Cambodia Gallery

Being at Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise is a magical experience. Which is why I did it several times. There's a stillness in the air, and despite the presence of many others wanting to share the same experience, it is a peaceful and reflective time.

At all the temples you will find several young girls and boys trying to sell souvenirs or postcards. Everything they sell seems to cost one dollar. Ten postcards: one dollar. Two wooden flutes: one dollar. Ten reed bangles: you guessed it, one dollar. I saw some people getting annoyed with them, but for me these young vendors added a human element to what could be 'just another temple'. They made me laugh, I made them laugh; I got some souvenirs, they got some money. Symbiosis in action. Nack and her friend approached me during one of my sunrise visits to Angkor Wat. After much joking, I bought some postcards, and they gave me some drawings of flowers which they had colored in with crayons. Some might call this cynical marketing - I just thought it was sweet. In return for their gifts, I gave them the postcards back.

I have no idea who this girl was, but she was sitting in just the right place to make this a more interesting shot.

Intricate bas-reliefs stretch around the outside of Angkor Wat's central complex. Such celestial dancers or heavenly nymphs are known as apsara.

It must have been frog season when I visited Siem Reap. There were baby frogs everywhere. This obliging chap waited patiently while I took several pictures. He happily hopped off once I was done.

This is one of my favorite images, although the scanner has not done it justice.

One of the classic images of Angkor: tree roots embracing a temple doorway.

Ta Prohm has been left un-restored and at the mercy of the elements. Towering overhanging trees provide dappled shade while sunlight filtering through the leaves lends a greenish tinge to the scene. Many passageways are blocked by fallen stonework. Bas-reliefs are covered with moss and lichen. I got there very early in the morning, hours before the tour buses started disgorging their rabble. It was blissful and hauntingly atmospheric.

The gentleman on the right became something of a local celebrity after he appeared on the cover of the latest Lonely Planet guide to Cambodia. He has been the caretaker at this temple for decades, making it presentable for legions of visitors. He has developed a permanent stoop, presumably from years and years of bending over a broom.

This is the stone face that everyone wants to photograph, the one with the beatific smile.

216 huge stone faces decorate the many towers at the Bayon. Wherever you stand, some faces will be looking right at you, others will be in profile. They are all fascinating, even in the rain.

From a distance, the Bayon looks just like a jumble of rocks. It's only when you climb up to the temple that you encounter the beautiful stone faces and intricate bas-reliefs.

A 350 metre wall with huge stone elephants walking gracefully along it. It's hard not to be impressed by such craftsmanship.

This group was gathered in a circle to share their lunchtime meal. When I asked if I could take a picture, they all started to remove their hats, but it was the brightly colored hats that had attracted my attention.

Some of the carvings at Preah Khan are quite stunning, like this row of wise men known as essai.

Preah Khan was the temple I returned to most often. Unlike better known temples like Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm, Preah Khan receives relatively few visitors. You could spend hours wandering through the maze of corridors, studying stunning bas-reliefs, to finally reach this scene of huge tree roots hugging the stonework at the rear of the temple.

Ruen was one of the souvenir vendors at Preah Khan. As with the younger kids at all the temples, she was very sweet and very persuasive when it came to selling those postcards.

The young souvenir vendors at the temples often give you small presents to persuade you to part with your money. Ruen had run around and picked some wildflowers for me. At another temple I received some drawings. I was once even offered a tiny (live!) baby frog, which I graciously declined. If these tactics seen cynical, then your heart is steelier than mine. A dollar or two means very little compared to what most visitors to Angkor pay for airfare and accommodation, whereas a few dollars mean a whole lot more to a local villager.

Sras Srang, an artificial reservoir dating from the mid 10th century, is a great alternative for sunrise shots away from the hordes at Angkor Wat. Apparently, this is a little known fact, because I was the only one there.

Banteay Srei is a 45 minute journey from Siem Reap, through jungle and past bustling roadside villages. An early morning arrival meant solitude and the ability to really enjoy the atmosphere of a remote and most beautiful temple. However, as I was leaving, at around 10:30 AM, there was a long queue of people waiting to get in, with many more busloads arriving in the car park.

Banteay Srei is a relatively compact temple, but the exquisite carvings in the rose-colored sandstone are some of the best I have ever seen. Just make sure you get there before the tour groups start arriving so you have time to really study the intricate stonework.

With the profusion of ancient temples at Angkor, it is easy to overlook treasures within the town of Siem Reap itself. The more modern temple of Wat Bo contains some beautiful 19th century paintings depicting the life of the Buddha.

Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and is home to a number of lakeside villages, some of which move with the rise and fall of the lake's water level. Chong Kneas is a predominantly Vietnamese village, and is the one most visited by tourists.

Views from the hillside temple of Phnom Krom are spectacular, especially at sunset. The Tonle Sap lake stretches into the far distance, with the frantic activity of the Chong Kneas floating village in the foreground.