In previous posts, we have explored many of the Theravadin Buddhist structures within the Angkor area, particularly Angkor Thom, which were created possibly in the last stages of the Angkor era (around the 14th century) into the post-Angkor era (15th century and beyond) as Theravdin Buddhism became the state religion which it remains till this … Read more
On this trip, together with Chanthim, we’d travel by trusty Honda power once again and cover several temples in the heartland of Preah Vihear that I have been waiting to visit for a long time, namely Prasat Sandak and Prasat Chin Srom. We’d also visit the incredible Phnom Tbeng and Wat Tangyu plus several pagodas … Read more
I’m way behind with tour notes and newly visited sites, so here are some quick notes on the tour from August. This tour took place from August 4–12th with my trusty colleague Chanthim on our Honda Waves, travelling what are becoming familiar roads, from Siem Reap to Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Phnom Penh and down … Read more
Along with being the capital of Cambodia, and having numerous attractions, markets, and vibrant food culture, an oft-overlooked destination is the array of Buddhist temples (pagoda) in the city. Whether a pilgrim of the Buddhist faith or just someone interested in Cambodian culture, heritage, and architecture, the city’s pagodas have something unique to offer. Intro … Read more
The latest tour of Cambodia’s amazing ancient sites and wonders covered familiar ground once again along the RN6 and some new ground for me which is Prey Veng and then back to revisit Oudong, a couple of amazing mountains in Pursat and Kampong Chhnang, back to Kampong Thma, and return to Siem Reap. Not a … Read more
Sema (Sima/Siema) are the objects used to demarcate the sacred or ritual area of a Theravadin Buddhist site, a form of Buddhism unique to Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Laos, Burma, and Thailand, and also the current state religion of Cambodia today. Sema are commonly seen at many pagodas across Cambodia often as a leaf-shaped stone, sometimes … Read more
Funky name for a tour, looking back on it, I probably should call it the pagoda tour, although Kampong Cham, Tbong Khum and Kratie are where most of the time would be spent, and never far from the spectacular Mekong River. Departing from Siem Reap, this tour didn’t have a grand plan apart from revisiting … Read more
A feature common to early and late ancient temples is the beautiful lion statues acting not only as guardians to the shrines but also emblematic of ancient royalty and divinity. On the early pyramid temples, they flanked the staircases leading to the top of the shrine, at early brick temples flanking the entrance to the … Read more
Two fascinating objects of ancient Khmer art are Chaitya (or Caitya) and/or boundary markers. They present a diverse range of artistic style crossing religion and reigns, and excluding a handful that I’ll list below, most exist only in museums now. Standing around a meter high, carved from a solid block of stone, they are four-sided … Read more
As far as ancient sites go, Preah Vihear Province is incredibly fascinating, featuring the great wonder that is Preah Vihear Temple and a collection of remote temples that are true wonders still holding a lot to reveal about the early stages of the Angkorian Empire. I’d covered a lot of that here in North Eastern … Read more
This was a short day trip out of Siem Reap on the moto to find out if the two ancient bridges still existed north of the “firehouse” known as Seman Teng, but like any trip, there’s always a bit more than you expect. It’s not so easy to follow the ancient road in its entirety … Read more
Located about 90 km northwest of Siem Reap in Banteay Meanchey Province are the grand reservoir, Ang Trapeang Thmor, and an ancient temple atop the small mountain known as Phnom Kaun Khleng. It’s easy to reach via smooth sealed roads (at the time) for most of the way bar the section around a good dirt … Read more
Somebody recently asked how many ancient sites are there in Cambodia, to which the simple answer is, thousands. The exact number according to official databases is close to 5000 in Cambodia and that number grows to over 7000 when including parts of the ancient empire that are now present-day Laos and Thailand. That number grows … Read more
There is much more to the ancient Khmer Empire than just temples and viharas, for example, there are the building types including libraries, hospital chapels, stele shelters, firehouses, staging places, ashramas, and of course bridges, then, there are all the constructions made of perishable materials which we will never truly know bar attempting to visualize … Read more
It’s always interesting to look back in time and the experience of the first western visitors to the great monuments of Angkor and how they shared that with the world. A while back I posted an intro to Francis Garnier’s expedition in the late 1800s which is among the earliest detailed records of temples in … Read more
A wonderful story from the early 1900s of a young Cambodian girl’s dream to join what we know today as the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. At that time, under King Sisowath, French records note the dance troupe consisting of around 100-120 girls including lead dancers, subjects, and students. This particular story and imagery comes from The Illustrated … Read more
The most important event on the Khmer calendar, the public holiday for the traditional Khmer New Year, or Bon Chol Chhnam Thmei will be Sat, Apr 13, 2024 – Tue, Apr 16, 2024. Much like the New Year festivals in any country, Cambodian New Year celebrations are the festival calendar’s highlight. The celebration also marks … Read more
While Angkor Wat and the greatest array of ancient Khmer temples are in Siem Reap, there is a surprising number of incredibly interesting ancient wonders within easy reach of Phnom Penh, especially once the Road 5 and Road 4 roadworks are completed. Many of these sites are quite unique in terms of art and architecture, … Read more
Some of the best things are never planned. This started as a trip to Sambor Prei Kuk to get some up-to-date photos and turned into something much longer, starting on Jan 17 and in the end, rolling back into Siem Reap on Feb 10. To be honest, it wasn’t completely unplanned, this journey perhaps has … Read more
Taking advantage of the cool weather I have been on the road a lot lately and started this new year with a five-day/four-night self-guided tour of some of Preah Vihear Province’s amazing remote temples while finishing up with the grandest of all, Preah Vihear Temple on the 7th day of January. I’d recently just finished … Read more
Here’s a route, that you can do in whole or part, that is packed with ancient wonder and takes advantage of some of Cambodia’s rapidly improving roads. The whole route, apart from temple detours, follows sealed bitumen roads that are in good condition from Siem Reap to Kralanh to Sisophon to Banteay Chhmar to Samroang … Read more
Phnom Kulen – The Birthplace of Angkor and home to the ancient city of Mahavendarpata Phnom Kulen (or Kulen Mountain) is a popular destination located north of Siem Reap well known for its stunning waterfall, reclining Buddha, amazing scenic views, and nature. It is also the birthplace of the ancient Angkor era featuring archeological remains … Read more
A major but less talked about feature of the ancient Khmer Empire is the road network that spanned out from Angkor (present-day Siem Reap) to the remote reaches of the empire including deep into what is now Laos and Thailand. In my mind at least, the Angkor <> Preah Khan of Kampong Svay route, sometimes … Read more
Bakong Temple is the stunning pyramid/temple-mountain masterpiece in the ancient city of Hariharalaya (present-day Roluos, Siem Reap) belonging to the 9th century and the state temple of King Indravarman I. The site consists of an outer moat (barely noticeable today) delimiting an area that then features an outer enclosure of laterite, containing a large beautiful … Read more
The ancient Khmer road network that we can still see the remains of today was built during the 11th to 13th centuries CE and connected Angkor (present-day Siem Reap) to the outer reaches of the empire including Vat Phou (present-day Laos) via Beng Mealea and Koh Ker, Phimai (present-day Thailand), Sdok Kok Thom (present-day Thailand), … Read more
It’s not always sunshine, rainbows, ancient temples, and yummy noodles while traversing the Kingdom of Wonder. As it is with life, sometimes the chain on your bike breaks, and you need a mechanic, sometimes you lose things, and need a policeman, sometimes you’ll break, and need a doctor! Recently, so it would happen, I broke … Read more
Here is a question that has conjured all kinds of theories! Angkor Wat, the great temple of ancient Angkor remains one of the most researched temples in Cambodia but also one of the most mysterious. Still to this day, some believe it was built by giants, some still point to the ancient belief that was … Read more
I am sure you know about the “Dinosaur” of Ta Prohm, the apparent ancient carving of a Stegosaurus by people who would have never known that such existed. Or did they? At the end of this article I’ll explain exactly where to find it and what you need to know about the Ta Prohm Dinosaur, … Read more
While, somewhat sadly, we don’t have any surviving ancient Khmer texts apart from inscriptions what we do have are the accounts of the traveling diplomats such as China’s Zhou Daguan in the 13th century followed by Japanese pilgrims in the 17th century and then French explorers in the 19th century. One of those French explorers … Read more
No matter how many books or research papers you read, can you truly get an understanding of the real local culture and beliefs that surround this ancient wonderland? It should also be said that much of what’s written looks at the Khmer Empire almost purely through French eyes via an Indian lens upon what became … Read more