Introducing Angkor
The temples of Angkor rank among the world’s greatest architectural masterpieces.
More than 300 temples spread across 250 square miles — once the centre of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to 15th centuries.
At its peak, Angkor had around one million people, at a time when London barely scraped the tens of thousands.
The empire ruled mainland Southeast Asia for six centuries before eventually declining and being ransacked by the Thais. Yet the temples survived — some continuously used, others swallowed by jungle.
Temple-Hopping by Tuk Tuk
We hired a Tuk Tuk driver for two days to explore the vast network of ruins.
Angkor Wat, the superstar of the lot, is the largest religious building in the world. We joined the sunrise crowd hoping for that iconic silhouette against a fiery sky… but the clouds had other plans.
Still, getting up early paid off — once the sunrise‑hunters returned to their hotels for breakfast, we had several temples almost entirely to ourselves.
We managed 12 temples out of 300. A pathetic effort for hardcore temple‑goers, but a heroic one for people who get “templed out” after lunch.
The jungle temples were our favourites — Preah Khan, Ta Som, and the famous Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed. These temples have been left in a semi‑wild state, with banyan trees hundreds of years old growing through walls and floors, their roots snaking over stone like nature reclaiming its property.
Siem Reap & Life on Stilts
Siem Reap, the base for Angkor, didn’t offer us much beyond a place to sleep and a rooftop plunge pool — which we made full use of.
We took a day trip to Kompong Phluk, a village built entirely on stilts on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake.
It’s surreal: homes, cafés, shops, community halls — all perched metres above the water – people step out their front door straight into a boat. In the wet season, there’s less steps down, as the waters rise. It’s a fully functioning floating world, and one of the most unique communities we’ve ever seen.
Battambang & The Tuk Tuk Olympics
Battambang, four hours from Siem Reap, is known for its French colonial architecture.
But the real highlight was the bus‑station chaos when we arrived.
As the bus pulled in, a pack of Tuk Tuk drivers sprinted towards us like they were competing in the 100‑metre final. I was first off of the bus and instantly surrounded by eight men waving laminated hotel lists in my face, shouting, “Tuk Tuk, sir! Good hotel! One dollar!”
I tried to escape to grab our backpacks — they followed, inches from my face, close enough for me to smell their stale breath. When I said we already had a hotel and just needed a ride into town, the bidding war began:
- “Fifty cents!”
- “You pay what you want!”
- “I take you for free!”
- “Sir, I saw you first! Choose me!” – complete with Puss‑in‑Boots big watery eyes
If I’d waited any longer, I might’ve been paid to take a ride.
To stop the madness, I chose the guy who genuinely had spoken first and gave him 50 cents for the 3 km ride.
He turned out to be lovely — he called himself Mr Blue Batman, complete with a Batman logo on his Tuk Tuk and matching business card.
Meanwhile, Anya had been standing back watching the whole circus unfold, laughing her head off.
Phnom Penh: Rough Edges & Brutal History
Phnom Penh, home to two million people, is often described by travellers as “a bit of a hole”. Our five‑hour bus ride didn’t inspire confidence — the driver boarded wearing a neck pillow, like he was all set for a nap on the long journey ahead, which is not what you want to see on someone responsible for your life.
We only stayed two nights, keen to get back to beach life. The city is chaotic, rough around the edges, and disjointed — but that’s also what gives it character.
But Phnom Penh also delivers a chilling reality check.
Cambodia only reopened to tourism in the early 90s after decades of turmoil.
In 1975, after years of civil war, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot marched into Phnom Penh with a horrifying vision: a classless society achieved by emptying cities and forcing everyone into slave labour on farms.
Anyone educated, foreign‑influenced, or even wearing glasses was considered an enemy. Entire families — including children — were executed to prevent revenge.
The Killing Fields & S‑21: Cambodia’s Darkest Chapter
A visit to the Killing Fields is sobering.
Prisoners were brought here and murdered by whatever means were available — hammer, axe, bamboo, bullet, knife — and buried in mass graves.
The largest grave found held 166 bodies.
Some graves have been excavated; others left untouched. After heavy rain, fragments of clothing and bone still rise to the surface.
We saw pieces of fabric poking through the mud as we walked.
The most chilling sight is the Killing Tree, where babies were killed by being smashed against the trunk before being thrown into a grave. It’s impossible to comprehend how evil human beings can be.
The audio guide includes survivors’ testimonies — stories of torture, rape, starvation, and unimaginable cruelty. The nearby genocide museum, housed in the former S‑21 prison, shows where prisoners were tortured into false confessions before being sent to the Killing Fields.
This wasn’t isolated to Phnom Penh — killing fields existed all over the country. Millions died in under four years. Pol Pot himself died without ever facing justice.
A Country Healing, Slowly
Cambodia remains one of the world’s poorest nations, still recovering from the trauma of the Khmer Rouge.
Yet the people we met were warm, friendly, and full of smiles. Yes, there are scams and hustles — but beneath that is a resilience and spirit that’s hard not to admire.
At the museum, today’s children’s drawings showed their visions of peace — a reminder that despite everything, hope survives.
Next Stop: The Coast
Beach life now beckons as we head south to Cambodia’s coastline and islands — the perfect antidote to heavy history and Tuk Tuk carnage.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
