Seeing the World One Step at a Time Angkor Wat, Cambodia Angkor Wat is without a doubt one of the top man-made architectural destinations in the world. Over 100 temples form the Angkor Wat complex. The main temples are surrounded by a huge square moat which completely encircles the complex. There is one main entrance and it is raised above the moat - pictures from this entrance are of the classic Angkor Wat pagodas that you may have seen in guide books. The main temples are well worth a visit...or two..or three visits - as the lighting differs dramatically depending on time and day. There is so much Khmer history here and unlike some ruins you are able to walk in and among the buildings and come face to face with incredible hand carvings and sculpture work especially of the large faces and heads.
Siem Reap is the fast growing tourist town that services Angkor Wat. It is full of international tourists and guest homes - but most of all it is a hub for those who want to see these world famous ruins. This is a safe and inexpensive town - it is not your typical Cambodian experience - as it has been built for tourists - a refuge so to speak from the rest of Cambodia.
Siem Reap is currently undergoing a huge boom in tourism and it shows with the large number of guesthouses, the new construction and the large number of tourists in town at any given time. Transportation By Land Vehicle
- If you are coming to Siem Reap from Thailand by bus you will most likely first pass through the Rong Klue market in the Aranyaphratet district of Thailand. This is a flea market that sells an eclectic variety of items, many of them used or copies of name brand items - things like sunglasses, clothing, and cheap imitation jewlery and watches. Poipet is the seedy border town that lies on the Cambodian side of the border. The reason you will pass through Rong Klue market and Poipet is that the main Cambodian road to Siem Reap begins in this town. Be aware of pick pockets on both sides of the border - if you are alert and aware of your surroundings you almost guarantee that you will have no problem with these criminals.
In the Rong Klue market on the Thai side of the border "Street urchins" will run up to you and beg or try to be your "tour guide". They will quickly approach you with open umbrellas in hand - if you let them walk next to you - they will demand payment for their service of providing you with shade. In mid 2003 a Cambodian group kidnapped several Thai children and held them for ransom.
Before you actually enter Cambodia you will be approached by tour guides who will offer to "guide" you and provide transportation to Siem Reap. Your guess is as good as the next persons as to which tour guide to pick from. The guides will not let you tell them you want to travel alone - they will surround you until you pick one. One transportation company is Hangtap Tours - they offer mini buses and Pickup trucks. I used them for the ride from Poipet to Siem Reap which cost $10. However, with Sara Tours I only paid $4 for the return trip (their Phone Number is: (855) 12 833 252. Something to be careful of is what happened to me when using Hangtap tours. This company waited about 90 minutes to leave after I arrived and as a result we arrived in Siem Reap quite late and well after dark. They dropped us off at a hotel and told us it was unsafe to walk around at night and it would be best for us to stay at this hotel. Unfortunately it also happened to be raining. This is problem you might run into if you leave Poipet late in the day.
Be aware that the mini-buses or pickups will NOT leave Poipet until they are full - and by full this means every available seat in the bus is filled, including the uncomfortable pull out seats which effectively fill up all the aisles. This may mean you might have to wait for an hour or longer until the driver can find more tourists. If somehow you make it across the border to Poipet without having been finagled into transportation on the Thai side of the border, be sure to check out your seating arrangements before you commit to transportation.
It will take about 45 to 60 minutes to cross the border. You have to pass through several small buildings, first the Thai customs and then the Cambodian customs - getting stamps and filling out forms as you go...typical border paperwork. The cost of a visa is $20 to enter Cambodia - you can either get this before your trip by mail if you have a Cambodian embassy in your country, or you can get this at the border. If you decide to purchase your Visa at the border be sure you bring 1 or 2 small passport size photos with you, otherwise you will be charged an additional amount (around 200 baht) (a photo of yourself is required for the Cambodian Visa). If you don't have a photo, you have to pay for one, but in my experience they do not take a photo of you, they just pocket the extra money. The Cambodian visa takes up an entire page in your passport.
The road to Siem Reap from the border seemingly starts out ok - mostly paved - just a few potholes which the driver can easily avoid - but then it goes from ok to unbelievably bad. Quickly it goes from pavement to dirt with many large potholes - if its the rainy season you might even have to drive partially out into the fields to get around flooded sections or particular bad potholes and holes in the road. By bus this road is excruciatingly slow. The total distance from Poipet to Siem Reap is only 152km. The bus I was on took over 7 hours to cover this distance (including 2 rest stops for bathroom use and snacks). This was voted the 2nd worst road in all of Cambodia by readers of Lonely Planet. Humor comes in handy during the particularly bad sections of this road. When you hit a nasty pothole and you and everyone else on the bus goes flying into the air, the situation becomes almost funny, and you wonder if potholes can get any worse!
Many of the buses are in very bad shape - you might even be sitting on springs where the cushion used to be or on hard seats. Some buses have cushions. For this ride you definitely want a seat that has some padding on top of it.
You can take a truck/pickup to Siem Reap in which you will be seated on benches in the back of the truck. This is a bumpy ride to be sure - its probably faster than a bus but if it rains it can get quite miserable. The truck driver should have a tarp that he can give you to put over yourself, but this only helps so much. During the rainy season, especially if you are traveling this road in the late afternoon or night you might want to consider taking a bus instead of a truck.
By Plane
- Flights are available to the international airport at Siem Reap from most major SE Asian cities. Aside from the higher cost the great advantage to this is you avoid the terrible Cambodian roads and you will save yourself alot of time. One way flights from the Siem Reap Airport to Bangkok run about $145. Some of the guest houses and or travel agencies in Siem Reap can arrange airfare for you. Photos of the Siem Reap airport are available here: www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~ito-nori/rep/rep100.html
In & Around Town
- It is currently forbidden to rent motorbikes to tourists for use outside the main part of Siem Reap. The main reason for this is that there are still too many unexploded land mines and its not good to have tourists accidentally running over these. Many areas around Siem Reap have still not been cleared of Land Mines.
If you rent a motorbike you will be driven by a driver. A motorbike rental is about $7/day. Tuk Tuks are another option - these run about $8 day for unlimited use - driver included. You can also rent regular bicycles. Angkor Wat known worldwide is certainly the most famous attraction in Cambodia; it is located only 6km from the old market in Siem Reap - take Charles DeGaulle Blvd to reach the main Angkor Wat temples. In mid 2003 tourists are still not able to rent motor bikes for personal use (to drive to Angkor Wat - renting a bike for use around Siem Reap is permitted for tourists). You can either rent a taxi, tuk-tuk, regular bicycle, or go with someone on a motorbike. Tickets per day are $20 US - 3-day passes are also available for $40. The ticket gates are situated to the right of the main road as you drive towards Angkor.
There are over 100 temples in Angkor Wat all built of only granite, sandstone and wood (the wood has long since decayed of course) between the 9th and 14th centuries. The main temples can be seen in about a day - many people find that several days is a good amount of time to be able to visit the main temples as well as some of the other smaller less visited temples. When you look at the temples its amazing to think that they are so old and that they were all made without the help of modern machines. For a brief synopsis of the history of Angkor Wat please visit: www.gocambodia.com/angkor/angkor_history.asp
If you just have a single day to visit, consider taking the "little circuit" which is 17km in length and covers most of the main part of Angkor Wat. The main temples are the most crowded of course, but there are many temples that if you stop to visit you probably will find you are among only a few tourists visiting. To reach the top of some of the temples you have to climb up incredibly steep steps (steeper than even the Mayan pyramids in Mexico). In addition to the steepness of the pyramids the steps are now slanted downwards because of years of erosion and rain. They can be incredibly slippery during the rain and its seriously recommended that you not try to climb to the top of these during rainy conditions. At this point its best to take pictures at the base. Most of the local guidebooks do not recommend venturing into the "jungle" while you are at Angkor Wat due to the possibility of there still being unexploded land mines. Some guide books say that the area in and around the main temples of Angkor has been cleared of unexploded land mines. Its always best to stick to paths that are well traveled and refrain from being adventurous. Dave's recommendation: stay away from impulse bushwhacking new trails through the jungle.
There are plenty of restaurants and refreshment stands near the main temples. These areas are a good place to meet people from all over the world. The owners of the restaurants can be quite solicitous of your business as you approach them. Sing song voices inviting you to their particular restaurant will call out as you approach the restaurants. Note the bathrooms within Angkor Wat are free with your admission, however you will find that many of them have children out front who will try to charge you a nominal admission. These are very enterprising youngsters as they make it appear that you have to pay to use the restroom. Sometimes they will have made a sign and they hang it above the main entrance indicating their entrance fee. This practice is obviously accepted as officials seem to have done nothing to stop them.
The best time for photos of course is during the golden hour in the evening when the sun casts a somewhat golden hue on everything. Because of this reason, on your tour you may want to consider leaving the main temple for last.
If you are on a large budget you can also rent a helicopter from Helicopters Cambodia in Siem Reap for an aerial tour of Angkor. Hot air balloon rides are also available on site at Angkor. Land Mine Museum Land Mines are still a huge problem in Cambodia. The main paved/dirt road from the Thai/Cambodia border town of Poipet is well marked with signs on both sides of the road indicating that it is very dangerous to walk off the road. Over 100 people each month in Cambodia are maimed or killed by stepping on unexploded land mines. The Land Mine Museum is well worth visiting - it is sobering, sad and educational at the same time. It is located not far from Charles De Gaulle Blvd which is the main road leading to Angkor Wat. The Mine Museum is located close to the Angkor Zoo - The Angkor Zoo has a sign on the paved Charles DG road - you drive to the Zoo and then turn right and about 1 mile down this dirt road the Mine Museum will be on your left. Not very many tourist visit this museum as its somewhat off the beaten path and the government probably keeps it from being publicized very much.
This museum was started several years ago by a Mr. Aki Ra born in 1975. He used to have a banner stretched across the road advertising his museum but the government raided the museum one day and shut everything down. Finally he was allowed to reopen the museum but he had to remove the banner. This is a museum of course, but it is so much more than that. It is Aki's exhibition and history of a part of his life that most people would soon want to forget. This part of his life is on display for all to see - from the stomach wrenching photographs of war, to thousands of inactive weapons of war (many of which he deactivated personally), to articles about his experience in the army. His parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge when he was five. He was forced to leave his village, work in the fields and then several years later was drafted into the Vietnamese army. Aki estimates he laid over 50,000 land mines during his time in the army.
Now he works for the people of Cambodia. He runs this his museum to further awareness about the tragedy and horror of war, he trains the Cambodian army in the art of defusing land mines, he personally defuses many land mines each year, he offers free English classes, and he runs on site an orphanage for children maimed by land mines. Estimated time to visit is about 30 to 45 minutes. There are many deactivated grenades and land mines in the actual museum. Many photos and articles about the museum from noteworthy publications such as the Washington Post, and the New York times hand on the wall. There is a "mine field" setup outside the museum. See how easily it is to step on a land mine or trigger a "trip" wire. All the weapons of war at this museum are completely safe - everything has been deactivated.
Aki speaks 4 languages, Khmer, English, Japanese and French. His museum and orphanage is entirely supported by donations; it is not government funded. If you can't make it to his museum visit his website at: www.landmine-museum.com or email Aki personally at thailandisfreedom@yahoo.com or call him at: (885) 012 630 446 Other Attractions The Angkor Zoo is located off a dirt road (on the way to Angkor its just past the ticket gates) off of Charles De Gaulle Blvd. Approximate time here to see all the animals is about 30 to 40 minutes. Its a fairly small zoo with a great variety of birds and reptiles - over 100 species of animals are represented. The highlight are the bears and the cheetahs. A small dirty swimming pool is available for use - although I only saw children using it. Price of admission is $3 per person. You will be given "Welcome to the Angkor Zoo" photo copy to take with you. This has basic information about some of the rare endemic species housed at the zoo. Phone number: 012 856 565
An enclosed Butterfly farm is also available - it contains over 1000 live butterflies. It is open daily from 9-5. Admission is $1.
A Crocodile Farm is located near the Siem Reap river about 1km from the old Market. Admission is $1.
Le Chantiers Ecoles is an arts school is located within Siem Reap not far from the river. No appointment is necessary if you are not within a large group. Its not a common destination for tourists so you may have some trouble finding it. Ask at your hotel/guesthouse before you go for directions. Their phone number: (855) 63 964 097 and their email is: artisans@camintel.com Once you arrive at this school you will be given a small card to wear indicating you are a visitor. A guide will then take you through each of the different classrooms and you will see first hand students working on their art work. Some of the work is quite amazing - it is all hand made from wood carvings, plaster painted sculptures to sandstone sculpture. Once the tour has visited the 3 or 4 separate classrooms your guide will leave you at the main store. This store is beautifully decorated with great lighting. It contains art work for sale that has been completed by the students as well as many silk items. A certain percentage of the proceeds go back to the school. Note: the air conditioning in this store works exceptionally well!
The Old Market called Psar Chas is located across from the Siem Reap river - its mostly a collection of tourist souvenir odds and ends and some cheap jewelry. One of the sections of this market has jewelry shops lined up in a row - all with the lights off in their display cases. When you walk by all the lights pop on in the display cases in anticipation of attracting your attention - as you continue walking all the lights then turn off behind you! This market also has a small tropical fruit section. Aside from souvenir goodies, it is a good place to pick up postcards - they are available in packs of 10 for one US dollar. This market is within walking distance of many of the hotels and guest houses.
The Vietnamese Floating Market is well worth seeing if you have an extra morning or afternoon. Its not really located that far from Siem Reap - but once you leave the pavement the road is absolutely terrible. You can take a Tuk Tuk from Siem Reap but its really not recommended. Time to reach this village from Siem Reap will take between 30 to 45 minutes depending on how bad the road is and the type of transportation you take. The distance to the lake from Siem Reap is only about 16 km. Once you reach the dirt portion of this road you will see people living in abject poverty. This portion of the road is raised about the surrounding marshland, and small grass roofed homes are perched on stilts clinging to the edge of the raised roadway. Small children, some naked will probably greet your entrance with smiles and hand waving as you drive by their homes.
You can pick up your boat ticket in the town of Phnom Krom near where the boats dock. The Chong Khneas Tourism Boat Association sells tickets for $4/person. If the operator of the boat you are one wants to charge you to take you somewhere, refuse payment. Your ticket is already paid for - there is no need to pay any more money.
This is a seasonal market - made up of Vietnamese and Khmer people. It is spread along one of the inlets to Tonle Sap, Cambodia's largest lake. The boat ride through the village takes about 15-20 minutes and is in a covered "long boat". On both sides of the inlet you will see crudely constructed floating homes. Its basically a ride through the everyday life of the villagers. Things to keep an eye out for are the "battery" boat - in which you will see hundreds of heavy lead acid batteries stacked on its deck, children bathing in the water next to their homes, tall TV antennas near the start of this village, and even a Catholic Church. TV service has only recently come to this village and its only available to a few of the homes. The poor children who live in this village have a long commute to the closest school, and then once they return to their homes there is really no silence with all the boats zipping back and worth in the channel.
Every year when the waters of Tonle Sap rise the village is abandoned and the villagers head for the highest ground around which just so happens to be a small mountain several kilometers from the village. This is the only rise above the flats for as far as you can see. Depending on the height of the lake the villages location differs slightly every year.
A side note is that you can take high speed water taxis from here to the capital city of Phnom Penh. This journey takes only 3 hours and might be a better alternative to land transportation which takes much longer. Slower, cheaper water taxis are also available making the one way trip to Phnom Pehn in about 5 hours.
As you drive on Road 6 heading to the airport you will see a sign for the War Museum. This museum is a bit bigger than the Land Mine Museum . It contains tanks, guns, artillery pieces and additional weapons of war. Admission is $3. | 
