Set within the northwestern plains of Cambodia, Siem Reap is a tropical countryside home to mangrove forests and low-lying agricultural plantations that farm sugar cane and fields of rice. Along with it’s agricultural resources, Siem Reap plays an important role in preserving the history of Cambodia with it’s skeletal remains of the Khmer Empire.

Known as “Angkor” from 802AD to 1432AD, the region was controlled by the wealthy and powerful Khmer Empire. It rose to become the largest pre-industrial civilization with a complicated water management system along with an elaborate infrastructure that supported up to 1 million people. For 600 years, each king would build his own temple to worship his own religion, shifting between Hindu and Buddhist through the years.

After the fall of the Khmer Empire to Thailand (Siam) in 1432, over 1000 temples were taken over by nature. The region eventually succeeded in regaining control from Thailand and was renamed Siem Reap, which means “defeat of Siam (Thailand)” in Khmer. Since the 1927 re-discovery of the Khmer temples by a French explorer, Siem Reap has served as the gateway to it’s Angkor history providing a source of much needed income and pride for the local people.

Our Siem Reap experience began the morning of November 3rd local time…which just happened to coincide with Game 7 of the World Series. Our priorities shifted back to America for a few hours. The temples could wait.

 

After cheering on our hometown tribe for a few stressful hours, we were anxious to see Cambodia.

Kampong Phluk:

Our first excursion took us to a floating village within the floodplain of Tonle Sap lake. Surrounded by flooded mangrove forest, Kampong Phluk is home to more than 3000 Khmer locals that live in houses built on stilts.

To get there, we chartered a boat…

 

 

Upon entering the outskirts of the village, we stopped at the local elementary school.

 

 

 

 

November is the end of Cambodia’s monsoon season, therefore the houses only rose a few meters from the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the center of Kampong Phluk is an island that provides dry land with substantially less flooding.

 

Here, we visited another school…

 

 

 

 

We were able to have a look inside a local floating home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dinner, we stopped at a food street for local Khmer food and fresh sugar cane juice.

 

 

Angkor Wat Sunrise:

Built by a Khmer king in the 12th century as a Hindu Temple of God Vishnu, Angkor Wat remains the largest religious site in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, it exists as a Buddhist temple and a source and symbol of national pride that adorns the Cambodian flag.  It’s unique sandstone architecture is a prime example of Khmer classical style with a temple mountain design and five redented towers shaped like lotus buds. Allowing plenty of room to play tag with Jack, Angkor Wat became Luke’s favorite temple.

 

 

 

 

 

Inside Angkor Wat, we:

 

 

 

 

 

Ta Prohm:

Well-known for it’s role in the movie Tomb Raider, this temple was built as a Buddhist monastery and university in the early 13th century. Having been left in it’s unpreserved state, Ta Prohm remains canopied and overtaken by the surrounding jungle with large silk-cotton and ficus trees growing out of it’s ruins with roots slithering down into the earth. This was my favorite temple, as it merged the serenity of a temple with the beautiful colors and sounds of nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a day of temples, we were ready to appreciate the hard work put into creating these stunning monuments. The handmade stone carvings and bas-relief artwork cover every inch of the Angkor temples, so we headed to an art studio where these Cambodian traditions live on.

 

 

 

 

Banteay Srei:

Banteay Srei was constructed in the 10th century from red sandstone and is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. With it’s intricate wall carvings and relatively miniature scale, this temple is known as the “jewel of Khmer art.”  It’s unique beauty and delicacy secured it’s place as Kate’s favorite Angkor temple.

 

 

 

 

 

Bayon:

At the center of Angkor Thom, the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire, stands the Bayon temple. Built in the late 12th century, this Buddhist temple represents the baroque style of Khmer architecture. Known for the gigantic stone smiling faces protruding from it’s many towers, this massive temple quickly became a favorite for both John and Jack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset in the countryside:

For our final evening, we took a quad bike tour through the rice paddies and local villages. Winding through dusty, uneven laterite roads, we got a glimpse of the simple beauty and hard life beyond Siem Reap’s temples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After days of exploring the temples of Angkor by foot, we ended with a foot massage for all.