Just recently back from a trip to Siem Reap.
A typical malaysian would just ask, shopping best ke kat sana? Barang2 murah?
Well, I'm not really into shopping holiday.
So what is there to see in Siem Reap? Ancient temples of the ancient khmer civilisation.
So there we are, both me and my wife in siem reap temple raiding.
i always thought that angkor wat is small, but never could i imagine the massive size of the whole area of the temple..perhaps this is what power and god like status gives to one...
lots of stone + lots of slave + lots of elephant + yourself as king = angkor wat
although angkor wat is the only temple around that survive the test of time and well kept (not to mention the biggest single temple complex), there are lot more of other temples that were built around the area and it took us the whole 3 days to cover almost all of them. At the viccinity of angkor wat itself, there are more than 10 ancient temples and ruins left by the ancient khmer. Few others are at the other end of siem reap. Refer to wife entry later for more detail..
What more is there to see in Siem Reap, those who read might perhaps know what TonLe Sap is. Largest freshwater lake in Asia (or at least South East Asia). Inhabited by vietnamese and cambodian, the lake is the main source of food and water to those area surrounding it. We were there in the dry season, so the view wasn't as stunning as it looks like during wet season. Alas, it still give us a marvellous experience.
So long story short...
I've wanted to post few photos but there's too much of good photos to be uploaded and finding a hard time to pick one (i have to compliment myself since nobody would). might putting it in a slideshow.
Neway, let's start from malaysia...
We arrived at Siem Reap around noon which is perfect since we can have a stroll in late noon familiarizing ourselves with the surrounding...
Siem Reap is a small town with lots tuk-tuk and motorcycle. I gave the task to pick the hotel to my wife and she'd did it nicely by a convenient little hotel next to Siem Reap River and almost close to anything shopping. and yes, it's dusty there. So bring along your mask..or just cover your face with your shirt.
For USD16/day it was a nice little hotel that wouldn't burden you much (what's the point of taking an expensive hotel if all you do all day long was out of hotel)
(mandalay inn...tagline: looks expensive but not) watch out for the giant geckos
i was confident that i could walk around the town and decided to go ahead to the national museum, not even halfway i realise that it was too far away and headed back for lunch. Soon afterward we decided to take a stroll to Lake TonLe Sap.
Coined as the biggest freshwater lake, it is indeed a large lake..probably hundreds of kilometers wide at its longest width. How much does it cost...seriously i'm not really sure, because we were charged about USD40 for a round trip. They really make money there....and of course being a malaysian, we cannot go further without bargaining for cheaper deal.
sunset was stunning at the lake, but there again, the khmer are so good in forking every dollar from the tourist. Sunset view would cost him overtime charges...but i won't fork another dollar for it, as what i have capture is good enough.
Siem Reap would probably be the best place for batman to retire since it is particularly safe in siem reap (don't qoute me on this when you get in trouble there at night). For those who are looking for booze, siem reap offers a variety of places you could imagine..from mexico to italy all the way to france...pub street is open for you. Those who have the gut, might give it a try for crocodile BBQ. Well for brother and sister who are looking for Halal Khmer food there, choices are scarce. We only knew one local khmer halal there, but it took a while for tuktuk to find it. So don't forget to tip extra your tuktuk driver. Call first when you decide to eat there, since they didn't expect much of a customer to come there. Try the amok...Vegetarian and vegan...don't worry..there's a place for you in the passage. just don't ask for vegetarian crocodile. mamak pun ada..price ranges between USD5 till USD10 per person for a complete set of meal.
Shoppers..ready...Noon nite market and night market is open for you..selling all kind of souvenirs your eyes can laid on..prices? ranges from USD1 to USD30..depending on how good is your bargaining skill. (Malaysian...practice yourself at Petaling Street first)...what i like at the night market? body massage at USD5/hour...hahahaha can't get that here in malaysia..During the day, one could always lurk around in old market or central market, but price are bit hard to negotiate. The trick is to shop early in the morning where you'll be the first customer.
We start the next day and the following 2 days exploring Angkor wat, Angkor Thom and Other temples ruin around Siem Reap. Cost is USD40/pax for a 3 days pass. Worth the trip since the ticket covers most of the temple there. Except for a few which is too far away. Mode of transportation is fairly decent. There's no cab there. if you're in a big group, rent a van or a car. Or hire a tuktuk for the whole day (it'll cost you USD12/day)..or if you're physically fit and absolutely cheap..rent a bicycle.
Since the temple is huge and it worth hundreds of years of ancient history, so it is better to have some understanding of the history. Buy a guide book to aid your travel within the temple, or spend some cash on tour guide (get a certified one)...they are available in any major language spoken..japanese, french, spanish, english, chinese...and no, they don't provide malay speaking travel guide. Although you might find some of them can speak a bit of malay. Tour guide cost you about USD25/day. But worth every dollar spent.
Apsara dance is something that you must watch while being there, a few places offer a free entrance to apsara show. Temple club offering free apsara show, dine in of course. But if you're expecting ala grande show, then you'll have to fork out more. You can opt for night tour in angkor wat or the cultural village for some spectacular show of apsara. For cultural village, do watch the schedule closely, perfect timing is needed so that you won't cursing yourself at the end of the trip there.
For a more educational tour, perhaps a visit to silk farm is more suitable. Best is to go to Artisan d'Angkor where young khmer learn the vocational skills in wood carving, masonry and silk making there. Ask for a tour to the silk farm, and its free. But never forget to tipped the driver and your tour guide.
So basically that is all it is...
1 comment:
waa~ bessnye..
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