MangoVine
Adventures in East Asia

Entries in Attractions

 10 December, 2009
Thursday Tonle Sap Lake, Fish Market, Crocodile Farm and a Floating Village
On our fourth day in Cambodia, we took a (comparatively expensive) day out to see a floating village and the Tonle Sap Lake, and the Beng Melea ruins. Both were the furthest destinations from Siem Reap that we visited and we got to the floating village after riding in the open air tuk-tuk for one and a half hours (driving at over 50 kmph).

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We chose to go to a distant floating village as opposed to one that was closer since it would be apparently less touristy. The result was a "quieter" experience, though devoid of any buzz, hustle and bustle that comes with a tourist destination.

Read more... 09 December, 2009
Wednesday Sunset at Phnom Bakheng
Phnom Bakheng was a Hindu temple in the form of a temple mountain at Angkor. Dedicated to Shiva, it was built at the end of the 9th century atop a hill. We past it several times before eventually stopping on this evening to walk up for the sun set.

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Phnom Bakheng always seemed to teem with tourists and today was no exception. It seemed to be especially popular for the sunset views. To reach the temple, visitors first have to climb the hill it sits on by way of a gently sloping path that curves around it.

Read more... 08 December, 2009
Tuesday Cambodian Land Mine Museum and Relief Facility
The Cambodian Land Mine Museum wasn't on our list of places to see, but as we were passing close by, our guide asked us if we wanted to have a look. He mentioned that it's a place that's quite significant in the history of his country so we thought we'd stop by.

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As it happened, the museum is quite a small facility and also houses a number of children in grounds at the back who have suffered because of land mines. We ended up staying for more than an hour, becoming absorbed in the exhibits and stories that were told on the walls.

Read more... 07 December, 2009
Monday Angkor Wat - The Symbol of Cambodia
Angkor Wat is probably Cambodia's most famous attraction, from what we'd seen and read. After our sunrise visit to the temple and a day of exploring the neighbouring Angkor Thom, we returned to cover this major tourist destination and stayed until the sunset.

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Angkor Wat, which means "City Temple", was a temple complex near Siem Reap, built in the early 12th century as a state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it was the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation - first Hindu then Buddhist.

Read more... 07 December, 2009
Monday Ta Prohm - Temple Ruin Location for Tomb Raider
To us, Ta Prohm was one of the best temple ruins we had seen in Cambodia. It was built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and located about one kilometre east of Angkor Thom.

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One of the reasons we loved it, was because unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm had been left in much the same condition in which it was found. The photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.

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