We took the Giant Ibis Coach to Siem Reap taking 7 hours and costing £12 for a round trip. There wasn’t too much to see off Highway 6 apart from a few rural communities with traditional stilted housing and open farmland. The coach was comfortable enough, however, I would not have wanted to stay on there much longer. The days of sitting on a coach for 27 hours are definitely behind me.
We arrived in the early evening at the terminal which is just outside the city. We had to take a Tuk Tuk from there to our accommodation. The first driver took us to the wrong place, so it required two journeys that cost $6. We stayed at eOcambo Resort and Spa for £24 a night. The eco-friendly retreat is covered in plants hanging down from the roof and has two ponds in the reception and pool area where Koi Carp are kept. It had a really relaxing feel and the rooms were very spacious. We ate there each night as there were not many restaurants within walking distance that we saw.
We had an early start on the second day. We had booked a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples. The 4 a.m. alarm wasn’t the most welcoming sound, however, seeing the temples were the main reason we came to Cambodia, so I didn’t need much encouragement. There were hundreds of people gathered at the ticket center. Having a guide certainly helped with this situation as the queue was shorter. Access to the Angkor grounds cost £29 and the private guide cost £46 for the day.
Our guide Vanny took us to the North Library to watch the sunrise over the back of the temple. The positioning was perfect with the sun rising above the central dome. We stayed there for an hour before making our way to the Southern Reflection Pond to get some really beautiful shots of the temple mirroring against the water's surface. Vanny started by showing us the Battle of Lanka Gallery on the north side. The gallery shows scenes from the Ramayana. In the Battle, Rama along with his army of monkeys, battles 10-headed, 20-armed Ravana (captor of Rama’s wife Sita). Ravana rides a chariot drawn by monsters and commands an army of giants. The hallways were relatively quiet, which made the experience even more enjoyable as we could look at the bas-reliefs in more detail.
There are many galleries in Angkor Wat, my favourite was the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery. The 49 meter spectacle showcases scenes from the Battle of Kuruksetra, the Ramayana, the 37 Heavens and the 32 Hells, and Angkor Wat’s patron, Suryavarman II going into battle. The most significant bas-relief in the eyes of the Khmers, located in the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery, portrays Devas and Asuras in a dramatically rendered tug of war, representing the eternal struggle of good and evil that churns Amrit, the elixir of everlasting life, from the primordial ocean (WMF).
We stopped occasionally for breaks and saw monkeys strolling across the grounds. By this time, the temperature was over 30 degrees and increasing. The climb up to the central dome was steep and almost vertical. Out of breath but at the top, you get a real feeling of awe and accomplishment. 65 meters at its highest point, Angkor Wat is the World's largest monument. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century.
At lunch, we went to Angkor Kitchen where I tried a traditional Cambodian dish, Lamb Lok Lak. The dish consists of lamb cut into pieces, marinated, and then sautéed in a wok before being served on a bed of green salad with slices of tomatoes and cucumber that bring freshness to the dish. It is accompanied by rice as well as a lime and black pepper sauce in which the meat can be dipped before eating. I had a coconut to accompany the meal that was bigger than my head. That wasn’t enough liquid for when I accidentally bit into a chilli that caused my eyes to start streaming and Kristen to buy emergency drinks. I have no idea how hot it was on the Scoville scale but it was more than enough for me.
In the afternoon, we visited Ta Prohm Temple. Built in the late 12th century, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. The site was once home to 12,000 people and a further 80,000 in surrounding villages. The most distinctive feature of the temple is the surrounding jungle that has fused with the stones since the collapse of the Khmer empire. The trees stand like giants with their roots forcing their way through any available gap in the brickwork. In more recent times, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider filmed scenes inside the temple for the Hollywood blockbuster.
For the final part of our tour, we visited Bayon Temple. As you approach, you can start to make out the features of its 54 Gothic towers that are decorated with 216 gargantuan smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara (Lord who looks down with compassion). The bas-reliefs on the lower level are accessible to tourists and the restoration at the higher level is due to be completed in 2022. Our guide, Vanny, was keen to recreate a photo that Beyonce took outside the temple, we were happy to oblige and had great fun recreating a few shots. The day finished mid-afternoon and was thoroughly enjoyable. We must have walked up thousands of steps, so we earned our views from the top of the temples. Visiting the World Heritage site was a once in a lifetime experience and a privilege. I would recommend it to anyone.
For our final evening in Siem Reap, we had a traditional Cambodian massage and facial. I don’t normally visit spas, so I had no idea what to expect. I was assigned an experienced lady who clambered all over me, throwing her full body weight behind her elbows as they sunk into my legs and back. At one point, her grip slipped and fully whacked me in the balls, not so relaxing after all. I tried to look macho whilst wincing inside. When it came to my head, she placed one hand on my forehead before whacking it with her other hand in a clenched fist. I’m not sure if I was meant to feel dazed or relaxed. The traditional massage does not use oils. When it came to massaging my inner thigh, she basically pulled on my leg hairs and gave me the equivalent of a Chinese burn along them. Hmmm, really enjoyable I thought. The facial, I am pleased to report, was more predictable with what smelled like yogurt being applied to my face 3 times. I was then given cucumbers for my eyes and a 30-minute recovery sleep before it was rinsed off. I didn’t feel like a “New Man” afterward, but I’m glad I gave it a try.
