War isolated temples, beaches emerge back in Cambodia

By Arun Ranjit

The Angkor monuments in Cambodia are famous throughout the world as an important cultural asset of Southeast Asia. These monuments were simultaneously added to both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992.

The structures, built mainly of materials such as sandstone and laterite, have been steadily deteriorating due to the harsh climate, wind and rain.

However, Angkor Wat was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger by the United Nations Educational and Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) some years ago. This removal is certainly due in large part to the successful in the preservation efforts of international community.

Prepare for divine inspiration! The temples of Angkor Wat, capital of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer empire, are the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion.

The temples of Angkor Wat are the heart and soul of the Kingdom of Cambodia, a source of inspiration and national pride to all Khmers as they struggle to rebuild their lives after years of terror and trauma. No traveler to the region should miss their extravagant beauty.

Located near the small town of Siem Reap, the Angkor Wat temple complex is comprised of countless ceremonial structures built between the 9th and 13th centuries by the once mighty Khmer Empire.

Angkor Wat at sunset is also spectacular, and to cap it, move to Bayon where setting sun casts interesting shadows on the array of carved faces.

Angkor Wat could be explored within a week or two. Visitors could spend a whole day reading book amid the calming carved Buddha faces at Bayon, or a contemplative and explobnary time at Ta Prom.

Once home to 600 exquisite dancers, this temple has succumbed to the forces of nature as the forest gradually takes a firmer hold over its ruins.

Anyway, make no mistake: Angkor will have lots of tourists in the not-too-distant future. It is a place where visitors can admire the ruins in peace and contemplation.

This scribe was in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia last week to attend the international conference of journalists where 86 media-associated people from 54 various countries had participated in.

All the people who attended the international conference were given opportunity to explore and experience the various culturally rich to tourism-view point important places, politically hot to economically developed places, socially to historically remarkable spots in Phnom Penh and around Cambodia.

Likewise, Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, was a bustling commercial hub during French colonial days and today has re-established itself as the political and financial center of the country.

Its rich historical past can be traced to the Khmer and French influence evident in the ornate Khmer-style temples and the grand colonial buildings and villas.

The most obvious examples of this include the National Museum and the Silver Pagoda and Tuol Sleng Museum, a testament to Cambodia’s recent bloody past under the Khmer Rouge regime.

While traveling to Cambodia, exploration of the magnificent ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, the world’s largest ceremonial structure with its dazzling array of beautiful bas-reliefs and ornate carvings is a must.

Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, retains an undeniable charm despite its tumultuous and often violent past. The crumbling colonial architecture makes an attractive backdrop to bustling street-side cafes and the redeveloped riverfront precinct - a particularly lively part of town on Friday and Saturday nights.

And the charms of the capital Phnom Penh, regarded by many as the most beautiful of all the French-built cities in Indochina. Phnom Penh was a bustling commercial hub during French colonial times. Its rich historical past can be traced to the Khmer and French influence evident in the ornate Khmer-style temples and the grand colonial buildings and villas.

Anyway, while seeing the development of the Cambodia, it is true that ancient temples, empty beaches, mighty rivers, remote forests emerged from decades of war and isolation are well and truly back.