Buddhist monks enjoy a sunset at Angkor Wat
Boatman - Battambang Province:
During the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge used forced labour to build a dam in Battambang Province. Thousands died. Today families and young lovers enjoy the calm waters of the man-made lake for pleasure rides and picnics in the little straw huts located in the middle of the lake.
Monks - Battambang:
Most Cambodian males become a monk at some point in their lives – whether just for a week, a month, a few years or for a lifetime. In an impoverished nation that has been shattered by countless wars and suffered through extreme social disruption, the Buddhist monasteries provide refuge for all and feed and educate many of Cambodia’s poor.
Bayon Temple – Angkor:
The Buddhist King Jayavarman VII built the Bayon Temple in the 13th century when the Khmer empire covered Cambodia and parts of Laos and Thailand. The 800 year old gigantic face sculptures remain an enigma to this day. Some scholars believe that the statues are a likeness of the king and others believe them to be a Buddhist deity.
Pointing Buddha - Battambang Province:
This brand new Buddha statue was built on Phnom Sampeau hill above one of the “killing caves” where the Khmer Rouge used to toss their prisoners to their death in the 1970s. The Buddha was completed in 2002 - the same year that the blood from the dead prisoners was entirely washed off the cave floor.
Apsara - Banteay Sray:
An apsara (celestial nymph) smiles enigmatically hundreds of years on. Picture taken at Banteay Sray temple which is part of the Angkor temple complex in Cambodia. The temple is believed to date from the 10th century and is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. The temple is renowned for its intricate sandstone carvings.
Kids hang out in Angkor Wat
Bokor Casino Wall - Bokor National Park:
Bokor Hill Station is located at 1000 metres and overlooks the jungle and the sea. In its heyday in the 1920s, Bokor’s casino and hotel were a playground for the international jet set. When one walks through the eerie shell of the building, one can still picture ladies in evening gowns and men in top hats descending down the central staircase. Now, moss covers the walls.
Once the wars came, the jet set disappeared and the Bokor plateau became a battleground between the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese army. Today the Bokor mountain and the jungle have been turned into a national park and western travelers hold New Year’s Eve rave parties in the casino shell.
Kep:
Kep was once Cambodia’s most popular seaside resort. Art deco villas dotted the shoreline. Since the wars, all that is left of the villas are the overgrown facades. However, Kep is slowly coming back to life as guesthouses are being built around town and local tourists come to enjoy seafood picnics by the sea.
Temple Monkey
Gas-station
Rattanakiri Province
Koh Russei
Bayon Temple - Angkor:
The Buddhist King Jayavarman VII built the Bayon Temple in the 13th century when the Khmer empire covered Cambodia and parts of Laos and Thailand. The 800 year old gigantic face sculptures remain an enigma to this day. Some scholars believe that the statues are a likeness of the king and others believe them to be a Buddhist deity.
Bayon Temple - Angkor:
The Buddhist King Jayavarman VII built the Bayon Temple in the 13th century when the Khmer empire covered Cambodia and parts of Laos and Thailand. The 800 year old gigantic face sculptures remain an enigma to this day. Some scholars believe that the statues are a likeness of the king and others believe them to be a Buddhist deity.
Kampot
Rattanakiri Province
Rattanakiri Province
Kampot - Cheeky Schoolboys