This photo was taken at the Floating Village in Siem Reap. It is one of the alternative places that tourists can visit, aside from the temples in Angkor. Ladies row around the area where tourists can be found. Either to ask for alms (with small kids in tow), sell some food or to entice tourists to have their picture taken with a snake. This is their way of living. Their way of getting food on the table.
This photo was taken in Prasat Bayon found at the center of Angkor Thom temple complex in Cambodia. For a post about the temples in the Angkor Wat area you can check out this post (Temples And What Nots). Monks live in monasteries found in the area and they frequently visit the temples. I took this photo as the monk was descending the stairs, on his way home to the monastery where he lives.
We visited a LOT of temples on the first 2 days of our stay in Siem Reap. On the third day, we decided to do something different and went to visit the Phnom Kulen National Park. It’s located at the Svay Leu District and a 2 hour drive from Siem Reap. If you are planning to visit the park, you must take note that you are allowed to go up until noon and only possible to go down after midday due to the narrow roads.
The first stop of our visit was the Preah Ang Thom. It’s a massive reclining Buddha carved out of a sandstone rock. You have to go through a series of stairs before you can get to the reclining Buddha.
The way leading to the reclining Buddha.
A monk at the base of the stairs leading to the reclining Buddha.
The reclining Buddha
Next we went to visit the River of a Thousand Lingas. The river bed contains a series of stone carvings with lingam-yoni designs which were carved by hermits from 11th until 12th century.
The lingam-yoni design in the River of a Thousand Lingas.
An old lady enjoying the water flowing over the sacred lingas.
Lastly, we went to the waterfalls. There are two waterfalls in the park. The first waterfalls is about 5 meters tall while the second waterfalls is about 25 meters tall. A lot of local people visit the waterfalls and have picnics especially during the weekends. One can rent a cottage by the waterfalls or eat at the restaurants while enjoying the view.
Locals cooling off at the first waterfall.
Going to the second waterfalls was challenging. You get to climb down a wooden stairs with some steps a bit rickety or it’s missing. But it’s all worth it when you are greeted with a beautiful view of the waterfalls with a jungle backdrop.
The second waterfalls at Phnom Kulen.
All smiles after seeing the second waterfalls.
I enjoyed the trip to the park very much and if you are templed out in Siem Reap, this is a good alternative. 🙂
Angkor Wat is one of the places that I really want to visit. My curiosity was piqued when I heard a rumor that they will close down the UNESCO World Heritage Site to the public. I swore to myself that I will visit the place before this will happen. I was fortunate enough to visit the Angkor Wat twice. I was excited when I first set foot on Cambodia way back in 2010 and I still am excited on my second visit to the country. The place still amazes me. Below are some of the pictures I took of the Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples.
Aerial view of the Angkor Wat.
The beautiful Angkor.
Prasat Bayon located at the center of Angkor Thom.
The Baphuon Temple located at the Angkor Thom complex.
The Entrance of Ta Prohm Temple aka Tomb Raider.
The East Mebon Temple.
Ta Som is a small temple built by King Jayavarman VII to honor his father.
One of the ponds that surrounds the Neak Pean Temple (The Coiled Serpent). You can’t get any closer since the area is fenced.
A rainy visit to the Preah Khan Temple.
The Banteay Srei Temple sometimes referred to as “Jewel of Khmer Art.”
Wandering Candy 