Cambodia - Siem Reap, the temples of Angkor

Back in 2004 I visited Cambodia with my friend Gary, I fell in love with the country and the people straight away. Cambodia was very poor, very bumpy, very dusty but also very beautiful, very funny, very friendly and rather peaceful. It was hard not to bring these expectations with me when we returned a few days ago. I was in for a few shocks but now both Aimee and myself love it here. Cambodia is still poor but the economy is definitely moving, it is still bumpy but definitely less so and still very dusty. It is also still very beautiful, very funny and very friendly but it also now very busy.

We walked over the Thai-Cambodia border at Poipet having decided to spend the night at the Thai border town rather than do the insanely long Bangkok-Siem Reap journey all in one day, in that journey lies madness and a sore rear! The border crossing was painless and we even managed to slip past the touts undetected. We hopped in a shared taxi at the Poipet train station which is just outside town down a nice new smooth road; this new road was a massive shock, the last time I came past this way it was a bright orange dust road that was more rutted than a ploughed field! This same smooth road whisked us to Siem Reap in just 2 and a half hours, rather than 6. 

In Siem Reap I had a bit of a shock, that took a day to get over, it was a city not a town now. I should have expected it really, Siem Reap is the gateway to the amazing ruins of Angkor which rightly deserve to be visited by lots of tourists but the last time I had been that was not the case, Siem Reap was a quiet town with almost no traffic that was easy to walk and cycle around. There are now more motos, tuk tuks and cars than there were people on my last visit.

We found our hotel down a familiarly bumpy road that was being dug up as we arrived. Next door a building was being demolished, but inside the hotel was rather swish with loads of solid polished wood everywhere.

We spent the first day relaxing after the border crossing and exploring the new Angkor National Museum, which is genuinely educational and interesting, it was like doing early Cambodian history 101 with and interesting teacher, Ace.

We decide to get up at 4am the next morning to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat at the recommendation of Nuria and Jochem who we made friends with in the Cameron Highlands (they are doing the near reverse of our trip).

I think I will let the pictures do the talking for the rest of the next two days.

First light - this was incredibly magical

Just as the moon was setting

Me shooting a few more frames

It was very early 

Health and safety seems to be reaching Cambodia, a lot more areas were closed off

The light was amazing I couldn't stop shooting

After our early start we went for breakfast in a French style cafe before meeting our Tuk Tuk driver for the next few days, Batman. Batman took us round several more of Angkor's beautiful structures.

Me in Batman's Amazing Tuk Tuk

I ended up taking a lot of shots through windows

See what I mean

The amazing Bayon - probably my favourite Angkor site 

This lucky couple were having their wedding shots done at the Bayon 

The completed jigsaw - the Baphuon was in pieces the last time I saw it.

There are always some bits left over when you do DIY

The next day Batman came to pick us up again and take us to a few further away sites.

Banteay Srei is always crowded

For good reason it has amazing carvings ...

and sculptures. Many are still intact

Aimee took this great shot of a kid playing with his mom

After a couple more sites Aimee didn't fancy climbing up the 7 tier Bakong in the heat

The Bakong is another of my favourite sites ...

Probably something to do with all of the elephants