Siem Reap Travel Tips for Mario and Karen
SHOPPING
Artisans D’Ankor Arts and Crafts
If shopping for silk products, I recommend Artisans d’Angkor. We visited them at the Silk Farm, where they have a store filled with elegant products of silk, including comforter covers with starting prices of $200.
You can make the trip to the Silk Farm in Puok, which is 16 miles from Siem Reap (855)63 399 064, visit the main shop at Slung Thmey street in Siem Reap (855) 63 963 330, or wait until you are at the airport and shop before your flight departs. The catalog on their website does not show all the products that you can find at the stores, but it will give you an idea of the prices you should expect to pay.
http://www.artisansdangkor.com/index.php
Slideshow of photos of the Silk Farm (click on the photo below)
ANGKOR WAT
Angkor Wat Archaeological Park
Siem Reap, Cambodia
February 2009
Angkor Wat Temple Complex
This is a must. Purchase your two or three day passes, they are worthwhile. Dress for HOT weather, bring your bottles of water – I ended up drinking Coca Cola to help digest the different spices in the food. The tuk-tuk rides are bumpy and dusty. I covered my hair and nose and mouth with a scarf to keep the dust out. Taxis are available if the tuk-tuk ride gets to be too much for you, or if you want to get to your destinations faster.
Take cash if you want to purchase crafts, books or food and beverages at the entrance of the different Temple Complexes.
Clicking on the images below will take you to more photos on my http://flickr.com/photos/deaixa.
Angkor Wat Entrance
Ta Prohm Temple
This is one of the most unique archaeological sites! The pictures cannot capture the experience. We went there in the afternoon and were the last ones to leave. It was almost spooky to be there at sunset because of the opacity of the ruins covered with overgrown vegetation.
Apparently, in order to even reach the buildings, the archaeologists had to set on fire the overgrown vegetation. In spite of that the gigantic trees are still alive. When the trees die, the roots are uprooted and so are the buildings under them. This set of Temples have been left “untouched” so that visitors can better appreciate the work that has been done to preserve Angkor Wat.
Ta Prohm
I have a collection of photos I took there at :
http://deaixa.net/ambientes/wordpress/?p=448
Angkor Thom (Preah Khan)Temple
Louis Delaporte led a French expedition to Cambodia in the 1870’s. He presented his findings in a book, “Southeast Asia Visions”, which is available online at the Cornell Digital Library site. He also took back to Paris a selected number of sculptures from Angkor Thom, which are now on display at the Guimet Museum.
I had the opportunity to visit Angkor Thom and the Guimet Museum within a few weeks from each other. Cambodia in February, Paris in late March. The two go hand in hand. I came to the conclusion that the bodies are in Cambodia and the heads are in Paris – referring to the sculptures.
Entrance sculpture at Prea Khan
digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/p ageviewer-idx?c=s…
Angkor Thom Style
at the Guimet museum in Paris
April 31 2009
Voyage au Cambodge : l’architecture khmer
Author: Delaporte, Louis
Cornell Digital Library Collection: Southeast Asia Visions
Sunset at Bakheng Hill
In addition to Sunset Watching from a Balloon, the “Sundowner” at Bakheng Hill is very popular. To get there, you need to walk about 10 to 15 minutes uphill before you get to the bottom of the pyramid.
Sunset at Bakheng Hill
WAT THMEI
Also known as The Killing Fields, soon to be renamed as Wat Tep Pothivong.
This is a must see, if you want to learn more about Cambodia’s History, outside of the Angkor Wat ruins.
The Temple Complex has a cementery where victims of the Khmer Rouge- Pol Pot regime are buried.
The Pol Pot regime is said to have come to power mainly as a result of the devastation caused by the US bombing campaign of Cambodia which took place during Richard Nixon’s administration. Supposedly the agent orange and bombs that were dropped in Cambodia in order to deter the Vietnamese from traveling in Cambodia, caused such destruction that people voted the Communists into power to kick the Western powers out of the country. The genocide that occurred as a consequence of Pol Pot’s Communist rule can be better understood by visiting Wat Thmei.
I recommend that you contact Mr. Yan Yin in advance and ask him to give you a tour of the complex .-The visit does not take more than 15 minutes. Accross the street is the Restaurant at Pavillon Indochine. Just a couple blocks away is a school for orphans, where Mr. Yan Yin teaches.
Wat Thmei - The Temple
The roof of the old temple is under reconstruction. It appears to be the same that Louis Delaporte documented during his expedition in the 1870’s: digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=s…
Volunteer Development Poverty Children Association
( around the corner from Wat Thmei)
http://www.cambodiaevisa.com/2008/05/28/volunteer-development-poverty-children-association/
At the link above you will find more information about the school in the photo above and also how to make donations to the school in Kork Chork Commune, Siem Reap District, Cambodia
Pavillon Indochine Hotel and Restaurant
Jean Comaille Road
across the street from Wat Thmei
I recommend a stop at the Pavillon for lunch or perhaps if there is not enough time, for quick refreshments.
The pizzas are excellent and very worth the visit, especially if you are in the mood for some familiar foods.
Studies English, teaches Khmer
If you have any time left and would be interested in learning more about the Cambodia in the 70s and 80s, visit the Landmines Museum- Children’s Landmine Relief Facility. To view a slideshow of the photos I took there go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deaixa/sets/72157616125273852/show/
Links
For more things to do in Siem Reap I recommend Virtual Tourist.com
