I should declare my interest first: my husband is the director of the Center for Khmer Studies, a research centre and library in the grounds of Wat Damnak, which makes him the only person I know who gets to go to work along fragrant, frangipani-lined paths, and settle down to his desk in a beautiful, … read the full post

More than two million people will come to Cambodia before this year is out, and it’s a number that’s projected to keep rising as the years roll on. The government is preparing for six million visitors in 2015 and, since most of them will presumably still be coming primarily to visit the temples, it’s going … read the full post

It’s best known as a viewing point for sunset at Angkor Wat and if you’re fond of battling your way through the masses, all with cameras surgically attached to their faces or at a constant arm’s length from their body as though it’s in control of them and not they in control of it, then … read the full post

If even after Angkor, you think you might have room for one or two temples more but don’t quite have the cash to cover it, despair not. Within reasonably short distances of Siem Reap it’s still possible to find temples that are easy to access and not subject to a charge for entry. The nearest … read the full post

Small, pink hued and featuring the most exquisite and detailed carvings, Banteay Srey is considered by many to be one of the loveliest of all the Angkorian temples. Just under 40 kilometres from Siem Reap, the ‘Citadel of the Women’ was beautifully restored by French archaeologists who described it as a “precious gem” and a … read the full post

What can one say about Chong Kneas, if one really had to be polite about it. It’s a sort of port and long canal about 12 kilometres from Siem Reap, flanked by scrubby green-brown banks to the west side of which you can see the edges of part of the floating forest that makes the … read the full post

Celestial nymphs born from the Churning of the Sea of Milk, thousands of Apsaras gracefully adorn the walls of Angkor’s temples flying through the air or dancing in Indra’s Heavens, smiling quietly to themselves. Devatas are the more earthly semi-divine Goddesses, whose features are carved into the walls as they stand, sporting imperial impressions and … read the full post

We’re fast approaching the time of year when long stretches of hot, soggy sunshine are interspersed with hour to two hour bursts of hot, wet rain, and it’s therefore time to look at the idea of ‘strategic stranding’. To be honest, the rain is not actually that big a deal unless in taking shelter you … read the full post

It’s true that there are many wonderful things to do in Siem Reap, none of which involve a stranger sticking a needle in your arm and draining the life-force out of you but I’m still going to tell you it’s a good idea. The Angkor Hospital for Children is facing a critical shortfall in vital … read the full post

There may be no beach in Siem Reap, but we do have a baray which, when you look into it, is arguably much cooler. The West Baray is an enormous reservoir that was most likely constructed during the 11th century. At 8,000 metres long and 2,100 metres wide, it is equivalent in size to more … read the full post