After a wonderful trip to Hong Kong and Taiwan, we ventured back to Southeast Asia to explore Cambodia. Looking back, it might have been ideal to visit Cambodia in between Thailand and Vietnam. However, despite the short distance, the flight from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City was prohibitively expensive, so we postponed our Cambodian adventure. Our focus during the 8-day stay in Siem Reap was exploring the magnificent Angkor Archaeological Park, more popularly known for one of its temples, Angkor Wat.

Overview of Cambodia

Cambodia is nestled between Thailand to the west, Vietnam to the east, and Laos to the north. It is one of the poorer countries in Southeast Asia due to its tragic recent past. Siem Reap, where we visited, is the most visited place in Cambodia thanks to Angkor Wat and other temples. In order to understand Cambodia, one need to have a basic understanding of two of its most important historical periods: 1) Khmer Empire, and 2) Khmer Rouge rule. Let’s briefly discuss the history of the two.

Khmer Empire (804-1431 CE)

The Khmer Empire was a powerful state in Southeast Asia, covering much of what is now Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and southern Vietnam. Known for its grand architecture, particularly the iconic Angkor Wat temple complex, the empire was a center of culture, art, and advanced hydraulic engineering. The Khmer rulers, notably Jayavarman II and Jayavarman VII, left a lasting legacy of impressive temples, sculptures, and inscriptions that reflect the empire’s spiritual and political significance. Despite its eventual decline, the Khmer Empire’s cultural influence continues to be felt in the region to this day.

The temples of Angkor stand as a testament to the Khmer Empire’s architectural and religious prowess. Initially built under Hindu influence - which reached Cambodia through trade with India - these temples were constructed as grand tributes to deities like Shiva and Vishnu. However, as Buddhism spread peacefully throughout the region, it gradually supplanted Hinduism as the dominant religion. This shift led to the conversion of many Angkor temples to Buddhist use, symbolizing a profound cultural and religious transformation for the Khmer people.

The decline of the Khmer Empire and the abandonment of Angkor can be attributed to several factors. Environmental degradation, political instability, and external pressures all played significant roles. Neglect of crucial infrastructure, such as the canal system, led to food shortages, diseases, and a decline in the population. Conflict with neighboring powers, notably the Thai and Vietnamese, further weakened the empire. By the 15th century, the Khmer Empire succumbed to the Ayutthaya Empire (which we visited its namesake city in Thailand, only themselves to be later destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century). The magnificent but deserted temples of Angkor stand as a testament to the empire’s former glory.

Cambodian genocide (1975-1979)

The Khmer Rouge genocide was one of the most brutal episodes of mass killing in the 20th century. Starting in 1975, under the lunatic and murderous leadership of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge sought to establish an agrarian socialist society by forcibly evacuating urban areas, abolishing money and private property, and imposing strict, and often arbitrary, rules and regulations.

During their rule, the Khmer Rouge implemented a series of radical policies that led to the deaths of an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people, roughly a quarter of Cambodia’s population at the time. These policies included forced labor, executions, torture, malnutrition, and lack of medical care. The regime systematically eliminated intellectuals, professionals, religious leaders, and ethnic minorities, viewing them as threats to their vision of a pure, classless society. Notoriously, they would even execute people who wore glasses (!), as they were deemed to be educated.

The Khmer Rouge regime came to an end in 1979 when Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia and overthrew the regime. The invasion followed years of border skirmishes and tensions between Cambodia and Vietnam. The Vietnamese intervention was initially welcomed by many Cambodians who had suffered under the Khmer Rouge, but it also sparked a decade-long conflict known as the Cambodian–Vietnamese War.

Despite being ousted from power, the Khmer Rouge continued to fight a guerrilla war against the Vietnamese-backed government in Cambodia throughout the 1980s. With support from China, Thailand, and some Western countries, the Khmer Rouge retained control of certain areas along the Thai-Cambodian border and continued to launch attacks against the Cambodian government forces.

The Khmer Rouge’s military strength gradually weakened over time, and by the early 1990s, many of its leaders had defected or been captured. In 1998, Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, died under house arrest, effectively signaling the end of the regime. In the years that followed, the remaining Khmer Rouge forces surrendered or were defeated, bringing an end to decades of conflict and allowing Cambodia to begin the long process of recovery and reconciliation.

To get a sense of the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime, you can watch the movie The Killing Fields. Released in 1984. The film tells the true story of two journalists, Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg, and their harrowing experiences during the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power and the subsequent genocide. Through its powerful storytelling and depiction of historical events, “The Killing Fields” offers a glimpse into the horrors of the Khmer Rouge era and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable suffering.

Our Time in Siem Reap

As I said in my last post, we arrived in Siem Reap after an eventful flight from Taipei. We had secured visas before the trip, and we sailed through passport check and was out of airport in no time. Siem Reap has a brand new airport 50 km outside the city, built by the Chinese, which opened less than 5 months ago. As of the writing of this blog, even Google Maps does not show the airport correctly, when you search for “Siem Reap Airport”. The airport was constructed under a 55-year build–operate–transfer agreement. We had arranged a van transfer to our Airbnb through our excellent Airbnb host, who also helped us a lot in arranging our tours and travels during the visit.

We stayed 8 nights in Siem Reap, visiting temples for 4 days, visiting museums and the floating village for 2 days, and celebrating our son’s birthday for one full day! We let him play with his toys, eat ice cream, and watch cartoon as much as he liked. I’ll explain visiting AAP below, but before, I will quickly go through other museums and activities we did during our visit.

Angkor National Museum is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history and artifacts of the Khmer Empire, particularly the Angkor period. The museum features exhibits on the history, culture, and archaeology of the region, with a focus on the temples of Angkor. We didn’t find the museum particularly rich with information, nor in showcasing significant artifacts, so I would say it can be skipped.

Siem Reap Genocide Museum is a small exhibit of stories about the Khmer Rouge genocide, at a place that used to be a killing field, but now is more like a monastery. The stories are of course horrendous, but there is not much to see, other than a few exhibits of paintings and photos, and a stupa filled with skulls. Besides, a genocide museum is generally not a good place to visit with a small kid!

APOPO visiting center is located pretty close to the genocide museum, so it can be easily combined in a visit. This is where you see the landmine-sniffing rats, and you get to see them in action, and even pet them, if you want. Cambodia’s history of conflict has left it with a significant landmine problem, leading to a high rate of injuries and deaths to this day. To accelerate the detection of these deadly devices, innovative methods are being employed, such as using rats trained to sniff out landmines. Apparently, they can speed up the detection by many folds, and are also pretty safe to operate, since their weight is below the trigger limit. Fun fact: The handlers take good care of the rats (they are expensive to train at a whopping 6,000 euros in a center in Tanzania), and even put sunscreen on their tail and ears when on the field!

The Angkor Archaeological Park (AAP) in Cambodia is home to the stunning Angkor Wat, but it’s much more than just this iconic temple. Angkor Wat is just one of the many temples within the park, which spans over 400 square kilometers. Many mistakenly refer to the entire area as Angkor Wat, but in reality, it encompasses numerous temples and structures built between the 9th and 15th centuries. At its peak, Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city in the world by surface area, boasting an elaborate infrastructure system that included temples, reservoirs, and canals. This ancient city stands as a testament to the ingenuity and grandeur of the Khmer Empire.

Visiting Angkor Wat is a highlight of any trip to Cambodia. This enormous structure, the largest religious building in the world, is awe-inspiring in its scale and detail. Originally built as a Hindu temple in the 12th century, it was later converted to a Buddhist temple. Like many South Indian temples, Angkor Wat is built in layers, with each layer bringing you closer to the inner sanctum, which is also the highest point. Despite its popularity, the temple’s size means that even when there are many visitors, it doesn’t feel overcrowded. We spent a full morning exploring Angkor Wat, but could easily have spent much longer admiring its intricate carvings and architecture. We also returned for sunset, but were kicked out well before sunset, much to our disappointment!

Angkor Thom, meaning “Great City” in Khmer, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire. It was established in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII and covers an area of about 9 square kilometers, making it one of the largest archaeological sites in Asia. Angkor Thom is surrounded by a moat and protected by a high wall, with five impressive entrance gates, each adorned with giant stone faces. We aexplored Angkor Thom over two days, traveling by tuk-tuk to visit several temples, including the iconic Bayon Temple with its mesmerizing stone faces, the impressive Baphuon Temple, and the enchanting Ta Prohm, which was our favorite. Ta Prohm is famous for the way the trees have intertwined with the ruins, appearing to devour and reclaim the structures. This natural integration of nature and architecture creates an enchanting atmosphere unlike any other. Interestingly, Ta Prohm gained additional fame as one of the filming locations for the “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” movie starring Angelina Jolie, and it is since known as the Lara Croft or Angelina Jolie Temple!

On the final day of our journey, we explored the Bakong temples, a collection of ancient structures that predate all other temples in the region and are located outside the Angkor area. Constructed in the 9th century, these temples stand as remnants of the first capital of the Khmer Empire. Subsequently, the capital was relocated to the nearby Angkor region. The Bakong temples offer a fascinating juxtaposition of architectural styles; here, you can witness the early temple construction techniques characterized by the use of small bricks, as well as the later style that employed stones, reminiscent of the renowned Angkor Wat.

A few points about the logistics of visiting AAP:

  • We got 7-day tickets for Angkor Archeological Park through their official website, and just showed the tickets on our phone when entering the temples. If you don’t buy it online, you have to visit the ticket office which is actually not in the AAP. Do yourself a favor, and just buy your tickets online! Also, there are 1-day and 3-day options, with the latter being the most popular. We opted for 7-day ticket since we wanted to pace ourselves. We ended up using the ticket 4 days.
  • Siem Reap is way too hot. The first coupled of days we were there, it was 45 C (115 F). We only visited in the morning, starting around 7:30, and came back to our place at noon. The heat is unbearable, so make sure to bring more water than you think, and do bring umbrellas to protect from the scorching sun.
  • If you only want to visit Angkor Wat, you can get a Grab there, do your visit, and then take a Grab back. This is the cheapest option (other than taking a bike). Angkor Wat itself will take a full morning, so this worked great for us. To visit other temples, or more than Angkor Wat in one day, it is better to hire a tuk-tuk, as they can wait at the temple. The signal can be pretty bad outside the main temples, so you may not be able to get a Grab between them. We paid like $15 for our 4-5 hour visits in the morning.
  • Note that most of the temples close at 5:30, well before sunset. Only a couple of temples are open till 7:30 or so.
  • Sunrise at Angkor Wat is super popular with tourists, and many people get there early to watch the spectacle. We opted to not do that, as it was way too early for us. Note that although undoubtedly it is beautiful, but it is likely far from serene, as the best viewing areas are typically packed with tourists for sunrise.

Observations about Cambodia

  • Cambodian currency is Khmer Riel (KHR), and since it is pegged to US dollar at 4,000 to 1, you can interchangeably use USD or KHR, when paying. This was very confusing to me before visiting Cambodia. You can even withdraw dollar from the ATMs. However, in my opinion, it’s best to withdraw KHR, and avoid dollar altogether. That’s because they are very particular about the dollar bills, and they have to be basically new with no tears, blots, or blemishes on them. Otherwise they don’t accept it. But that’s only the case with USD, and not KHR bills. That means if you withdraw USD, and they are not in good shape, you’re in trouble. Also most places do not break $100 bills (which is what many ATMs give you), so if you plan to bring some dollars, they better be in 1, 5 and 20 denominations, and in great shape. 
  • Cambodia is one of the poorer Asian countries. Out of tourist areas, the conditions are pretty primitive with roads often not paved, and people living in poverty. However, every person we met was kind and had a smile on their face. People don’t seem to be in a rush, as obvious in their driving, which is not as aggressive as some other countries.
  • The typical snack you see on the side of the street is cooked snails garnished with spices.
  • Grab is super cheap, especially if you opt for tuk-tuks.
  • Cambodian food seems to be more similar to Thailand’s, but again due to being poor, there isn’t a big food scene over there. We went to a couple of high-end restaurants, and the food was great, but the rest were just ok.
  • Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy, where the king doesn’t seem to have much power, and instead the power resides in Prime Minister, who does seem to stay in power for way too long. The first Prime Minister ruled from 1984 to 2023 (!!!), and when he retired, his son became the Prime Minister. It’s like there is a dynasty within a dynasty!
  • America seems to be pretty popular in Cambodia, despite the atrocious bombings done in Cambodia during Vietnam War, which I discussed in my Vietnam blog.

Visiting Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples was high in my bucket list, and I am so happy that I finally managed to see them in person. With that, our short visit to Cambodia was over, and we headed to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for a short visit.

FAQ

How do you get data on your phone while traveling so many countries?

This is a big topic on its own, but the short answer is that you can buy eSIM before the visit through many different apps. We have mostly used Airalo before, but since Hong Kong, we have switched to “Nomad”, which provides an excellently priced regional plan for Southeast Asia. This way, we don’t have to worry about buying an eSIM for each country.

If you stay in a country longer, it’s worth checking out the local providers, as their prices might be much cheaper, as in Vietnam, for example. We got one month of data with 4 GB/day (120 GB in total) for only $8!

How does Angkor compared to Ayutthaya in Thailand?

At their heydays, Angkor and Ayutthaya were significant cultural and political centers in Southeast Asia, each reflecting the power and sophistication of their respective empires. Angkor, at its peak in the 12th century under the Khmer Empire, was the largest city in the world and a center of religious worship. The city’s infrastructure, including elaborate water management systems and grand temples, showcased the empire’s wealth and engineering prowess. Ayutthaya, founded in the 14th century and reaching its zenith in the 17th century, was the capital of its namesake Kingdom. It was renowned for its trade and diplomatic connections, as well as its art and culture.

Ayutthaya today looks like a mini version of Angkor, with many ruined temples scattered around the old town. People do live in the old town of Ayutthaya though, whereas Angkor is just a bunch of temples in a jungle, and people live outside the area. I recommend visiting Ayutthaya first, as when you see Angkor, everything after that would be a miniature!

How much free time you have now that you don’t work?

Much less than what you might think! We spend the bulk of day visiting places, and if we stay in half a day or more, we do chores, and most importantly, play with our son, as he demands our undivided attention! Only when he sleeps, hopefully around 9 PM or so, we get a few hours for ourselves, which we then need to dedicate to travel planning (which is pretty time consuming), writing this blog or creating stories on Instagram, processing photos shot that day, and other stuff. We can’t, for example, even pick up a book to read, and instead we listen to audiobooks whenever we have a dead time, like on a train or a flight.