5D4N Cambodia Experience (Phnom Penh – Siem Reap)

 PHNOM PENH
Phnom Penh may not be as famous as Siem Reap, but it is a destination for visitors who wish to understand how Khmer culture was nearly wiped out by the terrors brought by Maoist-inspired guerrillas of the Khmer Rouge.Despite its painful past, there are still touches of that beauty in the Cambodian capital – the gentle and friendly Khmer people, the legacy of the French colonialists, monks parading the streets, fishing boats in the Mekong river.

Most tours in Phnom Penh begins in the vicinity of the city’s most beautiful monument, the Royal Palace, which is situated just beside the Tonle Sap. Gleaming in gold, the palace was constructed a century ago to serve as a royal residence for the King, his family and foreign dignitaries. On the other side of the palace compound, the Silver Pagoda is open to public. Inside the pagoda stands a life-size golden Buddha made up of emerald and sparkling with thousand diamonds.

Located right at the corner of Sihanouk Blvd and Monireth Blvd, The Olympic Stadium of Phnom Penh is not your usual tourist destination but more of a place for locals. Although a bit old and run down and no Olympic games was ever held here, it is a great place to observe how Cambodians use their leisure hours for exercise, dancing and sports.

During the Khmer Rouge, several buildings were converted into torture centres one of which was Tuol Sleng, a former high school in the souther part of the capital. When the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and ended the Khmer Rouge, Tuol Sleng was converted into a museum. A tour not recommended for faint-hearted, but worth a visit if you could bear to see the victims of the slaughter.

Another notorious site is the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, a soccer-field-sized area surrounded by farmland used as killing fields. It is where the Khmer Rouge practiced genocide where almost 2 million Cambodians lost their lives, many of whom were tortured before finally being killed. Horrifying and fascinating at the same time, this area has become as tourist attraction. Today, visitors  can see up close a glass shrine full of over 8,000 human skulls. 

SIEM REAP
In the vast rain forests, brown fields and rice paddies, lies Siem Reap, a province in Northwestern Cambodia where visitors will find the most significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. Here, history and nature come alive to sweep visitors away to a mesmerizing and ancient world.

Most of the lost civilization’s temples and ancient archaeological sites can be found in the Angkor Complex. The West Baray is an interesting Angkorian megastructure which can be viewed from the plane. Even before landing, visitors can take a glimpse of this enormous reservoir, which is still hard to believe that this entire expanse of water is man-made. It was constructed for irrigation and flood management.

Angkor Wat is just one of more than a hundred structures in a complex twice the size of Manhattan. It was originally built according to the orders of King Suryavarman II as an offering for the Hindu God, Vishnu. It has since transformed into a Buddhist structure, making it the world’s largest religious monument and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. The intricate stone carvings on the walls seem like the whole history of ancient Khmer was displayed right in front of you.

Ta Prohm is one of the major temples in Eastern Angkor and is very famous because of its romantic appeal. Unlike the other structures in Angkor, Ta Prohm was maintained in this condition of collapsed ‘natural’ state, with trees interlaced among the ruins so that visitors would see how most of Angkor looked when it was discovered in the 19^th century.

For visitors who wish to see the other side of Siem Reap, then there is Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Not only it serves as a major source of fish products in Cambodia, Tonle Sap is also home to an enormous community that take residence in floating villages and stilted homes. Here, boats serve not only as vehicles, but also homes. Touring the Tonle Sap is probably the best way to interact with Khmer people.

Unravel the wonders of Siem Reap as you explore Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, Tonle Sap lake and many more – complemented by a delightful melange of things to experience!