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Despite a ravaged past the Kingdom of Cambodia remains one of Asia’s most
enthralling destinations, and home to one of the world’s greatest religious
complexes – Angkor Wat. This amazing network of temples constitutes one of
humankind’s most magnificent architectural achievements and one of the most
spectacular architectural ruins found on earth. The capital, Phnom
Penh, once a jewel in the French colonial crown still exudes a strong French
ambiance with its wide tree-lined boulevards, and old French villas.
The imposing Royal Palace and the National Museum provide an insight into a
country rich in Khmer culture and a history often overshadowed by the
traumatic events of its more recent past. Cambodia is one of the most
exotic countries in Southeast Asia. |
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 The Angkor Wat complex
constitutes one of humankind’s most magnificent architectural achievements.
From Angkor the kings of the mighty Khmer Empire ruled over a territory that
extended from the tip of what is now southern Vietnam northwards to Yunnan
in China and westward to the Bay of Bengal. Angkor’s hundred or so temples
constitute the sacred skeleton of a spectacular administrative and religious
center which once covered an area the size of Manhattan. The building of
Angkor was started by Jayavarman II in the 9th century and the complex grew
over the next 400 years. Much has been devoured by the ever-encroaching
jungle, and much has been destroyed by decades of war, but what we see today
are the remains of the lost civilization of Angkor and may very well be the
most spectacular architectural ruins found on earth.
(Angkor Wat is located outside the town of Siem Reap)
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia's capital, was
founded in the 14th Century and is a sprawling city
which lies in the arms of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. During the French
colonial period (1863-1954) it was a city of magnificent architecture and
wide tree-lined boulevards, much of which is still in evidence today.
The sumptuous Silver Pagoda in the Royal Palace, built by Prince Sihanouk in
1962, contains over 5,000 silver floor tiles and houses one of the most
spectacular collections of Buddha statues in the world. One golden Buddha is
lavishly decorated with 9,584 diamonds. On April 17, 1975, the Khmer
Rouge troops led by Pol Pot captured Phnom Penh, overthrowing King Norodom’s
government, and a four-year reign of terror known as “Year Zero” followed.
Today the evidence of this horrific time can be found at the TUOL SLENG
MUSEUM an eternal reminder of the horror of Pol Pot’s era. This
converted school was used as a detainment and torture center during the
purges of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. A journey of
approximately seven miles through the gentle farming communities outside of
Phnom Penh will bring you to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, now a
memorial attesting to the genocide crimes where over 20,000 Cambodian
civilians and some foreigners were executed.
Oudong,
built on a hill 25 miles north of Phnom Penh, was the first
capital of Cambodia. While little remains of the canals, terraces,
bridges and more than 100 pagodas created by king Ang Duong, Oudong is still
frequented by Khmers who go to pay homage to the remains of former kings.
It is a pleasant half-day trip into the scenic countryside outside Phnom
Penh.
Sihanoukville
is on the Gulf of Thailand. Miles of
pristine white sand beaches and the crystal-clean warm waters of the Gulf
are attracting snorklers and divers. The waters are teeming with iridescent
fish and phosphorescent coral reefs. Hotel accommodations are simple. Local
agriculture specializes in pepper plantations and durian farms.
Rattanakiri
Province
and
Banlung are
in the
northeastern corner of Cambodia; this remote and hilly terrain is populated
mostly by hill tribes such as the Kreung, Tompuon and Khmer Loeu.
Jungle, waterfalls, local villages, and elephant rides are the attractions
of Rattanakiri. Accommodation in the provincial capital of Ban Lung is
provided in local guesthouses with very basic conditions. |
