Just Go Places Magazine Cambodia Cambodia | Page 34

been t h e r e , r ec o mmen d t h a t

Hey there,
I wanted to capture some of the magic of this place before I forget some of the
smaller details to share with you as I know you will totally love this country!
We arrived in the amazing capital, Phnom Penh and spent a few days seeing
the sites. In 1422 when King Ponhea Yat  moved the capital from Angkor to
Phnom Penh he built a sanctuary at Wat Phnom Duan Penh. This place is fab! It
was amazing to see different religious shrines all together, reflecting Taoist,
Confuscian and Hindu beliefs. The kids loved all of the detailed ornamentation
like banisters in the shape of dragons etc. You can just imagine!

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
Kids in a Tuk-Tuk; House
boat general goods store
on Tonlé Sap; Phnom
Penh Royal Palace; Boat
on Tonle Sap; Cambodian
salad; Child rowing on
Tonlé Sap; Hindu statue;
Ta Prohm at Angkor.

WOW - As you know I have always wanted to go to Angkor Wat, and it is more
spectacular than you could possibly imagine! The temple was built to replicate
the heavens on Earth and that they do. Its representative of the high classical
style of the Khmer architecture and is hugely detailed and ornate in places and
not in others. We literally spent hours wandering around this magnificent
place. There were so many things to look at and just to be there and to soak
up the history of it all was such a treat.
We took a guide with us which I highly recommend because you can learn so
much more when you have someone who knows all the history in its richness
and colour, as well as the importance of every statue and carving. I could have
spent weeks going there everyday and not got bored or lost for something
new to look at and understand. It was full of tourists yet still remained quite a
zen experience for all of us!
What was even more delightful was that there are a lot of temples nearby in
the Siem Reap Province. We took day trips to see them. Each one unique and
different to the other but all of them totally amazing.

We went everywhere in
tuk-tuks which was super fun
especially for the kids! 

They were places like Angkor Thom temple, the Bayon temple, and the Banteay
Srei Temple. It sounds like a lot of temples for the kids as they are still young,
but surprisingly they loved all of the visits. They really became enthralled with
the history and the carvings and statues and just the sheer spellbinding magic
of each and every one of them!
We did so much more in Cambodia, like take a ride up the Mekong River, visit
small floating villages, watch traditional Khmer dance performances, we went
everywhere in tuk-tuks which was super fun especially for the kids!  
As always I have to mention the cuisine - our favourite meals have been in
the wonderful road side restaurants and market. Gosh I would love to come back
to do some Khmer traditional cooking classes, as well as return to all the places
we have just been and to find some more adventures in this lovely country.
We really have enjoyed the connection with this piece of heaven!
See you when we get back!

34

all pho tos on this page: k . ma rcha n t

pho t o : http s ://fli c.kr/p /b9p GF i

35