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Just back: Terryr's report about Siem Reap, Part III

Just back: Terryr's report about Siem Reap, Part III

Old Jan 3rd, 2006, 07:39 PM
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Just back: Terryr's report about Siem Reap, Part III

My family and I visited Siem Reap for 3 days/3 nights in between our time at a beachside resort south of Jomtien Beach, Thailand, and BKK. Nothing quite prepares you for SR, a third world country that is still recovering from the devastation of their recent and past history. It is a country that has been at the mercy of its more powerful neighbors (Siam and Vietnam) and foreign powers (China, France, USA) and their own civil wars and the Pol Pot regime. Other than the main roads in the city, most of the roads are still not paved. There are street children everywhere in the city and at the temples who will swarm around you selling small items, scarves, and postcards. We brought lots of one dollar bills with us which we became more comfortable giving out freely in exchange for these items.

We went to the Old Market on our first afternoon there, which was probably not the best way to be introduced to Siem Reap, as it was overwhelming to the senses. For instance, many people were coming up to us tourists for hand-outs, including men with missing limbs and bodily scars from the existence of land mines. While we had been prepared for this, it was still hard to experience. As we traveled through the city over the course of our three days, we found other areas and streets, while also busy, which felt less commercial and intense-feeling than the Old Market area that captured more the flavor and favorable character of Siem Reap. Visions still flash in my head now: three large pigs on their backs strapped to the back of a motorcycle passing by. Our guide said, “They’re on their way to the market and will be someone’s dinner by tomorrow evening. Their heads will be displayed at the market.” A young boy no older than age 8 or 9, holding a younger child, perhaps age 2, sitting in the dirt road right next to where the tuk tuks are parked….what is he doing there? Is he looking for a hand-out? He looked lost and sad to me.

The poverty seen there is in sharp contrast to the 5-star hotels which are being built by leaps and bounds. Our guide pointed out that all the land in the city proper, where shops and homes currently stand, is now owned by various corporations and companies, which will benefit from the economic boom. Our family also realizes that SR is in fact in better condition than much of Cambodia which has not benefited as much from tourism. The tension is of course more obvious when there are well-off tourists alongside amputees and children who have nothing. We found the Cambodian people kind and hardworking, and the children endearing, “please don’t forget me…or remember me…or I love you!” they will say as you walk by.

We paid the following to enter and exit Cambodia: from BKK, our family of four paid 500B ($12) each in departure tax to leave Thailand. $20 per person was the cost of a Cambodian tourist visa to enter the country. $40 per person for a 3-day pass to the temples. The cost of a tour guide and a driver will range from $45-55 a day with air conditioned cars or van plus an additional $10 to go to Banteay Srei which goes towards the cost of gasoline as it is an hour away. $25 per person for departure tax when exiting Cambodia.
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Old Jan 3rd, 2006, 07:42 PM
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Our tour guide was Dara Ly, brother of Ponheary. She is also a tour guide. We reserved with Dara weeks before our departure, [email protected]. He gets very booked up, but will try to schedule people in who come recommended to him as we were. We found Dara to be an excellent tour guide; he has been doing this for ten years and takes pride in his work. Going with him to the temples was like getting a private seminar on Cambodian history and the stories from the Hindu classics as depicted in the bas-reliefs found on the long corridor walls at Angkor Wat. For instance, we saw vivid illustrations of the relationship between the gods and demons and the Churning of the Sea of Milk with the sea serpent offering himself as a rope…this motif, based on the ancient legend, came up repeatedly throughout our visit to the various temples. We also saw bas-reliefs that depicted the everyday life of the people who lived 900 years ago, including eating, going to market, gaming, dancing, and giving birth. All of the bas-reliefs were absolutely beautiful and powerful as well as in very good condition. Additionally, Dara knew exactly when to be where, with the least crowd, and where to go for the best photo shots. He was incredible as was his driver Raita (sp?).

We did 2 full days of temple touring in the following order which I highly recommend:

5:10 AM Dara and driver picked up my husband and one of our daughters to see Angkor Wat at sunrise (you will be in good company, btw), entering the west side, and dropped them off back to the hotel where our family had breakfast together. Dara then returned an hour later for all four of us to enter the east entrance. We walked down all 4 corridors and climbed the central towers.

11:30-2:30 PM Lunch break. We realize that if we lunch where Dara recommends, the restaurant will feed him and his driver as well. Afterwards, we all rested back at our hotel.

2:30-6 PM Angkor Thom and the Bayon with 54 towers of gigantic carved faces on four sides in the image of the Buddha. While Angkor Wat was incredible, the Bayon was one of our favorite sites. We then passed the Baphuon temple and the Terrace of the Elephants. Last stop was going to the top of Phron Bakheng Mountain temple where we could get a view of the surrounding area and catch a cool breeze at the end of our long day. It was wonderful up there. Cambodia is very flat in terrain with tropical trees, rice paddies, and fields. It is surrounded by mountain ranges. For the less daring, you can get an elephant ride starting at 4 PM for $10 going up and $15 going down the “mountain.”

Second day: Dara picked us up at 7:30 AM for the hour drive to Banteay Srei. We arrived at 8:30 AM and managed to get there before the rush of a larger crowd by 9:00 AM. Highly recommended to go see. Besides, you will have an opportunity to see the countryside and various village communities along the way. We then went to Ta Prohm, or the “Jungle Temple.” Incredible. We now want to rent the video “Tomb Raiders” to see Ta Prohm in the movie.

Lunch at a restaurant in front of Angkor Wat, then back to the hotel for a 1 ½ hour break. Rest…you will need it for your afternoon “climbs.”

3:00-6 PM Preah Khan, another jungle temple, and two other temples, one of them Phnom Bakheng. As the steps up and down will be narrow and steep, it is best to have both of your hands free to grab onto the sidewalls for support.
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Old Jan 3rd, 2006, 07:48 PM
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A couple of comments about temple touring: a pair of lightweight walking shoes is essential, especially if you are up for walking over ruins and climbing the various steep steps and small mountains. Best if they have good tread and toe protection. While I was concerned that my Merrell shoes would feel too hot there, they were perfect…I was grateful many times over to be wearing them rather than sneakers, especially navigating the steep rocks of Phron Bakheng Mountain going downhill. For women, a pair of shorts is perfectly acceptable as long as they’re not too short, as Dara advised. I found it easier to be climbing the steep steps to reach the top of temples with shorts on than if I wore my jeans.

Lodging and food: we stayed at the Angkor Village Hotel on Wat Bo Road. The setting in Balinese style is gorgeous with traditional wooden houses on stilts surrounding a tropical garden and pond. It is off the main roads with no external signs indicating that a hotel is there. There is a small pool should you need a dip at mid-day. While the setting is beautiful, the hotel may be showing its age, being one of the earlier boutique hotels in SR, as we found the water to have a slight rusty scent to it, our large room felt a bit too dark at night even with all the lights on, and the hard mattresses were uncomfortable. The same group has created a newer resort, but it has received mixed reviews. It is right off a main road which seems to me took away from the ambience of the resort.

We ate at the hotel open-air restaurant for breakfast because it was most convenient and had one dinner there as well. It is better to order a la carte than to do the set menu which did not look as appealing. After eating out our first night, we went to the Aspara dance theatre just opposite our hotel to watch an hour of Cambodian classical and folk dancing. It was delightful. I noticed that the set dinners next to me were hardly touched. We also met friends at the Red Piano the next evening, which was Christmas Eve, and ate on the balcony on the second floor. The large menu offers a variety of western and Asian food. I was very pleased with my Tomb Raider cocktail and Panang chicken dish, which was delicious and my favorite meal in SR. As we looked out over our balcony, we watched the restaurant staff across the way in festivity with red and white Santa Claus hats on their heads. Siem Reap was all lit up for the holiday season, especially around the hotels. As we passed the FCC hotel and restaurant in our van, we noticed a long line of Cambodians peering over the hedge. Our tour guide Dara said, “They all want to see what Christmas is about.”


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Old Jan 3rd, 2006, 07:52 PM
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good start...thanks...

we must have been lucky...while we did see some children near angkor wat itself, we did not see hordes of them...we saw a few disabled people but not the many that you and others have reported....we visited the first week of december two years ago...i guess we were lucky....we did not care much for the town of SR but did love the surrounding areas where people actually live and work their farms...

your point about the rest of cambodia vs SR is undoubtably accurate...

we consider ourselves very lucky to have had the chance to visit there...


looking forward to hearing more from you

bob
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Old Jan 3rd, 2006, 08:02 PM
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as you were typing so was i so you added two segments while i typed...

your review of angkor village mirrors ours...

red piano is perfect after a long day...good at lunch also...
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Old Jan 4th, 2006, 01:59 AM
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Thank you - this is an excellent report. We will be in Siem Reap next month.
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Old Jan 4th, 2006, 05:16 AM
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Hi Craig,
Glad to be of help. Have a wonderful time!

One more thing: if you have the time to do some general reading on the Hindu ancient legends before you go, you will have double the thrill of then seeing the stories etched out in the bas-reliefs and hearing the information from your tour guide on another level....you will feel less overwhelmed with all the information shown and given to you, unlike first timers exposed to everything new, and get even more out of your temple touring, imho.
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Old Jan 4th, 2006, 06:59 AM
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It sounds like you got a good introduction to the temples. Dara chose a nice variety for you since you were only there for two days.

The beds at the Angkor Village are very hard - I found the hardness of the beds made it easier to get up early in the morning to see various temples at sunrise! (lol)

Just a note for others planning for Angkor, Terry's itinerary for the temples allowed them to see a nice sample of the temples. Note that there are dozens of accessible temples in the area, so plan your trip for how many temples you want to see. Some people are true temple fanatics (like me!), other want a sample. I spent a week there and saw most of the temples. One of the advantages of visiting the so-called minor temples is that you can be the only visitor. Most people who go to Angkor visit only a small number of the major temples.
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Old Jan 4th, 2006, 08:34 AM
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terryr:
Thanks for the report as we will also be in SR next month. I appreciate all of your suggestions and will probably do the same itinerary as we have Ponheary scheduled for 3 days.
Aloha!
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Old Jan 4th, 2006, 12:50 PM
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Hi Kathie,
Great to hear from you. Thank you again for the help that you gave me prior to our trip when I had questions. You helped with restaurant choices in BKK and settling the question about whether or not to go to Banteay Srei and other temple choices. It really pays to do your own research on the temples. Therefore, I gave Dara a list of temples that we wanted to see, and he ordered them in the way that he thought best (the order made a lot of sense) and added on a couple of other sites which I had not read about...overall, it was a great mix and variety for our two full days of touring.

Hawaiiantraveler, have a great time in SR! Please give my best to Ponheary as she set up all of our arrangements with her brother Dara! Please let her and Dara know the feedback that you have heard about their work and tours.
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Old Jan 4th, 2006, 06:42 PM
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Ah, Terry, even better yet you chose your own temples! I think it makes so much difference to do your research first.

I'm glad my comments were helpful to you.
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Old Jan 4th, 2006, 09:05 PM
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I always learn a lot from your comments, Kathie, on whatever topic is being talked about! Appreciatively, Terry
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Old Jan 5th, 2006, 03:24 PM
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Good report. Very thorough. We used Ponheary and our temple viewing was identical to yours. They must have a plan.

The poverty of Siem Riep is omnipresent. Ignoring it becomes difficult. At the old market, a man missing a leg followed us for about 10 minutes. It was depressing. Landmines took on a much greater reality.
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Old Jan 5th, 2006, 05:11 PM
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terryr: Loved your report. Specially because I just received the confirmation that Dara will be our guide for three days (18-20 February). After touring for two days, did you feel that some important temples were left? Was the scheduled too hectic?
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Old Jan 5th, 2006, 06:17 PM
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Hi Gpanda, your feelings about SR and the Old Market area mirrored our own...given that we just left a beautiful beachside resort south of Jomtien Beach, flew to SR, and then chose to go to the Old Market area first, the stark contrast between those two worlds as well as seeing the effects of war and poverty in Cambodia was a bit hard for us adults and young adults in our group to handle....as our introduction to SR.

Gilawil01, because we weren't sure how appealing temple touring would be for our entire party of four, ages ranging from 19 to 50s, we just booked two days. Our 19 y/o stayed behind at the hotel one afternoon and slept and enjoyed the pool, temple touring wasn't so much "her kind of thing." Therefore, two full days felt enough for the majority of us, the pacing felt right, and I believe that we saw all the major temples in that time. I suspect that our older daughter, age 22, would have enjoyed 1 or 2 days more...and as Kathie wrote, seeing some of the minor temples would allow you to be in less crowded space. Given that we only had a total of 12 days between Thailand and SR, our 3 days/3 nights in SR felt just right. Have a great trip and please send our best to Dara...you will be in excellent, professional hands!
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Old Jan 19th, 2006, 04:35 PM
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Terry - Loved your report, and was especially pleased to hear you had such positive experiences with Dara, because I, too, have just received confirmation that he will be our guide in February (right after you're there, gilawi01!). We'll have him for three days but want to visit a school one afternoon to donate some school supplies and also take a sidetrip to Tonle Sap lake. But your temple plan sounds fabulous and gives me an excellent starting point for two of our days. Thanks so much!
Karen
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Old Jan 20th, 2006, 07:49 AM
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Hi Karen,

Great to hear from you again. I do believe that I got a previous message from you about the China House. Please send my warm regards to Dara! You are in great hands with him. He to me exemplifies the warmth of the Cambodian people, their resiliency despite hardships faced, and strong work ethics. Have a wonderful time temple touring and in Bangkok.

Karen, I think that our itinerary was a very satisfying and compact one for the 3 days that we had in Siem Reap, but if we had more time, I would have wanted to do something more in the way of "giving back" to the Cambodian people as reported by recent travelers there. It's great that you will have a chance to do just that. In fact, our older daughter, age 23, has recently contacted Ponheary and Dara about wanting to return to Siem Reap and do some volunteer work in an orphanage or with children for a couple of weeks once she completes her teaching job in Bang Saen, Thailand at the end of April and before she returns to the States.

If anyone knows of any good volunteer opportunities in Siem Reap, would you be willing to contact me directly at [email protected], and I will pass your valuable information on to our daughter? Thank you for your continued help and support! I still love reading about others' experiences in SEA since returning from our own trip a month ago and yearn for those days back! Terry
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Old Jan 20th, 2006, 09:20 AM
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Terry

I just emailed you with some contacts for your daughter.

Lori
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Old Jan 20th, 2006, 09:01 PM
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Many thanks, Lori, I look forward to receiving your information for our daughter. She is interested in doing volunteer teaching or working with children in Siem Reap for the short time that remains for her in SEA.
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Old Jan 21st, 2006, 01:43 PM
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Hi Lori,

Would you try emailing me again? I have been looking for your message, but have not seen it yet. Many thanks.
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