5 ways to experience the best of Sri Lanka

Home to a gorgeous coastline, ancient cities and lush countryside, Sri Lanka is also slowly healing from the wounds of war.

But with a steadily improving infrastructure, this tiny emerald shaped island is on the rise.

Here are five essential experiences and destinations to consider.

Bokor Mountain (ឋានសួគ៌បូកគោ)

Chambok, Natural Ecotourism Cambodia

24 beach photos that'll make you drool

They're almost unbelievable. Impossible blues, electric greens, depths as clear as glass -- all bathed in blinding sunshine.

But that's why we like snapshots of beaches: someone lived that saturated fantasy, giving cubicle dwellers hope.

Most of these locales are sizzling right now, and a few may need a little more time to heat up, but they're all primed for a daydream visit.

Exquisite Cambodia

Exquisite Cambodia (Part 2)

Exquisite Cambodia (Part 1)

Fears for tourism during rally

The opposition’s planned demonstration in Siem Reap next month could affect the tourism industry in Cambodia’s most important visitor destination, the government and industry representatives said yesterday.
Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon told the Post that the Cambodia National Rescue Party’s (CNRP) December 10 rally could have “huge” consequences for both residents and businesses, particularly if tensions escalated.

Preah Vihear legend inspires

Though diplomats will presumably be the ones deciding which territory falls to whom in the newly demarcated vicinity of Preah Vihear temple, many Cambodians in Preah Vihear province and beyond will be looking to someone else to prevent the loss of their homeland – Ta Di.

Chinese movie romances the province

The makers of a $1 million Chinese film about a love story set in Siem Reap, which created a buzz at the Shanghai International Film Festival, have asked the Cambodian government for permission to show the movie in Cambodian cinemas.
The film, The Smile of Angkor, described as a “sense of heart movie,” (i.e. a love story) is directed by Liang Ming and stars Zou Jun Bai and Fang Hui.It was developed by Shanghai Film Technical Plant Ltd and presented by the Shanghai Construction Group in conjunction with the Shanghai HaiXiang Culture Media, Shanghai Film Group Corporation, and the Communication University of China.

Nature & Wildlife in Cambodia

Many organizations in Cambodia offer excellent Wildlife and Nature Holidays, Trips & Tours in Cambodia. They are expert in nature and wildlife and they provide full package of the trip.

Please come and experience the Nature and Wildlife in Cambodia.

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Osmose

Osmose, a not-for-profit association, has implemented a pilot conservation and development project in 3 floating villages of the Prek Toal area, Tonle Sap Lake. The site is critical for the survival of several species of endangered waterbirds. The project aims to link preservation of waterbird colonies to the sustainable development of local communities. In addition to saving seven bird species from extinction, over 130 families benefit from our project. In essence, our program is an environmental awareness endeavour combining short-term priorities (saving the bird colonies from extinction), long-term ownership building (environmental education) and economic incentives (direct and indirect benefits to target groups).

Kep Tourist Attractions

Kep City is a municipality in Cambodia with the status of a province. Kep is just a few kilometres from the border with Vietnam located and used to be Cambodia's most popular beach town but has fallen on hard times in recent years (especially due to the Khmer Rouge). Many of Kep's, mostly French villas are abandoned, but some of the town's former splendour is still apparent. Kep appears to be experiencing something of a renaissance, with several mid-range and luxury guesthouses and bungalows recently opened or still under construction. The seafood is cheap, plentiful and delicious - particularly the quite famous crabs. Kep is also home to an extensive national park covering some mountains with deep green jungle.

Khmer Dance

Classical Dance of Cambodia The epic poem of Rama (Ramayana) is believed to have been revealed to a Hindu holy man named Valmiki by Brahma, the god of creation. This religious literary work, dating from about ad 4, is known in various versions throughout India and Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, the story has been set to music and dance and performed by the Royal Ballet since the 18th century.
Although the epic is also known in the villages, where it is translated orally or dramatized in the popular shadow puppet theater, the ballet was traditionally a courtly art performed in the palace or for princely festivals. The music of the ballet is performed by the Pinpeat orchestra, which is made up of traditional xylophones, metallophones, horizontal gongs, drums, and cymbals.

Which you will tour with..

CAMBODIA TOURS

We one of the leading travel agencies and tour operators in Cambodia with many years of professional travel services with International Travel Companies. We provide Cambodia tour packages for all budget types: Luxury, standard & budget to suit your choice & pocket. Adventure tours, cycling tours and excursions to major tourist destinations like Siem Reap (with Amazing Angkor temples), Phnom Penh (Capital of Cambodia), Battambang (was the second largest city of the country), Sihanouk Ville (unspoiled beautiful white sand beaches and islands). We also provide customized travel services that is organized according to your unique needs and requirements. Our tours are professionally guided, intimate, responsible and safe.

Beautifull Cambodia Explorer 21Days - 20Nights Length of Tour: Tour Price from: US$1,159 per person Places Visited: Phnom Penh - Takeo - Phnom Penh - Kampot - Sihanouk Ville - Siem Reap - Kampong Thom Tour Style: Green Tour Grade: Active Tour Highlights: Royal Palace is the home of the king & National Museum in Phnom Penh, Tonle Bati & Phnom Chisor temples, River boat trips, Ghost City of Bokor, unspoilt beaches in Sihanoukville, Homestay in beautiful Kirirom National Park, Old colonial buildings in Battambang, Bamboo Train, Boat Trip onto the Tonle Sap, the temples of Angkor, the remote temples of Koh Ker, the ancient Chenla capital of Sambor Prei Kuk, the huge stupas at Oudong, the infamous Killing Fields

Thing to do

Thing To Do in Siem Reap

As enthralling as the temples of Angkor may be, there are lots of other things to see and do around Siem Reap. Seeing a bit of Cambodia away from the temples can help avert ‘temple-burnout’ and round out your Cambodian experience as well as help Cambodia by taking some tourist pressure off of the temples and spreading the tourism dollars a bit more widely. In addition to the following suggestions, check out the sections on visiting the Tonle Sap Lake and bird sanctuary, attending a traditional dance performance, going on a helicopter, balloon and elephant rides, traditional markets and good causes. Also see Charitable Organizations for more information.

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Tonle Sap Lake and the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

The 'bird sanctuary' at the Prek Toal core area of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve has been called "the single most important breeding ground in Southeast Asia for globally threatened large waterbirds." The Biosphere covers 31,282 hectares at the northwest tip of the Tonle Sap Lake and plays host to species including Greater and Lesser Adjuncts, Black-headed Ibis, Painted Stork, Milky Stork, Spot-billed Pelican, Grey-Headed Fish Eagle and many more species. Of the three Biosphere core areas on the Tonle Sap Lake, Prek Toal is the most accessible from Siem Reap and the most popular with birdwatchers. The best time of year for viewing is the dry season (December-May) when flocks of migratory birds congregate at Prek Toal. As the dry season progresses and the water recedes, the number of birds increases but the travel to some of the more important viewing areas becomes more difficult.

Arrange a trip to Prek Toal through your guesthouse or a tour operator. To do it yourself, take a moto or taxi from Siem Reap to the Chong Khneas boat dock. Arrange a boat to the Prek Toal Environmental Research Station (starting at $60 return,) a $20 entrance fee and $30 for a guided boat tour of the sanctuary. The Research Station has information on the area's flora and fauna. There are also basic overnight accommodations if you want to stay the night to take full advantage of the sunset and early morning viewing hours.

Khmer Wedding

Khmer Wedding

In Khmer wedding, it has a lot of ceremonies held in chronological orders. They show the historical roots related to the Buddha’s period which existed ages ago. According to a book “Khmer Wedding Rules” of Oknha Nov, it puts that in ancient Khmer wedding laws, people perform a song describing God Vesandor Borom Pothisat arranging the marriage between his children – Chealy and Kroesna. And some other songs are about the marriage arrangement of God Ream and Seda. Oknha Nov wrote that the current wedding preparations are arranged according to the rules drawn up by King Preah Chey Chesda Thebdey.
According to the king’s book, it puts that all ceremonies in Khmer wedding are related to mythical stories such as a story "Som Sla Kanseng". It is told that there were two men who went to feed their buffalos in the field would like to make friends with each other and wanted to be relative by marriage with each other because one had a son and the other had a daughter. In order to prove their words, they ask for betel nuts packed in krama from each other to show their promise that their children would marry to each other.

Khmer Art and Culture

Khmer Art and Culture

Throughout Cambodia's history, religious principles guided and inspired its arts. A unique Khmer style emerged from the combination of indigenous animistic beliefs and the originally Indian religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. These two religions, along with the Sanskrit language and other elements of Indian civilization, arrived in mainland Southeast Asia during the first few centuries ad.

Seafaring merchants following the coast from India to China brought them to the port cities along the Gulf of Thailand, which were then controlled by the state of Funan in Cambodia. At varying times, Cambodian culture also absorbed Javanese, Chinese, and Thai influences.

Between the 9th and 15th centuries, a prosperous and powerful empire flourished in northwestern Cambodia. The Khmer kingdom of Angkor, named for its capital city, dominated much of what is now Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The kingdom drew its religious and political inspiration from India. The literary language of the court was Sanskrit; the spoken language was Khmer. Massive temples from this period, including Angkor Wat and the Bayon at Angkor Thum, testify to the power of Angkor and the grandeur of its architecture and decorative art. The unparalleled achievements in art, architecture, music, and dance during this period served as models for later cultural development in Cambodia.

Cambodia History

HISTORY
Early History
Parts of what is now Cambodia were inhabited from around 1000-2000 BCE by a neolithic culture that probably migrated from South Eastern China. The most advanced groups lived along the coast and in the lower Mekong River valley and delta regions. The Khmer people were one of the first inhabitants of South East Asia, and they adopted religious ideas and political institutions from India. The Funan Empire 68-550, reached its height in the early 3rd century C.E., extending its influence south to Malaysia and west to Burma, and established a system of mercantile monopolies. Chenla 550-802, was the first independent Khmer state, and encompassed large parts of modern Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
Colonial Period
In 1863, King Norodom Sihanouk signed an agreement with the French to establish a protectorate over the kingdom. By 1884, Cambodia was a virtual colony, and was made part of the Indochina Union with Annam, Tonkin, Cochin-China, and Laos. Even after the start of World War II, France continued to control the country through the Vichy government.
Angkorian Period
The Khmer Empire, 802-1431, was the golden age of Khmer civilization and Kambuja ruled large territories from its capital of Angkor in western Cambodia. The Khmer Kingdom of Angkor produced some of the world's most magnificent architectural masterpieces. Suryavarman II built the main temple, Angkor Wat, between 1112 and 1150. Angkor Wat symbolizes the Hindu cosmology: the central towers represent Mount Meru, home of the gods; the outer walls are the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat represents the oceans beyond. Angkor Thom, the capital city after 1177, coincided with a change from Hinduism to Buddhism. Temples were altered to display images of the Buddha, and Angkor Wat became a major Buddhist shrine.
The Khmer Empire reached its zenith under Jayavarman VII (11811218) who gained power and territory in wars against the Cham and Vietnamese. After Jayavarman VII died, Kambuja went into a gradual decline. During the 15th century, nearly all of Angkor was abandoned, and the magnificent city and temples remained hidden by the forest until the late 19th century.
The Angkorian monarchy survived until 1431, when Angkor Thom was captured by Siam, and the king fled to the southern part of the country. Cambodia had a brief period of prosperity however in the 16th century when its kings promoted trade with other parts of Asia. But in 1594 the new capital at Lovek was conquered by Siam, and caught between Siam and Vietnam, territory continued to be lost through the first half of the nineteenth century.