Temple Complex Angkor – Siem Reap
If you love eating fish, traveling through beautiful unaffected sceneries and exploring a totally different culture, South-East Asian Cambodia might be the perfect travel destination for you.
It takes between eleven and twelve hours flying to Cambodia. The native language of Cambodia is Khmer. Besides that, local people also speak English, Chinese, Vietnamese and French.
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh
In Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, one of the highlights you should definitely visit is the Royal Palace. This palace is stands out between every other building in the city because of the typical Khmer architecture. The present king still lives in the Royal Palace and therefore it is not allowed enter certain parts of the palace. As a visitor you are welcome to walk into the Silver Pagode and the Throne Hall. This hall is still regularly used during official events. If you plan on visiting the Royal Palace, please make sure that your knees and elbows are covered.
If you visit the Tuol Sleng jail or the Killing Fields in Choeung Ek, you can see how terrible the red Khmer history has been. Here you will learn a lot about how people used to live and the influence of the past on the day-to-day life of the local population. However, please be careful: you will be amazed of how horrible it has been there in the past.
This place hasn’t been discovered by many tourists yet, but temple complex Angkor is also a very well-known sight in Phnom Penh. At this complex, there are many ruins of both temples and cities. The most impressive temple, known as Angkor Wat, is the largest religious monument of the world. This monument is more than sixty meters tall and has a surface of one square kilometer. It is built with the same architecture as the first cities and temples in town.
Near Angkor is a city named Siem Reap, where you can take the boat to Battambang. This boat trip takes four or five hours, but it’s totally worth it and should be considered above taking the three hour bus ride to the same place. Battambang is a nice city for cycling, even though you can only rent a bike in a few places. One of these is the Khmer Bamboo Restaurant, where you can rent a bike for one dollar. It is also possible to get a massage from a blind woman, which is also a very special experience.
Before you start your wonderful journey to this beautiful country, there are some practical matters which you have to consider in advance. First, you have to check the validity of your passport. This document must be valid for at least 6 months on the day of arrival in Cambodia. Furthermore, you also need to apply for a visa so that you can enter Cambodia. This can easily and quickly be done online. You can pay the visa through iDeal, Bancontact, PayPal or Creditcard. To avoid last minute stress, please arrange your visa Cambodia in a timely manner. Please read the application form carefully and make sure to fill it in correctly.
Thirdly, it is important to read up about dress codes and other local habits and practices. Young children are sometimes used as beggars. The money they bring in often goes to terrorist groups or other bad purposes, so it is very important to think carefully before you give money to those kids. Before you start traveling also visit your family doctor or mental healthcare to check if you need any vaccines. Lastly, it is very important to inform yourself about the potential dangerous or tedious situations in the country of destination, so that you can avoid bad places and situations.