By Dan Uglow on 5 November 2010
Travel Weekly
It would appear that south-east Asia’s largest freshwater lake doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going.
Every year during Cambodia’s rainy season, water from the swelling Mekong River rushes into the Tonlé Sap Lake (pictured) and its surface area quadruples to around 10,000 square kilometres, from 2500 square kilometres in the dry season. The surrounding fields become flooded and a breeding ground for the subsequent abundance of fish. The major industry here is, unsurprisingly, fishing.
The town this lake is accessed from — Siem Reap — is essentially famous for being the gateway to the temples of Angkor. But with more than three million people living on or around the lake in floating villages, the Tonlé Sap is a stand-out attraction in its own right. The lake is home to many ethnic Vietnamese who have emigrated to Cambodia over the past 50 to 100 years. Despite some tensions between this minority group and the local Cambodians, it’s a popular tourist stop off.
Cruising along in an old wooden boat with an equally ageing motor, I observed the locals going about their daily lives in their simple shacks, constructed from bamboo and sitting on mostly submerged stilts. Women sat on the front veranda mending fish nets; men worked on their boats and children played happily nearby. The residents found my presence as interesting as I found theirs, and there was a good deal of smiling and waving.
There’s a pleasant and relaxed feel about Siem Reap in general; the town has developed greatly over the past 10 years, with Cambodia now enjoying the peace and stability it was denied for so long. However, poverty remains a reality for many people; it’s estimated that one third of Cambodia’s population lives on less than one dollar a day. And the country is still feeling the effects of the countless landmines laid by various parties during the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge regime. These are still being cleared from countryside areas and, as I learned during a visit to the Landmine Museum, there’s still much more work to be done.
I found this sobering reality something of a contrast with the sprawling opulence of Angkor Wat, which I visited one morning. Around 6am I found myself sitting on a rock in front of this magnificent edifice, its silhouette etched against the inky blue sky. As the sun scaled the horizon the intricate designs of this temple, once the centre of the Khmer civilisation, came into full view.
A Hindu temple, Angkor Wat is regarded as the supreme masterpiece of Khmer architecture, with its elaborate bas-relief carvings illustrating scenes such as heaven and hell and the creation of the earth.
When in Siem Reap, it’s pretty much a fait accompli that you will get ‘templed out’, but the good news is there are lots to choose from. The temples of Angkor, which are spread out some 65km around Siem Reap, were constructed between the eighth and thirteenth centuries.
The temples are classified according to different styles, depending on when they were built. The styles are compared with one another according to aspects including the use of materials, the style of pillar, the pediments (at the front of the temple) and the lintel (the block of stones between the pediments and the pillar).
One of the most captivating is the small, pink-hued Banteay Srei, a 10th century sandstone Hindu temple. Another standout is Angkor Thom, the last and most enduring capital city of the Angkorian empire. Each of its grand gates features four giant smiling faces.
A great deal of restoration work has been done and continues to be done on many of the temples around Siem Reap, initially led by the French and later taken on by international agency UNESCO.
Siem Reap has evolved dramatically since the early 1900s, when the French rediscovered the city of Angkor after it had lain abandoned for centuries. Those planning a visit to this northern Cambodian town may be surprised to learn that it’s a pretty cosmopolitan place when it comes to wining and dining. The aptly named Bar Street is where many of these outfits are located. There are also a number of more socially conscious places to dine and shop, the profits from which are put back into local education and health.
The influence of the French, who ruled Cambodia from 1863 to 1953, is still evident in the town’s Old French Quarter and the tantalising cuisine at some of its restaurants.
Intrepid has 10 group itineraries that take in Siem Reap, with the most popular being the nine-day Road to Angkor Westbound. Other in-demand itineraries covering the destination include the 15-day Indochina Family Adventure and the 18-day Trail of the Khmer.
When staying in Siem Reap, the night markets are a definite must-visit. I spent a good few hours here, even opting for a fish massage, which involved dangling my feet in a spa while small fish nibbled away at my dead skin cells. It’s not for everyone, but every trip should include a few spontaneous experiences. Adventure travel, whether it’s extreme or soft, is in the end about having new and exciting experiences. For me, the town of Siem Reap provided that in spades. n
The writer travelled as a guest of Intrepid Travel.
Every year during Cambodia’s rainy season, water from the swelling Mekong River rushes into the Tonlé Sap Lake (pictured) and its surface area quadruples to around 10,000 square kilometres, from 2500 square kilometres in the dry season. The surrounding fields become flooded and a breeding ground for the subsequent abundance of fish. The major industry here is, unsurprisingly, fishing.
The town this lake is accessed from — Siem Reap — is essentially famous for being the gateway to the temples of Angkor. But with more than three million people living on or around the lake in floating villages, the Tonlé Sap is a stand-out attraction in its own right. The lake is home to many ethnic Vietnamese who have emigrated to Cambodia over the past 50 to 100 years. Despite some tensions between this minority group and the local Cambodians, it’s a popular tourist stop off.
Cruising along in an old wooden boat with an equally ageing motor, I observed the locals going about their daily lives in their simple shacks, constructed from bamboo and sitting on mostly submerged stilts. Women sat on the front veranda mending fish nets; men worked on their boats and children played happily nearby. The residents found my presence as interesting as I found theirs, and there was a good deal of smiling and waving.
There’s a pleasant and relaxed feel about Siem Reap in general; the town has developed greatly over the past 10 years, with Cambodia now enjoying the peace and stability it was denied for so long. However, poverty remains a reality for many people; it’s estimated that one third of Cambodia’s population lives on less than one dollar a day. And the country is still feeling the effects of the countless landmines laid by various parties during the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge regime. These are still being cleared from countryside areas and, as I learned during a visit to the Landmine Museum, there’s still much more work to be done.
I found this sobering reality something of a contrast with the sprawling opulence of Angkor Wat, which I visited one morning. Around 6am I found myself sitting on a rock in front of this magnificent edifice, its silhouette etched against the inky blue sky. As the sun scaled the horizon the intricate designs of this temple, once the centre of the Khmer civilisation, came into full view.
A Hindu temple, Angkor Wat is regarded as the supreme masterpiece of Khmer architecture, with its elaborate bas-relief carvings illustrating scenes such as heaven and hell and the creation of the earth.
When in Siem Reap, it’s pretty much a fait accompli that you will get ‘templed out’, but the good news is there are lots to choose from. The temples of Angkor, which are spread out some 65km around Siem Reap, were constructed between the eighth and thirteenth centuries.
The temples are classified according to different styles, depending on when they were built. The styles are compared with one another according to aspects including the use of materials, the style of pillar, the pediments (at the front of the temple) and the lintel (the block of stones between the pediments and the pillar).
One of the most captivating is the small, pink-hued Banteay Srei, a 10th century sandstone Hindu temple. Another standout is Angkor Thom, the last and most enduring capital city of the Angkorian empire. Each of its grand gates features four giant smiling faces.
A great deal of restoration work has been done and continues to be done on many of the temples around Siem Reap, initially led by the French and later taken on by international agency UNESCO.
Siem Reap has evolved dramatically since the early 1900s, when the French rediscovered the city of Angkor after it had lain abandoned for centuries. Those planning a visit to this northern Cambodian town may be surprised to learn that it’s a pretty cosmopolitan place when it comes to wining and dining. The aptly named Bar Street is where many of these outfits are located. There are also a number of more socially conscious places to dine and shop, the profits from which are put back into local education and health.
The influence of the French, who ruled Cambodia from 1863 to 1953, is still evident in the town’s Old French Quarter and the tantalising cuisine at some of its restaurants.
Intrepid has 10 group itineraries that take in Siem Reap, with the most popular being the nine-day Road to Angkor Westbound. Other in-demand itineraries covering the destination include the 15-day Indochina Family Adventure and the 18-day Trail of the Khmer.
When staying in Siem Reap, the night markets are a definite must-visit. I spent a good few hours here, even opting for a fish massage, which involved dangling my feet in a spa while small fish nibbled away at my dead skin cells. It’s not for everyone, but every trip should include a few spontaneous experiences. Adventure travel, whether it’s extreme or soft, is in the end about having new and exciting experiences. For me, the town of Siem Reap provided that in spades. n
The writer travelled as a guest of Intrepid Travel.
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