If someone mentions an ancient Khmer temple entangled with giant tree roots, you would probably think of Ta Prohm, the iconic centuries-old ruins that are almost as popular as Angkor Wat itself. And if someone brings up Jayavarman VII, the powerful king who was also […]
What would you do if you became the ruler of an empire with a history spanning centuries and known among its neighbors for its majestic temples? For Jayavarman VII, the king of the Khmer Empire in the late 12th century CE, the answer was simple: […]
In July 2011, when I was in Cambodia during a week-long whirlwind backpacking trip across three Southeast Asian countries, I took a photo of the dish above. Called lok lak, it was touted as the country’s national dish and it happened to be the only […]
When Jayavarman II united the Khmer people and founded a kingdom at the turn of the ninth century, he would probably have never imagined that centuries later his country would eventually become the mighty Khmer Empire, nor would he have envisioned that his nation would […]
There’s probably nothing more humiliating for the rulers of a nation than being defeated by another nation they once conquered. In 1177 CE, Champa occupied Angkor following their successful naval attacks right at the heart of the subjugated capital. This was an unprecedented event as […]
It was a cloudy afternoon on our third day in Siem Reap and we were on our way to a massive 12th-century temple in a forest-studded setting. Earlier in the morning when the weather was ideal for photography, we paid a visit to the Roluos […]
In the beginning of the 11th century CE, the Khmer Empire plunged into yet more internal strife which saw a protracted conflict to determine the rightful claimant to the throne. It began during the reign of Jayavarman V, the son of Rajendravarman II who became king […]
It’s amazing, and scary, to think of what our hands are capable of doing. They slap, they punch, they stab, they fire a gun, they molest, they hurt. But they also write, they cook, they sculpt, they caress, they play music, they paint, they create. […]
In the late ninth century CE, the Khmer people witnessed the establishment of a new capital of their fledgling empire under the rule of Yasovarman I, whose predecessors previously ruled from Hariharalaya. Called Yasodharapura (modern-day Angkor), the new center of administration began seeing the construction […]
Over the course of human history, there have always been individuals who have what it takes to push the boundaries, to make breakthroughs, to think of what others can’t conceive, to do what others don’t have the courage to execute, to dream about what seems […]
The Defeat of Siam. Quite a name for a place situated not too far from the border with Siam – modern-day Thailand – itself. Imagine if there was a city in France called La Défaite de l’Allemagne (The Defeat of Germany). That would have caused […]
Eleven years ago, in my early years of blogging, I went on a whirlwind trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam in just one week. Back in those days, I was focused on seeing as many countries as possible despite the brief time off from work […]
What an Amazing World! 