Cambodia, officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia (Khmer: ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា, Preăh Réachéanachâk Kâmpŭchéa) and once known as the Khmer Empire, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Its total landmass is 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 sq mi), bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.
This is the second half of our Vietnam and Cambodia trip which we started in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was a two week trip consisting mostly of a cruise up the Mekong River, going up to Siem Reap and then exploring Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples for a few days. Our cruise was with Heritage Lines, the ship was The Jahan and it included one or two land excursions each day.
Phnom Penh
Our first stop in Cambodia was the Killing Fields, which is an important part of the history in the region and a sober reminder of how cruel humans can treat each other. I was so glad that we made this stop as seeing the locations of the atrocities builds a strong tie to the actual events.
The afternoon was a much lighter topic and we stopped at the Royal Palace which is absolutely beautiful and peaceful.
Mekong River Day 2
Our first excursion on this day was to a silk co-operative, where they demonstrated all phases of the silk garment productions, from the harvesting of the silk to the weaving of the silk cloth.
In the afternoon we walked through a small village, just to get a better feel of how the locals live.
Mekong River Day 3
In the morning we visited a wonderful monastery on a hill looking over the river. After our visit two monks joined us on The Jahan for a prayer service.
After lunch a local school came to play music for us on traditional instruments before we left on our afternoon excursion through a small town. The small town is where we finally we got to see all the unusual foods that they have to offer. {It was recommended that we NOT try any of these foods as the food preparation in small villages might, uhmm upset a tourists stomach.} 🙁
Mekong River Day 4
We could see the effects of the seasonal flooding the closer we got to Tonle Sap Lake . This would be our last night on board our wonderful ship.
Siem Reap Day 1
We disembarked early in the morning and were taken to a local hotel where our hotel sent a driver to pick us up. This gave us plenty of time to explore the town on our own before heading to Angkor Wat for sunset. Our hotel arranged for a tuk-tuk driver to take us to get our tickets and to the best place to see the sunset. I remember seeing signs that the area closed at 5pm but that sunset was not until 5:20pm, however they advertise to come see sunset at Angkor Wat. The guards do kick everyone out at 5pm, which I realized afterwards is for everyone’s safety as the paths have no lighting.
Angkor actually consists of many temples with Angkor Wat being the most famous (and on the country’s flag).
Siem Reap Day 2
For our first full day to explore Angkor we hired a tuk-tuk driver and a guide for the day. This was arranged by the hotel and charged to our room which was an added convenience. Our guide was knowledgeable on the history, suggested good locations to take pictures and even pointed out where films had been made in the area (search for “Lara Croft Angkor”).
Angkor Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត) was first a Hindu, later a Buddhist, temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura (Khmer: យសោធរបុរៈ, present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum.
Over time many trees had started to spread their roots into and over the ancient ruins. During restoration they removed some of the trees but a few remain as their removal might cause more damage to the temple.
Siem Reap Day 3
On our last day we hired a tuk-tuk driver for the day (no guide) to explore the outer temples around Angkor. There is something about walking through ancient ruins that still have jungle overgrowth on them that made these feel magical. Almost like you are the first people to stumble across them in a thousand years. These temples are truly mystical and I am so glad that I made the journey to see them.
Logistics
The service on The Jahan was great, we had upgraded to a suite that included a butler, free daily laundry, 2 hours of massage each, a private dinner and the mini bar was restocked everyday. The room was huge compared to what I had experienced on other ships and kept spotlessly clean. The food, service and treatment we received on the boat far exceeded what I was expecting.
The hotel we stayed at in Siem Reap was a true gem, The Golden Temple Hotel is a serene oasis just a short walk from the busy tourist area. The staff is very concerned that you have a nice stay and want to make sure everything it up to your expectations. They arranged all our day trips to Angkor Wat and airport transportation. The food was great and the room was very quiet and clean.
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