Cambodia

[durachip]

Cambodia will always remind you of one the greatest historical monuments - the Angkor Wat. It is actually just part of the massive complex of Angkor ruins, which was once the seat of the Khmer empire. I had the chance to see it for my myself, but going on a group package tour with elderly relatives will not get you to see enough of the Angkor ruins. A 3-day stay is necessary, preferably with a knowledgeable guide. Still, I managed to see as much as I could.

Statues leading to the entrance of Angkor Thom. Many of the heads were stolen by robbers.

The many faces of Angkor Thom.

Ruin of Ta Prohm embraced by tree roots.

It was raining heavily when I reached the famous Angkor Wat. As I looked out from the corridor at one of the towers, I saw a lovely composition.

From the corridor of Angkor Wat

Looking out from Angkor Wat to the iconic palm tree outside.

The terrace of Elephants, the place where the king used to watch elephant race.

 

[Hoseybo]

nice photos!

 

[arfness]

Very nice photos, i'm going there in 2 weeks time, excited Give us some more!

 

[durachip]

Siem Reap

Siem Reap has its own international airport largely because of Angkor Wat, highly popular with western travelers. Some Singaporeans have invested in this city. The Treasure Oasis Hotel that we stayed in is owned by a Singaporean. Our tour coordinator in Siem Reap is also a Singaporean. Infrastructure is not keeping up with the rise in tourism with poor roads and potholes aplenty. Thankfully, the foods served by the restaurants that our group patronized are very good, garnering a lot of praises from us. The foods do not possess the extremes of Thai spicy Tom Yam nor the extremes of Vietnamese sour lemongrass.

Fishing village on Tonle Sap lake. This lake is the largest in SEA, 3 times the size of Singapore.

Catholic church on Tonle Sap lake.

The traffic in Siem Reap.

The ubiquitous Tuk Tuk in front of the Angkor museum.

We stopped by the roadside for durians. The taste falls short of Malaysian standard.

A poor child of Tonle Sap lake. Notice the snake with the baby in the hammock?

Kids loving and stroking the cat.

Lotus flowers at the entrance of the Nearly Khmer restaurant. Nice foods here.

 

[durachip]

Phomn Penh

Phomn Penh is an unassuming city. From the air it looks like a 2nd tier city in Malaysia. But it has a casino, and we were dutifully led to the expected slaughter except that none of us took the bait and just stood by watching others contribute to the economy. The only sight of grandeur in this city seems to be the Grand Royal palace. We had our first dinner in Cambodia in a restaurant called Little Red House (小红楼), a pleasant surprise.

A panoramic view of Phnom Penh from the sky bar of Green Palace Hotel.

The Grand Royal Palace.

The old Central market, originally built by the French.

Lotus arrangement at Wat Phnom temple

Figures guarding the front of Wat Phnom temple.

The statue of Sihanouk with the Independence Memorial at the back.

Theam's House in Siem Reap. A combination of the artist's home and gallery.

A typical style of Theam's art.