Looking out of the plane window as the aircraft approaches the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, you are greeted by carpets of lush greenery till the landing strip comes into sight. From then on, a kind of magic takes over as you take your first few steps down the gangway onto the tarmac.
Angkor Wat is truly magnificent and I was lucky enough to see its changing colours as the sun descended- Moyra Sammut
Then it hits you – the spice – it’s in the air, a harbinger of what this amazing country is about to divulge. This is a country full of mysteries, a country that holds a history beleaguered not so long ago by the Khmer Rouge.
Thankfully, that is a memory of the past and Cambodia has evolved into a land that is drawing visitors by the thousands, not surprisingly so when it has so many treasures to offer.
Formerly known as the ‘Pearl of Asia’, it is now recognised as a hub of industrial activities that is complemented by a solid economy, a stable political structure and an emergent cultural centre.
In my first few days in Phnom Penh I experienced a mesmerising fusion and confusion of traffic and food. The two go hand in hand because there are street vendors every few metres along the roads, with cars and bikes ducking and diving, making you wonder how they can so expertly manoeuvre their vehicles without killing anyone.
But that apart, once I orientated myself and located the quieter streets I found a treasure trove of locals making tin pots, sandals out of car tyres, candles, spices, teas and anything they can to earn them a few riels.
The US dollar is widely accepted but you do have to haggle for everything and an inexperienced tourist will more than likely get stung in the first few days of being in Cambodia.
In between my fascination with the food and local crafts, I made sure I took a trip to the National Museum (also called Musée des Beaux Arts), which was designed by French archaeologist and painter Georges Groslier. This amazing building was designed in the Khmer style and houses an amazing collection of Khmer art and beautiful sculptures.
I also made sure I went to the Royal Palace, which has this amazing Silver Pagoda built in the middle of the palace grounds. You can imagine the awe on my face when I discovered that the Silver Pagoda’s floor is made up entirely of 5,000 silver tiles.
One of the wonderful treasures the palace houses is a solid gold Buddha weighing 90 kg.
You can easily spend a lot of time in Phnom Penh, but after three days I made my way to Siem Riep. Cambodia has a great, cheap airline that is the fastest way of nipping from one place to another.
I took a flight on Cambodia Angkor Air to Siem Riep, where I was met by my guide Nhean. If it’s your first time in Cambodia it’s advisable to get a guide because it’s easy to get confused or lost, especially because of the language barrier, though French is widely spoken.
Nhean dropped me off at my hotel so I could leave my luggage in my room before heading off to the temples of Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda, Takeo and Ta Prohm.
The latter is one of the most beautiful temples in the area. It has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery.
Its appeal lies in the fact that, unlike the other monuments of Angkor, it was abandoned and swallowed by the jungle, looking very much the way most of the Angkor temples appeared when European explorers first stumbled upon them.
All this exploring made me hungry. One of the good things about having a local guide is you get to eat at places that locals go to, guaranteeing good food, and I was not disappointed.
Cambodians eat a lot of fish, chicken and pork and believe me their food is so sumptuous and plentiful your eyes will pop out of your head. Dish after dish of steaming crab curry, vegetable noodles, steamed rice, spicy yam balls with pork, fried fish with Asian water spinach... I must have tested Nhean’s patience to the limit with all my questions about the food; but bless him, he smiled and explained everything patiently.
With the meal over I was in need of exercise so I was happy to move on to the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat.
The temple complex is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodia flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture.
Angkor Wat’s five towers symbolise Meru’s five peaks – the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat symbolises the ocean beyond.
Angkor Wat is truly magnificent and I was lucky enough to see its changing colours as the sun descended. Shedding its last rays, it turns the temple into a fiery red mass of intricately embellished architecture.
The next day Nhean picked me up and we headed for Battambang, a five-hour drive through lush jungle and coconut palms.
Along the way we stopped at Kompong Chhnang to see the pottery village. Here, the Khmer people make the most amazing pots and Buddha statues out of delicate terracotta.
Neanh then took me by private boat to a charming floating village still in Kompong Chhnang, where houses and huts are built on the Tonle Sap Lake.
It was blistering hot by the afternoon; a dense kind of heat that sticks to you like a second skin, and I was glad to stop for a lunch break to indulge in fruit and cold water.
After lunch, Nhean took me to Pursat to feast my eyes on the intricate and delicate art of marble carving.
If you ask any local they will tell you that the tastiest tarantulas are the ones plucked straight from their burrows and quickly fried in the butter and salt- Moyra Sammut
Most of the carving is done for pagodas but while there I also spotted a young man carving a Buddha, which I purchased for about $6.
The day was coming to an end almost too quickly, but there was still time to embark on the marvellous and unique Bamboo Train Ride to Battambang, taking in some fantastic countryside along the way.
After breakfast the next day we headed along the picturesque Sangker River to Wat Slaket pagoda, the residence of the provincial Buddhist patriarch, and we visited an ancient Khmer House to see the production of rice paper used for making spring rolls.
You can’t come to Cambodia and not go to a market where prahoc, the Cambodian fish paste, is made. An acquired taste, the prahoc is a very flavoursome condiment added to most Cambodian dishes, but it’s very strong on its own as I discovered.
Very soon I saw another day come to an end and we had to head back to Phnom Penh, where I had one day left at leisure before departing this glorious country.
I decided to make a stop in Skuon to taste Cambodia’s more exotic culinary delights, the deep-fried spider. This may sound horrifying but it was something extraordinary that I wanted to try.
Considered a delicacy, these hairy tarantula spiders are loaded with fresh garlic and sautéed in butter. If you ask any local they will tell you that the tastiest tarantulas are the ones plucked straight from their burrows and quickly fried in the butter and salt, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Against my better judgement after seeing the spiders I gingerly took a bite, and that’s as far as my bravery got.
I left Cambodia with spiders, temples, trains and, of course, smiles playing happily in my mind, regretting not having more time to spend in this wonderfully complex and unique country.
Moyra Sammut is travel manager at Sullivan&Sullivan.