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A City Carved in Stone
From the 9th to the 14th centuries, (at a time when Europe
was still struggling out of the Dark Ages),
the Cambodian
Empire of Angkor encompassed most of present-day Laos,
Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
The heart of this empire during its peak in the 12th century
was the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (near present day
Siem Reap), the site of the world’s largest temple complexes
that was only rediscovered in 1861, overgrown by jungle.
This spectacular city was built over 30 years under the
reign of Suryavarman II (1113-1150). The whole area covers
400 square kilometers and is brimming with the finest examples
of Khmer art and architecture.
Bayon with its carved heads of Jayavaraman
VII
Visitors are always amazed at the sheer scale of the place.
Within the Angkor Wat compound alone, you will find more
than 100 stone monuments and temple edifices, each of
which contains countless statues, sculptures and bas reliefs
that have weathered extremely well over the last 800 years.
To see the whole thing can take several days, as you get
delightfully lost in its labyrinthine corridors.
The most important temples to visit in the area are Angkor
Wat – especially at sunrise and sunset; Angkor Thom, the
remains of the capital; Ta Prohm, a palace overgrown by
jungle; and Preah Khan, which is also overgrown and in
the process of restoration.
SE Asia’s Great Lake
The Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast
Asia, covering 27,000 hectares in dry season (November
to May) and 150,000 hectares during the rainy season (June
to October). The Tonle Sap River reverses according to
the season and the Tonle Sap acts as an overflow reservoir
for the huge Mekong River. It is a beautiful and tranquil
place to explore by boat and visitors to the area shouldn’t
miss the opportunity to do so.
The Tonle Sap is more than just a pretty face though.
It is vital to Cambodia’s already tenuous survival. It
produces 100,000 tons of fish every year – an incredible
80% of the population’s protein intake. Unfortunately,
huge dam projects in China along with others in Laos and
Thailand are affecting the flow of water and threatening
the ecosystem of this magnificent body of water.
Sample trips
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