How Siem Reap, Cambodia Got Its Name

Siem Reap is a major city in Cambodia. This city is also the capital of Siem Reap Province which is situated in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap is famous for being the entrance to Angkor region. This city has great historical relevance, known today as Angkor Wat, and it is seen in the architecture and culture of the city, which has influence of Chinese and French traditions. This makes this city unique in many ways and a famous tourist destination.


Relevance of the Name

The name of the city Siem Reap means "Siamese Defeated." Siamese here is referred to the people of present day Thailand. The story of this name takes reference from the conflict between the Khmer and Siamese people, which is centuries old. According to the traditional story of the region, this name was given by King Chan, when he defeated the Thais in this region in a major war. After the battle the Thai Prince Ong was dead and close to 10,000 Thai troops was captured. The Thais were completely destroyed in this battle and therefore, the name "Siamese Defeated."

History of the Conflict

The history tells that one of the Thai king, named King Chairacha was poised by concubine, to capture the throne with her lover. Later, both the concubine and her lover were killed by the nobles as they hated both of them. After their death, nobles appointed Prince Thainracha as the king and gave him the title King Maha Chakkraphat. King Chakkraphat demanded a white elephant from King Ang Chan and he refused to give anything to Thai King. Therefore, Prince Ong was sent to defeat King Ang and capture his kingdom. However, King Ang Chan counter-attacked Prince Ong and killed him in the battle, eventually capturing 10,000 Thai soldiers as prisoners. After the glorious victory, King Ang Chan named the battle area "Siem Reap" meaning "Siamese Defeated." Finally the Angkor Kingdom was defeated by the Thais in the fifteenth century and since then this city was abandoned.

Re-Discovery of Siem Reap

Re-Discovery of Siem Reap

Angkor was re-discovered by the French explorers in the 19th century, at that time Siem Reap was little more than a village. Later Angkor was acquired by French in 1907 and then Siem Reap started to grow. There were more tourists coming to the city to enjoy their culture and study their habits. This city suffered through the phase of Khmer Rouge and survived well. This city is now the gateway to many culturally famous heritage sites. Most of these world famous sites are Angkor temples. This attraction has resulted in this city developing itself into a major tourist hub in the region. Despite the influence of international culture, the people of Siem Reap have been able to conserve their culture, traditions and habits in its complete originality.

There are many reasons to fall in love in Cambodia and Siem Reap is one of them. Siem Reap due to its unique history and rich heritage is a great tourism spot. Tourism is the main economy of Siem Reap these days. Siem Reap also has a distinct combination of Chinese and French traditions, which adds to the cultural colors of the city.

Related post:    Booze Cruise in Sihanoukville Cambodia-Be Careful!

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Angkor Wat - The Lost But Not Forgotten Cambodia History

Angkor Wat or Angkor Archaeological Park is an ancient Hindu religious and archaeological site that was built in 12 century at a place which was then known as Yasodharapura by the king Suryavarman II of the Khmer empire. Being the largest religious monument in the world, it spans over 400 square - kilometers with many Hindu and Buddhist temples spread over this region. All the temples are built in the classical style of the Khmer architecture that features seemingly endless sculptural decorating that tells us the culture and habits of the ancient. 

Some of the major sites here that you cannot miss are as follows:

Angkor Wat:

Angkor Wat is the main temple to visit here. The whole temple complex was built in the honor of a Hindu god Vishnu, but it also has some structures revering Buddhism. It marked the period when the Khmer kings gave up Shaivism and started worshiping lord Vishnu. It has been Cambodia's top attraction for tourists and has become the symbol of the country - it is also present on their national flag. 

Bayon

Bayon:

The Bayon temple is the centerpiece of the Angkor Thom. Built by Jayavarman VII in the 12th or early 13th century, it primarily features Buddhist symbolism. It also has several carvings on the walls telling us about the main historical events and the everyday life events and habits during the Khmer regime.

Bakong:

Bakong was once the official state temple of the Khmer king, Indravarman I during the 9th century. It lies in the ancient city of Hariharalaya which is now being called as Roluos. Primary deity here is Hindu god Shiva. 

Phnom Bakheng:

Bakheng is another temple of Lord Shiva that was built in 10th century AD by Yasovarman. It is situated on top of a hill a hill, so it has become more famous for tourists that prefer to visit it during sunset. From here, you can have a great view of the main temple Angkor Wat that is just 1.5 miles away.

Preah Ko

Preah Ko:

Meaning a bull, which is the means of transport for Shiva, Preah Ko is another ancient temple here that attracts tourists in large numbers. The temple consists of six towers aligned in two rows of three towers each. They are dedicated to the forefathers of the king and lord Shiva.

Banteay Srei:

The Bantay Srei temples are very small in size especially when compared to the other constructions in the Angkor, but are rich in architectural beauty. This made them very special and to be fondly called by the tourists as "Jewel of Khmer Art" or "Precious Gem".

Lolei:

It is located to the extreme north side of the Roluos group of temples. It is once an island temple, but the water around it is dried up now exposing barren land. The temple consists of four brick towers which lie as a group. It was believed to be built by the kings in memory of their ancestors. A famous carving on sandstone here represents Indra, the Hindu god of sky, sitting on his white elephant, Airavata. Nagas, the hindu gods, are also represented here.

Prasat Kravan

Prasat Kravan:

Prasat Kravan is built in 10th century and you will find it to the south of Srah Srang. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and you can find beautiful engravings of Vishnu and goddess Saraswati on the walls. Also, this beautiful temple is surrounded by a moat. It is discovered in 1930 in the deep jungle.

To Reach Angkor Wat, you must reach the city of Siem Reap from where it is a 20 minute journey. Local guides who speak English are available here in plenty and they charge just $20 per day.

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Booze Cruise in Sihanoukville Cambodia-Be Careful!

When Deciding to go holiday to Cambodia, whether alone, with family or friends, It is important to carefully plan your itinerary, knowing what lies ahead. It prevents you from experiencing undesired events, leaving you with a terrific souvenir of a trip that was aimed to be joyful and relaxing experience. Should you intend to go on a booze cruise in Sihanoukville, you may need to consider some important aspects with regards to your safety.

Over weighted Boat Capacities.

Over weighted Boat

When it comes to tourism, some people will stop at nothing to generate more profit out of the pockets of the ones they are aimed to serve and protect in order to offer them a delightful moment of satisfaction. Most of the boats that are used for booze cruises are overweighted boats. While these boats are designed to carry a certain capacity, cruise organisers just overload them with more tourists regardless of the safety of their customers.

Safety and surroundings

When using these boats for booze cruising, tourists will be astonished to notice that there is not enough life jackets for everyone. Since everyone does not necessarily know how to swim, it will be dramatic for non swimmers to even consider going on a cruise with such boats. In addition to that, there is not any tangible sign of lifeguard patrols, which is so unacceptable since your safety should be the number one priority of the people offering these type of services.

Recurring Boats Accidents 

Sihanoukville booze cruises

Sihanoukville booze cruises are well reputed for the occurrence of the number of accident taking place. The latest known accident to date that could have caused death to many western tourists took place on the Thursday 4th of April, when an over weighted boat just sank, and again not having enough life jackets, displaying the lack of awareness of cruise organizers who did nothing again to ensure the safety of their customers. Just imagine what it is to see a boat in which you are sinking, knowing that you may have family with you, some of them not knowing how to swim! People got some help from fishermen who were just fishing nearby, revealing the absence of safety personnel around to rescue people in case these type of event occurs.

Certified Maintenance, Viability

From a strict point of view, when wanting to be professional about such as serious business, boats should be serviced in a timely manner, in order to ensure they viability and their effectiveness when it comes to transporting people. Most of the boats used in this region for cruising are definitely not following this important directive, risking to sink at any time, threatening the lives of the people using them.

The Same People Still in Business

You will also be amazed to notice that those responsible for such a lack of consciousness and care are still operating their business, with the same type of careless attitude. This represents a permanent danger at all and proves that nothing is being done in order to prevent the very same accidents to occur again.

Plan For Your Safety

Before going on any journey, it is important to make sure that all the parameters are in place in order to spend a joyful and memorable time, in opposition to experiencing a living nightmare. Unfortunately for now, these booze cruises cannot guarantee you the safety that you deserve as a customer paying for a service where your safety should be the main concern the one providing you with that service.

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5 Great Reasons to Fall in Love in Cambodia

There are various reasons why people travel to foreign countries. For instance, some move away due to unfavorable climate, leisure, and learning among others. Traveling in a friendly nation is therefore, very crucial. Cambodia is one of the great countries which is quite fulfilling due to the following reasons.

Good History

Experiencing a new culture is one of the most important things tourists prefer while in foreign countries. It can be exciting, rewarding, and mentally stimulating. However, travelling in Cambodia is quite satisfying due to a positive record. Citizens have awesome habits that make it difficult to identify foreigners. Diversity of their culture does not discriminate aliens. Foreign citizens find it easy to cope up with Cambodian custom. For instance, they can easily learn international language of the host country, adapt to different types of food, religion and the general way of life. Cambodia is one of the best places in the world where visitors can enjoy their life.

Cheap Living Cost 

Cheap Living Cost

Traveling depends on a number of factors. While in foreign countries, travelers find it difficult to sustain themselves due to high living costs. Some countries offer basic needs at very exorbitant costs. On the other hand, Cambodia offers a wide range of services at a relatively lower cost. Foreigners should not confuse this to poor living standards. Public services such as social amenities and infrastructure are offered at very reasonable costs. Foreigners can as well live luxury life at reasonable costs.

Social People

Living in foreign countries in a comfortable way is dependent on how social the citizens are. It is common to see foreigners being discriminated due to their races, culture and religion, and gender. However, in Cambodian people freely co-exist with foreigners. They are truly loving and caring. Their habits are so friendly that visitors feel at home within a short period of time.

Different Islands

Koh Kong Island

One of the major reasons why people travel is viewing attractive features. Islands are some of the major beautiful features on the landscape. In Cambodia, resort islands are majorly used by resort customers. Koh Kong Island is usually used by military. Nevertheless, all islands are open to travelers. In addition, there are different wild animals that are found in these islands. Some of the best islands in Cambodia include Koh Chaluh, Koh Polaway, Koh Russei, Koh Rong, Koh Pau, Koh Sess, and Koh Tibal among others. Visitors are allowed to travel to different places of the country to view these islands.

A Wide Range of Foods

Getting used to foreign food is quite demanding. Most countries usually offer strange foods which foreigners fail to adapt to. In Cambodia, travelers will always find different types of food that are common in most countries. Some of the most common foods include rice and noodles [staples], fruits and vegetables, fish, snacks, and dessert drinks.

Cambodia is one of the nations that one can enjoy life. Every person is governed by the country's laws which ensure that both citizens and foreigners are protected. There is freedom of expression and worship to all people. If you are planning to travel to a foreign country, Cambodia is the right place for you.

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