Anchored Down in Angkor

Published in Shanghai Family Magazine August 2013

I’ll admit, I was selfish! Which 7 or 9 year old will honestly want to spend a week traipsing around old temples? But I was desperate to see the temples of Angkor hidden in the Cambodian jungle, so I booked a 6 day trip for Chinese New Year. 

We arrived in the warm tropical climate late at night and were given the warmest of Khmer welcomes by the concierge from Le Meridien Angkor. We chose this hotel because it is the closest to the entrance of the Archeological Park. The location was ideal to dash back for a swim and lunch before exploring more temples. Being country bumpkins we also liked the spacious gardens and quiet setting. However, anyone wanting to be closer to all the restaurants and shopping of Siem Reap would be better suited to staying in the town near the Old Market. Le Meridien is large and houses many tour groups, but we were still happy with our room and the fabulous breakfast buffet.

We took it easy on the first day, with a leisurely breakfast and taking time orient ourselves to our new surroundings. The concierge summoned a tuk-tuk for us to venture forth to explore the town and providence was surely smiling on us when the impish looking Mr. Sok Cheath pulled up. What a fabulous man! We used him every day thereafter to run us to and from the town center for dinner and later in the week for sight-seeing. It was invigorating sitting in the back of his tuk-tuk, with warm Khmer wind blowing through our hair, taking in the sights and smells of this lovely area. It is really hard to believe that Cambodia has such a violent history when one meets the incredibly friendly people and one experiences the laid back ‘sea-town’ like attitude of everyone.

Our objective was to see a few temples at a relaxed pace ensuring that it was not too arduous a holiday for the kids. We bought a 3 day ticket to the temples and booked a guide and car for the first day. This was a great way to orientate ourselves and understand some of the carvings and architecture before venturing out on our own.  We visited the two largest temples; Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom with our guide on the first day. Even though we broke up the sight-seeing by returning to the hotel for lunch and a swim, it was just too tiring for the kids and I would recommend seeing the two large temples over two days. I did not find this first day as enjoyable as I had anticipated for two reasons: the first was the masses of tourists on the main attractions due to it being Chinese New Year; and secondly because our guide was not the best suited for a family. All that aside though, the temples are truly spectacular for their grandeur, their mystery and the engineering involved in creating them around 1000 years ago.

Days two and three however, were simply bliss for us. Mr. Sok Cheath took us wherever we wanted to go with great enthusiasm.  On day two we visited the famous Ta Prohm Temple; famous for the silk-cotton trees that engulf the buildings like fat boa constrictors patiently causing the demise of the structures. It is claimed that this temple group has been left as it was discovered for all to marvel at the way the jungle engulfed the buildings. But there is clearly human intervention, as certain sections are being slowly rebuilt and the trees are trimmed so that they do not grow any taller and cause further destruction.  Even though there were also crowds at this temple it seemed easier to avoid them because they came in waves and it was also possible to explore quieter areas of the temple that were far from the maddening crowd. 

On day three we set off to visit some of the more remote temples out in the countryside; The Rolous Group. The drive out was fascinating with unusual sights like pigs being transported on motorcycles and vendors selling petrol in cold drink bottles every  50 meters along the road. We stopped to drink homemade sugar cane juice from a street –side vendor who powered up her machine for us and squeezed the sweet juice from the fleshy cane. Our drinks were served in a plastic bag complete with straw. Whoever said you need a cup or a bottle?

The Rolous Temples are some of the oldest temples built around 1200 years ago and much smaller than those we had seen on the first day. But this was more manageable for us as a family and we clambered across the ruins and were able to take time to imagine what they must have looked like in their glory days. We found the contrast in architecture from the large stone Angkor temples to the clay brick Rolous temples very interesting. It was fun to search for little details with the children; like which temple doors were real and which were fake, and to use our imaginations as to how a particular ruin must have looked in the past, or whom had it belonged to.

We were planning on purchasing another ticket for a 4th day to visit further outlying temples, but it was clear our 7 year old was all ‘templed-out’. So we spent the day visiting the Old Market with its narrow alleys packed with vendors selling souvenirs, meat and vegetables and even haircuts. In contrast to that we also visited some high-end galleries selling old Khmer art and arresting photography of the Angkor temples.

The restaurant scene in Siem Reap is fabulous with a vast selection of reasonably priced restaurants which made going out for dinner with the family each evening a treat. Amongst the array of Cambodian restaurants, there are also numerous French restaurants due to Cambodia’s historical ties with France (we can recommend Chez Sophie opposite Angkor Watt) and even a genuine little Austrian place with enormous schnitzel portions and all the German and Austrian specialties. We thoroughly enjoyed the Cambodian food which can be described as a milder version of Thai food. On Pub Street behind the Old Market there is a hive of activity in the evenings with restaurants and pubs offering curbside seating. Sitting on the first floor of the restored French historical building that houses the Grand Café was like travelling back one hundred years. Ceiling fans whirred lazily above bistro tables that afforded views of the bustling activity in the street below. The service was slow, like the fans, but the music and atmosphere very memorable. One evening we landed up in a tourist trap, the name evades me, designed to entertain busloads of tourists in a Khmer-like house with Khmer dancing and Khmer set-menu at inflated tourist prices. This one fell completely flat for us, but since it was Valentine’s Day and we had not booked anywhere we were forced to eat there. Our final meal was a pleasant surprise in an al fresco restaurant called The Square 24. The vivacious owner of this restaurant has combined chic with Khmer art to create a unique little restaurant which is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. It was the perfect way to round off our holiday.

For those with weary muscles after a day of exploration there is an abundance of massage shops to choose from. I enjoyed a revitalizing oil massage at Body Tune near the Old Market. I languished in the smell of delicious citrus smelling oil for 90 minutes of bliss. Some spas are tourist traps lacking in atmosphere and charging high prices, but this can easily be judged on first impressions.

Our hotel gave us a booklet entitled ‘The Siem Reap Angkor Visitor’s Guide’. This outstanding little booklet is all you need to give you an overview of the temples, a guide to the many restaurants and spas, as well as hotels and shopping.  If you are planning a trip to Siem Reap and wish to get away from the large hotel chains, I wouldn’t hesitate to book some of the smaller hotels on Tripadvisor, because they all seem to offer a decent standard.

Although our visit to Cambodia was really short it will always hold a special place in our hearts for its beauty, its grandeur and the warmth of its people. Yes, I was selfish, but the family enjoyed it so I have no regrets!

• Best time to go: December to February (cool, dry period)
• Currency: everything works in US dollars (even the supermarket)
• Transport: tuk-tuks are a cheap and fun way of getting around, many people also rent bicycles.
• Entrance tickets: 1 day 20$, 2 to 3 days 60$ children under 12 are free (but take passports to prove their age if there could be any doubt)(2013 prices)
• How long should you stay?: minimum 3 days – but you could stay for a few weeks and not run out of temples to see.
• You can order your visas online before travelling at: http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/evisa/