Easter, exhibitions, and Siem Reap's longest running, and most enormously fun and talented, band are lined up for this April in Siem Reap. Take a look below to see what else may tickle your fancy. There's definitely something for everyone:

Cambojam: lively, fun and well worth a look in.

Special events
*Easter Sunday, get into the Easter spirit with special events being hosted at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Rosy’s Guesthouse and Jungle Junction.
* Shadow Puppet Theatre at the Angkor Hospital for Children on Monday March 30, from 19:00 to 20:30. This is a really gorgeous display of a once lost Cambodian art form. For more information on what to expect, check out our post here.
*Anzac Day celebrated at Chilli Si Dang, who call on anyone yearning for a Bundy Rum or a Two-Up to come on over and drop in for a yarn, from 10:00.

Exhibitions
*Smiles of Asia, a photographic exhibition by Gilles Sainsily, at Art Deli from April 1 to April 18.
*Life, an exhibition of paintings by Ot Veasna, an extraordinary artist from Kandal province, now based in Battambang, opens at the Angkor Hospital for Children on April 20, with a special opening from 18:00 to 21:00.
*Starlings, a series of arresting images by award-winning photographer Paolo Patrizi, on show at the Angkor Photo Cafe Gallery. Formerly displayed at the Angkor Photo Festival.
*Elegies of Angkor by John McDermott is at the McDermott Galleries, FCC and The Passage. John’s magical images have developed iconic status and The Passage gallery is also home to a number of rolling exhibitions that are definitely worth a look (disclosure: John is a friend of the Travelfishes).
*At the new and stunning Mezze Bar, you’ll find a unique collection of mandalas created by Frenchman Bruno Lévy. Relying strongly on imagery from the Angkor temples, and blending other influences from East and West, you won’t find anything like these anywhere else.
*Vincent Broustet’s series Still Life is on display at the McDermott Gallery in The Passage.

Music
*Siem Reap’s most popular local band, Cambojam, will be rocking Pub Street in front of Banana Leaf, from 21:00 on Friday April 6
* And Cambojam will be doing it all over again at the FCC Angkor on Saturday 21, from 21:00.
* Tuesdays at Chilli Si Dang: Live music and open mike night.
* Wednesdays at X Bar: Jam session, 18:00–23:00.
* Thursdays at the Heritage Suites Hotel, a Happy Hour live jazz session with Mike Maholo and friends at the cocktail bar, 18:30–20:30.
*Fridays at The Victoria Hotel, the inimitable Kevin and friends play rock, country and blues from 16:00 until 19:00. Happy hour and bar snacks.
* Fridays at the Warehouse: Open mike night with Richard Besley, rock, folk and blues, from 21:00.
* Fridays and Saturdays at The Station: A dance, music and comedy special with the Lady Boy Revue, from 21:00.
* Saturdays at Linga Bar: The fabulous Diamond Paradise Drag Show, from 22:30.
* Saturday 31 at the Warehouse: Karaoke Mayhem from 22:00.

Food
* Cooks in Tuk Tuks street food tours run daily from the RiverGarden Hotel at 16:00.
* Monday to Friday at Molly Malone’s: Early bird specials on the restaurant and steakhouse menus from 17:00 to 18:30.
* Wednesdays at Soria Moria: $1 training night. An excellent selection of special small dishes and drinks all available for $1, 19:00–23:00.The
* Fridays at the Ivy 2: $1 tapas night, including $1 cocktails and a wide selection of vegetarian dishes, from 18:00

Film
* Tuesdays and Sundays screenings at the Siem Reap Film Society. Check out their facebook page for an update on what’s showing at this really special little art-house cinema. This month is Oscar Madness, and every film shown was nominated for this year’s event.
* Mondays at Soria Moria on Wat Bo Road is movie night on the rooftop bar, with free popcorn. From 20:00.
*Wednesdays are the new movie nights at Rosy’s Guesthouse, from 19:00. See our full film post here.
*Sundays, the newly established Angkor Photo Café Gallery has started hosting film nights on Sundays. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Sports and leisure
* For information on the Hash House Run, check out the website of their local organiser.
* For information on yoga in Siem Reap, check out our post here. Sadly Uberoum has closed but the Peace Café has  revamped its schedule and is worth checking out online.
*Pilates at TH!NK Fitness Studio, Tuesday and Friday at 20:30, on that little half street parallel to Samdech Tep Vong Street (Opposite the Angkor Hospital for Children).
* For information on Siem Reap’s famous pub quizzes, check out our guide here.

I’ve never worked out whether Easter bunnies actually "lay" Easter eggs, or just hide them like fiends, and if it’s the latter then we really need to question the picture of doe-eyed innocence their PR agents have thus far been so successful in promoting. It seems odd I know, but I was unsure whether we actually have any rabbits in Cambodia, so I nervously Googled “Cambodia Rabbit”, more than a little afraid that I'd find myself swamped with images of “Asian babes” with bunny tails on. But all I got was a vegetarian restaurant and Rabbit Island, on which I’m reasonably sure there are no actual rabbits, or even Asian babes, not of the kind you’re likely to find on the internet anyway.

Perhaps the duck is an accomplice.

And yet, even though it would appear that there are no rabbits here, they still manage to send in special teams (SAS rabbits I imagine) to seek out Easter eggs and then hide them. The sods. In Siem Reap, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Rosy Guesthouse and Jungle Junction are all hosting special events on Easter Sunday, April 8, to foil those rascally rabbits’ plans, with Easter egg hunts, egg drawing competitions and other activities too.

For the morning at Raffles, there will be special Apsara dance classes from 09:30 to 10:30. This is followed by a cool down swim in the magnificent pool, and then the Easter Egg Treasure Hunt, with a special map, in Raffles’ beautiful gardens starting at 11:30. It’ll be $10 for all the morning activities. Lunch is also available at $20 for children and $33 for adults (plus tax and service).

In the afternoon, kids can take part in an egg drawing competition in the Conservatory, from 13:00 to 15:00, and/or an Easter cookie cooking class from 14:00 to 15:00 (complete with a special chef’s hat and Junior Raffles Chef apron), followed by a swim and snacks. There is a charge of $15 for the afternoon activities.

In the evening, a kids movie screening will be held in the Elephant Bar for $5, else complimentary for those that joined the cooking class.

Rosy’s Guesthouse is planning an Easter egg hunt, egg painting and an Easter-themed craft table for just $3, including a rabbit cookie. More details will be available on their Facebook page closer to the date.

At Jungle Junction, which has launched itself onto the top of the list written by kids of things to do with your kids, there’ll also be an Easter egg hunt (those damned rabbits will have been busy!), and the kids get to make their own collecting basket first. In the afternoon there’ll be a movie showing with free popcorn. Tickets for the day’s activities are $6, and it all kicks off at 09:00.

And the really good news is that all these places serve refreshments/psychological support for parents too, though cannot help with management of sugar-highs.

Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor
1 Vithea Charles de Gaulle, Siem Reap
T: (063) 963 168

Rosy's Guest House
# 0074, Phum Slor Kramm, Siem Reap
T: (063) 965 059

Jungle Junction
High School Road

Tags: Easter

The only people I’ve ever beaten at pool are a raving misogynist at university who contended that women are incapable of competitive sports, forcing me to concentrate for a change so that I could destroy him properly, and my husband. Sometimes I tell him it’s one of the main reasons I married him, since unbounded gallantry is his only excuse and I’m a sucker for romance, though that might not necessarily be true. He might just be totally rubbish.

Potty for pool, seriously.

There’s something immensely satisfying about a cracking game of pool, even for someone who loses 99 games out of 100 like I do. That may be because it’s one of the few games in which one’s technique improves with alcohol consumption, up to a certain point at least, after which who cares anyway. So even though we know you came to Siem Reap for culture and temples and exotic stuff, sometimes a grubby game of pool and a few beers is just what it takes to round off a hot and sticky day.

There aren’t pots of pool tables in Siem Reap, but there are a few, so here’s the rundown on where they are, together with some ideas for what to do if your partner is being obnoxious and thrashing you mercilessly.

New kid: The Loft has just opened up in the same place the Dead Fish Tower has been quietly expiring for the last few years. The new restaurant is modern, with an open-fronted, comfortable bar facing the road, and the swizzy red pool table has been kitted out to match the decor. If your partner is proving too smooth on the table, you could try nibbling on some rather yummy Chinese dumplings or won ton in between shots.

Old hand: The Warehouse, one of Siem Reap’s favourite expat hangouts, has a pool table upstairs in the quieter lounge area. In between shots, enjoy the fantastic music selection, or join in one of their mad karaoke and open-mike nights.

That certain je ne sais quoi: Laundry Bar, another expat favourite with a decidedly Gallic twist is Siem Reap’s coolest bar by far. Laundry Bar could possibly be the coolest bar in Southeast Asia, in my humble opinion, though please tell if you’ve found cooler. There tends to be a line-up for the two pool tables at night, and there’s a board for chalking up your name. In between shots, try a Pastis.

Everyone loves the Irish: not least because we’re excellent sporting losers. As they say, practise makes perfect, and we’ve put in years. We’ll even let you beat us and then buy you a pint afterwards; how’s that for bloody gracious? At Molly Malone’s, Siem Reap’s only Irish bar, take the opportunity in between shots to check out their steakhouse menu, or eye up the interesting selection of whiskeys behind the bar.

Rise above everything: at the X-Bar. There are numerous tables at this open-air late night mega-bar. If your partner is utterly humiliating you triggering a dire need for alcoholification, try out their ice-flow shot delivery thing that looks far too exciting for people who were born before 1975.

Chill out: at Fresh at Chilli Si Dang, on the riverside road on the Wat Bo side of town, where you'll  find a friendly bar with a small area and pool table at the back. The menu here is really good, so you may end up abandoning the table altogether to sit down for a super burger and a chat with the guys behind the bar who’ll plug you into the local scene.

Step into another world: in the elegant, old world style Elephant Bar downstairs at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, there is a pool table where you can gamely pot a few balls while enjoying one of their signature cocktails and, if you’re feeling exuberant, a smoke from their extensive cigar selection.

The Loft
Sivutha Blvd
T: (017) 978 305

The Warehouse
Old Market
T: (063) 965 204

Laundry
Old Market Area

Molly Malone's
Pub Street (at junction with Sivutha Blvd)
T: (063) 963 533
www.mollymalonescambodia.com

X-Bar
Sivutha Blvd
T: (012) 263 271

Chilli Si Dang
Riverside Road, west
Wat Bo Area
T: (017) 875 129

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
1 Vithei Charles de Gaulle
Khum Svay Dang Kum
T: (063) 963 888
www.raffles.com/siem-reap/

Tags: Fresh, Laundry Bar, Molly Malone's, pool, Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, The Loft, The Warehouse, X-Bar

I’m writing this now, but as it’s 983 degrees I’m as likely to think it’s a good idea to head for the gym as I am to host my own public disembowelment. On the other hand, I do know there are some people out there who are not as congenitally bone-idle as I am, so this one’s for you: how to find a gym in Siem Reap.

Cool water splash at Prince d'Angkor.

Once, a long, long time ago when I was very definitely suffering from sun-stroke, I decided to find a gym in Siem Reap and so visited what felt like every hotel in town trying to find a decent one. What quickly became clear is that while many hotels and guesthouses might technically claim to have a "gym", not so many have one that you could feasibly use. If you booked your hotel with a gym in mind, and happen to find yourself in one of the offenders, you have my sympathies.

The main problem was a lack of equipment. One boasted not much more than a couple of dumb-bells and a strong-smelling carpet. Others stretched their budgets to a running machine or two that usually looked like they couldn’t cope with anything more intense than Twiggy on a stroll, when she was 10. Many simply devoted inadequate space, and the scariest one was housed in a tiny room, with large glass windows on three sides, and a single tiny fan that could have had asthma. The heat in there was incredible, and probably quite dangerous. There are other options though.

The most interesting gym I’ve used, though not affiliated to any hotel, is on 7 Makara Rd (on the left hand side between the Angkor High School and Aqua). I don’t think it actually has a name. It’s is a local gym that charges only $1 at the door, or $2 if you want to use any of the running machines. The room is large and stocked with an impressive range of equipment, most of which looks like it’s composed of recycled tractor parts, which is good for getting you into the right frame of mind I guess. But, while it might not be glamorous, it does do what you need it to do, namely make you look faintly idiotic, sweat a lot, and come out with a fair justification for a nice cold beer. Note: for $1, you do not get air-con or showers, though there are fans. But you do get a towel and they have bottled water for sale.

Back in town, there’s another local gym on the little road that leads from the junction that links Pokambor Avenue, Sivutha Boulevard, and the river road. As you go move away from the roundabout, down the river towards the Tonle Sap, take the right turn about 20 yards down. Down here about 200/300 metres on the right hand side, you’ll find a small local gym that is also insanely cheap. There’s not as much equipment here as the other one, but if all you want is a cheap, quick and dirty work-out, it’s got the basics for what you need.

If you really prefer an in-house gym but are on a budget, then the Mandalay Inn has a really surprisingly well-equipped roof-top gym. Looking out across the whole of southwest Siem Reap town, the space is naturally aerated by the breezes, and the view will keep you entertained as you work out. As it’s only accessible to guests, you won’t have to worry too much about crowding either.

In the mid-range, the Prince d’Angkor on Sivutha Boulevard offers a decent, indoor air-con gym, with changing rooms and access to their enormous salt-water pool, all for $8 a day which is not a bad deal if you’re not doing it too often.

For the same price, the Angkor Century Resort & Spa also has good facilities: their running machines are better than the Prince d’Angkor, but they don’t have a lateral pull-down machine. Their pool is also large and lovely, and there’s a snazzy spa offering an exotic range of scrubs, massages and facial treatments inside the same building as the gym.

Tags: Angkor Century Resort & Spa, gyms, Mandalay Inn

With Cambodia’s colourful history and tales of red rebels, kidnappings, landmines, corruption and dodgy roads, it’s unsurprising that parents might think that, say, Brussels or the local petshop might be better options when planning a trip with their kids. Yet Cambodia is child friendly, and a large number of parents are making the journey here with their children, and thoroughly enjoying it too. It’s a lot cheaper than Disneyworld, that’s for sure, and there really is plenty to keep kids entertained so you won’t need to hear too many sweet strains of “Awwww, Mum!! Not another temple! Temples are stoopid."

Keeping the kids happy in Siem Reap needn't just be about death races through the freezer section.

Moreover, you’re in a country where a devoted temporary babysitter is never more than a few yards away. Cambodians love kids, and if you’re in the right restaurant and play your cards right, you’ll easily find a waitress (provided she’s not run off her feet, of course) who will take your toddler and make faces at them while you eat a meal in peace. This, obviously, is not to be expected or asked for. Maybe it’s like karma: it’ll happen if you’ve been good too.

With a huge thank you to Siem Reap’s very own child survivors for all of their top tips, here are the highlights of some of the things that they do to keep their monst, err, oops, darlings' energy levels down to something manageable.

Horse-riding through paddy and villages, and down dusty, red-earth lanes is a great way to introduce kids to the Cambodian countryside, and run off some of that energy. The Happy Ranch caters to kids as young as young as six.

If getting into a saddle isn't quite their thing, try the Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre. Did you know that caterpillars are liquefied in their cocoons before re-forming as butterflies? Me neither until I went here. Not far from the Banteay Srei temple, the Butterfly Centre is a small, exquisite jungle garden just thronging with thousands of beautiful butterflies of every colour imaginable. Their aerial ballets are beautiful, and guides are on hand to provide additional information.

Magic made from mush.

At Kbal Spean, near Banteay Srei, the first dedicated conservation centre in Cambodia, the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity, is home to a range of rescued animals including palm civets, gibbons, leopard cats, and the highly eccentric, and endangered, pangolin. Daily tours are held at 13:00, for which early arrival is recommended.

Rock climbing at Krorma Yamato has proved very popular with locals’ kids. A dedicated eight-metre climbing wall with all the equipment costs only $2 for half an hour or $4 for the whole day. At your own risk.

Stay tuned for part 2.

It will surprise many of Siem Reap’s visitors to know that, despite the enormous amount of money spent by all two million of you each year, Siem Reap province remains the third poorest of Cambodia's 23 provinces. This is a devastating statistic, and indicates that very little of the money that you spend here is making its way down to the people. There are, in effect, two economies in Siem Reap province: the tourist one, which is limited to the provincial capital and doing nicely, and the local one, which is not.

They live a mile away from a thriving Siem Reap, but these girls I met at a clothes drop organised by ABOUTAsia see few of the benefits.

In a country with more than 3,000 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), it’s tempting to assume that the non-profit model is the best way to connect Cambodia’s growing number of tourists with the local population. However, and it may sound surprising, it is actually some of Siem Reap's businesses that can give visitors the best opportunity to engage constructively with local people, make a genuine contribution to someone else’s well-being, and take some steps towards bridging that gap between tourists and the local economy.

This is a personal review of a number of businesses in Siem Reap whose corporate social responsibility structures I have looked at. I’ve discussed their community programmes with their owners or managers, and the single feature that always shone through was the passion they all felt for giving something back to the country that they feel so privileged to live and work in. Moreover, notwithstanding the social, economic and political problems Cambodia faces, doing business here is an awful lot easier than many other parts of the world. Giving something back is one way to recognise and acknowledge that, and the relationship goes two ways. Not only are the businesses mentioned here thriving, but everybody knows who they are too.

The opening of a new restaurant in December is a great example of how some businesses care, and care passionately, about contributing. Haven was established by a Swiss couple who were unable to find a satisfactory answer to their question: “What happens to young, institutionalised Cambodian kids when they’re too old to stay in the institutions?”  No-one seemed to know, so they set about creating their own answer.

The result is a restaurant in a relaxed, stylish, setting that serves great food, and whose raison d’être is to provide formal training for those “in-between” kids. While the restaurant’s opening was funded by donations, it is a registered company, and is expected to be sustainable within the next two years. For diners and beneficiaries, the win-win is palpable, and very, very palatable.

Haven: style, heart and fantastic pumpkin burgers.

When people look at big hotels they rarely think of their role in the community, yet a few of Siem Reap's hotels really stand out for what they have achieved. Last November, in an extraordinary move that was envisioned from the day they first opened their doors in 2007, the Norwegian owners of Soria Moria transferred 51% of the ownership of the hotel to their local employees. Now the staff not only has a say in how the hotel is run, they also receive a profit share. Unsurprisingly, applications for jobs here have soared. This is just one of a dozen of Soria Moria’s initiatives, more details of which you’ll find on their website.

In the heart of Siem Reap, the Hotel de la Paix is one of the grandest structures in town, and a real landmark. Their commitment to the local community has also been a guide for others and has not just benefitted the people of Siem Reap, it has become an integral part of the hotel’s identity. A recent, albeit unanticipated, project that I was lucky enough to be a part of brought together the Hotel de la Paix, Heritage Suites Hotel, the Golden Banana and Exotissimo Travel with the Green Gecko Project, in a drive to raise funds to acquire and distribute relief supplies for thousands affected by the terrible floods that hit Siem Reap in September and October last year.

Families wait patiently for flood relief supplies last October.

The flood relief drive demonstrated the vital link that businesses can play in supporting the local community. Absent government intervention, or local capacity, businesses such as these showed that they have the networks and the institutional capacity to reach out to raise funds and then deliver a project quickly. It might not be their job to do these things, but what would the world we live in be worth if we only ever just did our jobs?

Magnus Olovson probably didn't imagine he'd be packing rice, tinned fish and fish sauce when he applied for the job of GM at Heritage Suites.

Sojourn Boutique Resort is another hotel that took its humanitarian mission to heart. They recently created HUSK, an NGO with a mission to address some of the most important needs of the villages that lie beside the discreet little countryside paradise. The enormous range of projects they’ve started address issues including clean water, rubbish collection, health care and road safety.

For the hotel owners, this is just one way of saying thank you to the community they feel privileged enough to be a part of. I recently visited an extension to a health centre they had built so that women in labour would no longer have to use the public waiting room of the tiny local health clinic. The new building has been built of “eco-blocks” made out of plastic bottles and bags, making this not just a valuable local resource but a contribution to reducing landfill.

Visiting the Angkor Orphan Association took us a mile out of town, into another world.

Tour operators also realise the importance of contributing to the communities that are so much a part of what they offer. Many of them have formal programmes for supporting local NGOs, such as the Intrepid Foundation, which seeks out local projects to fund, and Exotissimo, whose staff worked so hard on the flood drive described above, has a similar foundation.

A handover of clothing as part of the ABOUTAsia/Hotel de la Paix Share Your Shirt campaign.

Others were actually born out of a social model. ABOUTAsia Travel is a high-end tour operator set up specifically to support ABOUTAsia Schools (originally called IAM Cambodia), a project that works to support almost 70 schools in Siem Reap, or a total of 37,000 children, with materials, supplies, volunteer teachers, and free English lessons. Pepy Tours was also created specifically to support education in Cambodia, funded through their cycling and education tours. Their website and associated blog provide a fascinating insight into how business models can work hand in hand with development goals. It’s also worth a read for anyone considering volunteering.

Siem Reap is a special place that still faces many problems and everybody has a role to play in helping Cambodians to address those problems, businesses especially. The ones discussed here are only representative of efforts being made by many businesses all over Siem Reap. Keep an eye out in your hotel, or restaurant or tour operator to see how they can help you to help.

Hotel de la Paix
hoteldelapaixangkor.com
T: (063) 966 000

Heritage Suites Hotel
heritagesuiteshotel.com
T: (063) 969 100

Golden Banana
goldenbanana.info
T: (063) 766 655

Sojourn Boutique Hotel
sojournsiemreap.com

Exotissimo Travel
exotissimo.com
T: (063) 964 323

ABOUTAsia Travel
aboutasiatravel.com
T: (063) 760 190

Pepy Tours
pepytours.com
T: (063) 690 6081

Tags: exotissimo, floods, Golden Banana, Green Gecko Project, Haven, Heritage Suites Hotel, Hotel de la Paix, HUSK, NGOs, poverty, Sojourn Boutique Resort, Soria Moria Hotel

Unlike most other places in Southeast Asia, you cannot freely rent a motorcycle or scooter here in Siem Reap. Considering you can rent bikes elsewhere in Cambodia, this may seem incongruous and indeed it is, but there is no real clarity on why it’s the case.

A guide to beating the Cambodian traffic blues.

A number of reasons have been suggested, however. These include the tendency of tourists to have accidents when confronted with the highly unpredictable and frankly loopy driving of the locals, which seriously makes you question everything you ever thought you knew about human nature, in particular whether the will to live is innate or acquired. And then there’s the tuk tuk mafia, which would be aggrieved at the loss of business. The rude comments that I still see cyclists get from tuk tuk and moto drivers would support that contention.

If you do happen to spot a foreigner on a motorbike in or around town, the odds are good that they’re an expat. Unfortunately, wandering up to them and wistfully enquiring where they got their bike won’t help.

You're not getting it, no matter how nicely you ask.

But driving, especially, on a motorbike or scooter, is still one of the best ways of seeing Cambodia and the spectacular countryside where, for good or ill, life hasn’t really changed a great deal (bar the addition of loudspeakers) since the days of the Khmer Empire.

It is still possible to get out there on two wheels however, provided you do it with a tour company and it’s not necessarily as expensive as you might think.

Experience, while always helpful, is not even strictly necessary. If you go with Khmer Ways, a newish outfit founded by a group of German guys who have been booting around the back roads of Cambodia for years, their small 125cc Honda Dream motor-scooters are perfect. They’ll give you a lesson before departure, and will make sure to drive as slowly as you need them to go.

Like most motorbike tour companies, they steer clear of the main roads as well. After all, you’re not paying them so you can spend the whole time looking at the back of a bus wondering when some lunatic is going to come shooting out of a side-road and straight into your path without even a sideways glance.

Getting away from it all.

Their prices too are excellent. Their signature one-day tour is $50, and includes a ride to Phnom Bok, a reservoir for a swim and inclusive barbecue picnic, and then the ruins of Chao Srei Vibol, a tough to get to temple where you’ll find divinely few fellow travellers.

For those wanting a little more adventure, then it’s time to saddle up on one of the 250cc dirtbikes that can be hired from either Siem Reap Dirtbikes, or Hidden Cambodia Adventure Tours.

Both of these operations are very experienced, maintain their own bikes, and pride themselves on their safety records. You can go on simple one-day trips of the countryside around Siem Reap, and it’s gorgeous, or on bigger cross-country tours, staying in local accommodation, eating local food, and really getting into the thick of it.

And if you’re looking to really burn up some road, and cash, well then a Harley Davidson is the only thing for you. Harley Tours Cambodia, though based in Phnom Penh, also offer one-day Siem Reap tours, to Beng Melea and Kampong Khleang, for $300. Now, where did I put my Steppenwolf?

Tags: Beng Melea, Chao Srei Vibol, Harley Tours Cambodia, Hidden Cambodia Adventure Tours, Kampong Khleang, Khmer Ways, motorbikes, Phnom Bok, Siem Reap Dirtbikes, tours

With its incredible colours, sepia-toned dawns and evening light, fascinating daily scenes and easy smiles of the people, Cambodia is a photographer’s dream, and the mystical Angkorian complex especially has drawn artists of all kinds since its rediscovery in the 19^th century.

An early image of Angkor Wat from Henri Mahout.

For amateur photographers too, Cambodia provides rich opportunities for capturing images that have a certain magical something. Going home with a camera full of striking, exotic, moving, or just plain different images is entirely possible for those that keep an eye out and are ever-ready to snap.

The Ice-Man Cometh.

But one place where that doesn’t seem to happen is at the temples themselves, which are notoriously difficult to shoot in any way that does justice to their scale and majesty. Some of that has to do with the light, as many visit the temples at times when it's not at its best (in the early morning and evening). And some of it has to do with the fact that shooting objects on the scale of the Angkorian temples takes a different approach to perspective than we usually exercise when shooting more “normal” sized structures.

One solution may be to sign up for a photography course while you’re here. A number of locally based photographers run short courses that can help you get the best images possible of Angkor and its surrounds, and in some cases also really improve your shooting skills for future adventures.

One of the photographers that has been around for the longest is American John McDermott (disclaimer: he is a friend of the Travelfish.org owners). A well established fine art photographer and photojournalist, John first came here in 1995 to capture Angkor during a total eclipse of the sun, and was bewitched. He came back again and again to capture the mysterious temples before finally deciding to stay. Since then his dream-like images, conveying a sense of the ephemeral and timelessness, of air and solidity, all at once, have developed iconic status.

One of John's iconic images of the Bayon.

John offers half or one-day courses that are tailored to each individual. He will meet the client the day before the shoot to go over their skill level and hopes for what they would like to learn and work out a programme. A half-day course is $300 and a full-day course, $500. Individuals or groups will not be combined with others, but he will take couples or a small single-booking group, up to a maximum of four (this may have an effect on price).

John is also planning a week-long workshop together with the extraordinary Japan-based photographer James Whitlow Delano in October this year. More information will be posted on that soon so keep an eye on his website.

For another perspective, Kimleng Sang is a local tuk tuk driver who came by photography in a very unique way. Driving a Canadian photographer around Angkor one day, he asked if he could have a go. Amazingly, the Canadian didn’t hesitate to hand over his expensive equipment, and that exchange became a life-changing moment for Kimleng. Since then, without the benefit of formal training, Kimleng has been hunting out the best light and best perspectives for shooting the temples of his homeland of which he is so proud. He charges a very modest fee of $25 for taking photographers around Angkor to find the best ways of shooting the temples. Extended transport, food and the Angkor pass are, of course, not included.

Peace of Angkor tours also offer dedicated photo tours of the temples, the surrounding countryside or the lake, with prices starting at $39.

You never know who you might meet off the beaten track.

For something a little different, Dutchman Eric de Vries and American Carolyn O’Neill have recently started to offer workshops that focus on street photography in Siem Reap (as well as Bangkok and Phnom Penh). These two experienced professional photographers will be able to guide you through the different processes, techniques and tricks that can raise your street photography from the interesting to the captivating. They hold scheduled workshops, but can make weekday arrangements for individuals on request. The fees are $150 for one day, and $260 for two days, and include instruction on editing in black and white.

Monks waiting inside Bakong Pagoda and a demonstration of my need for classes.

Tags: courses, Eric de Vries, John McDermott, Kimleng Sang, Peace of Angkor, photography, tours, tuk tuk

We do like to stretch. We can stretch out a dollar, a delicious weekend, or ourselves on a luxurious chaise longue, provided we can find one. If it suits our needs we can stretch a point, or an idiom, sometimes past its breaking point. Because stretching, we know, deep in our souls, is simply a wonderful thing, and for the obviousness of this fact you need look no further than the nearest cat.

So it must be good that Siem Reap has become stretch central in the past six months. For years one centre catered to all our yoga needs, but a proliferation of yoga providers in the past few months has truly stre... expanded our options. Each one has something different to recommend it, so without further ado, here’s the low down on them:

The Peace Café has been holding hatha yoga classes for years, in a traditional Khmer wooden building set in a garden which is also home to a vegetarian café, NGO shop, and community centre. Classes take place every Monday and Friday at 18:30, and every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 08:30. Price is $6.

Everybody say "ommmm"... *

Further out of town, near the Roulos complex, the Hariharalaya Retreat Centre is an oasis for calm, peaceful reflection with a holistic approach that hosts retreats, detox programmes, healing services and cooking classes. The daily schedule includes meditation, breathing practice, chanting and readings from the Masters, and they also hold yoga classes every morning at 08:00. Including a healthy breakfast, the sessions cost $7.

Back in town again, the UberOum Yoga Studio is above Blush on The Lane, right beside Pub Street. They offer a range of classes and styles, including “In the flow” and "Balance bliss" (hatha vinyasa for different levels), “Stretchy stretch” (hatha for all levels), and “Chill pill” (yin yoga). A full timetable can be found online (see below). Classes are $7. If you’re here for a while, and are new to yoga, they also run beginners block courses over six weeks. At $60, this is a great opportunity to learn the techniques and principles at the heart of yoga.

As part of their extensive programme of activities, the Siem Reap Hostel hosts Joel from Hariharalaya Centre for hatha yoga classes every Tuesday and Thursday at 18:00, and every Sunday at 10:00. The open-air classes are held on the balcony overlooking Wat Damnak, and participants can sometimes hear the chanting from ceremonies being held there, adding to the ambiance. At $4, these are the best value classes in town.

All of the above venues provide mats. So go on, make like a cat...

And if you're heading to Phnom Penh, here's what's on offer there.

Peace Café
Street 26
T: (063) 965 210; 092 177 127
www.peacecafeangkor.org

Hariharalaya Retreat Centre
Roulos
T : (088) 932 9556 ;(097) 628 6860
www.hariharalaya.com

Uberoum Yoga Studio
Floor 2 of Blush Boutique
The Lane
T: (078) 338 885
www.uberoum.com

Siem Reap Hostel
7 Makara Street
T: (063) 964 660
www.thesiemreaphostel.com

* Picture provided by Siem Reap Hostel.

Tags: Hariharalaya Retreat Centre, Peace Café, siem reap hostel, Uberoum Yoga Studio, yoga

Following on from the post about organisations working to provide flood relief to hundreds of people in and around Siem Reap, I can provide a little more information on what these organisations are doing and how you can help them; you don’t even need to get wet to do it, as local staff from NGOs and businesses are really stepping up to the mark and working incredibly hard to get out there and do it.

Families in temporary shelters at Chong Kneas village.

So what can you do? Well, you can start by partying. The much-loved local band Cambojam will be playing outside the Banana Leaf on Pub Street on Friday night at 21:00 in a special session in support of MaD – Making a Difference for Good. This is a joined concert and open mic night, so if you want to sing or play to help them raise funds, feel free to step up!

MaD works with a community that is about 50km outside of Siem Reap on rural development, sanitation, education and poverty relief programmes. They have already delivered relief supplies for 33 families in the village, as well as providing medical support and rebuilding a bridge that had been washed away. Because the families cannot store the rice in their homes, MaD will be making the trip as many times as is necessary to make sure that these people don’t starve. I’ll be joining them tomorrow and will post pictures so you can see what they’re doing.

Cambojam is a hugely popular group of expats and locals whose lively covers of popular rock and pop songs create an energy that’s hard to beat. Their gigs on Pub Street always generate a big, and happy, crowd.

Debriefing the volunteers, including staff and management from hotels and Exotissimo Travel.

For more on the party front, The  Station has confirmed that its Saturday night Spectacular Lady Boy Review will be held in aid of flood relief. This friendly bar, owned by an Australian wine enthusiast, is new on the scene and steadily building a solid reputation for a good night out, as well as an excellent wine list. The revues will be in aid of flood relief until at least 10 December.

Grace House has been bringing relief supplies to hundreds of families in the southeast part of town worst affected by the floods. This is a small organisation, but is very well integrated with the local community. Their support to that community has been facilitated by support from Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor and the Soria Moria Hotel on Wat Bo Road. You can support their work by contacting Grace House, or walking into one of the hotels.

Green Gecko kids packing up 6 tonnes of rice, 2000 tins of fish and 400 bottles of soy sauce.

The river road to Chong Kneas, where Grace House is based, has been hammered by the floods, and the communities affected not just by the Siem Reap river over-running its banks but also by the Tonle Sap lake, which is pushing far beyond its usual boundaries. They are literally sandwiched by two disastrous forces, even one of which alone would have caused enormous problems. According to Grace House, the people are in “desperate survival” stages and help just can’t get there quick enough.

It's heavy work!

I joined the Green Gecko Project last week when they coordinated the delivery of relief supplies to 400 families in the same riverside area. For each family, 15kg of rice, 5 tins of fish, soy sauce and 20 litres of water were packaged and delivered. The beauty of it was not just the smiles on the faces of the people, but the fact that this whole initiative was largely developed and operated by the Green Gecko kids themselves, kids who not long ago were pestering tourists for money on the streets of Siem Reap. These kids now have the confidence and ability to do amazing things like raise sufficient funds to support almost 2,00o families -- and that's only so far. On Sunday, they delivered relief to another 400 families in neighbouring Kampong Thom province, and are gearing up for more drops this week. Their donation page is here.

Families wait patiently in the sun.

These kids are another example of why giving to street kids is a disastrous idea – far better to give to organisations like the Green Gecko, the Sangkheum Centre or Anjali House, who get them off the streets and give them the tools to shape their own lives. Moreover, because this programme is locally driven, it has the capacity to look beyond its immediate goals and create benefits for others. The majority of the rice purchased by Green Gecko came from the Ibis Rice project, a conservation project based in Preah Vihear province so they have helped the community there too. They were able to do this thanks to their connections with the Sam Veasna Centre, a partner of the Wildlife Conservation Society, which is behind the Ibis Rice project.

Chong Kneas was a disaster.

These are just some of the organisations that you can help. Please take the time to check out their Facebook pages for more pictures of what they’re doing. They, and the communities they’re helping, desperately need your support.

Families are showing signs of ill-health.

Imagine living in this during a tropical storm.

Helping Cambodians to help each other.

Tags: charities, floods