Amansara

Day 8: Cambodia

~ tanlandia ~ 1 Comment

Sunday afternoon, March 13th, 2016

Arriving back at the airport, we then boarded not our jet, but helicopters! I was a little nervous, but it was so much fun and a great way to see some of the more hard to get to temples (30 minute flight vs 3 hour drive!). Our flight path included views of a temple complex that was once the center of a large city, a waterfall, mountainous ruins, and various temples, even the temple we had dinner at the night before! Landing in the fields of a small village, it’s astonishing to find out that just a few years before, this area was filled with landmines. With the horrific recent history surrounding the Vietnam War, beyond the temples and ruins, visiting Cambodia is quite an emotional experience learning all that the people have gone through in the 1970’s and after. Everyone local we came across had some kind of story that they or their family endured during this time.

On a quite walk to Koh Ker, this temple was unlike any of the others we had seen yet as it was more of a step pyramid structure, with stairs that ran all the way up to the top. Our guide told us the reason for the steep steps up to the top is they are thought to be the “stairway to heaven”. Despite the heat (probably 95*F) we ran up to the top to catch views of the surrounding smaller temples that are now in ruins. It was hot, but we embraced it!

Before hopping back in the helicopter we visited one more temple in the area that the people would come to for fertility blessings. After our adventurous afternoon we made it back to Amansara for a light bite, swimming, and rest.

That night we ventured into Siem Reap for local Khmer food at Chanrey Tree, before headed to “Phare Ponleu Selepak”, a circus show of the people. It was a good night with a lot of fun where others in our Remote Lands group joined.

Day 8: Cambodia at Sunrise

~ tanlandia ~ Leave a comment

Sunday morning, March 13th, 2016

We rose before dawn to watch the sunrise over the majestic Angkor Wat, one of the world’s most famous attractions. Built in the 12th century as the capital of King Suryavarman II’s kingdom, it is the largest and best-preserved of the Angkor temples, and the only one to have remained a significant religious center (first Hindu, then Buddhist) since its founding. Being there at 6:00am, it was fantastic to explore all around Angkor Wat before the tour buses arrived.

Finishing up at Angkor Wat, we then jetted over to Ta Prohm Temple before the crowds showed up. It was now still before 8:00am so we had great timing. Ta Prohm was definitely our favorite of all temples, and was actually featured in the movie Tomb Raider due to it’s unreal setting. The ruins date from 1186 and have been allowed to be reclaimed by the jungle and a huge archeological area due to all the discoveries they are finding as they restore the temple.

After our adventurous morning, we had an authentic Khmer breakfast overlooking one of the reservoirs. It was a lovely way to end the morning!

DSCF1635

Day 7: Cambodia

~ tanlandia ~ Leave a comment

Saturday, March 13, 2016

We rose early with the goal of beating the heat and the crowds as we explored some of the temples (aka Wats) in the Great Capital of Angkor. Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from the 9th to 15th centuries. The temples of the Angkor area number over one thousand, ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the Angkor Wat, said to be the world’s largest single religious monument. Visitors approach two million annually making this a popular destination, and is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our first spot was enigmatic Bayon. Our knowledgeable guide went over the history of this temple, and we were able to thoroughly explore the ruins… it was great as there was practically no one else there besides us!

Next we moved onto Angkor Thom (Great City), which was an immense city and the capital of the Mahayan Buddhist King Jayavarman VII’s empire. The city is a square, with walls 8m tall and 3km long on each side, and surrounded by a moat. The Bayon (temples) mixes both Hindu and Buddhist iconography and its several terraces contain 54 towers with facades of stone faces.

After exploring the site, we then found a private temple off in the woods to enjoy some breakfast.

Getting back to the car, we then went further out to visit Banteay Srei, a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and nicknamed the “Citadel of Women”. A jewel-box of red sandstone, it is famed for its intimate size and the intricacy of its carvings.

After being a bit templed-out for the day, we changed up our day to see a different side of Cambodia’s culture, at a dance school! Ravynn Karet Coxen opened the Conservatoire of Aspara Dance as part of a humanitarian effort to deliver the essentials to the rural areas of Cambodia, including vaccinations, clean water, and education. A traditional dance was put on by the children along with a lotus blessing. I had no idea how much hard work, dedication, and stretching was required to master the traditional dance. These dancers of the Sacred Dancers of Angkor troupe, who train everyday for hours on end, were truly incredible, and in 2013 they (~30 dancers) had the opportunity to spend a month in four cities in the US (Boston, Washington D.C., New York, and Los Angeles), and it was touching to hear their stories. It was such a special way to spend the afternoon that everyone enjoyed. This was then followed by a traditional lunch (feast as I would call it) of lobster, fish, chicken, and much, much more! Once we returned to the hotel, we swam laps and then made it to the spa for some extra relaxation before dinner.

A special dinner was planned for us that night at Banteay Samre. It was fabulous and quite the event! We enjoyed gourmet Khmer cuisine on the grounds of the incredibly well-preserved temple, and were treated to a variety of performances, including traditional Cambodian dances.

Day 6: Cambodia

~ tanlandia ~ Leave a comment

Friday, March 11th, 2016

The next leg of our trip was to Siem Reap, otherwise known as the cultural capital, filled with incredible landscape and temples. Upon our arrival at the airport, we were picked up by Amansara’s fleet of vintage, classic 1960s Mercedes.

Amansara is at the threshold of Angkor Archaeological Park, containing the vast ruins of the largest pre-industrial urban settlement on Earth. The Amansara is the former guesthouse of King Sihanouk, so it has the charm and intimacy of a private home and is filled with jasmine flowers everywhere. The smell permeates the entire atmosphere, and is absolutely splendid. The Amansara was opened in 2002, keeping as much of it as it once was, but with the modern comforts and updates of Aman. Back in the 60s this is where Jacqueline Kennedy would stay, so it has always been the most fabulous place in Siem Reap, and I’m sure Angelina Jolie would agree. We had a beautiful room, with a great layout and highly attractive design, and fish pond and our own private pool.

With a few hours of afternoon left, we grabbed our remork (Cambodian tuk tuk) driver and hit the downtown. We buzzed around and saw local crafts being made. It was impressive to see all of the stone carvings being made by hand.

Stopping off in Kandal Village, we went through many great shops. It appears that this is the upsale shopping district in the old French quarter where many expats have opened up businesses. We especially liked the Little Red Fox Espresso (I had a lemongrass-ginger iced coffee which was the BEST ever!), but when the power blew out in this area (and probably many other areas) of Siem Reap due to excessive heat (we arrived during a heat wave) and also infrastructure upgrade projects, we bolted back to the Amansara to enjoy the pool and some air con.

After freshening up we were out that night for a party that was hosted by a haute couture Malagasy designer, Eric Raisina. We had a lot of fun, met many ex-pats who were friends with Catherine and our other local Aman friend, Sally, and it also included a fashion show! Nick and I both left with some pieces as a nice souvenir and headed back to the Amansara for a nice dinner.