The Best of Cambodia & Laos

iv
CONTENTS CAMBODIA & LAOS
4 SUGGESTED CAMBODIA & LAOS ITINERARIES 50
1 The Best of Cambodia
in 1 Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
2 The Best of Laos in 1 Week . . . . . . . .53
3 The Best of Cambodia & Laos
in 3 Weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
5 PHNOM PENH 59
1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
The Tonle Sap: The Heart
of a Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
2 Where to Stay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
3 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Phnom Penh’s Much-Loved
Pachyderm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
4 Phnom Penh Attractions . . . . . . . . . .80
The Khmer Rouge on Trial . . . . . . . . . .83
Unwinding (and Helping Out)
with a Blind Massage . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
5 Day Trips Outside Phnom Penh . . .87
6 Shopping & Galleries. . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Munitions into Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
7 Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Heart of Darkness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Fast Facts: Phnom Penh . . . . . . . . . . . .91
6 SIEM REAP 93
1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Give of “Yourself” in Siem Reap. . . . . .96
2 Where to Stay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
3 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
4 Siem Reap Attractions. . . . . . . . . . . 112
Some Guidelines When
Visiting Angkor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
The Magic Hours at
Angkor Wat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
“Get High” at Angkor. . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
5 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
6 Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
A Dance for the Divine . . . . . . . . . . . 129
The Remote Temple of
Preah Vihear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Fast Facts: Siem Reap. . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
7 BATTAMBANG & NORTHERN CAMBODIA 133
1 Battambang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
An Evil Harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Fast Facts: Battambang . . . . . . . . . . 137
Food Stalls by the Riverside . . . . . . . 142
2 Kompong Chhnang. . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Fast Facts: Kompong Chhnang . . . 145
3 Kratie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Fast Facts: Kratie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
The Spiders of Skuon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
4 Ratanakiri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Fast Facts: Banlung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Exploring Mondulkiri . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151