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Destination Guide - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
By Rachel Askham
Travel Writer


Apsara dancers in Cambodia

We couldn't decide what to do. Our brains seemed to have turned to jelly since landing in Siem Reap. We'd been to Angkor Wat, Pot Pol's Killing Fields, and the markets.

Our tuk tuk driver Cheon had some great suggestions but we wanted to do something different too, everywhere we had gone was overrun with tourists and we didn't want to feel like cattle being hurdled along.

There was another side of Cambodia that was waiting for us. We met Cheon and asked him to take us to the countryside. As we bumped our way through the rickety, rusty colored road on our way to the rice paddies, he told us about his days growing up in the countryside around Siem Reap.

"My family worked in the rice paddies" he said as he looked into the distance. "There is only one harvest a year" his eyes glazed. As we drove slowly past traditional Cambodian houses on route to the rice paddies, life was unfolding in front of our eyes.


Small river in Kompong Chhnang, Cambodia

A woman cycle by with a radiant smile, all the time carrying five huge sacks of rice on the front of her bicycle, not breaking a sweat. Men steered horses and with carts of vegetables attached. Other families were having a siesta to escape the scorching heat, sprawled out on the porch, arms and legs dripping over the edge of their makeshift sleeping quarters.

Cows grazed dozily, their chocolate brown eyes not flinching. Gas stops consisted of small racks by the road holding several plastic bottles of petrol and a money tin, for the honest. Children ran to the edge of the road to look, modestly dressed, some naked, waving and smiling, even running after us and shouting "Hello," to induce a further chorus of toothy grins and giggles from their friends.

One boy was innocently playing with a frog in the mud but soon lost interest when we came by, the frog, being held by one leg curiously, was cast aside, as he jumped up and down and waved excitedly. The road opened up into an expanse of vermillion green rice paddies.


FCC Angkor

The cloudless azure blue sky and rusty orange road seemed to amplify it further.People were working in the fields under the laborious sun. They turned and waved, again, smiling. This was a real Cambodian experience not put on by the package tours and was a special one because Cheon was our driver. His knowledge of the area was another insight into the day to day life of people here.

We stopped and took some pictures. Cheon asked us where we wanted to go next, "Do you want to go to floating markets?" he said. "Are there many tourists?" we asked "Yes" he laughed. "I'm sure we can live without the floating markets" we said. We turned around and looked one last time at the radiant rice paddies and set off on our bumpy journey back on the dusty road.

Where is it?

Just six hours away from Seoul, Siem Reap is fast becoming the destination of choice for many travelers. With an immense history, mix of French and Asian flavor, and some of the friendliest people around, Siem Reap is a fascinating place to visit at any time of the year.
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