Tomb Raider
Exploring the Beng Mealea Temple, a three-hour drive from Siem Reap is like being transported to the sets of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider.
Built to a similar scale and floor plan as Angkor Wat, Beng Mealea...
Cambodian Menu
Delicious. While dining in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I was presented with an interesting menu selection. These meats are served raw and are cooked on a small grill in the middle of the table. Tip: the crocodile is great!
Moat of lotus flowers
Lotus flowers fill the moat surrounding Angkor Wat as the sun rises.
Ta Prohm
Bayan trees and strangler figs have overtaken many of structures in Ta Prohm.
Unlikely Art - Cambodian Collage
In Cambodia there is beauty and art not just around the increasingly well-trod Angkor Wat, but also in the remote temples and difficult-to-get-to ruins that are still partially hidden among under encroaching jungle. Splendid buddhas in full view;...
Bayon
The giant stone faces greet visitors as they enter the Bayon complex. This ancient Khmer center houses over 200 of these serene faces, with theories they were modeled after the bodhisattva (enlightened being) or the Bhuddist king, Jayavarman VII,...
Sunrise over Angkor Wat
Tourists swarm to the hills of the park to watch the sun set, but fewer people attempt to greet it at dawn.
We embarked to the complex around 5 am and sat ourselves at the library temple while still dark. It was a magical experience to be...
The Fast Way Down
The way down from the top of Angkor Wat is much more direct than the labyrinth of passages to climb up. Those of us who made the climb returned via wide and very steep stairs that fortunately had a cable to hang on to as a crude bannister.
Reclaiming an Ancient City
Visitng Ta Prohm feels like you are rediscovering a lost kingdom being reclaimed by the forest. The trick is to go to Ta Prohm first, while everyone else is at Angkor Wat, and explore the crumbling ruins alone.
Lost
Henri Mouhot, a French explorer, is noted for making the Temples at Angkor popularized to the western world, during one of his expeditions in the mid 19th century Mouhot came across these ancient Khmer structures which had been taken over by the...
Theam’s House in Siem Reap, Cambodia
At Theam’s House, the new Siem Reap gallery owned by artist Lim Muy Theam, visitors can watch apprentices mold and paint clay animal figures. Theam, who previously ran Artisans d’Angkor, which supported traditions such as weaving and woodwork, now...
Overwater Bungalows: 4 Rivers Floating Lodge, Cambodia
I hadn’t been awake for longer than a minute. I peeled back the tarp door to my room, walked out onto my deck, and leapt. It was an abrupt but purifying way to start the day. The cool, brackish water instantly defogged my mind, and my eyes opened...
