As an Indian who has travelled to various intricately designed temples, such as the Ajanta Ellora caves, the Meenakshi temple, the Halebid-Belur temples, and the ruins of Hampi, I was not overwhelmed by Angkor Wat during my recent trip to Cambodia. Nonetheless, places with history intrigue me and Angkor wasn't any different. Below are some throwback tales from my visit to this awesome country back in April 2024.
Cambodia was my 8th country, and yet, the trip, like every other, taught me so much. I was part of a group of Indian tourists who flew from Bangalore and landed in a super-hot Cambodia in the early hours of a mid-April afternoon.
Day 1:
Day 1 in Cambodia was spent walking about the city of Phnom Penh. We struck up some good bargains at the night market and found quite a few South Asian eateries too.
Day 2:
Our first stop on Day 2 was the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh. We noticed the prominent influence of the Ramayana on the wall decor of the palace.
The Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge era was our next stop. It was a heart-wrenching experience just to feel the massive scale of devastation and destruction of human lives that took place during the dictatorship of Pol Pot. The descriptions on the boards will give you a feel of the horrendous genocide.
Our next stop was the S-21 prison of the Khmer Rouge era, which has now been renamed the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The scores of photos of the people killed (mostly the urban population, including the intellectuals) gave us goosebumps. It was a draining experience and one where we felt we actually went through their ordeal. You'll also find some survivors telling their own stories. Some have penned books too. We met one such aged man who showed us an origami swan that he had made during his time in the prison.
The last stop on Day 2 was Wat Phnom, a shrine built on a man-made hill and one that gave Phnom Penh its name.
Day 3:
Day 3 began with a long road trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap post-breakfast. We checked into our pretty hotel and got some rest till the Sun went down.
In the evening, we hit Pub Street and gorged on some street food and beer. We then did some souvenir shopping at the night market, after which I had some sumptuous Chinese food from the roadside stalls, while my other group mates chose to order food on Grab.
Day 4:
Day 4 was reserved for Angkor Wat. After a quick breakfast, we headed to the star attraction of Cambodia. Touted as the world's largest religious complex, this Hindu temple built by Khmer ruler Suryavarman II is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The heat was unbearable (we chose the wrong season for Cambodia), so we had to wrap our trip up quickly (cutting down 2 hrs and ending it at 4 pm instead of 6 pm, thus missing the sunset).
With scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata etched in stone, this place was pure magic. Our guide also showed us how the center of its main temple follows geographical precision that we can only accomplish now with our modern compasses. He also claimed Louis Vuitton has apparently copied one of the temple designs for its bags. You can see the comparison in the pic where he holds up a mobile phone with the LV pic in it.
Next up was Ta Prohm, which became a rage after the Angelina Jolie-starrer Tomb Raider was filmed at the site. Was amazed at the huge tree trunks that have taken over the ancient temple ruins. This is truly a photographer's paradise. There is one spot here called the Echo Point. The strangest part is, you will only hear an echo if you thump your left chest (your heart). No other sound creates an echo here. Creepy, but true! We tried it, and felt it.
Next up was Bayon Temple or the Temple of the Smiling Buddhas. Some believe the main Buddha here is actually Lord Shiva (as there is a hint of a third eye on his forehead). It was an ethereal experience being a part of this place.
Day 5:
The next day, we set off for Tonle Sap, the floating village of Cambodia, after lunch. The first thing we did there was a walking tour of the local market.
We then walked through the village of Tonle Sap, where the houses are all built on stilts because of the water-logging they face during the monsoons. In fact, when the lake overflows in the monsoons, the people of the village can only move around in their boats. Tonle Sap truly becomes a floating village then. We spoke to the locals and had some local food too (rice cakes, potato chops, etc.).
The highlight of the trip was when I was gifted a flower by 2 local Cambodian kids. They gladly posed for a selfie with me. After this, me and my group mates hopped on to a boat for a ride on the Tonle Sap.
After watching a soul-soothing sunset at a floating restaurant on Tonle Sap Lake we headed back to the parking lot on our boat. Halfway through, our boat got stuck in the mud. Stranded for 15 minutes in the dark (most of the other boats had gone back to shore by then and a few that were there didn't want to risk being stranded by being dragged down by the mud on the shallow end), we were finally rescued by another boat to a collective cheer from us and a German group that was travelling in the same boat. I was reminded of Titanic, Anaconda, and a lot of other movies. Thankfully, we didn't face the same fate.
And that was the end to a short but beautiful trip to the land of Angkor!
PS: Found this dessert at breakfast at our hotel in Siem Reap. The hotel staff said they call it "Maiseisarai" but a Google search didn't yield any result. It's a "barfi" made of coconut malai (daaber shash) and milk. Tastes yummy!
Do try Amok, the national dish of Cambodia. It consists of fish in a lemony broth and was quite a treat.
Hotel details:
Phnom Penh: SIM Boutique Hotel
Siem Reap: Central Indochine D'angkor Hotel
Pub recommendation:
Hanuman's King Lounge, Pub Street, Siem Reap
Note: Cambodian currency isn't available for exchange in India. So, the best thing to do is to carry US Dollars and exchange them for Cambodian Riel in Cambodia.
