Cambodia was the last destination of my trip with G-adventures. I learned a lot about history, as we visited many historical places related to the Khmer Rouge regime. It was a very sad experience learning about the suffering of so many people, I barely took any photos in the killing fields or prisons. I guess I just prefer to photograph happier things.
Phnom Penh
The capital of Cambodia really surprised me by how modern and clean it is (especially in comparison with Vietnam)…. Here are some sunsets on the river in Phnom Penh and views from one of the roof top bars in the city centre.
People
People in Cambodia are incredibly friendly and very happy to pose for the photos. I could not resist taking a few portraits of various people, especially children. The last two portraits are of the 2 survivors of the Khmer Rouge prison – they were signing books at the prison exit.
Cambodia temples
Angkor Wat is an architectural masterpiece and the largest religious monument in the world – an absolute must see in Cambodia. We got up at 5am to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat, but that morning the weather decided to give us a bit of a surprise – rain was so strong, there was no chance to take any photographs. Nonetheless the rain did eventually stop and I was able to take a few shots if this remarkable temple.
The following day the weather was perfect for visiting other temples, we spend about half a day driving around least famous temples, and I realised that it was one of the favourite moments of my entire trip . The tranquility of the ancient ruins was simply mesmerising.
Floating Village
These villages are home to communities that rely on fishing and agriculture for their livelihoods. Houses are built on stilts or floating platforms to accommodate seasonal flooding. People live 6 months every year on dry land, but then when the water rises, they take everything up into the houses and spend 6 months on the water, commuting everywhere by boat.
We visited during the dry season, the water level was very low – here are a few photos of it.
