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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Cambodia has a land area of 181,035 square kilometers in the southwestern part of the Indochina peninsula, about 20 percent of which is used for agriculture. It lies completely within the tropics with its southern most points slightly more than 10° above the Equator. The country capital city is Phnom Penh. International borders are shared with Thailand and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on the West and the North, and the Social Republic of Viet Nam on the East and the Southeast. The country is bounded on the Southeast by the Gulf of Thailand. In comparison with neighbors, Cambodia is a geographical contact country administratively composed of 20 provinces, three of which have relatively short maritime boundaries, 2 municipalities, 172 districts, and 1,547 communes. The country has a coastline of 435 km and extensive mangrove stands, some of which are relatively undisturbed. The dominant features of the Cambodian landscape are the large, almost generally located, Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and the Bassac River Systems and the Mekong River, which crosses the country from North to South. Surrounding the Central Plains which covered three quarters of the country’s area are the more densely forested and sparsely populated highlands, comprising: the Elephant Mountains and Cardamom Mountain of the southwest and western regions; the Dangrek Mountains of the North adjoining of the Korat Plateau of Thailand; and Rattanakiri Plateau and Chhlong highlands on the east merging with the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. The Tonle Sap Basin-Mekong Lowlands region consists mainly of plains with elevations generally of less than 100 meters. As the elevation increases, the terrain becomes more rolling and dissected. The Cardamom Mountains in the southwest rise to more than 1,500 meters and is oriented generally in a northwest-southeast direction. The highest mountain in Cambodia –Phnom Aural, at 1.771meters – is in the eastern part of this range. The Elephant Range, an extension of Cardamom Mountains, runs towards the south and the southeast and rises to elevations of between 500 and 1,000 meters. These two range are bordered on the west are narrow coastal plain facing the gulf of Thailand that contains Kampong Som Bay. The Dangrek Mountains at the northern rim of Tonle Sap Basin, consisting of a steep escarpment on the southern edge of the Korat Plateau in Thailand, marks the boundary between Thailand and Cambodia. The average elevation of about 500 meters with the highest points reaching more than 700 meters. Between the northern part of the Cardamom ranges and the western part of the Dangrek, lies and extension of the Tonle Sap Basin that merges into the plains in Thailand, allowing easy accesses from the border of Bangkok. The Mekong River Cambodia’s largest river, dominates the hydrology of the country. The river originates in mainland China, flows through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand before entering Cambodia. At Phnom Penh, with alternative arms, the Bassak River from the south, and the Tonle Sap River linking with the ” Great Lake ” itself –Tonle Sap – form northwest. It continues further southeastward to its lower delta in Viet Nam and to the South China Sea. The section of Mekong River passing through Cambodia lies within the topical wet and dry zone. It has a pronounced dry season during the Northern Hemisphere winter, with about 80 percent of the annual rainfall occurring during the southwest monsoon in May-October. The Mekong River average annual flow at Kratié of 441 km3 is estimated as 93 percent of the total Mekong run-off discharge into the sea. The discharge at Kratié ranges from a minimum of 1,250m3/s to the maximum 66,700m3/s. The role of Tonle Sap as a buffer of the Mekong River system floods and the source of beneficial dry season flows warrants explanation. The Mekong River swells with waters during the monsoon reaching a flood discharge of 40,000m3/s at Phnom Penh. By about mid-June, the flow of Mekong and the Bassak River fed by monsoon rains increases to a point where its outlets through the delta cannot handle the enormous volume of water, flooding extensive adjacent floodplains for 4-7 months. At this point, instead of overflowing its backs, its floodwaters reserve the flow of the Tonle Sap River (about 120 km in length), which then has the maximum inflow rate of 1.8m/s and enters the Grate Lake, the largest natural lake in Southeast Asia, increasing the size of the lake from about 2,600 km2 to 10,00 km2 and exceptionally to 13,000 km2 and raising the water level by and average 7m at the height of the flooding. This specificity of the Tonle Sap makes it the only “river with return ” in the world. After the Mekong’s water crest (when its downstream channels can handle the volume of water), the flow reverses and water flows out of the engorged lake. The Great Lake then acts as a natural flood retention basin. When the floods subside, water starts flowing out of the Great Lake, reaching a maximum outflow rate of 2.0m/s and, over the dry season, increase mainstream flows by about 16 percent, thus helping to reduce salinity intrusion in the lower Mekong Delta in Viet Nam. By the time the lake water level drops to its minimum surface size, a band 20-30 km wide of inundate forest is left dry with deposits of a new layer of sediment. This forest, which is of great significance for fish, is now greatly reduced in size through salvation and deforestation. The area flood around Phnom Penh and down to the Vietnamese border is about 7,000 km2.

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Tour Activities

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There are so many things to do in Siem Reap now that many visitors are spoilt for choice in what to do during their visit to Siem Reap. We have listed some of the most popular tour activities for you below and we have also added a few activities you will not see offered anywhere else. You can add any of these activities to your Angkor tours or Day Trips. For more information please email us.

Floating Villages and Tonle Sap

Chong Kneas Village Chong Kneas is the village which attracts the most visitors from Siem Reap, probably because it is the closest. Chong Kneas is a nice floating village to see and most people enjoy the trip. During your tour of Chong Kneas you will see what life is like on a busy floating village. Chong Kneas is quite touristy so tourism plays a big part of most people’s daily lives on this floating village. The boat trip takes about 2 hours.

Kompong Phluk Village and Flooded Forest

Kampong Phluk village is a nicer village than Chong Kneas and it also does not get as many visitors as Chong Kneas. Kampong Phluk is further away then Chong Kneas. The trip takes around 2.5 hours. Kompong Phluk also has a flooded forest nearby which is very interesting to see especially during the rainy season. Due to low water in the dry season it is sometimes not possible to take the day trip to Kompong Phluk.

Kompong Khleang Village

Kampong Khleang village is around 35km from Siem Reap, but it is probably the nicest of the 3 villages and as expected it has the least visitors. We recommend Kompong Khleang as the best floating village to visit as it is less touristy and more interesting. While visiting Kompong Khleang you will see the locals fishing, everyday items sold by sellers from small boats, children rowing small boats on the way to school plus lots more.

Apsara Dancing with buffet meal

Apsara Dancing is one of the biggest attractions for visitors to Siem Reap after the Angkor temples and it is on most visitors list of things to do. There a number of places in Siem Reap to see Apsara Dancing now and most of these places are restaurants which provide a buffet style meal and a dance show. Apsara Dancing is definitely worth seeing and it is a nice evening out in Siem Reap.

Cambodian Cultural Village

(Siem Reap Cultural Village) There are 11 unique villages, which represent different cultural heritages and characteristics of 19 multi-races. At each village, you can enjoy the excellent wood houses, carving, soft skill in stone, traditional performances in the different style such as: Apsara dancing, traditional wedding ceremony, traditional ethnic dances, circus, peacock dancing, elephant shows, boxing and more. You can also see Apsara Dancing at the Cambodia Cultural Village with a buffet meal.

Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

If you are a keen bird watcher, then Prek Toal bird sanctuary is well worth a visit which has birds such as cormorants, pelicans, kingfishers, storks and many others. Serious watchers will know that best time to see the birds is early mornings or late afternoons, so you may like to know that it is possible to stay at the environment office. When visiting Prek Toal, sun lotion and a hat are essential. During December to May many birds gather here as the water starts to dry up during this time of year, but unfortunately it also makes it harder to get right into the reserve and small paddle boats maybe needed. You can also visit Prek toal bird sanctuary in a half day, but you will not have time to see much.

Dune Buggies

A day trip in a dune buggy is one of the best activities in Siem Reap for anyone looking for a bit more adventure. Take a trip out to the countryside and enjoy some great fun. You can either drive the buggy yourself or go along a passenger but both are great fun. The buggies are manual drive. We recommend the buggies to anyone wanting a more adventurous time in Siem Reap.

Ultra Light Gliding

Ultra gliding or micro light as it is sometimes called is quite popular now in Siem Reap. If you fancy doing a bit ultra light gliding then we can arrange tours, training and joy flights for you.

Traditional Khmer Massage

There are many places in Siem Reap where you can go to relax and have a soothing body, face or foot massage. A relaxing massage is well recommended after a day the Angkor temples.

Quad Biking

Why not try something different and explore the beautiful countryside of Cambodia and meet Khmer families in a spirit of discovery, respect and safety. If you would like to Quad biking to your itinerary then please let us know so we can schedule you it in to your Angkor Tour. Quad Adventure Cambodia

Old Market

The Old Market is in the centre of Siem Reap town opposite the Siem Reap river. Most visitors have heard of the Old Market and they have it on their list of attractions to see in Siem Reap. You will see many visitors looking for souvenirs or just browsing. Other things to buy in Siem Reap at the Old Market are gold jewellery, silver jewellery and gems. There is also a food section where you can buy fruit, vegetables, meats, fish and groceries.

Central Market

The Central Market is located on Sivatha Road and here you will see mostly souvenirs for sale. It is not as busy as the Old Market and you can walk around the Central Market with more ease without getting pestered so much from the sellers. The Central Market is geared more towards tourists and it is on a lot of visitor’s lists of things to do in Siem Reap.

New Market

The New Market is located about 3km from Siem Reap town centre on the way to Phnom Penh on National Road No.6. It sells everything from food items, house wares, gold jewellery, fruit and vegetables, clothes etc. If you would like some clothes made by a tailor, then this is also the market to go too. The New Market is mostly visited by the locals and you will see fewer tourists here, so you will not get as pestered and you will also find items cheaper than any of the other markets.

Night Market

There is a night market called Angkor Night Market which is open from 4:00pm to midnight and is just at the back of Sivatha Street. This market sells many items such as handicrafts, souvenirs, clothes, jewelry and it also has an Asian food court, foot & head massage, live painting and a entertainment area. WARNING: Be aware of pick pockets in the markets and make sure you carry your bags and money close to your body.

Landmine Museum

The Landmine Museum is one of the biggest attractions in Siem Reap and because of this it has changed location to a bigger site about 6km south of Banteay Srey. Most visitors visit the museum on the way back from Banteay Srey Temple. There is also now a small admission fee of US$3 per person. It is very popular with tourists and is run by a guy called Aki Ra, who was formerly a member of the Khmer Rouge, Red Army and Vietnamese Army. You can visit the museum on the way back from Banteay Srey or Kbal Spean. The Landmine Museum is probably on most visitors lists of things to see in Siem Reap.

War Museum

The War museum has tanks and other war artifacts from previous wars and it is located just off National Road No.6 to Siem Reap airport on the right hand side, where you will see a big sign when to turn off. The war museum is US$5 to enter and opens from 8:00am to 5:30pm daily. The war museum is not as popular as the Land Mine Museum, but may be more interesting to some people.

Angkor National Museum

The new Angkor National Museum is expecting to open in November and will be exhibiting Khmers Art and Architecture. It is located on the road to the Angkor admission entrance.

Silk Farm

The Silk Farm definitely needs to be on your list of things to see in Siem Reap, because you are sure to find it very interesting to see how silk is made. It is located 16km from Siem Reap. At the silk farm you can take a guided tour around the farm, where you will be shown how silk is made.

Artisans D’Angkor

Artisans D’Angkor was created to help young people find work in their home villages by teaching them different types of crafts. If you would like to visit Artisans D’Angkor, then you can visit their shop near the Old Market. The shop has many types of carved handicrafts made from different materials such as stone and wood. You can also take a guided tour to discover the traditional Khmer techniques used for stone and wood carving, lacquering and gilding, as explained by experienced guides. A complete tour of the workshops will take you from raw materials to splendid craft-wares.

The Cambodian Killing Fields – Wat Thmei

If you want to go visit a small killing field in Siem Reap, as they are generally known as, then you can do so at Wat Thmei which is located on the left fork road on the road to Angkor. Wat Thmei has a small memorial stupa containing skulls and bones of some of the Khmer Rouge’s victims. On April 17th, 1975 the Khmer Rouge, a communist guerrilla group led by Pol Pot, took power in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. They forced all the people living in the city to the countryside to work in labour camps. During Khmer Rouge rule under Pol Pot, it is estimated that around 2 million Cambodians died by starvation, torture or execution and this was around 30% of Cambodia’s population at the time. The Khmer Rouge banned all businesses and services in Cambodia, including shops, banks, clinics, hospitals, schools and religious or family gatherings. Everyone was forced to work 12-14 hours a day, every day in the labour camps. The people were fed once a day normally a bowl of watery soup with very little rice inside. People were killed everywhere whether they were children, elderly or fit adults who could work in the labour camps. The Khmer Rouge killed people if they didn’t like them, if they didn’t work hard enough, if they were educated, if they came from different ethnic groups, or if they showed a little disobedience but most were killed without reason. There are over 18000 killing fields within Cambodia and not just the killing field of Choeung Ek near Phnom Penh that most people know of. You can visit a killing field in Siem Reap at Wat Thmei, on the left fork of the road to Angkor Wat, it has a small memorial stupa containing the skulls and bones of victims of the Khmer Rouge.

Cookery Classes in Siem Reap

There are a few restaurants in Siem Reap now where you can learn how to cook Khmer food. You will normally visit the market to buy your produce then go back to the restaurant to prepare and cook the food before sitting down to enjoy your meal.

Frog hunting and cooking class (Cambodian Style)

This activity is for the little more adventurous. You will actually go frog hunting in the rice fields of Siem Reap and once you have caught your frogs you will be shown how to prepare them for you meal. Frog hunting is great fun but unfortunately it can only be done in the rainy season.

Elephant Ride

You can take an elephant ride while you are at Bakheng mountain from around 4pm to 6pm. The cost for a ride up the Bakheng mountain on an elephant is US$20 and to come back down the cost is US$15. You can also take an elephant ride from the south gate of Bayon to the Bayon temple in the early mornings and the cost is US$15 per person.

Golf Courses

Siem Reap now has three 18 hole international championship golf courses. If you fancy a round of golf whilst in Siem Reap, then why not ask us to arrange a package tour for you including a round of golf.

Fishing (Cambodian Style)

Learn how to fish Cambodian style, this is a great way to have a bit fun and to mix with the locals. Most fish caught are small so do not expect any game fishing here. After fishing you will probably be invited to eat with the family and you will most likely get a chance to drink the local Cambodian wine!

Horse Riding

Horse riding is now available in Siem Reap. You can also take a ride in a horse drawn cart around the Angkor temples. Beginners and experienced riders are welcome. The maximum weight limit is 90kg.

Hot Air Balloon

If you want to see more of the Angkor Temples, then why not try a hot air balloon over Siem Reap where you can take some photos from up above. The cost is US$15 for about 15 minutes. The balloon is anchored at all times.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

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