Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

REP-BKK (1h 10m) ATR 72-600 ETD: 6.50pm (GMT + 7)  ETA:  8.00pm (GMT + 7) Did you know that the national flag carrier of Cambodia, which commenced operations on 28 July 2009, was established as a joint venture by the Cambodian government and Vietnam Airlines? Cambodia Angkor Air replaced the former national airline called Royal Air Cambodge, which ceased operations back in 2001.

Angkor Phnom Penh Street, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Second to Phnom Penh International Airport in terms of size, Siem Reap International Airport is nonetheless the busiest airport in Cambodia in terms of passenger traffic. It's situated approximately 6 km away from town with the new terminal inaugurated on 28 August 2006.

Siem Reap, Cambodia I didn't really take a lot of pictures of the downtown area of Siem Reap (lit. Siam Defeated), but basically it's always busy with a lot of vehicles passing by. The once quaint village has developed into the largest boom town in the whole of Cambodia, where the local lifestyle and modern amenities coexist pretty well.

Puok District, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 8.00am - 5.00pm Opened by the National Silk Centre in 1993, the Angkor Silk Farm has been one of the most popular attractions of Siem Reap for visitors eager to discover the intricacy of silk production. As mentioned in the previous post on  Artisans D'Angkor , my BFF and I took the shuttle bus that departed at 1.30pm.

Steung Thmei, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 7.30am - 5.30pm Artisans D'Angkor is a semi-public social company that was originally set up to offer vocational training for young villagers and subsequently help them find jobs. Today, it has developed into one that plays a pivotal role in the preservation of traditional Khmer handicrafts, along with its core mission of advancing education and welfare.

National Highway 6, Siem Reap, Cambodia Situated at the heart of the serene Royal Gardens  is a shrine dedicated to the two guardian spirits of Siem Reap: Preah Ang Chek and Preah Ang Chorm. The former is the taller figure. Despite the fact that there were many locals flocking into the shrine that afternoon, I found the atmosphere to be calming still.

National Highway 6, Siem Reap, Cambodia More affectionately known as its shorter name, the Royal Gardens provides a respite from the hustle and bustle of downtown Siem Reap. Apart from being a place of relaxation and exercise for many, it's also popular for wedding photoshoot.

Street 9, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 6.00am - 7.00pm Not far from the bustling  Pub Street is a temple called Wat Preah Prom Rath. The modern feel that it imparts, from the ornate colours to the glistening tiles, certainly conceals its age of more than 500 years.

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm The Bayon, known for the multitude of smiling and serene stone faces adorning its structure, was built in the late 12th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. With beads of perspiration trickling down my forehead, thanks to the weather, I was ready to explore the last temple ruins for the day.

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm Ta Keo is a mountain temple that's one of the tallest monuments in the Angkor Archaeological Park. It's unfortunate that the massive temple dedicated to Shiva was left unfinished. No one can confirm exactly the reason for the abandonment.

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm Originally called Rajavihara, Ta Prohm is slowly being reclaimed by nature with trees growing out of the ruins. It has become more well-known to the world ever since it was used a shooting location in the making of the Tomb Raider movie, where Angelina Jolie played Lara Croft.

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm This post is on two places of interests within the Angkor Archaeological Park that are close to one another: a temple called Banteay Kdei (lit. A Citadel of Chambers) and a reservoir called Sras Srang. Banteay Kdei is currently dilapidated as a result of not only faulty construction, but also the poor quality of the sandstones used. 

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm Angkor Wat (lit. Capital Temple) was constructed around the first half of 12th century by King Suryavarman II. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple of God Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, it gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the same century. It stands as the largest temple complex in the world, measuring 162.6 hectares.

Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm I believe anyone on a vacation in Siem Reap, Cambodia won't leave without visiting the magnificent Angkor Archaeological Park, which stretches over 400 square kilometres. To avoid having one long blog post, I'm going to split it into parts, starting with this entry about the journey to the site.

Hospital Street, Siem Reap, Cambodia Opened in 2011, Siem Reap Art Centre Night Market is located across the Siem Reap River from Psar Chas, or the Old Market. There are numerous shops selling all sorts of handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as massage places and eateries over there.

Street 8 and Sivatha Boulevard, Siem Reap, Cambodia As the name suggests, Pub Street is teeming with not only bars and night clubs, but also restaurants serving various cuisines. If you're the kind of person who enjoys bar-hopping (or perhaps people-watching), I'm pretty sure you'll be delighted to be there.

National Road No. 6, Siem Reap, Cambodia A relatively new player in the hotel industry that's been around for about two years at the point of writing, Treasure Oasis Hotel (4*) attracts guests with its top-notch service. It's a 10-minute drive away from Siem Reap International Airport.

LPQ-REP (2h) ATR 72-600 ETD: 1.40pm (GMT + 7)  ETA:  3.40pm (GMT + 7) Last year saw me taking a propeller plane for the first time in my life when I was in Fiji. Not only that, it turned out that I'd eventually be taking a total of four propeller plane flights. Flying with Lao Airlines wasn't the cheapest option for such a rudimentary flight, but I'd certainly like to experience it at least once in my life.