Beng Mealea Temple

Boeng Melea Temple in Siem Reap.

The remains of Boeng Mealea, which are still partly buried under vegetation, consist of perfectly squared-off sandstone building blocks. The outstanding decoration dates from the fist half of the 12th century.

In various times, the pediments of some buildings are sculpted with narrative scenes from the Ramayana, and while Hindu iconographic themes are plentiful, Boeng Mealea is clearly a Buddhist sanctuary as Banteay Samre, which is more or less contemporaneous. This is confirmed by the magnificent statue of the Bodhisattva Lokeshvara discovered in the monument and today housed at the Angkor Conservancy

The crowds who come to Cambodia’s Angkor region are spoiled for choice when it comes to temples to visit. Within kilometres of the tourist town of Siem Reap are dozens of sites which can take days to explore. It’s no great surprise that visitors feel there’s enough to see without venturing too far – and fair enough, a lot of these people don’t have much time to spare.

But the Angkor region is by far the biggest tourist drawcard in Cambodia and now attracts about two million people a year. So it’s hard to escape the tourist masses and find a site less trodden. That’s why the trip to Beng Mealea is so worthwhile.

An hour in the car from Siem Reap Is all it takes to discover a temple far from the crowds and in such a state that you can believe you are the first to find it, hidden and lost in the Cambodian jungle.

I arrive in the late afternoon with a guide and two other tourists. We are literally the only people here. The sun at this time of the day is low in the sky and is casting an orange hue across the land. But the colour is struggling to break through the trees. In the years Beng Mealea was abandoned, nature took its course and the whole site has been overrun by plants. Trees grow out of stone, vines are wrapped around gateways, and roots have stretched through walls. Combined with the parts of the temple which have collapsed from neglect, it creates a sense of romantic rustic ruins.

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Srah Srang

Srah Srang ‘the royal bath’ in Siem Reap.

It was perhaps a chapel to Kama, God of Love. The spot would suit the temper of the strange power, terribly strong and yet terribly tender, and of that passion which carries away kingdoms, empires and whole worlds. Love could occupy this quiet nest embedded in water, which gave the impression that love had come one day and had left there, when he went away, a part of his spirit.

Kavindrarimathana, the 10th century architect of Pre Rup and Prasat Bat Chum, was responsible for the original design and construction of Srah Srang. Sometime in the late 12th century, as a part of King Jayavarman VII’s colossal construction campaign, Srah Srang was remodeled.

In the middle of the Srah Srang, the remains of an island temple can be seen peaking above the waterline. In the wet season, the island temple is completely swallowed by Cambodia’s immense rainfall.

On the west end of Srah Srang, there is a multi-tiered sandstone terrace. The terrace is gorgeously adorned with lion carvings, naga balustrades, and other Khmer carvings. The sunrise is best viewed from atop this terrace.

The best time to arrive at Srah Srang is in the early morning hours, before the sun rises. Find a good place on the terrace to relax, and wait… wait for the sunbeams to pry apart the trees at the far end of the baray. Watch the sun’s pink and yellow rays bounce off the smooth-as-glass water. And don’t forget your camera.

Every Angkor itinerary should include a visit to Srah Srang.

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Kravan Temple

Kravan Temple in Siem Reap.

Built by King Harshavarman I in the early 10th century and dedicated to Hindusim.

Location: East of Angkor Wat and south of Banteay kdei

Access: Enter and depart from the east

Date: The first half of the tenth century (921)

King: Completed during the reign of Harshavarman I (it may have been built by high court officials)

East-facing brick towers containing unique bas-reliefs of Vishnu and Lakshmi rendered in brick - the only example of brick bas-reliefs in the Angkor area. Prasat Kravan was originally constructed by noblemen rather than a king and has a twin sister in Takeo Province south of Phnom Penh, Prasat Neang Khmau, which contained paintings rather than bas-reliefs, some of which still survives. Prasat Kravan was reconstructed by archaeologists in the early 20th century. Look for modern replacement bricks labeled "CA.".

The Prasat Kravan is an early 10^th century Hindu monument. It consists of a line of five brick towers built closely together set atop a low platform oriented towards the East.

The monument located a few kilometers East of Angkor Wat was dedicated to Vishnu, the Supreme God of Hinduism. The Prasat Kravan is one of the few Angkor temples that was not built by a King, but by a high ranking Hindu priest.

The towers are of slightly different size, the central tower being the largest, the towers on either side of it somewhat smaller, the outer towers being the smallest. In the interior of the central and Northern tower is a number of sculptures made directly in the brickwork of the towers, a unique feature in Angkor, which is often found in the Cham temples of Vietnam.

In the 1960’s the Prasat Kravan was restored by the EFEO, using as much as possible the original materials. New stones are marked with a “CA” inscription. A very similar temple named Prasat Neang Khmau is found in Takeo province, South of the capital Phnom Penh. Here, two brick towers of very similar architecture were built around the same time as the Prasat Kravan.

The monument is enclosed by a moat, which is crossed by a small causeway in the Western section of the temple grounds. East of the towers is a large cruciform terrace, which might have been where an entrance gate was which was probably built out of wood or other perishable material since nothing of it remains today.

In front of each of the sanctuary towers is a stairway that was guarded by lion statues, some of which still remain. The entrance door of the central tower contains sculpted Dvarapalaguardian figures set in niches. An inscription on the doorpost of the 3½ meter wide central tower mentions that a statue of Vishnu was dedicated here in the year 921. The central sanctuary is still topped with its original four tiers, the Southern sanctuary has two of its tiers remaining, the other three have none

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Cambodian Cultural Village in Siem Reap

The Cambodian Cultural Village in Siem Reap.

The Cambodian Cultural Village is designed to provide tourists with an excellent insight into the life and culture of the Cambodians; their traditions and practices, etc.

In all, eleven villages or sectors, each a showcase of different landmarks and providing a peek into the lifestyles of the people from various provinces including the ethnic minorities.

Like a theme park, tourists are treated to miniatures of historical buildings, stone carvings, wood works and many forms of arts and crafts.

There are performances; dances of the ethnic groups, traditional wedding ceremony, circus acts, acrobats, elephant shows, Khmer boxing, the famous Apsara dance and more to entertain the tourists.

Cambodian Cultural Village situated in Siem Reap province along the road number 6 distanced 3 Km from International Siem Reap Airport and 10 Km Angkor Wat temple the world heritage with 210.000 square meter complexes. The construction of Cambodian Cultural Village started on the half of 2001 and officially grand open on the 1st January 2004

Wax Museum exhibits the well-known historical people from the first century up to 20th century. The antique museum has reflected the life style during Angkor period and Angkor construction that induce the visitors easy to understand Angkor splendid civilization. In this museum was show about Khmer lifestyle, Traditional game, Khmer house, Khmer wearing dress and the way how Angkor Wat was built during the time of 12th century.
The Millionaire House is an ancient style of Khmer construction during the Ou Doung period, the rich families stayed in this old style Khmer construction. It was made of high quality materials, fine wood to make it strong and good decoration. This place where the most popular and Traditional Khmer Wedding ceremonies were performed.
The Chinese people have moved to Live in Cambodia more than thousand years ago during the Song Dynasty. Most of them are dealing by small business, crop and vegetable. The principle religion is Buddhism.
The origin of Cham people is from Champa, Vietnam. Cham people mostly live along the riverbank and make their living by fishing and in producing fine blacksmiths. Cham people can be found in almost every place in the country, their religion is based in Islam (Preah Allah).
Kola people, originally from Burma since 1870, are one of the minorities living in Pailin Distract, northwest of Cambodia where there are plenty of precious stones and peacocks. They came to Cambodia to dig precious stones to be cut and made into beautiful jewelries. The popular dance of Kola people was called Pailin Peacock Dance is performed here highlighting the peacock’s activities.
Kroeung Village. Kroeung people are the ethnic minorities Living in the northeast of Cambodia, Rattanakiri province where there are rich supplies of natural resources, they make their Living by Farming and hunting. They believe in Animism, “Choosing Fiancé Show” (The females have the right and freedom to choose whom they are going to get married) is performed in this village.
The Lifestyle of Cambodian lived abroad. Features house and the church which shows the Christian religion. We exhibit their lifestyles, houses where they live, church and others. Khmer are the main people of Cambodia. There are many types of houses in Khmer village such as Peth house, Kantaing house and Raungdoeung house, there are main models of houses of Khmer people. Wood and stone carving, clay pot making, palm sugar making, crafting, Fishing and more are performed here especially Khantremming Dancing.
Phnorng Village One of the tribal groups living in the Northeast of Cambodia, Mondukiri Province. They make their living by farming and hunting. They believe in Animism, they are headed by Water and Fire Manster Choosing Show” is performed.

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The Angkor National Museum

The Angkor National Museum

The Angkor National Museum is classified as one of Cambodia’s premier museum sites. On display are thousands of important Buddhist and Hindu sculptures from the various Angkor temples.

Many original pieces recovered for safe-keeping by the authorities from the temple ruins are also on exhibit at this museum.

Since the discovery of the Angkor temples, many of the antique artifacts have been stolen and sold to private collectors, museums and auction houses all over the world. Over the years, efforts have been made by the Royal Cambodian government to recover them and with the cooperation of various government agencies from around the world, many of the lost pieces have found their way back to Cambodia.

Few places are more steeped in history than the temples of Angkor. Yet many visitors go no further than what is presented in the history section of their Lonely Planet guidebook. Setting out to change that is the Angkor National Museum, home to over a thousand artifacts recovered from around the country and reclaimed from abroad.

I skipped visiting the museum during my 2009 visit, and hesitated before attending this time. Opening it’s doors in 2007, the Angkor National Museum has been faced with some harsh evaluations in it’s short lifespan. Naysayers criticize the high entry fee, the somewhat out of place mall-like exterior, the fact that the company is Thai owned (though will be transferred to Cambodia after 30 years), and even the need for a museum dedicated to the temples when the real thing lies moments away. As a museum lover and an Angkor-enthusiast, I decided to see for myself.

While I agree that the exterior of the museum is a slight eyesore, the interior is stunning. A spiral staircase brings you to the main galleries and also served as the lift for heavy stone artifacts that otherwise would not have made it to the second floor, while a reflecting pool used in official water ceremonies is a calming presence. As a design geek, I found the museum design and the display design to be on par with any world class museum.

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