The Fishing in Cambodia

         The staple diet of Khmer is fresh water fish.  With the abundant supply of fish (said to be 600 different species in the Tonle Sap lake), it is not surprising that the Khmer love to eat fish!  The majority of Khmer families would have fresh fish at least twice per day except in areas where there are no permanent streams, rivers or lakes.

Here during the dry season they may have to catch frogs, crabs, snails, insects and in some places rats from the field!  Khmer, like their Thai neighbours will often eat any type of moving animal or insect to ensure a protein intake

Khmer New Year in Cambodia

      “Khmer New Year” is a 3-day festival starting around the 13th or 14th of April (depending on leap years) to celebrate the New Year. Everyone is out on the streets wishing each other and their families success, peace and happiness.  Much earlier, during Angkor times, the New Year was celebrated 4 months earlier on the 1st day of the first lunar month. This was abandoned after Angkor, as a solar calendar was adopted and gained popularity.

 

The main reason for the change was the end of the dry season, when the peasants finished their work in the fields and the harvest had been put away safely before the start of the rainy season, and people had more time to celebrate. Therefore, one of the kings decided to change the New Year festival to the month of April and to follow a solar calendar.

Toul Sleng, Museum of Genocidal Crime - Cambodia

   Prior to 1975 Toul Sleng was a high school but under the Khmer Rouge (KR) it was used as a torture facility. The building now serves as a museum and a memorial. Photos of some of the victims as well as paintings by a survivor hang on the walls. The complex has been preserved as the KR left it

Royal Palace at Phnom Penh - Cambodia

        Built in 1866 by King Norodom the Royal palace is now home to His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia, and Her Majesty Preah Reach Akka-Mohesey Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, the Queen of Cambodia.

      The Palace grounds are opened to the public except when the King is in residence. Within the

Ou'Sean Lair Waterfall at Rattanakiri - Cambodia

            Ou'Sean Lair Waterfall is situated 26 km, South of Banlung. This Waterfall has 4 floors and the height of each floor is 4 m. The water flows throughout the year. Around the Waterfall are beautiful natural landscapes and the visitors can go take a bath if they wish.

Ocheteal Beach at Sihanouk Ville - Cambodia

          Ocheteal Beach is the all-rounder with long and narrow strip of beach lined with pine trees, grass umbrellas, rental chairs and little drink huts. The sandy beach that stretches southwards is worth trekking down if any trippers want some privacy.

 

At the northern end is Serendipity Beach , which is a cool place for travelers to hang out. Serendipity beach also offers small guesthouse rooms right on the beach with occasional full-moon parties. However, the beach is filled with boulders that make it unfriendly for swimming. 

Angkor Wat Temple - Cambodia

       Angkor Wat ( Angkor temple) is the magnificent remains of the Khmer civilization. Angkor Wat's rising series of five towers culminates in an impressive central tower that symbolizes mythical Mount Meru . Thousands of feet of wall space are covered with intricate carving depicting scenes from Hindu mythology.