Discovering Cambodia

Discovering Cambodia

April 7 to 18, 2025

(April 7 - 18, 2025) A welcoming country with a rich heritage and vibrant life, whose inhabitants are resilient in the face of a dark recent past. Under the guidance of the ARAF, which collaborated with the Voyage Plus organization, we quickly formed a friendly group of 25 participants, sharing our discoveries and photos on Whatsapp day by day, thanks to the great initiative of one of us. As soon as we landed in Phnom Penh, we met our guide, Ho Sim, who was serious, reserved, extremely friendly and spoke very correct French. He would tell us all about his country, adding amusing anecdotes to his comments. We visit the capital by bus, then by cyclo-pousse, which surprises us with its effervescence and the variety of its buildings, traditional, colonial and contemporary. Merchants' stalls in every corner; even if they are also grouped together at the central market, motorcycles of all calibres, ridden mainly by a population of young people, but also by whole families (3, 4, 5, parents and children on the same machine) who circulate with skill, zigzagging through the streets in a veritable ballet. Alongside this unbridled hustle and bustle, you'll find the calm and serenity of the Royal Palace and the classical Khmer-style Silver Pagoda, where His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, whose portrait can be seen on the city's billboards, sometimes stays. The imposing lotus-shaped Independence Monument stands on Norodom Boulevard. Heading east towards Kratie, we drive along the floodplain of the Mekong, with houses on stilts on either side. This is Kompong Cham, the shores of the Chams, a people from a neighbouring kingdom that has now disappeared, in conflict with the Khmers in the 10th century, whose battles we will see in the frescoes of the Angkor temples. A curious bamboo bridge, the only one of its kind, gives pedestrians access to a small island in the middle of the Mekong. And at the city gates, a 19th-century pagoda stands on the ruins of a 12th-century temple. Water buffalo graze peacefully in the surrounding area. And what an adventure it is to walk around the charming island of Koh Trong, by horse-drawn cart, tuk-tuk, or bicycle for the bravest, in the heat of the day! Still houses on stilts with their food gardens, full of flowers, mango and grapefruit trees, and the simple, quiet life of the inhabitants, who are also dedicated to fishing. A few gaunt cows, humorously referred to by our guide as "mannequin cows". After a cruise to discover the Irrawaddy dolphins, we pass a cassava plantation, harvested in bundles, to visit a pepper plantation: pepper, as we learn, is one of the crops for which Cambodia is famous, especially pepper from the Kampot region: we'll be bringing some back in our luggage. We've already visited one of the country's many rubber plantations. Here, mounds of earth appear, lined with strips of coloured paper: tributes from families to their dead, who are buried freely below. As for Silk Island, we have the opportunity to observe the work of craftsmen, from raising worms to weaving garments. Another highlight awaits us: the return to Phnom Penh on the Mekong River in a pretty gondola decorated with pink luminous lights, to watch the sun set over the capital. Sumptuous! And all this topped off with dinner on the terrace beside the river that joins the Mekong here: the Tonlé Sap. Then westward, this time to Oudong, the former capital: Oudong, the former capital; you have to climb 500 steps to reach stupas from different eras housing the remains of kings, and on the other side, a pagoda contains a large Buddha statue. At the foot of the hill, a market abounds with vegetables, fruit and grilled dishes, including crabs, which we sample. We'd already seen grilled spiders at a previous market, and we'll soon be seeing barbecued (field) rats by the roadside! Further on, a pagoda, the 15th-century Kompong Kralach, which has survived all the destruction. Our guide tells us that the Khmer Rouge, who took power and reigned terror from 1975 to 1979, were keen to preserve certain architectural treasures, despite their atrocities against the people. Here we are in Battambang, Cambodia's second-largest city, surrounded by countryside with houses on stilts and numerous rice paddies. "Rice in the morning, rice at noon, rice in the evening: at night we laugh!" says Ho Sim, describing the daily diet of the majority of Cambodians: they live in poverty. Along with Sisophon and Siem Reap, Battabamg was once part of the land of Siam (modern-day Thailand), which coveted these provinces. It wasn't until 1907, under the French protectorate (1847-1939), which gradually introduced direct administration of the country, that the lost provinces were returned. Siem Reap means "flattened Siam" or "total defeat of Siam". A fun ride on the Bamboo Train through the rice paddies, and a visit to the market where you can find everything, even snakes! But the highlight is the cooking class at the Narykitchen restaurant: the dynamic Cambodian chef teaches us how to cook egg rolls, amok (the national roast fish dish), beef lok-lak and bananas melted in coconut milk. A cake offered by a participant for her birthday crowned the meal. After this delicious meal, concocted by us under the guidance of Narykitchen's chef, a more sombre moment awaits us: in a 4x4, we climb the 140-metre-high Phnom Sampeau hill. At the summit, overlooking a vast panorama, a very deep Buddhist cave was used by the Khmer Rouge to throw their victims into as they fell to their deaths. Nearby, statues have been erected showing the atrocious tortures perpetrated. In 3? years, 2 million victims were tortured and killed. Although the current Prime Minister, Hun Sen, governs the country firmly, he challenged the authority of Pol Pot, the bloodthirsty leader of the Khmer Rouge, and fled to Vietnam in 1977, only to return with the Vietnamese to successfully fight the Khmer Rouge in 1979, explains our guide. Fortunately, we were treated to another, more pleasant sight! Thousands of bats take to the skies as they emerge from another cave just above the hillside to collect insects on which they feed. Punctually, at 6 p.m. on the dot, they emerge in the same direction, forming a cloud full of convolutions; they will return to their lodgings at 2 a.m.. Departure for Siem Reap and visit to the Angkor National Museum. Grandiose! Organized into 8 galleries, it presents beautiful sculptures found on the Angkor site, providing an insight into the history and evolution of art over the centuries. Religion is not forgotten: the first being Hinduism, succeeded by the Mahayana Buddhism of the king who built the Angkor temples, Jayavarman VII. But when he died (1218), Theravada Buddhism was adopted: priests do not act as intermediaries between man and divinity, and can leave the monastery whenever they wish. More than 90% of Cambodians practice this religion, although there are some Hindu survivals. We set off for the nearby lake of Tonlé Sap (or "Great Freshwater Lake"), which bears the same name as the river that flows into Phnom Penh, as it is impossible to delimit the river from the lake. It's the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia: 2,500 km2 in the dry season, compared with 12,000 km² during the monsoon. We visit a village that floats during the monsoon, but we're in the dry season. We admire the pretty wooden houses on stilts, with piles 6 to 7 meters high. The village is called Kompong Phluk, or "Port of Tusks". The inhabitants live mainly from shrimp fishing, but they also cultivate a few plots of land, including zucchini. We then embark to visit the adjoining mangrove swamp and access the lake, a real economic resource for Cambodia, classified as a biosphere reserve by Unesco in 1997, with almost 300 species of freshwater fish, 100 varieties of aquatic birds, turtles and even crocodiles, some of which we'll see raised by the locals! At dinner, we attend a demonstration of martial arts such as bokator, a symbol of the country's cultural heritage, and traditional dances such as the graceful Apsara dance, a testament to Cambodia's cultural resistance to all forms of conflict, which, as we shall see, was already present on the frescoes of the Angkor temples. We then set off in a minibus, with another driver, to discover the sacred mountain, Kulen National Park, where lingas and yonis line the riverbed. Some of us climb the steps of a huge staircase to admire an 8-metre statue of a reclining Buddha who has attained nirvana, carved into a huge sandstone boulder. Below, two waterfalls which, in this dry season, are surrounded by mud rather than a lake. Huge crowds line the stalls selling just about everything. For 3 days, from April 13 to 16, it's party time! The Khmer New Year festival! We still have to see the pink sandstone temple of Banteay Srei, built in the 10th century under Jayalavam V and dedicated to Shiva, a little way from the Angkor site. It was here, in 1923, that André Malraux (later Minister of Culture under De Gaulle), short of cash, had the statues of the bas-reliefs representing countless divinities cut up in a hurry, shipped incognito and auctioned off. Arrested with his wife, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison, but thanks to a petition organized by André Breton and signed by some twenty literary figures, the sentence was reduced to 1 year suspended. The bas-reliefs returned to their place. In the evening, we were delighted by the circus show put on by the students of the Phare Ponleu Selpak NGO arts school, in particular the acrobatics with aerial work. The ethics of this school are described on a sign: accept material goods (represented here by a shower of rice), but with Buddha's moderation. Then comes the supreme day: access by tuk-tuk and a walking tour of Angkor's treasures. First, Angkor Thom, "the great city" occupying a 9 km² quadrilateral. Like the French botanist and butterfly hunter Henri Mouhot in 1860, we walk "from wonder to wonder". It was built under King Jayavarman VII at the end of the 12th century, and abandoned in the 16th century. The majestic southern entrance, after crossing a very wide moat, impresses with its height and the immense 4-sided statue of Buddha, unless it's a representation of kings... or Brahma, the 4-headed god... The bridge over the moat features 54 giant statues on either side; on the left, serene, peaceful gods; on the right, grimacing demons. It's like entering a magical world! At the center of this great city is the Bayon, the earthly reflection of the god Indra. An ambiguity between Hinduism and the Buddhism so dear to Jayavarman VII. Of the 54 towers, only 37 remain today, with enigmatic but smiling faces. The walls are engraved with scenes of daily life, such as the naval battle between the Khmers and the Chams on the Tonlé Sap, mentioned above. A labyrinth of passages, galleries and towers; a highly sophisticated water management system in the Middle Ages! Outside, a number of toppled stones, some carved, await restoration. The royal monastery, Ta Prohm ("ancestor of Brahma"), appears invaded by the jungle, in a sort of union between stone and trees; it is dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII. Huge trees wrap their roots around the remains of the temple: cheese trees, banyan trees and fig trees, over 600 years old. Ta Prohm is world-famous thanks to the film "Tomb Raider" (2001), starring Angelina Jolie. We pass the Terrace of the Elephants, and the Terrace of the Leper King, which refers to a statue on the platform. And the crowning glory: Angkor Wat! When we arrive, we recognize it from afar, so many times have we seen it represented. What a thrill! It's him, it's really him! The world's largest religious monument, with its 5 towers, built in the early 12th century, under Suryavarman II, to honor the deity Vishnu, one of the main gods of the Hindu pantheon along with Shiva and Brahma. Bas-reliefs tell the story of the serpent Naga, summoned by the gods to produce the elixir of life. Angkor Wat is built on the principle of mountain temples: the high walls represent the mountains, the moat the sea, and at the top the residence of the gods - Mount Meru, the sacred mountain of Hindu mythology. This temple is the emblem of Cambodia: the identity of every Cambodian derives from it; in fact, it features on the flag and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. It is estimated that 6,000 elephants and 300,000 workers (slaves) were needed to build the temple (in around 30 years). Its orientation towards the west, on the side facing the setting sun, would indicate that it was a mausoleum. The reflection of the temple in the water of the moat encourages our group to take a photo. We can see the orange tents set up to celebrate the Khmer New Year, which currently runs from April 13 to 16. When we return to the city streets, we'll never forget the "happy new year" that erupts from all sides, in English as well as in Cambodian, and above all the games with water that are characteristic of this festival. Each Cambodian rivals the other in his or her ability to spray water from revolvers, water toys, pots, tubs and hoses. Everyone is sprayed (and sometimes smeared with flour) in an atmosphere of joy and good humor. We are not spared, or at least our bus, whose windows protect us; their pleasure becomes ours, and we greet them with smiles. This leads to terrible traffic jams; to reach a restaurant, we have to get out of the bus and walk fearfully in line, under the banner of a guard, policeman or whatever... And we haven't even mentioned the hotels, which are very comfortable, or the restaurants where the dishes, very colorful and tasty, become more and more varied as the journey progresses, like the one with grilled pork, or the Cambodian fondue. And what a presentation! Aesthetic, refined. On the day of our return, Ho Sim tells us that Chinese President Xi Jinping has just arrived in Cambodia on a diplomatic visit, because, we explain, Thailand and Vietnam are American allies, and Cambodia is allied with China. Balance! It was with great enthusiasm that we covered the 1,560 km of a destination that deserves to be better known, including to discover the way of life of its inhabitants, as this trip made possible.