Land of Khmer's - Mystic Cambodia

ramkya1 · 16th September 2010, 22:51

Hai Evo,

Great pictures and short story. Thanks for sharing the highlights, the temple pictures are awesome.

I had planned to be there in Nov this year, even hotel bookings were done in Bangkok, Siam Reap, Phnom Phen and Vietnam, but leaves are difficult + family compulsions to be in India during Diwali.

Your travalogue is very useful for me as a reference point as I'd surely go there some time soon. If possible, please share costs of hotels, tuk-tuk (your experience with them), guide cost and other transport costs. Did you fly in and out direct from S'pore to Siam Reap, I saw the flight rates from Bangkok-Siam Reap-Phnom-phen or HoChiMin are pretty hefty compared to other sectors.

Keep loading more, looking forwarding to it...

--Ramky
=======

evo8 · 17th September 2010, 11:01

Quote:

If possible, please share costs of hotels, tuk-tuk (your experience with them), guide cost and other transport costs. Did you fly in and out direct from S'pore to Siam Reap,

Yep I travelled to Siem Reap directly from SG. Hotels would cost from 8USD per night to 200USD per night. I paid about 55 USD per night. The hotel arranged for the tuk-tuk, paid 15 USD per day to visit these places. The drivers are quite nice and dont nag or create trouble(Like our Auto guys). To hire a guide it is 30 USD. You have to hire a licenced guide. We hired th eguide for 2 days and 3rd day we were on our own,. I dont think a guide is reauired.

MX6 · 17th September 2010, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

The temples look awesome! I just wonder if they are carved out of rock or constructed of stones. Whatever the case may be, the faces are breaking.

Is n't there a conservation programme for this? IMO its a world heritage site.
There are n't any other tourists apart from you. Very strange.

How is the place as far as normal living is concerned in comparison to India?

I saw a programme in NatGeo on this temple TB.

Apparently, there's dense foliage in this place and this was lost in time in those jungles. And I also remember seeing that the cracks coming up are due to the roots of these trees and plants that are growing up all around.
And the place is maintained amazingly! I cried seeing the virupaksha temple in Hampi over 15 years back. No comparison at all.

@evo. Best photo of your log is where you and your wife are looking out of a window! Loved the pics. Thanks pal.

evo8 · 18th September 2010, 11:00

Ta Phrom : This temple was built in the 12th Century and was originally called Rajavihara. I was infact pulled to visit Cambodia after visiting this temple. The movie Tomb Raider was shot here and has a mystical feel to it.

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TaureanBull · 18th September 2010, 20:02

Awesome pics of an awesome place.

Yes, it does remind of the Tomb Raider. That tree appears ancient and its branches are making good figures. By the way, does it have any myth related to it, in reality?

@MX6 : thanks for the info. My concern about the care part was the cracks. If they keep growing with time we may lose these monuments. Heartening to know that these are maintained well.

evo8 · 19th September 2010, 08:01

Quote:

@MX6 : thanks for the info. My concern about the care part was the cracks. If they keep growing with time we may lose these monuments. Heartening to know that these are maintained well.

Infact Ta phrom(Tomb raider fame), is in a bad shape and a lot of restoration work is happening. So most of the parts were closed for tourists.

Quote:

By the way, does it have any myth related to it, in reality?

I dont think any myth is attached with this temple

.

arcotsrinivas · 20th September 2010, 15:16

Amazing pictures the faces and the tree which grew in the temple structure is fabulous.

This truly is a once in a lift time experience hope i will visit this place one day.

harjeev · 25th September 2010, 16:14

Amazing pictures and a great travelogue or photologue!!!
Eagerly waiting for the updates.

neoranjit · 1st October 2010, 18:50

@evo : did you go to the killing fields as well ?

maddy42 · 1st October 2010, 23:21

Beautuiful. Well this looks like one unexplored country. Is language an issue there?

16th September 2010, 22:51	#31
ramkya1 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Palakkad, Keral Posts: 1,829 Thanked: 434 Times View My Garage	Hai Evo, Great pictures and short story. Thanks for sharing the highlights, the temple pictures are awesome. I had planned to be there in Nov this year, even hotel bookings were done in Bangkok, Siam Reap, Phnom Phen and Vietnam, but leaves are difficult + family compulsions to be in India during Diwali. Your travalogue is very useful for me as a reference point as I'd surely go there some time soon. If possible, please share costs of hotels, tuk-tuk (your experience with them), guide cost and other transport costs. Did you fly in and out direct from S'pore to Siam Reap, I saw the flight rates from Bangkok-Siam Reap-Phnom-phen or HoChiMin are pretty hefty compared to other sectors. Keep loading more, looking forwarding to it... --Ramky ======= Last edited by ramkya1 : 16th September 2010 at 22:55.
	() Thanks

18th September 2010, 11:00	#34
evo8 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 54 Thanked: 9 Times	Ta Phrom : This temple was built in the 12th Century and was originally called Rajavihara. I was infact pulled to visit Cambodia after visiting this temple. The movie Tomb Raider was shot here and has a mystical feel to it.
	() Thanks

18th September 2010, 20:02	#35
TaureanBull Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 1,071 Thanked: 329 Times View My Garage	Awesome pics of an awesome place. Yes, it does remind of the Tomb Raider. That tree appears ancient and its branches are making good figures. By the way, does it have any myth related to it, in reality? @MX6 : thanks for the info. My concern about the care part was the cracks. If they keep growing with time we may lose these monuments. Heartening to know that these are maintained well. Last edited by TaureanBull : 18th September 2010 at 20:08.
	() Thanks

20th September 2010, 15:16	#37
arcotsrinivas BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 65 Thanked: 96 Times View My Garage	Amazing pictures the faces and the tree which grew in the temple structure is fabulous. This truly is a once in a lift time experience hope i will visit this place one day.
	() Thanks

25th September 2010, 16:14	#38
harjeev Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 1,899 Thanked: 293 Times View My Garage	Amazing pictures and a great travelogue or photologue!!! Eagerly waiting for the updates.
	() Thanks

1st October 2010, 18:50	#39
neoranjit BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Chennai Posts: 588 Thanked: 196 Times View My Garage	@evo : did you go to the killing fields as well ?
	() Thanks

1st October 2010, 23:21	#40
maddy42 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Coorg Posts: 2,157 Thanked: 1,478 Times View My Garage	Beautuiful. Well this looks like one unexplored country. Is language an issue there?
	() Thanks