Appointment with Angkor

The Rendezvous: first impressions

The first thing that strikes when you look out of the flight's window on the way to Siem Reap, is the lush green land cut across by meandering rivers like huge anacondas. Cambodia's richness surprised us from the start. And they say it's a poor country!

The Cambodian Theme : As green as it gets.

June being the off-season for tourists, roads were crowd free. The weather was a typical tropical one, hot and humid. Occasional downpour offered some temporary respite from the scorching heat.

First glimpse of the city, totally traffic free roads

The City 

Bikes and tuktuks are the lifelines of the city. Transport was readily available and USD was accepted everywhere. Most cab & tuktuk drivers speak decent English. The country is visitor friendly and encourages tourism.

Our Royal Ride - Mr Chea's Tuktuk

The Angkor

Angkor Wat, the biggest religious monument in the world is Cambodia's main attraction.  It even finds its place on their flag. And it can be summed up in just one word- "Spectacular".

Sunrise behind the main tower in Angkor

This architectural masterpiece dedicated to Lord Vishnu was built during the 12th century. 

The 8 handed Vishnu Deity in Angkor Wat

With stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata carved on the walls and hundreds of Buddha statues lining the corridors, this place teleports you to a different era.

Story of King Suryavarman II adorning the walls

Each stone column has a story to tell, every carving has a fairytale to weave, each sculpture has a tale to narrate.

Corridors and the campus

When the capital of the Hindu kings moved to Phnom Penh,  the abandoned Angkor came under the protection of Buddhist monks. 

Interiors in Angkor

These monks, without undoing or destroying what was already built, lent their own essence to this magnificent structure.

The Buddha

A unique amalgamation of Hinduism and Buddhism, Angkor stands tall even to this day reminding the world of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Angkor Complex

The Bayon

Another Khmer marvel is the exquisite temple with the many faces - Bayon. Great stone carved faces smile upon you, as you wander through the terrace. Daunting and mystical, this place has a strange eeriness about it. Something that cannot be explained, only felt. 

Stone faces that smile

This temple's lineage is also mixed as it shuttled between Hindu and Buddhist regimes .The clever idea of carving the third eye on the forehead of the smiling face of Buddha and transforming it into the mighty Hindu God Shiva is proof of this shift. 

Buddha to Shiva transformation with the third eye

Another feature across all these temples that is borrowed from the Hindu mythology is the concept of the heavenly dancing deities or the Apsaras. Beautiful carvings in various dancing poses, some upon lotus petals, adorn the walls across.

Apsara carvings on lotus petals

The Banteay Srei

Commonly known as the pink temple, it stands out both in style and architecture. Built of red sandstone, Banteay Srei's distinct colour and intricate carvings are a beauty to behold.

Inner temple with the Dwarpaals

Also known as the temple of the lady or the citadel of Beauty, the carvings on this temple are similar to carvings done on jewelry rather than on stone.

Carvings on the red sandstone

Due to its comparatively smaller dimensions & extremely intricate designs, this temple is rumoured to be primarily carved by women.

Gateways and Arches

The Jungle Temples

When forests reclaimed ancient abandoned temples and made it part of themselves for more than 500 years - a majestic jungle temple was born. For me, these were the highlights of the trip. 

Ta Prohm 

These lost temples were rediscovered by some French army general travelling across the thick Cambodian forests with his army in the early 1900s. You shudder when you imagine the stunning moment when he found the secret gateway with the smiling stone face which was hidden from mankind for centuries together. 

Gateways

This is the place where nature and architecture unite, where adventure meets thrill, where stones make way for roots, where the sounds of the jungle echo against empty halls.

Abandoned temple

The Ta Prohm is the most famous forest temple in this region. It is nicknamed as the "Angelina Jolie Temple" thanks to her movie, the Tomb Raider that was shot here. Another reason for us Indians to be proud is that the restoration of this site is under the Archeological Survey of India along with the Cambodian government.

The face of an apsara between the roots

Lesser known, but perhaps even more hauntingly beautiful is the temple Preah Khan. The moss covered walls and the massive 100 footer trees atop the towers, make you believe the unbelievable.

Preah Khan entrance

A special mention has to be made of the so-called library within the temple grounds. This 2 storeyed building reminds of the ancient Greek architecture in terms of structure. It's a maze of columns standing on both sides of the corridor. Staying back in this place after sunset is not for the faint hearted.

Athens type architecture

The Others 

Apart from these, there are many other temples across the Angkor complex. It would take a minimum time of a week if you want to visit them all.

The water temple : Nean Pean

The Neak Pean ( water temple), Ta Som, Elephant terrace, Angkor Thom, Terrace of the Leper king etc - to name a few. 

The Terrace

There is also the landmine museum. It is a fact that Cambodia is the most bombed country in the history of the world so far. This museum is a witness to the cruelty of war and what it can do to a nation.

War machines

It puts before us the harsh realities and the pain of the thousands who died or were crippled for life in landmine blasts. Truly, there are no winners in the ugly game of war.

Landmine Survivors

The Food Trail

In the food department, Cambodia is much similar to any other southeast Asian country. The local Khmer cuisine mostly consists of sticky flavoured rice, coconut based gravies and ingredients like lemon grass, asparagus and bok choy.

Fish, shrimps and prawns are part of the daily diet. Lots of Thai inspired, green curries and red curries are available.

The After Dark Adventures

Nightlife in Siem Reap is equivalent to the Pub Street. Live music, European style roadside restaurants, global cuisines and abundant alcohol - this street is a tourist magnet.

The Pub Street

The Australian couple, the British backpacker, the Korean cousins, the Japanese roommates; the American historian working on a research paper to the desi banker on wanderlust - this is everyone's destination at nightfall.

Live Music

The "MISS - NOTs"

First and foremost would be the Khmer coffee. Refreshing and unique, it lingers with the taste of Cambodia. Comes in both hot and cool varieties, take your pick.

Khmer Coffee

Another exciting experience would be the roadside booths for fish spa. Bathtub sized aquariums are filled with hundreds of fishes that nibble away at your feet with the most peculiar ticklish sensation. A must try!

Fish Spa

Cambodia is all about experience. Once you see it, it would be etched in your memories forever. For the experience of a lifetime, Thank-you!