After several months of traveling in Southeast Asia we became quite spoiled and accustomed to having spa days. We began to wonder how we would cope once we returned home where the spa services are not so cheap. There are all types of massage facilities around Siem Reap, from higher end, full service spas to simple foot massage parlours. You will spot many of them while wandering around town, we happened upon the Frangipani Spa that's tucked down an alleyway. It's a bit on the high side for pricing, but we found it very charming and worth the extra expense. We both had a neck, head and … [Read more...]
An Evening Of Traditional Khmer Dancing And Food
We were told that a visit to Siem Reap would not be complete without seeing a sample of traditional Khmer dancing. The Aspara Theatre was recommended as one of the nicest venues to see this type of performance. It's a beautiful building with an interior of rich wood and many intricate relief carvings. Aspara and other traditional Khmer dances are an ancient art form. They have played an important role in Cambodian culture for over a thousand years. The traditional Khmer dances were nearly lost forever during the Khmer Rouge regime. Due to a renewed interest in Cambodian culture they have … [Read more...]
Angkor In Miniature
Miniature of Angkor is located in Siem Reap, Cambodia. If you don't have time to see all the Angkor temples on your list you can visit this lovely garden to see many of them on a miniature scale. Master craftsman Dy Proeung has hand carved several replicas out of sandstone. The yard and gardens are a tranquil place to spend some time and an escape from the heat on a warm day. … [Read more...]
Tic Tac Toe Khmer Style
As we wandered the town of Siem Reap we noticed tuk tuk drivers involved in some sort of activity on the street sides. They were using the small tiles of the sidewalk as a game board. It appeared to be a complex version of tic tac toe. … [Read more...]
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Cambodia
The people are known as Khmer and speak the Khmer language. It is not a tonal language like Thai, so it is a bit easier to catch on to. We found instances of it being easier to hold a conversation in English with someone in Cambodia than in Thailand. A lot of Cambodian adults over a certain age speak fluent French. Cambodia was a French colony at one time, there are many fine examples of French colonial architecture here. This would all make sense as to why we saw a lot of French tourists visiting Cambodia. The currency is called Riel, about 3,300 Riel equals one Canadian dollar. The … [Read more...]
To Siem Reap By Expensive Air Or The Scam Bus?
We flew back to Bangkok from Chiang Mai, another short 50 minute flight. We arranged a flight directly from there to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Having heard so much about the ruins we were very excited see them. We were also very nervous, after all this was Cambodia. Or Rambo land as my brother referred to it! It's a quick flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap, it took us only 40 minutes. We were actually served a meal on this short flight. We had just started into the food when the pilot announced we would soon be descending for Siem Reap airport. We barely got to touch it before it got collected. … [Read more...]