SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA
19 to 22 November 2015
Just like the title of a popular Filipino song "Babalikang Muli" (translated as: To See Again), I love getting back to places that I considered true treasures. There are few places that I had seen in the past that I considered treasures and worthy of "Babalikang Muli".
Cambodia, Siem Reap in particular, is a true treasure and on my bucket list of must-see places, as it is home to multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Angkor Wat.
It's been two years since I visited Siem Reap and spent a week moving around its stone temples, marveling at their architectural grandeur and taking photos.
When I received an invitation from a colleague at the office to see the place, I never had a second thought of joining the leaders' bonding trip.
Day 01: Travel to Siem Reap from Manila
19 November 2015
I arrived at the airport early to avoid the heavy traffic. It was the APEC week. Our flight was scheduled at 1945H. I was at the airport at 1500H.
While waiting for the others, I stayed at the second level - food court area of the Manila International Airport Terminal 3.
At 1600H, we were complete. There were ten of us. While waiting for our flight, we had a quick shopping at an electronic store. I got a wireless selfie stick - for the picture taking at Siem Reap just to make sure that I can take my photo in case everyone gets busy.
Our flight was delayed for two hours due to the arrivals of the APEC delegates as the airport runway had to be closed for security.
We finally departed for Cambodia at 2145H. Cambodia is approximately an hour and fifteen minutes from Manila International Airport. There is a time difference of one hour, Manila being ahead.
We landed at Siem Reap International Airport at 2315H (Cambodia time) and the coaster was there waiting for us. We were so glad to meet our tour guide Mr. Tay Peahn who welcomed us with a smile and a nice greeting.
We were booked at Thunborey Hotel. It's a 30-minute drive from the International Airport.
Day 2: Angkor Thom - Ta Prohm - Angkor Wat
20 November 2015
We had an early breakfast at 0630H at the hotel cafeteria.
At 0730H, the coaster had arrived. We were scheduled to see three major temples in Siem Reap.
We started the tour at 0800H. We headed towards the gates of Angkor Thom. Inside the Angkor Thom is the Bayon Temple Complex.
At 0905H, we were at the east gate of Angkor Thom and started to explore the ruins of the stone temples. The sky was clear at that time and it was hot and humid.
Though it was my second time in Siem Reap, I still had the excitement of exploring the ruins of the Bayon Temple because of its grandeur and historical significance.
Read more about Bayon Temple.
At 1030H, we moved to another temple the Ta Prohm. This place is famous because it was one of the settings of the movie "Tomb Raider" with the giant tree atop the stone temple.
After walking inside the temples, we decided to go back to the hotel for refreshment because of the intense heat of the sun.
Read more about Ta Prohm.
At 1600H, we started exploring the third major temple in Siem Reap, the grandest - Angkor Wat. We stayed inside the temple complex and waited for the sunset.
At 1710H, the temples turned gold as the sun started to set. At this time, we moved out of the temple complex and walked towards the moat in front of Angkor Wat to have a shot of the temple's reflection on water.
We left Angkor Wat at 1800H and drove back to Siem Reap. At 1900H, we had a nice dinner at a restaurant. We also enjoyed the Apsara dance and other Cambodian cultural show.
Read more about Angkor Wat.
Day 3: Floating Village
21 November 2015
After having breakfast at the hotel, we traveled to the Tonle Sap Lake, the great lake of Cambodia, one of Asia's largest. We took a wooden boat to the floating village of Chong Khneas, located 12 kilometers south of Siem Reap.
According to Wikipedia, There are three floating villages around Siem Reap - Kompong Khleang, Kompong Phluk, Chong Kneas, with Kompong Khleang considered the most authentic.
The floating village is located in Phnom Kulen, 48 kilometers from Siem Reap.
We started the tour at 0930H. While on the boat, I was reminded of my experience in Vietnam's Mekong River.
There is a floating school, a church and a souvenir shop. The rest of the floating structures are residential homes. I was told by our guide that majority of the people living in the river are Christian Catholics. It took us 25 minutes to reach the floating village on boat ride.
Crocodile meat and other products made of crocodile skin are also offered at the souvenir shop.
At 1000H, we left the floating village and headed back to Siem Reap to visit the Artisans at Dángkor. At 1108H, we reached the shop and started to explore.
Just like the wood carvings in Thailand, I was impressed at the details of the wood carvings at Dangkor. I like the paintings and the colorful garments.
We had a sumptuous lunch at 1210H.
After lunch we proceeded to the Cambodian Cultural Village.
We started exploring the Museum at 1500H. I was impressed at the grandeur of Angkor Wat looking at the paintings.
At 1630H, we watched the Cambodian Cultural show. It was quiet boring for me at first but my excitement started to fire-up when one of our members was called to participate in the Cambodian Cultural Wedding presentation.
It was so colorful and very lively. I was able to record the entire length of the presentation on video. We left the cultural village at 1815H and traveled back to Siem Reap.
At night, we enjoyed shopping at the night market - we bought t-shirts and other souvenir items.
Day 04: Travel back to Manila from Siem Reap
22 November 2015
Based on our original tour schedule, our last day in Cambodia was a free-day. Our flight to Manila was slotted at 2230H (Cambodia time).
We decided however, to extend our adventure a little more. We visited Phnom Kulen where the reclining Buddha (most sacred place in Cambodia), the River of Thousand Lingas and the Waterfalls are located. It was a 3-hour drive from Siem Reap.
According to Wikipedia, Phnom Kulen National Park is a National park in Cambodia. It is located in the Phnom Kulen mountain massif in Siem Reap Province. During Angkorian era the relief was known as Mahendraparvata (the mountain of Great Indra) and was the place where Jayavarman II had himself declared chakravartin (King of Kings), an act which is considered the foundation of Khmer Empire. Phnom Kulen National Park is located in Svay Leu District about 48 km from the provincial town of Siem Reap and about 25 km from Prasat Banteay Srey via Charles De Gaulle Road.
We left the hotel at 0700H. There were only seven of us - NLR, NRV, JVB, MSB, LTQ and myself. Along the way, we had a stop-over for a quick break. I happened to see a honeybee hive (cooked) on a banana leaf. I had a bite. I loved the sweet-sour taste. I was able to finish one piece of it.
We were at the river banks of Kbal Spean at 1005H, our first destination. Though the water was a little murky, we were able to see portions of the stone carvings on the river bed called the River of Thousand Lingas. I was amazed.
Kbal Spean ("Bridge Head") is an Angkorian era archaeological site on the southwest slopes of the Kulen Hills to the northeast of Angkor in Siem Reap District, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. It is situated along a 150m stretch of the Stung Kbal Spean River, 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the main Angkor group of monuments.
The site consists of a series of stone rock relief carvings in sandstone formations of the river bed and banks. It is commonly known as the "Valley of a 1000 Lingas" or "The River of a Thousand Lingas". The motifs for stone carvings are mainly myriads of lingams (phallic symbol of Hindu god Shiva), depicted as neatly arranged bumps that cover the surface of a sandstone bed rock, and lingam-yoni designs. There are also various Hindu mythological motifs, including depictions of the gods Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Rama, and Hanuman, as well as animals (cows and frogs) (Wikipedia).
From the river banks, we proceeded to the reclining Buddha at 1030H. The site of the reclining Buddha can be compared to a "Shrine" in the Catholic world.
The huge reclining Buddha statue is located atop a stone hill and we had to climb up at least a hundred-step to reach the statue.
Preah Ang Thom is an 8 meter tall statue of the reclining Buddha reaching nirvana. The statue is carved into a huge sandstone boulder. Preah Ang Thom is the sacred and worshiping god for Phnom Kulen. There are also two big trees of Cham Pa nearby. Besides Preah Ang Thom, there are Chhok Ruot, footprint of Preah Bat Choan Tuk, Peung Chhok, Peung Ey So and Peung Ey Sey (Wikipedia).
From the reclining Buddha, we walked towards the waterfalls. We reached the waterfalls at 1130H. There are two levels - upper and the lower waterfalls.
We decided to see the lower level and so we had to walk down on a stairway towards the water falls.
There were many tourists at that time. We had a nice cooling dip. The water was quite warm. It looked like yellowish-murky from afar but that is due to the color of the sand. The water was crystal clear.
According to Wikipedia, There are two main waterfalls in Phnom Kulen:
We left the waterfalls back to Siem Reap at 1300H.
We left Siem Reap, Cambodia at 1030H and landed at Manila International Airport the following day at 0210H.
19 to 22 November 2015
Just like the title of a popular Filipino song "Babalikang Muli" (translated as: To See Again), I love getting back to places that I considered true treasures. There are few places that I had seen in the past that I considered treasures and worthy of "Babalikang Muli".
Cambodia, Siem Reap in particular, is a true treasure and on my bucket list of must-see places, as it is home to multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Angkor Wat.
It's been two years since I visited Siem Reap and spent a week moving around its stone temples, marveling at their architectural grandeur and taking photos.
When I received an invitation from a colleague at the office to see the place, I never had a second thought of joining the leaders' bonding trip.
Day 01: Travel to Siem Reap from Manila
19 November 2015
I arrived at the airport early to avoid the heavy traffic. It was the APEC week. Our flight was scheduled at 1945H. I was at the airport at 1500H.
At 1600H, we were complete. There were ten of us. While waiting for our flight, we had a quick shopping at an electronic store. I got a wireless selfie stick - for the picture taking at Siem Reap just to make sure that I can take my photo in case everyone gets busy.
We finally departed for Cambodia at 2145H. Cambodia is approximately an hour and fifteen minutes from Manila International Airport. There is a time difference of one hour, Manila being ahead.
We landed at Siem Reap International Airport at 2315H (Cambodia time) and the coaster was there waiting for us. We were so glad to meet our tour guide Mr. Tay Peahn who welcomed us with a smile and a nice greeting.
We were booked at Thunborey Hotel. It's a 30-minute drive from the International Airport.
Day 2: Angkor Thom - Ta Prohm - Angkor Wat
20 November 2015
We had an early breakfast at 0630H at the hotel cafeteria.
At 0730H, the coaster had arrived. We were scheduled to see three major temples in Siem Reap.
We started the tour at 0800H. We headed towards the gates of Angkor Thom. Inside the Angkor Thom is the Bayon Temple Complex.
At 0905H, we were at the east gate of Angkor Thom and started to explore the ruins of the stone temples. The sky was clear at that time and it was hot and humid.
At 1030H, we moved to another temple the Ta Prohm. This place is famous because it was one of the settings of the movie "Tomb Raider" with the giant tree atop the stone temple.
After walking inside the temples, we decided to go back to the hotel for refreshment because of the intense heat of the sun.
Read more about Ta Prohm.
At 1600H, we started exploring the third major temple in Siem Reap, the grandest - Angkor Wat. We stayed inside the temple complex and waited for the sunset.
At 1710H, the temples turned gold as the sun started to set. At this time, we moved out of the temple complex and walked towards the moat in front of Angkor Wat to have a shot of the temple's reflection on water.
We left Angkor Wat at 1800H and drove back to Siem Reap. At 1900H, we had a nice dinner at a restaurant. We also enjoyed the Apsara dance and other Cambodian cultural show.
Read more about Angkor Wat.
Day 3: Floating Village
21 November 2015
After having breakfast at the hotel, we traveled to the Tonle Sap Lake, the great lake of Cambodia, one of Asia's largest. We took a wooden boat to the floating village of Chong Khneas, located 12 kilometers south of Siem Reap.
The floating village is located in Phnom Kulen, 48 kilometers from Siem Reap.
We started the tour at 0930H. While on the boat, I was reminded of my experience in Vietnam's Mekong River.
There is a floating school, a church and a souvenir shop. The rest of the floating structures are residential homes. I was told by our guide that majority of the people living in the river are Christian Catholics. It took us 25 minutes to reach the floating village on boat ride.
Crocodile meat and other products made of crocodile skin are also offered at the souvenir shop.
At 1000H, we left the floating village and headed back to Siem Reap to visit the Artisans at Dángkor. At 1108H, we reached the shop and started to explore.
Just like the wood carvings in Thailand, I was impressed at the details of the wood carvings at Dangkor. I like the paintings and the colorful garments.
We had a sumptuous lunch at 1210H.
After lunch we proceeded to the Cambodian Cultural Village.
We started exploring the Museum at 1500H. I was impressed at the grandeur of Angkor Wat looking at the paintings.
At 1630H, we watched the Cambodian Cultural show. It was quiet boring for me at first but my excitement started to fire-up when one of our members was called to participate in the Cambodian Cultural Wedding presentation.
It was so colorful and very lively. I was able to record the entire length of the presentation on video. We left the cultural village at 1815H and traveled back to Siem Reap.
At night, we enjoyed shopping at the night market - we bought t-shirts and other souvenir items.
Day 04: Travel back to Manila from Siem Reap
22 November 2015
Based on our original tour schedule, our last day in Cambodia was a free-day. Our flight to Manila was slotted at 2230H (Cambodia time).
We decided however, to extend our adventure a little more. We visited Phnom Kulen where the reclining Buddha (most sacred place in Cambodia), the River of Thousand Lingas and the Waterfalls are located. It was a 3-hour drive from Siem Reap.
According to Wikipedia, Phnom Kulen National Park is a National park in Cambodia. It is located in the Phnom Kulen mountain massif in Siem Reap Province. During Angkorian era the relief was known as Mahendraparvata (the mountain of Great Indra) and was the place where Jayavarman II had himself declared chakravartin (King of Kings), an act which is considered the foundation of Khmer Empire. Phnom Kulen National Park is located in Svay Leu District about 48 km from the provincial town of Siem Reap and about 25 km from Prasat Banteay Srey via Charles De Gaulle Road.
We left the hotel at 0700H. There were only seven of us - NLR, NRV, JVB, MSB, LTQ and myself. Along the way, we had a stop-over for a quick break. I happened to see a honeybee hive (cooked) on a banana leaf. I had a bite. I loved the sweet-sour taste. I was able to finish one piece of it.
We were at the river banks of Kbal Spean at 1005H, our first destination. Though the water was a little murky, we were able to see portions of the stone carvings on the river bed called the River of Thousand Lingas. I was amazed.
Kbal Spean ("Bridge Head") is an Angkorian era archaeological site on the southwest slopes of the Kulen Hills to the northeast of Angkor in Siem Reap District, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. It is situated along a 150m stretch of the Stung Kbal Spean River, 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the main Angkor group of monuments.
The site consists of a series of stone rock relief carvings in sandstone formations of the river bed and banks. It is commonly known as the "Valley of a 1000 Lingas" or "The River of a Thousand Lingas". The motifs for stone carvings are mainly myriads of lingams (phallic symbol of Hindu god Shiva), depicted as neatly arranged bumps that cover the surface of a sandstone bed rock, and lingam-yoni designs. There are also various Hindu mythological motifs, including depictions of the gods Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Rama, and Hanuman, as well as animals (cows and frogs) (Wikipedia).
From the river banks, we proceeded to the reclining Buddha at 1030H. The site of the reclining Buddha can be compared to a "Shrine" in the Catholic world.
The huge reclining Buddha statue is located atop a stone hill and we had to climb up at least a hundred-step to reach the statue.
Preah Ang Thom is an 8 meter tall statue of the reclining Buddha reaching nirvana. The statue is carved into a huge sandstone boulder. Preah Ang Thom is the sacred and worshiping god for Phnom Kulen. There are also two big trees of Cham Pa nearby. Besides Preah Ang Thom, there are Chhok Ruot, footprint of Preah Bat Choan Tuk, Peung Chhok, Peung Ey So and Peung Ey Sey (Wikipedia).
From the reclining Buddha, we walked towards the waterfalls. We reached the waterfalls at 1130H. There are two levels - upper and the lower waterfalls.
We decided to see the lower level and so we had to walk down on a stairway towards the water falls.
There were many tourists at that time. We had a nice cooling dip. The water was quite warm. It looked like yellowish-murky from afar but that is due to the color of the sand. The water was crystal clear.
According to Wikipedia, There are two main waterfalls in Phnom Kulen:
- First waterfall: 4-5 meter tall and around 25 meter wide during the rainy seasons.
- Second waterfall: 15-20 meter tall and around 15 meter wide during the rainy seasons.The size of the waterfalls varies according to the seasons and the rain.
We left the waterfalls back to Siem Reap at 1300H.
We left Siem Reap, Cambodia at 1030H and landed at Manila International Airport the following day at 0210H.
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