Angkor Archaeological Park

The millennium-old ruins of Angkor, situated just outside Siem Reap, are an incredible insight into ancient Khmer civilization. Angkor Archaeological Park is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a preservation challenge with the crumbling ruins and thousands of visitors that flock to view them every day. Wanting to minimise our impact on these historical wonders, we chose to explore slowly on bicycles rather than use the smokey tuk tuks and buses that rushed past us. Fueled by a big breakfast, and with our three day photo passes in hand, we headed eagerly towards the most famous of the ruins, Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is the world's largest single religious monument, an incredible visual sight with huge towers, a large moat and internal lakes.  Built by Suryavarman II,  no expense was spared and the huge structure is distinctly and intricately carved with apsara art, including the famous "Churning of the Ocean Milk". Originally a Hindu temple, it was converted when Buddhism became the dominant religion in Cambodia. As long as you aren't afraid of heights, you can climb to the top for spectacular views from above.

Angkor Wat

View over Angkor Wat from the Inner Temple

Baksei Chamkrong
It was thanks to our slow cycle that we found this temple nestled between tall trees.  Most pass it without realising.  Baksei Chamkrong was built in the first decades of the 10th century, and is the only temple of it's time to be found at the foot of the Phnom Bakheng (Central Mountain). Marc climbed the precarious steps to the top to discover a nun watching over a reclining Buddha.

Baksei Chamkrong

Bayon
Probably the second most famous of the Angkor temples, Bayon is well known for it's giant stone faces now one of the most recognisable Khmer images. It is not known who the faces belong to. It was built over the period of a century as Jayavarman VII's state-temple. Detailed carvings preserve historical stories and awe visitors to this day. Painstakingly slow preservation construction was in progress during our visit. We sat next to a pond and ate lunch overlooking this stunning temple.  

The Many Faces of Bayon

Outside Bayon 

Baphuon
This temple was only reopened in 2011 after decades of difficult restoration.  If you look closely, you can see an impressive stone reclining Buddha.

The Reclining Stone Buddha, Baphuon

This was our last temple for the day before our cycle home.  Although we were exhausted and hot, we were already making plans to explore further the following day!

Angkor Wat
Of course we had to return to Angkor Wat again to see it at sunrise. It was definitely worth the early start.

Angkor Wat at Sunrise

The early morning brought other pleasant surprises. We captured this photo of a skinny white Zebu as the sun was gaining height. Seconds after the photo, it approached us and searched us for food until it was marched away by it's chuckling owner, an old barefoot man.

Ta Prohm
We made our way as quickly as we could to Ta Prohm to try and avoid the crowds. This overgrown temple was one of the sites in the Tomb Raider film. Large areas have been reclaimed by the forrest adding to the beauty of the crumbling ruins. Ta Prohm was once a very wealthy monastery that held control over 3000 villages.

Ta Prohm 

Banteay Kdei
Just opposite Sras Srang Lake, this particular temple seemed to attract locals attempting to sell souvenirs including temple rubbings and guide books. Many of the Buddhist images had been damaged through vandalism in the 13th century, and the degradation of this temple was particularly bad due to the type of sandstone that was originally used to build it.

Inside Banteay Kdei

Pre Rup
We cycled on to Pre Rup which we excitedly spotted in the skyline from a distance. Known as a temple-mountain design, it showcases breathtaking views around the countryside from the top. This impressive Hindu ruin was originally the state-temple of Rajendravarman II. After climbing to the top, we rested in the shade outside the temple grounds with a picnic lunch.

Pre Rup

Ta Som
This was the furtherest temple on our cycle tour. Similar in style to Bayon, but much smaller, there were well preserved stone faces to admire amongst the overgrown trees.

Stone Face at Ta Som 

Preah Khan
This was the final temple we explored. The name Preah Khan means 'sacred sword'. It was once a Buddhist monastery and school to over 1000 monks. Overlooking a beautiful lake, it was expansive and the only temple with cylindrical columns forming part of the building structure which may indicate that it was built at a later date compared to some of the surrounding temples.

Giant Trees Grow on the Walls of Preah Khan

Lake Outside Preah Khan

We cycled a total of 44km over 10.5hours completing the Grand Circuit Tour. We had no energy left for a third day of exploring but felt fully satisfied with what we had seen. Once back in Siem Reap we watched a fascinating documentary about the construction of the temples. A labor force upwards of 20,000 was needed daily to complete Angkor Wat, and many lives were lost during construction. It is thought that in it's glory days, Angkor Wat would have been painted entirely in white and gold for maximal impact. Each temple was unique and equally fascinating. It was truly an unforgettable experience!  

  

Siem Reap

This European influenced town was absolutely bustling with tourists. With the humming Old Market, numerous silk and local craft shops and endless restaurants and spas, business was thriving in what was once just a cluster of old villages. We had heard many people refer to Siem Reap as a "tourist bubble". It certainly was a stark contrast to the surrounding basic farm villages. Siem Reap was of course, along with thousands of others, our base for exploring the incredible Angkor Archaeological Park. 

Most people chose pedal power and cycled around the city. There was also plenty of money to be made by tuk tuk drivers. At nightfall, Pub Street came alive with activity, a focal point and major town landmark.  

Pub Street at Sunset

After busy days, we sat and relaxed on the shady banks of the Siem Reap River.  This  river flows into the mighty Tonle Sap Lake, South East Asia's largest freshwater lake and one of the richest sources of freshwater fish in the world. 

We couldn't help but love the friendly locals, who fed and cared for us for a few dollars.

Phnom Penh

Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh was a pulsing city that captivated our interest right from the first day. Whilst flash riverside hotels and bars lured those with money to spend, just a few streets back, the less fortunate begged for a living. Tuk tuks lined the streets making any attempt at a peaceful stroll impossible. Monks in flowing amber robes moved quietly around the city, stopping to collect alms on their daily rounds.

Monks on the Streets of Phnom Penh

We skirted our way around the Royal Palace grounds, sufficiently impressed by the exterior that we did not feel obliged to pay the entrance fee to see more. A large grass park stretched in front of the palace, peppered with pigeons and happy children feeding them.

Royal Palace Exterior

The wide Tonle Sap River made for a great view, and visitors could search out their country's flag along the waters edge, alongside locals who bought offerings of lotus flowers, incense and caged birds to the temple.

Beside the Tonle Sap

Temple Offerings

Wandering around without a map was always exciting, we stumbled upon interesting surprises like this beautiful stone temple.

Phnom Penh proved to be a shopping mecca with the impressive art deco Psar Thmei (Central Market), claimed to be one of the largest domed buildings in the world. The Psar Tuol Tom Pong (Russian Market) was packed to overflowing with clothes, shoes, souvenirs and art as well just about anything else you could imagine. Our team bartering skills still needed more work. Much to Marc's exasperation, Jo usually said something inappropriate like "we've been looking for this exact thing all day!", instantly lowering negotiation leverage. Phnom Penh night market seemed more of a hit for the locals and gave us some insight into the actual prices of items (as opposed to the tourist price). We walked away with a sugar buzz after being tempted to try sugarcane juice and deep fried icecream and milk (yes the icecream was still frozen).

Psar Thmei (Central Market)

Khmer food utilised a lot of fresh ingredients. We ate amazing salads. Loc lac is a filling local dish of braised beef, fried egg, and salad greens. We watched noodles being made by hand with stretchy dough that was expertly handled. Cockles salted and flavoured with chilli and tamarind were for sale on mobile carts all around the city. Our luck lead us to a street vendor who made plate sized crispy wafer pancakes with liquid marshmallow and coconut filling. Cue sugar coma. Cyclos carried housewives laden with bags of fresh produce.

Cockles for Sale

Life in this bustling city is all too easy for foreigners to enjoy. The Cambodia Daily is filled with international news, and can be enjoyed at the street edge cafes with an iced coffee. Cambodian people are friendly, entrepreneurial and quick to learn. Most strikingly, they are strong and resilient people who have recovered from a horrific past to build a desirable future.

Koh Rong Island

Stepping off the dive pier straight into the sandy village of Koh Rong, we knew we were going to stick around this paradise for as long as possible. Everything was right at the waters edge, perhaps even a little too close when the tide was high and the restaurant tables were surrounded by waves. Guesthouses and bungalows were packed into a short stretch of sand, the rest of the island was mostly forrest and near deserted beaches.

Koh Rong Village

Brown, barefoot and often bare-bottomed kids with toothy grins and sun bleached hair ran around freely clinging to their little plastic bags of treasures.  Some of them seemed to live in the water!

Stand Up Paddle Boarding Cambodia Style

After exploring the jungle paths for a few days, we decided on our favorite beach, a wide shallow sparkling bay lined with palm trees and few other people around. We headed there early most mornings with big packed fruit salads, our books and towels. By lunch time the shallow turquoise water was almost too warm to cool off in, and were sunburnt and ready for the shady hammocks of our guesthouse balcony.

Boats offered transport around the island and for fishing and sunset trips.  We decided to try the hike over to Long Beach on the west side of the island.  It was a grueling climb in the heat but definitely worth it to reach yet another idyllic bay with perfect clear water. The sun was so fierce we hid in the shade of a make-shift shelter.

Sun Shelter, Long Beach, Koh Rong

Koh Rong Boat

Food on the island was so cheap, fruitshakes and iced sweet coffee became a daily habit.  Barbeques lined the beach in the evenings.  

During our forrest walks we kept an eye out for snakes and eventually came across a meter long green tree snake (not one of the poisonous ones, but we were warned that there were plenty of those around).

After ten days on the island we were thoroughly sunburnt, well read and relaxed.  Our ferry ride back to the mainland was in rough water on a windy day but this didn't phase us.  We were already dreaming of returning to the island again one day.  

Sihanoukville

We crossed over into Cambodia with ease, although we were certain we were overcharged for our visas despite our caution in purchasing them. We were also told to pay a dollar each to sit in the minivan and wait to be issued a medical certificate, without the medics even sighting us. We passed through 'No Mans Land' where huge casinos lined the dusty streets, waiting to lure Vietnamese customers (gambling is banned in their own country).

Ha Tien International Border (Vietnam Side)

Our first impressions of Cambodia were of a poverty-stricken country as we bounced along dusty potholed roads lined with drying mats of harvested rice and boney white oxen.

Our primary destination was the port city of Sihanoukville, a stopover before and after our Koh Rong stay. Here we found dive centers and booking agents concentrated around the beach areas. Serendipity Beach had some potential, but litter and dirty rivers kept us from spending any length of time there.  

Seredipity Beach, Sihanoukville

We were warned about safety by friends and locals. We stayed alert and carried few valuables with us and found no trouble. A large majority of the tourist bars, restaurants and guesthouses were managed by western staff, and there seemed to be plenty of jobs on offer. A giant blue spotted Torkay gecko made an appearance at our guesthouse, but disappeared by the time we got the camera out. Once the weather conditions were right, we hopped on the ferry to Koh Rong Island.