Backpacking in Cambodia (Siem Reap)

My sister who went on a tri-country trip to Cambodia-Thailand and Vietnam shares her experience about her visit to the three South East Asian country, thus it was based on her pictures and narration that this article was written. Out of the many pictures that she had, she only shared most of her pictures particularly in the city of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm.  

Cambodia is located in the southern portion of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. The official English name of the country is "Kingdom of Cambodia". Kampuchea is the shortened alternative to the country's official name in Khmer which was derived from the Sanskrit name kambojadeśa. The name "Cambodia" is used most often in the Western world while "Kampuchea" is more widely used in the East. The capital is Phnom Penh which is also the most populous city in Cambodia and is more than 300km away from the city of Siem Reap which is the most popular tourist destination in the said country and can be reached by 6hours travel via mini buses. 

Siem Reap's main attraction is the Angkor Wat which literally means "city of temples" that is composed of a numerous temple complex and is considered as the largest religious monument in the world. The name "Siem Reap" means "Defeat of Siam" and is commonly taken as a reference to an incident in the centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and Khmer kingdoms. 

Angkor Wat was originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu for the Khmer Empire and was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. Archeologists consider it as the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one that has remained a significant religious center since its foundation. The temple is admired for the grandeur of the architecture and for the numerous devatas which adorn its walls. In fact, Angkor Wat has become one of the most recognizable symbols for  Cambodia.

Night Market in Angkor is also a must try when in Cambodia. My sister was able to buy several souvenirs which usually starts every evening. This is a popular place to buy a bargain and is comparable to a local Tiangge or Divisoria which is filled with stalls, handicrafts, Class-A North Pace bags at very low prices and of course all sorts of Cambodian souvenirs.

The Royal Palace @ Phnom Penh

Here are the following tours that you can take while visiting Siem Reap.

Angkor Tour:

Angkor Wat, Phom Bakheng, Baphuon, Bayon, Elephant Terrace, Phimeanakas

Big Circuit Tour:

Neak Pean, Banteay Samre, East Mebon, Ta Som, Preah Khan

Small Circuit Tour:

Ta Keo, Prasat Kravan, Bantay Kdei, Srah Srang, Ta Phrom

Tonle Sap Lake:

Kompong Phluk Floating Village, Flooded Forest, Tonle Sap Lake

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Reference:
Chandler, David P. (1992) History of Cambodia.
Zhou Daguan (2007). A Record of Cambodia. Translated by Peter Harris. University of Washington Press.

***My sister and her friends bought a promo tri-city tour