Our Trip
After trip to Phnom Penh in December, 2008 we went to Siem Reap to see the ancient city Angkor and the capital of the Khmer kingdom from 802 until 1295 A.D. This amazing city wasn't discovered until 1861 by a French explorer and it is here that some of the world's largest religious monuments ever uncovered exist.
Angkor (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a mysterious historical city built over four centuries starting in 802AD. Two things fascinated us about this city, one, how in the world could they built such tall, detailed temples out of stone back in 800AD and two what is with the Buddhism and Hinduism religion that was so evident in everything we saw? Well, we learned elephants helped a lot with the building of Angkor but still leaves many questions. Buddhism and Hinduism came to Cambodia via India and China during the first millennium AD when the trading started between the countries.
Though Buddhism was the main religion in Cambodia at the time, the Hindu Gods played a big role within the Angkor temples. And in almost every Angkor temple there are Apsaras which are Hindu celestial dancers. As we understand it, the religions merged with the statue of the Buddah meditating beside a lake who was sheltered by a Hindu water snake called a Naga. This statue is very common and we’ve seen it many places.
So, back to the trip, the kids spent 4 days exploring the city and all the temples. They were in their glory as they got to climb all the ruins, explore the tunnels and caves and basically have a free run of this ancient city. We in turn had a major history lesson on Buddhism, Hinduism, and how the two religions merged during this period in Angkor. And, again we learned and saw the complete devastation caused by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge to the city. The bullet holes did it for me. We saw thousands of them which was very sad because I imagine the monuments were mind blowing when built. To add to the devastation, the French upon discovering the city stole many of the jewels carved into the temples and took them back to France.
Our hotel was called the Somadevi Angkor Hotel and Spa. We liked this hotel because it was in the middle of town and very close to shopping and restaurants and only 15 minutes from the airport. The staff was very accommodating and breakfast was decent. It was here that we attended our first “compulsory” meal for Christmas dinner. We had to pay extra for the meal/party and we also had to attend. It was a good party with good food but the idea of being forced to go was a little unnerving. There is a great massage place right outside the hotel that was super cheap and really good. All eight of us went one night for $8.00 foot massages and had a blast. Sean and Sophie got to experience it for the first time in Cambodia. It was hilarious. Sophie is so ticklish she laughed the entire time. Sean really enjoyed in and just chilled.
Our time at the night market was really fun. This market is a must see as there are lots and lots of things to buy at great prices. We were visiting this night market, spending way too much money, when we passed the fairly large pool in the middle of the market. We walked up to it and about 7 people had their feet in the water while these little fish were nibbling at their toes. The fish were eating the dead skin off of people’s feet and legs right there in the middle of the market. We all tried it and let me say it was very odd having about 100 fish feeding on my skin for dinner! Our friends went with us and she was in desperate need of a pedicure. When she put her feet in the pool 99% of the entire pool of fish went to feed on her feet. We all felt somehow cheated as she was getting all the attention. The good news is she didn't need a pedicure after that! I’ve since found a place in Shanghai that also offers this “service” but it’s only for men. Wonder why that is???
Fun Facts & Tips
Very important to get a good English speaking guide to take you to the ruins. There is a lot of great information and fascinating stories to be heard.
Buy a three day pass to see Angkor for $40.00 per adult. It’s much easier to come and go as you please.
There is a great Mexican Restaurant in the down town area called Viva. We spent many meals here drinking margaritas, eating the best Mexican we’d had in a while and watching the people. It’s a “must do” if you find yourself in Siem Reap and the prices are outstanding.
We also did the tethered balloon ride over Angkor. You can catch it right outside Angkor Wat. My advice, save the $15.00 per ticket for the real thing! We weren’t too thrilled with the whole experience.
It’s kind of cool getting up at 4:30 in the morning to see the sun rise behind Angkor Wat. On a clear day it’s beautiful. You have to take a taxi to get there and walk through the dark until the sun rises.
Either at the beginning or end of your trip if you’re still thirsty for more culture or futher explanation on the city of Angkor, visit the Angkor National Museum. We stopped by on our last day and it tied things up nicely for us, explaining with movies and artifacts the religious background and building of the city of Angkor.
The majority of the population in Cambodia practice Theravada Buddhism.
Cambodia has a National Holiday called Victory Day celebrating the fall of Pol Pot’s regime on January 7, 1979.
Tonle Sap River which feeds into Tonle Sap Lake is the only river in the whole world that changes directions twice a year.
Tonle Sap River has fallen prey to many tourist but still enjoyable. We did get to see a Crocodile Farm where Sophie was the bravest…
We also learned how they skin snakes and dry the meat for food. And, saw a floating elementary school and basketball court.
The average person on Tonle Sap lives to the age of 54 and 12% of all children die before they reach the age of five.
Anyway, after a very long red-eye flight home we arrived back in Shanghai on the day after Christmas and Santa had come as scheduled. We opened up our presents and went to bed.
See Photo Album.Welcome to Siem Reap, Cambodia
Bayon Temple (built around 1190AD)
Apsaras - Hindu celestial dancers
We planned our time in Angkor to be able to spend ½ day exploring the ruins and the other half day swimming in the hotel pool in Siem Reap. We took a 6 km tuk tuk ride to the temples every morning. This worked out well as I think it would have been very difficult to see and understand everything if we hadn’t had the half day breaks.
Below I’ve listed the temples we liked the most and a little information on each one. There is so much to tell about the lost city of Angkor and definitely worth further research is you’re interested.
Angkor Wat is the main temple and biggest achievement dedicated to Hinduism and specifically the god Vishnu, and was built within a 30+ year time span.
Ta Prohm (built in 1186AD) one of our favorite temples has been invaded by tree roots and vines but the remains are still fascinating. Ta Prohm previously home to hundreds of Monks was dedicated to the mother of the king.
Bayon Temple (built around 1190AD) another fascinating architectural structure is known for its huge stone faces and very extensive bas-relief depicting historical and legendary scenes from that time period.
Another day we toured the fishing villages around Tonle Sap Lake. This tour was probably wonderful before it became so touristy, but the lake itself, is a true natural wonder.
Let me try to explain this so it’s understandable, the Tonle Sap lake is fed by the Tonle Sap river which feeds into the Mekong river. For about half of the year the lake’s water travels to the river and ends up in the Mekong River. But the other half of the year monsoon season causes the Mekong River to overflow making it so full it cannot deposit water fast enough into the ocean where it stops in southern Vietnam. As a result, the Tonle Sap River changes direction and feeds water into the Tonle Sap Lake. The implications of this are numerous. The lake expands five times its normal area and brings in lots of fish from the Mekong while flooding the surrounding rice fields. When the water from the lake flows out to the river, the floating fishing villages must move to the outside of the lake so as not to get swallowed up in the Mekong River. It was interesting because we were there in December, the time when the water from the lake feeds the river and we saw tree tops in the lake everywhere. The village we saw was extremely poor. It just amazed us how people can live in a hut or a boat with no running water on a diet of mainly fish.