If you think all there is to Siem Reap is just a bunch of ancient temples in Angkor, think again. Don’t get me wrong…there are A LOT of temples and each one is spectacular and unique. The temple complex of Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious structure, made up of over a thousand buildings and is considered one of the great cultural wonders of the world.
Angkor, located in the province of Siem Reap, Cambodia and extending over 400 kilometers, was the center of the Khmer kingdom for centuries. The temples are ornate, elaborate, and relatively well preserved (thanks to the efforts of UNESCO and supporting organizations).
We were very fortunate that our tour guide was also a very talented photographer. He took shots that we probably never would have seen and now we have them as wonderful souvenirs of our time there.
While we were in Siem Reap, we had the opportunity to attend a show called Phare, the Cambodian Circus. Contrary to what you may think, this circus has nothing to do with animals but is an absolutely delightful show featuring music, dance and acrobatics performed by graduates of Phare Ponleu Selpak’s vocational training school located in Battambang.
On Valentine’s Day, took a bike tour to see Angkor Wat and on the way stopped at a local market to see what they had available. We capped off that evening a lovely long tail boat ride to see the sunset on the river from the South Gate of Angkor Thom.
On our final day we headed up the mountain to see the magnificent waterfall and River of 1000 Lingas in Kulen National Park. We ended our day with a boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake to see a fisherman’s floating village with a school, police station, and a Catholic Church.
Would we live here? Definitely not. Way too noisy and touristy. Would we come back again? Maybe…the temples really are pretty mind-blowing.
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