November: Water Festival ( Bou- Om Touk - ) at the full moon. This day marks the current reversal of the river waters. Parades and spectacular canoe races are held on the Tonle Sap River .

November 9th: Independence Day

Flavors - Drinks - Kitchen
As in most Asian countries, rice is the basic food of Cambodian cuisine. It is usually accompanied by fish, shrimp, seafood fritters, stewed meat and spicy vegetables. The specialties include the amoc , a baked fish cooked in a banana leaf with coconut, lemongrass and chilli. Soups and salads are also available.
As for fruits, you will find other bananas, pineapples, mangoes, coconuts, jacquets , durians , mangosteens, rambutans .

 

 

The Siem Reap Province is conveniently situated 314 km northwest of Phnom Penh, along National Road No 6. It can be reached all year round by National Road No6 from Phnom Penh Capital, Poipt border Checkpoint, Banteay Meanchey Province, Kampong Cham Province and Kampong Thom Province, and by National Road No 5 and 6 from Kampong Chhnag Province, Pursat Province and Battambang Province.
The Siem Rap Province is accessible on direct flights from many major cities in the region including Bangkok, Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Pakse, Vientiane, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kunming, Taipei, etc. Today there are around 16-20 direct flights per day to Siem Reap and more dirct international flights planned for the near future, It can also be reached on domestic flights from Phnom Penh (forty-minutes flying time by different types of aircrafts. There are seven daily flights between Phnom penh Capital and Siem Reap Proinces operated by two domestic airline companies.

ANGKOR THOM TEMPLE

Angkor Thom is a very popular tourist spot. It was established in the late twelfth century to early thirteenth century by King Jayavarman VII. This site is situated 1.7 Km north of Angkor Wat, within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors.

The fortified city of Angkor Thom, some 9sq km in extent, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire built by Angkor’s greatest King, Jayavarman VII (ruled 1181-1201).

Centered on Baphuon, Angkor Thom is enclosed by a square wall 8m high and 12km in length and encircled by moat 100m wide. The city has five monumental gates, one each in the north, west and south walls and two in the east wall.

BAYON TEMPLE

Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple built in the late twelfth century or early thirteenth century. Built at the centre of King Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only Angkorian state temple to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Buddha.  Following Jayavarman’s death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance to their religious preferences.

Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers that jut from the upper terrace and cluster around its center peak. The similarity of the 216 gigantic faces to other statues of Jayavarman VII has led many scholars to the hypothesise that the faces are representations of the king himself. Others believe that the faces belong to Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.  

The temple is also popular for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. This is one of the many ‘must visit’ temples.

BANTEAY SREI TEMPLE

Consecrated in 967 A.D, Banteay Srei was speculated to have been known earlier as Banteay Serai, which literally means the Citadel of Victory.  This was the only major temple at Angkor not built by a monarch; its construction is credited to a courtier named Yajnavaraha, who was a scholar and philanthropist and a counselor to king Rajendravarman. He was known to have helped those who suffered from illness, injustice or poverty.

Banteay Srei is built primarily in red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable in fine details today.  Measured by the standards of Angkorian construction, the buildings themselves are miniature in scale. These factors have led to its being widely praised as a ‘precious gem’, or the ‘jewel of Khmer art’ and perhaps the temple’s modern name, Banteay Srei or Citadel of Women, is probably related to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings of devatas found on the walls and the tiny dimensions of the buildings themselves.

PHNOM BAKHENG

Phnom Bakheng was constructed more than two centuries before the Angkor Wat. It is a Hindu temple originally built in the form of a temple mountain dedicated to Shiva. Historians believe that Phnom Bakheng was in its heyday, the principal temple of the Angkor region.  It was the architectural centerpiece of a new capital that Yasovarman built when he moved the court from the capital Hariharalaya in the Roluos area located to the southeast.

Located atop a hill, this is the most popular tourist spot for sunset views of the much bigger Angkor Wat temple which lies amid the jungle about 1.5 km away.

PREAH KHAN TEMPLE

Preah Khan was built on the site of Jayavarman VII’s victory over the invading Chams in 1191.

The big set of Preah Khan, forming a rectangle measuring 700 meters by 800 meters surrounded by a moat, covers an area of 56 hectares. With its many trees and vegetation growing among the ruins, Preah Khan has been abandoned. For the pious man ,the novelist or artist , Preah Khan provides an illustration of the mesmerizing command of the deep jungle on the stone, sweet and seductive when twilight mingles with the heavy greenery.

TA PROHM TEMPLE

Ta Prohm, Buddhist monastery, belongs to the late formula Khmer temples built in the late twelfth century. Although we have believed for some time to assign it to the only king Jayavarman VII, towards 1186, a complex monument that Ta Prohm was not built in one go. It bears traces of multiple alterations and additions : parts , in their style , are closed to Angkor Wat and the other Bayon.

Unlike most of the Angkor temples, Ta ​​Prohm is a romantic and magical place, this is why archaeologists have wished to maintain the wild .

BANTEAY KDEI TEMPLE

Built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century during the reign of Jayavarman VII , Banteay Kdei is known to be a Buddhist temple built in a style representing two different times, respectively Angkor Wat and the Bayon. It has no precision about the destination of this temple, and it is unclear to whom he was devoted .

An inscription found in the western gopura of the second enclosure was dated tenth century, during the reign of Rajendravarman . It seems to come from the neighboring temple Kutiçvara and contains an invocation to Shiva. It mentions, in addition, the erection of two statues, Brahma and Vishnu .

LE PARC NATIONAL DU PHNOM KOULEN

The Kulen Mountain or Phnom Kulen is declared as a National Park. It is an isolated mountain massif located in Svay Leu District and some 48km from Siem Reap. Its highest point is 487 meters.

This is widely regarded as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire. During the constructional period of the ancient temples in the nineth century, sand stones were brought from this sacred mountain to Angkor.  It was here at Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarman II proclaimed independence from Java in 802 A.D.

LE TONLE SAP
Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, is itself a natural wonder.This great lake exists as an ecological anomaly.  In early June, at the start of the rainy season, the water level of the Mekong River rises to divert part of its flow off its course to the South China Sea and redirect it into the Tonle Sap. This forces the current to reverse direction, beginning a process that by the end of October will see the great lake increasing its size almost tenfold, making it the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia.

Each annual rise in waer causes the flooding of forest areas along the banks of the Tonle Sap, which ensures a particularly substantial fish food, and indeed the richest breeding ground worldwide. The fish indeed come during the monsoon season to reproduce, attracting a crowd of birds.

There are also many reptiles, crocodiles, snakes and turtles. During the dry season, the water leaves behind enough sediment to fertilize the earth and enable agriculture (mainly rice) .

THE CULTURAL VILLAGE

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. 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.

SIEM REAP CITY

The main reason to go to Siem Reap is visiting the Angkor Archaeological Park. However, the city is very welcoming and worth linger. There are several ways available to get around and explore the area or take a stroll on the banks of the river.

The best option is maybe walking to better enjoy the city. Here, the quiet pace can be confusing for some, but does not make it less pleasant place to live. Along the streets are numerous shops offering goods and services from essential products to fine silk, chic galleries with beautiful local artwork and lots of memories.

PUB STREET

The Old Market in Siem Reap, located along the river, is surrounded by buildings of colonial times : visitors love to return there after a long day on the Angkor site. The pedestrian street, Pub Street offers tourists special packages, appetizers followed by hearty meal of all cuisines. The street is so named because lined from end to end on each side of pubs there are restaurants and shops. It is closed to traffic in the evening, leaving the field opened to pedestrians and allowing restaurants to install large welcoming terraces.

Description of the sites
Phnom Penh :
Phnom Penh, once known as the ‘Pearl of Asia’, is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. It is now an economic, commercial, cultural and tourist center.

Phsar Thmey Market
Phsar Thmey, also known as Central Market, is a unique colonial style building constructed in 1937. The location where the Central Market now sits was once a swamp area and occupied by a lake known as Beng Decho. Today, this beautiful market has become a prominent landmark in Phnom Penh. In the Khmer language, Phsar Thmey literally means ‘New Market’.
Phsar Themey features a stylish Art Décor rotunda with wings extending in four different directions symbolizing the Chaktomouk (Confluence of four rivers). The Dome, symbolizing the economic center, is said to be amongst the largest in the world. The four broad wings constructed without obstructing pillars and the huge beamless dome are very well ventilated by the high ceiling.
This market is crowded with activity on any given day, and visitors can purchase almost anything from fresh produces to cooked food, jewelry, watches, shoes, stationery, flowers, clothes including t-shirts and lots of tourist souvenirs.

Toul Tum Poung Market
Toul Tum Poung market is often referred to as the Russian market because of its popularity among Russian expatriates during the 1980s. This market is popular to collectors of genuine antiques; also, for those looking for good reproductions.
Filled with stalls selling sundry souvenir items (silk scarves and bags, woodcarvings, etc.) and clothing, Toul Tum Poung is a well-frequented market among tourists. Additionally, a handful of air-conditioned "export" shops have cropped up that offer factory over-run designer clothing at hugely discounted prices.

Wat Phnom (Wat Phnom Daun Penh)
Wat Phnom is one of the most important temples and historical sites : it represents the history of the Cambodian capital . All started in 1372 when a wealthy widow named Daun Penh (Grandma Penh) found in the rainy season, a huge tree trunk rejected by the Mekong River with five statues of bronze Buddha. She then ordered to raise a hill (in Khmer,Phnom) which was then built a stupa to house the five Buddhas.

The Royal palace
The Royal Palace built in 1866 during the reign of King Norodom, the Royal Palace accommodates many buildings, including the residence of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni. All constructions are grouped behind an enclosure similar to that of pagodas. The whole is of Khmer inspiration, with roofs to floors to varnished tiles , sculptures, flowered courses and long galleries . The buildings, beautiful towering spiers, are an excellent example of classical architecture of Cambodia. Visitors can admire the throne room (Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay) where applicable and official coronation ceremonies are held, the Silver Pagoda with its Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakat) , stupas (Chedei), the room Royal room (Chan Chhaya Pavilion) and a French building, donated in 1870 emperreur of Napoleon III .

Independence monument
Erected in 1957, the monument commemorates the end of the French protectorate over Cambodia in 1953, he was inspired by the Bakong temple (temple of Roluos Group IX century) with the reasons a hundred Naga snakes, one of the historic landmarks and cultural country. Remembering the Cambodian fighters who sacrificed their lives during the history, the National Independence Day held annually on November 9 , acting under the Presidency of His Majesty the King of Cambodia, accompanied by a learned assembly of personalities. The king lit the flame in the cauldron in the center of the monument before releasing balloons in the sky.

Les bords du Fleuve
Phnom Penh is conveniently located at the confluence of four rivers arm, the Upper Mekong, the Lower Mekong, Tonle Sap and the Bassac. The Royal Palace was built facing this location. Cambodians known as the Tonle Chatomuk (the four faces) . The path along the waterfront offers a permanent animation with its cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. It is also a place of privileged meeting for the national foreigners of the capital. The walk along the waterfront is perfect to enjoy the breeze on the river, watching the locals relax and stroll in late afternoon. The early birds can enjoy the spectacular sunrise over the water and at the same time participate in gymnastics with the locals.