Relicts of an empire
Savithri Rodrigo describes Cambodia’s extant culture
Cambodia is what bucket lists are made of. The country exudes an aura of peace and tranquillity as you will enjoy on Bamboo Island, and in the rhythm and movement at Battambang, as well as the entrancing apsaras that figure prominently in its culture.
And then there’s the French influence from the 1850s, which is etched in the country’s architecture, cuisine and language.
It was the Khmer Empire that saw the magnificent rise of Angkor Wat in the 12th century. The temple ruins are breathtaking with hundreds of bas reliefs and carvings, and four awe-inspiring Buddha faces etched into the rock. The beauty of the complex is best seen at sunset but watching the emerging silhouette at sunrise can be magical too.
North of Angkor Wat is the Bayon temple with its rock carvings of 200 gentle smiling faces and incredibly beautiful bas reliefs. Even if your knees wobble after having to manoeuvre narrow corridors, steep stairs, towers, a maze of galleries and passageways, those four metre high stone faces exuding inner peace around you will make it all worthwhile.
The last of the big three is Ta Prohm, famed in the movie ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.’ Don your explorer’s hat because this jungle temple was made for a voyage of discovery.
It’s time then for a glide down Tonlé Sap, which is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and home to one of the world’s most vibrant ecosystems, as well as a hospitable community that lives in floating and stilted villages.
Then take a tour of the Royal Palace at Phnom Penh – a fine example of Khmer architecture with French influence. Inside is a 17th century Baccarat Crystal ‘Emerald Buddha,’ a 90 kilogramme gold icon of the Tathāgata encrusted with 10,000 diamonds, the Silver Pagoda with 5,000 inlaid silver tiles and Napoleon III’s villa.
Not for the fainthearted are the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek, which was one of the
execution and burial sites of the Khmer Rouge. There are thousands of exhumed skulls on display as a reminder of the horrors of the past.
Cambodia’s cuisine includes vignettes of French feasts such as stuffed frogs, escargot and freshly baked baguettes, as well as Cambodian favourite sach ko, which means beef stew served on a baguette. The pomelo salad and pounded eggplant dip are simply delicious, while the rice thickened fish and pork soup samlar kakou is also a treat.