware of scammers. We encountered two men in the temple who placed incense sticks and candles near a statue. They told us to put $ 5 each under a piece of cloth and make a wish with a stick of incense stating that “the money is for monks of the temple”. Everything happened too quickly and we did not even realise that the money probably ended up in their pockets … Real tourists!
- Going by the lake in between visits of the temples, two kids approached us. They were friendly and asked us where we were from. “Aah Singapore! Come and see our store after you are done ok?” When we returned to our motorcycle taxi the kids started to run at us yelling, “You are lying you promised us to see our shop, all the tourists from Singapore are bad tourists”. Really insulting.
- Pay attention to the monkey, they seem harmless, but they attack, one came up to my wife and snatched a can of Pepsi from her hands.
This was the end of the afternoon and it was time to return to the guesthouse.
The tourism circus, the Japanese and the Koreans, their noisy guides, all its wonders and the Sun had exhausted us.
Contact Mr Buntha (855) 92 93 33 64 buntha331@hotmail.com: an effective guide with a smile always curved on his lips.
9:30 am : we sat in Mr. Buntha’s trailer carriage for 45 minutes of “road trip” and travelled 20 km to the floating village on Tonle Sap;tThe largest lake of all the South East Asia. On the road, we saw motorbikes carrying huge pigs and dusty roadside stores out of nowhere. You do not need to drive far from the town of Siem Reap to reach the country side.
When we arrived at the dock we paid for the admission ticket to enter the village at $ 20 each because we would have our private boat. Aboard the boat and it sails on long channel-like mistaking a street campaign. We meet dozens of other boats of villagers, fishermen and tourist boats travelling the same canal. At the floating village, the houses, temples, schools, restaurants and even government buildings are built on bamboo rafts. Over 3000 Khmer people are perched over 6 meters of height. Mostly residents living in the heart of this freshwater passage are farmers and fisherman. Children play in this giant pool during the rainy season. The dry season leaves the houses perched high and motorbikes replace boats. During this time many families build temporary shelters near the lake. All the inhabitants live off fishing and producing fish paste with a strong odour, fermented fish, dried fish, and other product derived from fish.
You can visit the village, meet the students of the English class and visit the temple with its wonderful colourful Buddhist painting. We felt a little bad for not buying pencils sold by a dubious girl, but it’s like this.
The highlight of the day was the boat ride with the locals through the floating forest. For a fee of $ 5, which is shared among the various villagers involve in the program, it was a real wonderful experience. It’s not every day you meet people who live mainly on water and its resources.
We did not visit the underground of Siem Reap but there are probably many interesting places, but we visited the night market, which is a maze of merchandise of all kinds and especially the Khmer crafts at affordable prices. There are two bars where you can cool off, you can easily afford a “full body” oil massage for $ 8, a “fish” spa for $ 4 with a free beer and have small fishes eating the dead skin off your feet. It’s hard to endure, but the experience was fun.
You can have a good meal in a French restaurant (excellent beef tartare) or a Cambodian hotpot for less than $ 20 with a glass of red wine. Siem Reap has given a warm welcome; with friendly people, magnificent temples and great shopping at the best prices. Siem Reap, Cambodia we will be back soon, I hope.
http://pgcambodia.com/ – nice little guide that contains all relevant information and things to see in Cambodia, you will find it everywhere in shops and hotels.
There was a little scared on our way back home. We booked a one-way flight to Singapore on Jet Star carrier for the sum of $ 100 USD. We took off from the small airport in Siem Reap at 4:45 p.m. An hour later, while our plane was near Phnom Phen, a strange burning smell filled the plane. The plane shook as though it was in a perpetual turbulence. People started screaming as if the plane was in trouble. The pilot announced that they were not ready to land and they would have to turn around to go back to Siem Reap airport. The captain made an announcement: “because of a bad storm over Phnom Penh we will return to Siem Reap and return when the storm has ended.” We ended up arriving safely in Singapore even though we were delayed for 3 hours. I am sure that there was something wrong with the plane. This is really the first time in my life that I am scared by a plane ride … Jet Star sometimes gives some surprises.
To Si Phan Don, 4000 islands in Laos by bus to the Cambodian border and Siem Reap.
Today we were leaving for Siem Reap in Cambodia from Si Phan Don or 4000 Islands in Southern Laos. I had bought bus tickets last afternoon at the reception desk for $ 35 USD. We got an ordinary breakfast at the hotel. The coffee was really disgusting, and this is annoying because the coffee produced in Laos from the Boloven plateau was supposed to be really excellent.
A mini-van fetched us from our hotel to catch the VIP bus (SPC Company) to cross the Cambodian border in Stung Treng We were waiting for the ferry boat which was an old platform that carries large trucks, buses and passengers. It did not look too reliable, but it worked, the rudder is tinkering with a steering wheel and a chain connected to the engine. Our new Italian friends Simon and Frederica struck a conversation with a monk.. He’s happy to practice English and he told them how he went to study in China for free at the monastery. Many bright young people benefited from their years of being Buddhist monks to travel and learn to speak English for free.
10:21am From the other side of the Mekong the mini-van driver attempts to locate the bus. We made a first stop on the side of the street. We landed on a road lost in the middle of nowhere. I saw a small store and went to buy something to drink. An old Lao man invited me to share his Beerlao. “No no, I have a stomach ache uncle!” The sun was hot and shade was rare. The bus finally arrived. As we boarded the bus, we noticed that the first floor was filled with vegetables and other agricultural products. We made a stop near Don Det to board other tourists and locals also going to Cambodia.
10:53am the Customs could not be more rustic; it looked like a disorganized logging camp. This border was opened recently and official buildings were still under construction. We saw a small quarantine post where a dozens of people were waiting to be admitted into the country. The custom officers distributed a yellow sheet to everyone. A health notice which states: “International passengers may be exposed to infectious agents ever encountered before. You may need medical assistance. If you feel unwell during your stay in Cambodia, fever, cough, diarrhoea or severe vomiting. Please seek medical assistance.” Thank you for the warm welcome, it’s reassuring.
I bought a beer at a street store right next to the customs; the good and cheap Angkor beer. We experienced the local currency for the first time, Riel. The exchange goes for 4000 riels to 1 USD. We gave our passport to the bus guide when he charged me 25 USD for a month visa and a $ 5 fee which cannot be accounted for. Passports were given back to their owners one at a time by calling out their names, it felt like being handed our life jackets at summer camp.
11:49am All passports were returned and we entered Cambodge. The deep rural landscape surrounded us all along the way. Southern Cambodia is still intact; it offered scenes of everyday life of its inhabitants frozen in time. It was a mixture of flooded rice paddies fields, bamboo house on stilts and Buddhist temples. In the southern province the people live mainly on fishing and agriculture. We made a stop at the first public market to drop off the vegetables from Laos. The market was in poor condition and the ground was covered by litter. The people of this community live in poverty but they continue smiling.
We made a stop to eat in a Cambodian “tuck-shop”. The food was good and very affordable, less than a dollar for a plate filled to the edge. Forget about the toilet; everyone was going across the street to relieve themselves. I heard people complaining and then we realised that problem. The bus would first reach Phnom Phen which is located 315 km beyond Siem Reap before returning to our destination. 630 km for nothing?! The bus company decided its route depending on the destination of the majority of people on board. So we must follow the rest of the group. Note to Self : Learn about the itinerary first and not the destination. You may save yourself from being in this kind of situation. Long live to the adventure!
15:30, we stopped at Kratie to pick up some passengers. I went to withdraw some money from the ATM and was amazed to receive U.S. dollars in Cambodia. The USD is the currency mostly used. People only use the local currency for small change.
16:27, we were still in the countryside, land is unfounded and people have to use boats for reach the main road. A succession of rice fields, fishing nets and piles of firewood can be seen from the only main road.
18:00, we were told that in one hour we would switch over to another bus to Siem Reap. Good news for us as that would save us at least 2 hours of road.
11:33 p.m. Arrived at Siem Reap after more than 14 hours since our departure, but we made it. It was all darkness in a muddy parking lot, far away from the mythical city that we dreamed about. We attempted to take a taxi parked along the roadside. The bus clerks forbade us to ride with the taxis there. He insisted that he had arranged for a complimentary taxi for us already. It seemed organized; he wanted to keep the passengers from the bus for himself. We got into a cab with the guide against our wills, but we really had no choice but to follow. It was so dark and you could get lost easily in this town with just a backpack. Our Italian friends were even more frantic than us, but ended up boarding the taxi as well. The roads were muddy and most of them were still under construction. I stood on guard in case anything happened.
We were taken to a guesthouse, Aroma Daily (http://www.aromadaily.com). We went to view the room which was not fancy, but it cost only $ 15 for the first night and $ 12 from the second night onwards. The tension remained strong as the Italian retaliated loud, he did not like to have been taken in hostage. Then he requested for our phone number to make sure that we would be fine later. There was no way to wander around alone in this city at night, in total darkness with our luggage on our backs. A couple of Angkor beers and a good night’s sleep would do us good. We would find ourselves someplace else early morning tomorrow.
Results of the flood situation in Thailand and South East Asia – Travel or not
The vast region of Southeast Asia suffered this year from the most devastating monsoon since 50 years. There are major floods in northern and central Thailand and a large part of Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines.
My friend Philippe Tetu recounted the situation in Bangkok. “Bangkok is on the verge of flooding but there is nothing done yet, the water level today and for the next 2 days (level of sea, river) is at the top so it’s not helping. The big problem is the water coming from other flooded cities and people must evacuate somewhere. For now everything is ok. I was going to do a bike ride to see the worst places to shoot some picture. In the worse scenario I have gotten water to the knee and it was on the edge of the river in the very low areas“.
We should not amplify the situation, but it denotes hundreds of death in Cambodia and northern Thailand. It’s a disaster, and the repercussions of this situation have not finished affecting the locals and the rest of the world.
There were a million of individuals affected and hundreds of thousands forced to move and the number continues to rise. 172 people died (most of them drowned). The majority of the population that is severely affected are poor farmers and their families.
Car and electronics factories around South East Asia and India are affected by the floods and are forced to close due to lack of crucial parts from their supplier located mainly in Thailand. Honda Motor Co and Canon have ceased their production operations in Thailand. Many other major manufacturers including Nikon, Toyota, Pioneer and Sony, to name a few, have reported a slowdown in production due of supply difficulties.
More seriously the United Nations is monitoring closely at the possibility of serious food shortages in many parts of Southeast Asia after the flood devastated rice paddies and other crops. Around 12.5% of rice farms in Thailand have been damaged as well as 12% of its counterparts in Cambodia, 7.5% in Laos and a little less than 1% in Vietnam since the beginning of heavy rainfall in the month of September. Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of rice. Thailand alone provides 31% of the 34.2 million tonnes metric of the world exchange every year on the market.
The price of food especially rice, which is the main meal in Asia may rise dramatically due to its low availability and its high demand. Already in February the price index of food of the United Nations has broken record for 55 aliments including cereals, meat and dairy products.
The tourist season in Thailand and South East Asia starts after the monsoon in December. But the daunting images of these floods that ravaged several provinces of the kingdom and her neighbours discouraged tourists.But the main attractions (with the exception of Ayutthaya) were not affected by the floods. The southern islands of Thailand such as Phuket, Koh Samui or Koh Phi Phi stay dry.
There is also a deluge of rumour and misinformation spreading panic in the air. Bangkok under the threat of crocodiles and snakes. “Taking advantage of the floods, for weeks, ravaging Thailand, hound had escaped from a crocodile farm, located in Pattaya, a few hundred kilometres from Bangkok.” Forget the urban legend king kong never exist
Do not be fooled by the media, we are at the end of October; the rains have slowed down last week, it is sunny and hot during the day. No need to fear, people will need your visits to help their economies get back on track. In short, no reason to cancel your trip, go to the Land of Smiles smiling.
David was a happy volunteer in cambodia
This postcard is sent by my friend David a softspoken Irish, but who knows when it’s time to have some fun. I met him during my last visit to Laos when he made a brief stop on his journey across South East Asia. Here is a small part of what happened to him during his great adventure ….
This picture was taken at a sports day at Support Self Help Community Center(SHCC) Kro bei Cambodia riel.The Sports Day turned into a giant water fight, where we drained the well dry! and was probably the best day I’ve had in Asia. I voluntereed in this school for a few weeks as an English teacher. The kids and the local villagers are the most amazing ,creative and genuine people I have met on my travels. It was a sad day when I had to leave.
Editor’s note: It reminds me of my adventure in koh chang and Children’s Day Kids School
Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Siem Reap is the capital of Cambodia, near the mystical Angkor Khmer temple located about 314 km north-northwest of the capital Phnom Penh. Siem Reap has colonial-style architecture with Chinese influences due to its important role during Indochina French colonial campaign. The city offers many cultural events: Aspara dance festival, craft shops, silkworm farm, ricefields, fishing villages and bird sanctuary near the Tonle Sap lake.
The boom of the city economy is powered by its new international tourism industry. Most tourists want to immerse themselves in the temples of Angkor since the end of many wars have stopped the isolation of the country from the rest of the world. Tourism has sharply increased since the 2000s. Many vacation spots have been built and others are under construction due to the contribution of foreign capital. Many establishments are concentrated around the Old Market, while the most expensive hotels are located between the airport and the city of Siem Reap along National Highway 6.
It’s a fun place, but it’s sill a city ; with heavy traffic, multiple motorcycle taxis, scooters, traffic lights and the omnipresence of advertising. Just a few miles away the RICE still grow.
References and other interesting links
Self Help Community Centre (SHCC) Is a registered Non Government Organization That Provides Educational and Vocational Opportunities “as well as activities to over 400 récréatif Disadvantaged Rural Children and young adults in Puok District, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
http://www.shcccambodia.org/
facebook group of school SHCC
