Siam Reap: Part 3: Tonle Sap Lake - UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The finale at Siam Reap and our last Unesco site visit. Tonle Sap under the category of Biosphere Reserve. ergg, why i am writing about Unesco.. i am not even their big fan. just someone who luckily had a chance to visit all this places. Alhamdulillah.

We were looking forward for this trip, initially. But, it turned up to be the less memorable one. Hate to talk about it but still need to say it here as a precaution to other traveler who plan to visit Tonle Sap.

Here, the Tonle Sap cruise service offered various types of trips. Some trips that we managed to identify:
1- The official trip (pack with tourist and packaged with lunch/hi tea at the ship restaurant float near the lake.
    The official one is expensive and usually offered by tourist agent at establish company as well as at the        walk-in counter.
2- The unofficial one (cheaper but might try to scam you. They used the official brochure to attract traveler and their price can be negotiated. You wont share the boat with other traveler. The boat is quite okay. No lunch  or tea provided.)

 We opted for the 2nd one since we had agreed earlier when we first arrived at Siam Reap.

At first, everything went smoothly, the guide was so entertaining. Very very fluent in english and japanese.

Cafe along the river

The counter. The ticket sold here is pricey than in town but this is the official one. About USD20 plus per trip

Souvenir shops. Toilet was clean too.

Our boat

Orphanage school as proclaimed by the guide

Floating restaurant

Expensive version

Dont know what it is, perhaps a floating hotel

The lake

The lake

They promised at least 1 and half hour trip. From one point to another. 

Drop by to fish pool. 

Throw some food

Crocodile farm

   The guide tried to pursuit us to visit the groceries, buy some food and donate to the orphanage. But we decline since we were on holiday trip not on charity trip. He seemed pissed off and started loosing his tongue. We just keep quite and hope they dont throw us into the river.

Even, the guide was so nasty towards us, we still gave some tips. USD2 for him and his partner. And he still behave ungrateful by asking for more tips. &*%$^...  straightly after we left the site, we told our tuk tuk guide for what had happened on the boat. huhu.. he felt sorry for us. But not his fault.

We left this place feeling angry and hungry. The weather was extremely hot, humid, dusty. 

Moral of the story: 

Opt for the official tourist agent even it a bit expensive than this one. 

Siam Reap: Part 2 - Angkor Wat - UNESCO World Heritage Site

A chance to visit this ancient city was really a valuable experience to us. Besides, stepping our foot at various places, we also enjoyed and appreciated the knowledge that we could gain from the travelling especially when we visit historic places like the Angkor site.

Basically, the Angkor sites includes many many temples. The most well known temple is the Angkor Wat. Besides, Angkor Wat, other temples are Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, Ta Keo and many others.

We spent about 5-6 hours here visiting most of the major temples. If we had more time, sure we will stay another day in Siam Reap and finish our tour. 1 day is not enough. Weather was sooo hot and humid. Both of us got sick once leaving this place.

So, here the map, courtesy from http://traveleatbefree.blogspot.com/2012/07/top-temples-to-see-in-cambodia-part-1.html for easy reference

We started our tour at 5 am. Check out from the lovely hotel very early in the morning and fetch by our   nice tuk tuk driver.

Fee for 1 day tour = USD20

(everything is in USD here)

The ticket counters

Snap some pic for our Angkor Pass

The Angkor Wat, early in the morning. Since, we never did any study before we arrived at Cambodia, we were not aware this was the Angkor Wat. haha.. luckily, we got some time spent and re visited this place before leaving the Angkor site

The Cambodian Government signed restoration and conversion of their temples with various countries. For Angkor Wat, it was with Tokyo. 

So, along the way, we met a lot of Japanese people guided by the Cambodian who speaks Japanese fluently. Really impressive. We thought that we heard a native speaking like that but it was not. Most of the Cambodian make leaving from the tourist business. So, being good at many languages is a must and added advantages. 

Besides, Japanese, we heard the Cambodian assisted the Korean (major tourist), Spanish and English. Really amazed us. 

As told by our tourist guide, this was a long time ago, a Library. There were 2 or 3 libraries build by the ruler. For the royal and high ranking community and for the public

One of the story told by our guide is about how the ruler fight with the bad king with a monkey army who stole the queen or the lady of the ruler. This wall was en crafted with the pics of the rulers fighting with the monkey army.

This is one of the ancient pool. There were a 4 pools within the cloister. Empty.

One of the most visited area in the Angkor Wat Temple. Unfortunately,we were extremely tired and just spent some time around here talking to the guide.

This is our guide. Very fluent in english. better than me.

Another climb. Worth visited.

The guide told us a lot of story about the Angkor and the ancient ruler. But since i am writing this blog 3-4 months after the trip, i cant remember all the details. He talked about how the ruler , Suryavarman II believe himself as a god related to God Vishnu. If i am not mistaken. 

How's temple was built? They engineers at that period utilise the benefit of the nature, river to float the rock to the construction area. And also elephant to pull the stone. The construction began around year 1113. The guide also talked about the war between the Cams and Thais. Can't recall the details. Fortunately, the temples in Cambodia was better preserved than in Thai, Ayuttaya.

Bangkok: Part 2 - Historic City of Ayutthaya: UNESCO World Heritage Site

We started our day in Bangkok with a trip to one of the Unesco Heritage Site, the Autthaya City. 

Some brief note on our trip to the Historic City of Ayutthaya.

Location: Ayutatthaya, North of Bangkok (former capital city of Thailand)

Duration: 1 hour by car

Tips: Hire an agent whether private tour like us (get 1 dedicated car to drive us around the city) or take train and than rent a bicycle or take tuk tuk to tour that place

Package: around 2000 baht. (not including the entrance fee to the temples). 

Entrance Fees: Range from 20bath to 50baht

Tips: Bring a lot of water (pretty hot there) and camera and some food

Wat Phanan Choeng

Extracted from Wikipedia

Wat Phanan Choeng (Thai: วัดพนัญเชิงวรวิหาร (Pronunciation)) is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River at the south-eastern side of the confluence of theChao Phraya and Pa Sak rivers.

Built in 1324, some 26 years before the city of Ayutthaya was officially founded, the temple must have been partly connected to early settlements in the area. These notably allegedly included a 200-strong refugee community from Song Dynasty China. The large wihan, the highest building within the temple complex, houses an immense gilded19 meter high seated Buddha from 1334 CE. This highly revered Buddha statue is called Luang Pho Tho (Thai: หลวงพ่อโต) by Thais, and Sam Pao Kong (Thai: ซำเปากง) by Thai-Chinese. The statue is regarded as a guardian for mariners. Allegedly, prior to the destruction of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767 CE, "tears flowed from the sacred eyes to the sacred navel". The statue has been restored several times in history. King Mongkut named the statue Phra Puttha Thrai Ratana Nayok after its restoration in 1854 CE.

souvenir

2nd temple, Wat Yau Chaya Mongkol

Wat Phra Chao Phya-thai, populary known as Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, is situated to the southeast of the city. The large chedi there can be seen from a great distance. This monastery was built by King U-Thong which exhumed the bodies of Chao Kaeo and Chao Thai who died of cholera, and cremated in 1357. The monastery was dedicated to the monks who had gone to study practical Buddhism in Ceylon. As the group gained the popularity, the King then appointed the head of the sect to become Somdet Phra Wannarat or the right supreme Patriarch. The temple was finally rebuilt in memorial of King Naresuan the Great for his victory over the Burmese.

Ticket Fee is just 20BAHT

Some of the history. if you can read it. have fun. we spent about 30 minutes, posed some pics. hindustan style and then left for another visit.

The 3rd temple is the Wat Maha That
Admission Fee: 50 Baht

The most expensive ticket of the day. The temple area look just plane. Left behind the red brick. Most of it was broken down in early 1900s.

The main attraction here was the a Buddha Head surrounded by trees..main tourist area for taking pictures. We walked a lil bit far and found the less visited area is more attractive and ancient feeling.

Extracted from ayutthaya travel website

Wat Mahathat was a grand temple, likes Wat Ratchaburana. Wat Mahathat is located to the east of the grand palace. It is the royal temple and most scared in Ayutthaya during glorious time. Buddha relics were enshrined in the Mahathat Chedi(the principal pagoda).

This place make a suitable place for wedding photography or any modelling photoshoot.. the colour is just perfect.l green and red brown on the ground and blue sky covered the top area..Subhanallah.

4t Temple is the Wat Ratcha Burana

In 1424 AD King Intharachathirat passed away. His two sons, Chao Aye Phraya who reigned over Suphanburi, and Chao Yi Phraya who reigned over Sanburi, met in battle as each desired the throne. This took place at the approach to the Pa-Than bridge and ended with the death of both sons. A third son, Chao-Sam Phraya came down from Phitsanulok and acceded to the throne whereupon he declared his intention to organize a funeral for his father and his two brothers. Afterwards he ordered the building of a wat, namely Wat Ratchaburana, at the site of the cremation and at the place where his brothers fought and died he had two chedis created in which to keep their ashes. 

We didnt buy the entrance fee.. just walking near the entrance and took some pics.. that's all

Next stop is Thanon Si Sanphet

Look like a museum or like the first temple we visited. The building still look good. Maybe due to regular maintenance and visitors that came for their prayer..

Near this temple, we noticed that there were a site for elephant riding.. saw some elephant walked and carried a passengers.

We decided to visit the next historic site.

6th: Wat Lokayasutha or Temple of Reclining Buddha
No entrance fee.

The main attraction is the sleeping Buddha.

Extracted from local website

Wat Lokayasutharam is located near Wat Worapoh and Wat Worachettharam. The primary feature of this wat is the huge reclining Buddha image, Phra Budhasaiyart, located in the ruins of the viharn and facing towards the East. It was constructed of bricks and cement in the Middle Ayutthaya Period and is 37 meters long and 8 meters high. The head is resting on a lotus and the legs overlap squarely to show the equalized toes (a sign of enlightenment and beauty). The image was restored in 1954 and again in 1989.

7th: Can't recall this name. Just stop by near the river bank and snap some photos

8th and i think the final one: Wat Chaiwatthanaram

Extracted from Wikipedia

Wat Chaiwatthanaram (Thai: วัดไชยวัฒนาราม) is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, outside Ayutthaya island. It is one of Ayutthaya's best known temples and a major tourist attraction.

The temple was constructed in 1630 by the king Prasat Thong as the first temple of his reign, as a memorial of his mother's residence in that area. The temple's name literally means the Temple of long reign and glorious era. It was designed in Khmer style which was popular in that time.

It has a central 35 meter high prang in Khmer style (Thai: พระปรางด์ประธาน) with four smaller prangs. The whole construction stands on a rectangular platform. About halfway up there are hidden entrances, to which steep stairs lead.

The central platform is surrounded by eight chedi-shaped chapels (Thai: เมรุทิศ เมรุราย - Meru Thit Meru Rai), which are connected by a rectangular cross-shaped passage (Phra Rabieng). The passage had numerous side entries and was originally roofed and open inwards, but today only the foundations of the pillars and the outside wall still stand. Along the wall, there were 120 sittingBuddha statues, probably painted in black and gold.

The eight chedi-like chapels are formed in a unique way. They had paintings on the interior walls, the exterior ones decorated by 12 reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Buddha (Jataka), which must be "read" clockwise. Just fragments of the paintings and the reliefs survived. In each of the rectangular chedis were two sitting Buddha statues and in each of the four middle chedis was one big sitting Buddha statue, also lacquered in black and gold. The ceiling over those statues was of wood with golden stars on black lacquer.

Outside of the passages on the east, close to the river was the temple's ordination hall (Phra Ubosot). North and south from the Ubusot stood two chedis with "12 indented corners" (Thai: เจดีย์อมุมสิบสอง), in which the ashes of the king's mother were laid.

After the total destruction of the old capital (Thai: กรุงเก่า - Krung Kao) by the Burmese in 1767, from which Wat Chai Watthanaram was not spared, the temple was deserted. Theft, sale of bricks from the ruins and the beheading of the Buddha statues were common. Only in 1987 did the Thai Department of Fine Arts start restoring the site. In 1992 it was opened to the public.

That's all..

There are still plenty of temple and historic sites worth visit in this area.. but u need more than 4 hours to visit all.. we had a good time here.. 4 hours approximately.. weather is nice to us.. so no need to walk with an umbrella.. just let urself burn..haha..

Alright, until then..