With a population of ten million people, Cambodia is in the early stages of rebuilding the nation after years of civil unrest. It is a country with a rich history of artistic and agricultural innovation that spread throughout most of Southeast Asia. Bordered by Laos and Thailand in the north, Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the west, Cambodia maintains a warm tropical climate year round. Having officially reopened its doors to tourism in 1991, visitors from around the world can now marvel at the wonders of the ancient City of Angkor. Phnom Penh, the present-day capital of Cambodia, is a city in the process of rebuilding its commercial infrastructure and contains many sights of both cultural and historical significance. The pink sandstone National Museum houses a sizable collection of sculpture and artifacts from the ancient Khmer civilization. Those fortunate enough to tour the Grand Palace will be treated to the brilliant Silver Pagoda and the elaborate murals on the ceiling of the Coronation Hall. Other legendary sights include the Tuol Sleng Museum and the memorial at Choeung Ek dedicated to the people of Cambodia.
A short flight from Phnom Penh brings us to the small town of Siem Reap, located on the northern banks of the Tonle Sap Great Lake. Just north of Siem Reap lies the magnificent City of Angkor. Unequivocally one of the wonders of the ancient world, the temples of Angkor cover a vast area of over 25 square miles, considered to have once been the largest city in the world. The Angkor period lasted from the ninth to the fifteenth centuries and Angkor Wat itself is said to have taken 37 years to build with construction completed in 1150. With its ominous five stupas, Angkor Wat was constructed to represent a Buddhist mythological vision of the cosmos in relation to this physical world. Angkor Wat has been completely restored and its enormity becomes apparent as one walks through the endless galleries of intricately carved stone reliefs. Other ruins in the City of Angkor include the mysterious Bayon located in the center of Angkor Thom, whose 216 smiling faces carved on the 54 towers that rise majestically from the jungle floor make for an out of this world experience! Further explorations will take us to the monuments of the Baphuon (a replica of Mt. Meru), the Terrace of the Elephants, the legendary jungle wat Ta Prohm, and the exquisite sandstone carvings at Banteay Srei. Southeast of Siem Reap are the Roluos Group of temples which are excellent examples depicting the beginning of the classical period of Khmer art. |
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