The Biggest Celebration in Cambodia: Chaul Chnam Khmer
When I was younger, and working multiple jobs, I avoided looking at the clock. I fear the slow passing of time that will only seem slower if I watch it progress. Now, I avoid looking at my calendar. I fear the quick passing of time that will only seem faster if I watch it progress. It’s funny how memories and time work. It felt like yesterday that I said goodbye to my parents at the Phnom Penh airport, but I don’t even remember what we talked about, or what they wore, what I wore. But I know, it’s been almost …
Phnom Chisor: Ascending The Mountain of the Sun God
I love Angkor Wat, just not the large amount of tourist that lingers there, packed together like sardines in a can, where breathing fresh air is a luxury. I prefer to get off the beaten track, to feel more like an ancient explorer, not a tourist. Lucky for me, 50km from Phnom Penh lays a hidden gem from Khmer history, older than Angkor Wat, and relatively unknown to tourists; Phnom Chisor, also known as Sri Suryaparvata or Suyagiri (Mountain of the Sun God) in the Ankorian period. Although it is named Mountain of the Sun God, it was not dedicated to the Sun god Surya but to Shiva the …
Wat Sampov Pram atop Phnom Bokor
The story of Bokor National Park, like many of our history is a fascinating but unfortunate one. A major tourist attraction, and the historical site of the dramatic showdown between the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese in 1979, Bokor National Park was sold in its entirety by the Hun Sen’s government to the Sokimex Group for $100m. Now, the hauntingly beautiful 1920 French colonial hill station, often swathed in thick fog, is the home of many large hotels and a casino. Extravagant development project for this site includes many villas, gold courses, water parks, a cable car and many more luxuries, however, at the moment, the …
