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 […]
All posts filed under: Cambodia
Roluos and the Beginning of the Khmer Empire
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 […]
Smitten with Siem Reap
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 […]
Great to See You Again, Cambodia!
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 […]
My 7 Links – A Quick Look to My Old Posts
I’ve been writing my travel blog for about a year. Honestly when I wrote my first post I had no clue how to write a nice-reading post. Then I started reading some travel blogs which I found interesting, and follow some of them. By reading […]
Leaving Cambodia, Entering Vietnam
After spending one day in Phnom Penh, I continued my trip to Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) in Vietnam. I booked for the bus a day earlier right away after I came to the guest house where I stayed at in Phnom […]
The Cambodian Royal Palace
Cambodia is one of few remaining kingdoms in Asia, and the world, with King Norodom Sihamoni as the current ruler who succeeded his father, King Norodom Sihanouk, in 2004. In my previous posts I have said that Angkor used to be the capital of the […]
Phnom Penh in a Glimpse
After spending about 3 days in Siem Reap, I headed to Phnom Penh which is 6-hour-bus-ride away from Siem Reap. Actually, when I planned for this trip months ago, I didn’t put Phnom Penh on the list and intended to go directly to Ho Chi Minh City instead. However, a friend […]
Cycling around Angkor Archaeological Park
Siem Reap is a small city which serves as Cambodia’s gate to the world due to its strategic location near Angkor Archaeological Park, which contains well-known temples such as Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm. The entire Angkor complex is comfortably accessible from Siem Reap by various means of transportation. You […]
Ta Prohm: A Temple Amidst The Woods
Another well-known temple at The Angkor Archaeological Park is Ta Prohm. Partly thanks to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’s movie which was filmed around this temple and brought to the world the mysterious atmosphere of this place with those picturesque large tree roots holding onto the […]
The Enigmatic Faces of Bayon
Angkor Wat served as the capital of the Khmer empire until mid-12th century, when the death of King Suryavarman led to the invasion of the Chams (present-day Vietnam) to the Khmer capital. However, a few years later, a Khmer prince successfully defeated the Chams and […]
Angkor Wat: The Khmer Jewel and Pride
In the 12th century, when the Khmer gained its independence from Java (present-day part of Indonesia), their king (Suryavarman II) instructed the construction of a religious monument which also serves as a national capital (and later becomes the world’s largest religious compound). At that time, […]
What an Amazing World! 