Ancient wonders

The world has witnessed a shift in travel trends, with tourists inclining towards historically and culturally rich destinations rather than the usual cityscapes, which brings us to one of the most loved countries in the world – Cambodia. It brings me immense pleasure to share my travel stories and maybe play a small part in influencing your decision to choose this place as your next travel destination. In addition to the ancient heritage, the country also has quaint little towns that exude a Western vibrancy while retaining the larger Southeast Asian undertones.

Officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, this country has one of the most beautiful landscapes, with low-lying plains that bank on various river trade routes linking India, China, and the rest of the Southeast Asian countries. Historically, this nation was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which led to the name Srok Khmer, which literally translates to Land of Khmer. While the country has multiple cities radiating historic significance, we ended up spending our time in the city of Siem Reap.

Being the second largest city, this place is incredibly famous for the UNESCO World Heritage site – Angkor Wat – the seat of the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 15th centuries. It is a vast complex of intricate stone buildings which started off as a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and was converted to a Buddhist temple by the end of the 12th century. Built for Khmer King Suryavarman II during the 12th century, this temple comprises two main parts: a temple mountain and a galleried temple designed as the home of gods in Hindu mythology. This complex fell into disuse before being restored during the 20th century and remains a key tourist attraction, hosting more than 2.5 million tourists every year, due to its grand architecture and intricate wall carvings of devis and devatas.

After visiting Angkor Wat, we then proceeded to the Ta Prohm temple. Also known as Rajavihara or Royal Monastery, this temple was built in Bayon style and was founded by King Jayavarman VII as a center of learning dedicated to his mother. After the fall of the Khmer empire, the compound was in ruins, only to witness restoration efforts during the 20th century and was largely left as is because it had best merged with the jungle, with tree roots appearing over the temple structures. This temple too made it to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1992, and the restoration was conducted in partnership between the Archaeological Survey of India and the APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap). Due to its magnificent campus, the temple also featured in the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Next up was the Bayon Temple, or the Smiling Faces Temple. Another Khmer temple in the city of Siem Reap, this piece of architecture depicts the smiling faces of Lord Brahma modeled on the face of King Jayavarman VII. This was the last built temple at Angkor and the only temple built to worship Buddhist deities. The temple has over 200 similar-looking faces, which led scholars to believe that those were the faces of Jayavarman VII himself, while the locals believed the temple was for Lord Brahma since the faces have four sides, representing Brahma's four faces, while some faces have three eyes, symbolizing Shiva. The compound is built on three levels intended to look like a mountain and includes two enclosures with covered galleries and shrines. The center complex is the foundational platform for the main temple, which housed the main icon.

The last stop in Cambodia was the Tonle Sap Lake. Located northwest, this lake is part of the Mekong River system and is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The lake was also designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997 due to its varied biodiversity and productive ecosystems and also provides freshwater to almost half of the nation’s crops. The lake witnesses seasonal changes in its magnitude, ranging from 2,500 sq. km. during the dry season to 16,000 sq. km. during the wet season, which helps it support a large portion of Cambodian livelihood directly and indirectly, primarily through fishing and exports. The lake embodies a floating village populated mainly by immigrant Vietnamese people who suffered during the civil war and continued to live in refugee camps on the lake. We went around the lake during the sunset hour and witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets with vibrant hues while the sun disappeared over the horizon, and the choppy water helped our boat reach the bank right at dusk.

After a power-packed day full of visits to the most iconic places in the city, it was time to head back to the quaint city for dinner. We reached the main city on a rather lively evening, with markets crowded with foreign tourists who shopped for dainty souvenirs and ended up pub crawling later in the night, while some cozied up in the charming cafes.

Story time: 2019 was the first time when I heard about these south east Asian jewels – Vietnam and Cambodia and was keen on witnessing the magic they had to offer. Upon extensive planning and figuring out schedules, we were close to travelling around Dec-19/Jan-20 and alas the pandemic happened. Ever since, I kept reading about these countries comprehensively which eventually led them to rise up to my top 5 destinations to visit. As millennials would call it, I manifested this travel experience and had the opportunity exactly 4 years later.

While most of monumental history and a quick trip down memory lane have summed up my travel story, there are a few things that need to be highlighted to help you readers plan your trip better. The best time to visit Cambodia is during their winters, which is December, but mind you, their winters are 30⁰ - 35⁰ C hot and dehydrating, while the rest of the months, the temperatures rise up to 45⁰C. Exploring these temples during the scorching heat can be exhausting, so it would be easier to plan your visits early in the morning and maybe begin with Angkor Wat since that is a gigantic complex and needs a few hours to cover. While planning your visit to these temples, make arrangements to secure a tour guide who can offer you a wholesome experience through intricate details about each and every wall, carvings, and their significance in Cambodian history. These temple complexes are surrounded by bustling markets with shops for bags, footwear, and dresses and do accept USD as an official currency, but render change in local currency.

Traveling, for me, has always been about embracing new things like the culture, embracing local delicacies, witnessing the similarities in the host population while also perceiving the minute differences, and Cambodia has a lot to offer. While the historic ruins continue to be the center of tourism, the diverse landscapes ranging from trek-worthy mountains to pristine beaches, too, can be valued experiences, which is what makes this country a key travel destination in Southeast Asia.  With its proximity to Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, planning a trip to Cambodia can also help cover these destinations through connecting flights and long layovers, which is almost what we did. After our one-day trip to Siem Reap, we were to fly out to another bucket list destination – Vietnam!