Adventure Travel Tales and Photos of Cambodia

Photos of Siem Reap


If you're planning to visit Cambodia, here is an excerpt of the latest (as of 9-7-2003) information provided by the US State Department:

"Land mines and unexploded ordnance can be found in rural areas throughout Cambodia, but especially in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Siem Reap, and Kampong Thom provinces. At no time should travelers walk in forested areas or even in dry rice paddies without a local guide. Areas around small bridges on secondary roads are particularly dangerous. Travelers who observe anything that resembles a mine or unexploded ordnance should not touch it. They should notify the Cambodia Mine Action Center at 023-368-841/981-083 or 084.

The town of Siem Reap and the vicinity of the Angkor Wat temple complex remain officially open to tourists."

The entire information sheet can be seen at: Cambodia travel.

Siem Reap was my first destination in Cambodia. I came to Siem Reap to see the temples of Angkor Wat, which I've wanted to see for a very long time. The temples of Angkor are fascinating and I enjoyed them very much.

I will say straight out that the people in and around Siem Reap are the most aggressive hawkers of their goods and services of anyplace I've visited in the entire world, bar none. Tourists are pursued almost non-stop while outside the temples of Angkor Wat. It is incessant and shrill and a real pain in the ass. All this is only made worse by the fact that the Cambodian government has seen fit to outlaw the rental of motorbikes to foreigners and by so doing puts every traveler at the mercy of the moto and tuk tuk drivers, which are every bit as incessant at trying to sell their services as every other merchant in Siem Reap.

Having said that, it doesn't change the fact that the temples of Angkor Wat are a must see.

I hope you enjoy my photos of Siem Reap and Cambodia.



I found this girl putting thin slices of banana on her face. When I enquired why, I was told that it lightens the skin. Later, when I met Marady in Phnom Penh I found out that most Cambodian women are very conscious of skin color - preferring to have lighter skin.



Like every other major town in Cambodia, Siem Reap has their own set of killing fields. This is the monument built to display the skulls of the people killed in and around Siem Reap.


I couldn't resist taking this photo - the Cambodian flag and a young boy in the reflection of the glass holding the skulls of hundreds or thousands of Cambodians killed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.



There are many minefields in Cambodia that are being actively cleared. Despite this, about 100 people each month are killed or maimed by stepping on one.


During my stay in Siem Reap, I estimate that I saw about 50 men that had been maimed by landmines.

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