7/3/10 - 7/8/10 (phnom penh)
Jon Carr
Phnom Penh - Siem Reap
Siem Reap is the big draw in Cambodia. After spending a handful of days in Phnom Penh, we were ready to venture outward and check out this tourist friendly city to the north. Siem Reap is five hours from PP and the trip fell in line with our past bus adventures. The bus can be a little crazy and this one provided five solid hours of Cambodian karaoke. Good times! Annie and I are getting smarter and now try to book accommodations in advance so we aren’t scrambling upon arrival. When you step off the bus it tends to be a feeding frenzy among the tuk tuk drivers with everyone jockeying for clients. These tuk tuk drivers are out to make a buck and tend to overcharge as well as take you to the hotel that pays the biggest commission. Needless to say we try to avoid the chaos and have a plan in advance. We decided to go with the River Village Manor due to favorable reviews in Trip Advisor and Matt the owner/manager had arranged for a driver the moment we stepped off the bus. We were quickly whisked away for the five minute trip to our home stay.
The River Village was a little off the beaten path and would become our home for the next several days. We have a tendency to book for two days and then extend as we see fit. We extended at the River Village for another four. Matt the manager was an Australian who was a little tired of Australian bureaucracy and came up to what he termed the “wild west,” that is otherwise known as Siem Reap. Over the next several days Annie and I got a chance to chat with Matt often about various topics including Cambodia, Australia, and Charlie and Coco. Charlie and Coco were to the two 6-month old parrots Matt kept at the River Village. He even took them out on occasion and they immediately made a b-line for the top of my head and provided some wonderful white decoration on my shorts. Matt turned out to be a very interesting character and was incredibly accommodating during our time at the River Village.
The big draw in Siem Reap are the temples of Angkor. This area is the heart and soul of Cambodia. The temples were constructed during a 600 year period between AD 802 - 1432 when the Khmer empire was one of the biggest and most powerful in the world. Each God-King would try to outbuild one another and it ultimately led to the crown jewel known as Angkor Wat. The region boasted a population of over 1 million at its peak and covered an area the size of the five boroughs of Manhattan. The temples rival the remains of Machu Picchu and the Egyptian pyramids in scope and scale and take multiple days to explore and appreciate.
Annie and I purchased a three day pass to the temples and over the next several days we explored this exotic location channeling our inner Indiana Jones. We grabbed a guide our first day to catch a sunrise and see the some of the major sites. Our guides name was Kerry and she was the youngest guide at the temples. She was a very informative and eager Cambodian girl with an incredible story of inspiration that is true of many people from this country. Annie and I spent the two following days on our own checking out some of the more remote locations. The temples were like nothing I have seen or experienced before. I can only imagine what it would have been like to see this area thrive at its peak and it makes me wonder what people will think as they explore areas like Manhattan thousands of years from now.
On the final day I also had an opportunity to visit the land mine museum. Cambodia has a violent history when it comes to land mines due to the occupation of the Khmer Rouge who planted millions throughout the countryside. You see the day to day effects while exploring the major Cambodian cities as many of the beggars in the streets are missing limbs. It is thought that up to three million mines still occupy the Cambodian countryside and many have shifted position due to heavy rains over the years. The land mine museum was started by Aki Ra, who from a young age planted mines for the Khmer Rouge. He has spent his adult life working to rectify this in adulthood in an attempt to “make my country safe for my people.” Ra has defused some 50,000 mines and bombs over the years. It was heartbreaking to learn more about the devastating effects of the weapons and the impact it has had on the Cambodian people. If you are looking for a worthwhile cause to support, the Cambodian Land Mine Museum Relief Fund would more than qualify.
Siem Reap allowed us to spend several days getting a better understanding of what Cambodia is all about, the amazing temples that are the pride of a nation, the devastation of the Khmer Rouge, and the resiliency and warmth of the people. It allowed for some amazing photo opportunities and wonderful culinary experiences. We met some interesting people including an Australian family stationed in Vietnam we plan to visit in the near future. Siem Reap lived up to its billing and gave us a better appreciation for Cambodia.
We highly recommend Kerry as a guide and can't say enough good things about her. She is very knowledgeable and studied under a veteran guide. You can reach her at (+855) 92-49-56-99, (+855) 97-98-66-848, or kerry1402f4@hotmail.com. If you stay with Matt, he can arrange for Kerry to be your guide. Any tuk-tuk driver Matt recommends is a good choice as he personally scrutinizes them before working with them.
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