Cambodia April 2016

We spent 3 nights in Siem Reap famous for its temple complex of Angkor Wat in Northern Cambodia - the hottest place we have been too.  Luckily the lobby staff at our atmospheric hotel the Victoria Angkor greated us serenely with cold towels and drinks each time we returned to the hotel. It pays to have a nice retreat after early morning temple visits and then emerge again refreshed for cooler afternoon explorations.

Siem Reap has modernised its international terminal for the million's of tourists a year that visit however you still walk in off the tarmac and immediately feel the full brunt of Cambodia's heat in April.  We had a tight schedule of touring the sites with a guide Arun who was very passionate about his country's history and recent past including Pol Pot's devastating regime.  Arun's father was interrogated and disappeared and his sister died of illness and starvation at the time of his rule.  Its also confronting to see the land mine victims from that era performing in bands at most populated tourist sites. Warnings are still in place regarding mines to prevent walking off into un checked areas.

Cambodia's tourist industry is also proactive in preventing the abuse of children in the country, information is given to advise against giving money to begging children to encourage families to send their kids to school.  That said when you frequent popular tourist sites like 'Pub Street' in the Old Market area begging is obvious and hard to walk by.  Sexual exploitation of children is also overtly being addressed asking tourists to report concerns to agencies that can intervene. 

We loved exploring the temples in Siem Reap and learning about how sophisticated the Khmer people were in architecture and culture 1000 yrs ago compared to the rudimentary architecture of Europe at the same time.  The centuries of conflict and climate change have led to the decline in what was once a lush civilisation.  Unfortunately the swell in tourism hasn't quite filtered down to the people yet who still don't have electricity in out lying areas, corruption and external control have moneys flowing out and not being returned to developing the infra structure. 

Angkor Wat, Bayan Temple, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei and Boeng Mealea temple were definitely the highlights loved seeing the tree covered ruins and imagining what it would have been like to see them for the first time when Western adventurers first explored the nation.

Victoria Angkor Resort' Siem Reap is built in the French Colonial style fantastic place to stay opposite a park and next to The Raffles Hotel in the Old French Quarter.

Nightly entertainment.

The internal pond with fish and crocodiles.

The caged lift.

'Pub Street' is Siem Reaps tourist restaurant area is bustling at night.

One of the many Pol Pot land mine victim bands performing for a living.

Our first glimpse of Angkor Wat and the moon.

Everyone is here like us for sun rise!

Sun rise over Angkor Wat built by King Suryavarman C12th.

I've always wanted to see Angkor so its nice to do this with the family.

One of the gallery halls surrounding Angkor Wat.

The step steps to the central sanctuary.

Apsara dancers on the walls at Angkor Wat.

Buddist monk blessing our family at Angkor Wat.

7 headed Naga snake gods at the entrance to most temples.

The famous Ta Prohm temple covered in banyan trees was a Buddist monastery built in the C12th by Jayavarman. 

Our transport around Angkor Wat.

Entrance gate leading to a bridge over a mote.

Terrace of Elephants was used by King Jayavarman to view his military and other parades depicts life sized elephants. 

Monkey troupes at The Bayon.

The Bayon has 54 towers bearing 200 huge buddha faces.

The intricate stories carved on the gallery walls at Bayan depicting daily life and famous battles.

The mote surrounding Angkor Wat.

We went to a cultural performance showing Khmer dancing.

A local market in Siem Reap province.

Boeng Mealea temple entrance is unrestored with stones laying in heaps.

Boeng Mealea covered in vegetation has a wooden board walk through out the complex for tourists to explore.

The temple is 40km away from the main temples at Angkor Wat built in C12th.

Entering Banteay Srei Siem Reap province C10th built by Yajnavaraha.

This was the hottest day ever - 40 degrees celsius - almost unbearable.

Banteay Srei meaning citadel of beauty is made of pink sandstone covered in detailed carvings. 

Rice paddy fields in the ancient man made motes - barays - are sophisticated irrigation systems around temple complexes.