Former Globetrotters Committee member Stuart was recently based in Cambodia
whilst working for Voluntary Services Overseas. In this article, he gives
us the benefit of his experience and tells us his top tips.
Transport
Tuk tuk (seats 2) – $8 a day (sunrise to sunset) for the central temples
(Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm), $15 to go to Banteay Srei, they may want
and extra $1 to go to Neak Pean but this is a bit cheeky.
I recommend Kinal as a driver – very gentle person, speaks a bit of
English, drives slowly and carefully, has a nice new tuk-tuk. Tel: 012 909
730.
Alternative is to go by moto for about $5-8.
There are 2 boat options – new Japanese boat or old boat. The new one
has just started and they had a promo deal on for July and Aug of $30 o/w but
the normal price is $55, which is comparable to flying. It’s about the
same time as the old boat. Guesthouses in Siem Reap can arrange tickets. It has
an air-con downstairs with nice seats, free meal and drinks, normal volume
films and a covered deck with chairs. They also pick you up and take you
to/from the boat at both ends. Additional perks include life jackets and
lifeboats, which are not to be found on the old boats.
The old boats are normally $25 o/w but they dropped their prices to $10-15
in the face of competition from the new one but they may well go back up again
once the promo period is over. Old boats all seem to be quite similar –
“bullet boats” or “express boats” or “rambo
boats”. Basically a metal cylinder with cramped air-conned interior and
VERY loud videos (Khmer comedy or kung fu – bring ear plugs). Trick is to
get a seat away from a speaker and not too close to the back (engine noise and
industrial strength aircon). Probably not for claustrophobics as the only 2
doors are small and what would happen in the event of an accident doesn’t
bear thinking about.
Alternatively, sit on the roof – take plenty of sun cream, water and a
scarf (2-3000 riel for a kroma – checked Khmer scarf, from any market) to
cover body parts that will get roasted/soaked regardless. Once the thing gets
going it is very fast and exposed. There is no barrier at the outside edge of
the boat, only a ledge to walk along and a rail at shoulder height to hold
onto, so if you need to go to the loo (inside) during the 5-6 hour trip (cf.
drinking lots of water tip above) then don’t fall in on the way as they
probably won’t stop to pick you up. Put valuables in plastic bags to
avoid them being drenched.
However, if you want to take photos then the roof is the place to be. There
is a Vietnamese floating village just at the Siem Reap boat boarding place
which is very photogenic. Once in the lake itself the scenery is not great as
the banks are far away. The stretch from Kompong Chhnang to PP is scenic as the
banks are close and there are lots of other boats fishing etc.
Food & Accom
I haven’t tried too many places but can recommend Soup Dragon (run by
an ex-VSO) and Blue Pumpkin (also does good bakery things). Watch the
restaurants near the temples – they’re much more expensive than
elsewhere (as are the drinks stands – buy in Siem Reap and leave them in
the tuk-tuk). I’m not sure but I think some places have 2 menus
– one for foreigners and the other for locals. The alternative is
to stock up on picnic things in Siem Reap.
Top tip: you can swim in the very nice pool at the Angkor Village Hotel for
free – just be discrete about it.
There are loads of places to stay in all price ranges. We stayed at the
Green Garden Home guest house, which is a little out of the centre i.e. a 5-10
min walk to the market. Quiet garden setting with rooms from $10-25.
Shopping
Don’t bother buying souvenirs here as they’re much cheaper and
better quality/selection in Phnom Penh. One thing you might want to get
is the Angkor guide book by Dawn Rooney which gives you the detailed low down
on each temple. $2-5 for a photocopied version, available everywhere.
There are also 2 little visitors’ guides available in guesthouses which
have up-to-date maps and listings.
Temples
This year the Government has introduced photo passes – you get taken
into a little room and have your picture taken (free – or you can take a
photo along if you prefer/have one to hand) for putting on your pass. $20 for 1
day; $40 for 2-3; $60 for 4-7. 3 days is nice and not rushed at all, you
probably need 2 minimum if you want to get to Banteay Srei/not hang around; it
probably is possible to cover most of the main sights in a day if you happen to
be Japanese. Reserve one of your days for a sunrise/set visit –
recommended.
There are loads of temples to see and they’re spread over a huge area
but recommendations are:
- Angkor Wat – can’t come to Cambodia and not see this. There are
2 pools inside the grounds ideally situated for sunrise/set shots. Make sure
you’ve got a guidebook that can explain the bas reliefs – the
churning of the sea makes more sense once it’s been explained. Stairs to
the top are precarious.
- Angkor Thom/Bayon – doesn’t look much from afar but once inside
those faces really get to you – a marvel. Don’t forget to check out
the bas reliefs here too – lots of apsaras in good condition.
- Ta Promh – overgrown with trees, looking a bit like it’s just
been discovered. Atmospheric but difficult to photograph in the rain as it is
quite dark.
- Banteay Srei – a trek from Siem Reap but well worth it. Very
different from the main temples – it’s made from red stone and the
carving is very intricate. It is surprisingly small.
- Pre Rup – on the way to B. Srei and it just seems to appear from
nowhere. I particularly enjoyed trying to explain elementary arithmetic to the
girl on the top – she wanted to sell 10 bangles for 4000 riel but refused
to sell 5 for 2000!
- Preah Neak Pean – because it’s so different – it comes as
a bit of a shock after all those crumbling temples. This one is a complex of 5
pools. Very little to it but a change is as good as a rest.
- Others:
- Banteay Kdei – quite similar to the others. Maybe I was getting
watted out by this point.
- Srah Srang – the king’s bath but really just a set of stairs
and a field!
- Preah Khan – has “enchanting walks”. Shaped liked a huge
cross with many of the designs similar to other temples.
We didn’t make it to the Roulos group (the earliest temples), Phnom
Kulen, the river of 1000 lingkas (apparently very good once there’s been
enough rain to cover the carvings) or any of the other minor places.
Film
Film is available cheaply in Siem Reap. Not so sure about quality of
processing but can recommend a place in PP which is cheap, quick and good.
If you go for a sunrise/set visit to the temples and you’ve got an SLR
then underexpose to get nice silhouette shots.
Take at least 400ASA film for the temples as some of them can be
surprisingly dark, especially if it is raining/cloudy – you may find
yourself needing a flash at times.
For more information, visit Stuart’s website:http://uk.geocities.com/stuartincambodia
Two areas demand to be visited. These are the old
part of the city at Ortygia, where the bus terminus was,
and the Parco Archeológico. I went down to Ortygia that
same evening, just too late for the tourist office opening
times, and enjoyed a brief stroll round and a good pizza.
It was quite good enough to call me back the next morning
but, other than getting the map and literature I wanted
from the tourist office, I was just a shade disappointed.
Ortygia is near enough an island and not a very big one; I
had not realised that the point, which should have given a
good sea view, was out of bounds to visitors because of the
requirements of the army. In general the area should
probably be regarded as a must see by anyone who has not
been to any of the beautiful old towns on the Italian
mainland but, unusually, I was as much struck by the
displayed poverty of some areas as anything. The cathedral
is very interesting, though scarcely beautiful, from the
outside with bits being part of an earlier Greek temple.
However, contrary to my usual view in southern Europe, the
interior, which contains some strikingly beautiful columns,
provides a better spectacle. Taken as a whole I preferred
Ortygia at night and the jury was still out on Siracusa as
I took a bus and then a walk to the entrance to the Parco
Archeológico.