Changdeokgung Palace and Gyeongbokgung are two grand palaces that you must visit while travelling in Seoul, South Korea, especially for the history buffs. It is an essential if you want to experience the life of the royal family in the Joseon era. Changdeokgung Palace or ‘The Palace of Illustrious Virtue‘, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and the largest of the Five Grand Palaces. The palace was built just after the construction of the more famous Gyeongbuk Palace, in 1405 and was completed in 1412. It was built while keeping the ideas of Feng Shui in mind, and rather than dominating the …
Cambodian Travel Guide: 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 Angkorian period. Although it is named Mountain of the Sun God, it was not dedicated to the Sun god Surya but to Shiva the …
Cambodia Travel Guide: 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. The extravagant development project for this site includes many villas, golf courses, water parks, a cable car and many more luxuries, however, at the moment, …
