The BEST of CAMBODIA: Kingdom of Wonder of CAMBODIA: Kingdom of Wonder

The Best ofCAMBODIA Kingdom of Wonder KNOWLEDGE MEDIA GROUP







The Best ofCAMBODIA Kingdom of Wonder



The Best ofCAMBODIA Kingdom of Wonder KNOWLEDGE MEDIA GROUP CHIANG RAI, THAILAND

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJaffee Yee Yeow Fei EDITORS Don RossHelen JarvisJames Pruess CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Helen Jarvis John McDermott Arjay Stevens PAST and PRESENT PEOPLE and CULTURE L. Bruce Kekule Nick Ray Ric GazFESTIVALS and EVENTS ATTRACTIONS and HIGHLIGHTS Roland Neveu Arjay Stevens ART DIRECTOR ARTS and ARTISTS Richie Chan Li Qi Jim Algie FLORA and FAUNA CRUISE and GOLF Marissa Carruthers HOTELS and RESORTS RESTAURANTS and CAFÉS PUBLISHED BY Knowledge Media Group Limited PO Box 188, Chiang Rai 57000, Thailand www.knowledgemediagroup.com Copyright © 2018 Knowledge Media Group Ltd.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form of by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the copyright holder. National Library of Thailand Cataloging in Publication Data Yee, Jaffee THE BEST OF CAMBODIA: Kingdom of Wonder — Chiang Rai: Knowledge Media Group, 2018 132 pp 1. Cambodia I. Jaffee Yee Yeow Fei II. Title 959.1 ISBN 978-616-92724-1-0 Printed in Thailand by Darnsutha Press Company Limited, Bangkok

CONTENTS PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE 9 PAST and PRESENT 10 PEOPLE and CULTURE 20 FESTIVALS and EVENTS 30ATTRACTIONS and HIGHLIGHTS 40 FLORA and FAUNA 60 ARTS and ARTISTS 70 HOTELS and RESORTS 80 RESTAURANTS and CAFÉS 106 CRUISE and GOLF 120 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 130



MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEFIt was in the year 1993, that I first timidly set foot on Cambodian soil during the closing days of the civil war. I took a calculatedrisk to visit the country that I had long desired to see, but was unable to visit due to a perpetual unstable political situation.Confident in the knowledge that I would be surrounded by UN Blue Berets assigned to provide security ahead of an historicelection, I finally mustered enough courage to take the plunge when invited by a colleague, who was then heading the UNESCOOffice in Cambodia.I was very pleased to have made that first of many subsequent trips and in someway I witnessed history in the making, whileseeing with my own eyes how the country has evolved during the past 25 years.And incidentally making a small piece of history of my own in the office of Diethelm Tours, Phnom Penh, by being the first personto use a credit card in Cambodia.Phnom Penh looks much like a big provincial town of Thailand in 1993 and Siem Reap, a smaller one. There was zero nightlife asno sane person would risk going out after dark with random shootings on the streets still a daily affair.The highlight of Siem Reap then, and now, is the same world- renowned UNESCO World Heritage site Angkor Wat. I wasextremely fortunate to be there alone walking among the ancient monuments taking photos in the eerie silence during the day.Admiring the stone sculpture of a mythical lion, I contemplated on how human beings could create such a wonderful piece of artthousands of years ago.My next memorable trip was a high profile visit in February 2000 with a group of about 40 Bangkok-based internationaljournalists. We were VIP guests of the Cambodian government under Prime Minister Hun Sen and were personally welcomed byPrince Norodom Ranariddh, Princess Norodom Buppha Devi and Dr Thong Khon, the current Minster of Tourism who was thenthe Secretary of State for Tourism. We spent a week at the newly refurbished luxurious Raffles Hotel Le Royal and were honoredto travel on the vintage royal carriages belonging to the late King Norodom Sihanouk, powered by a renovated Pacific 231 steamlocomotive built in France in 1930s, for a day trip from Phnom Penh to Kampot moving at a snail’s pace.The break neck speed of development since my early visits, has changed many areas of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Kampotalmost beyond recognition. Phnom Penh today is evolving to become a modern, cosmopolitan metropolis to rival any other bigmodern capital in Asia. Siem Reap is a hotspot for millions of tourists from all over the world all eager to see one of the rarewonders of the world and the sleepy seaside town and fishing village Kampot is also gradually waking up to the waves of tourism.The BEST of CAMBODIA is intended to be the first premium armchair travel guide highlighting most, but not all, of the best thecountry has to offer today, from top attractions, festivals, arts and culture, flora and fauna, cruise and golf, luxurious hotels andresorts to fine dining. We hope you enjoy reading this handsome volume and will take home a copy as a souvenir to share withyour loved ones, friends, and family.Jaffee Yee Yeow Fei

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PAST and PRESENT 11PAST and PRESENT

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PEOPLE and CULTURE 19PEOPLE and CULTURE

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FESTIVALS and EVENTS 27FESTIVALS and EVENTS

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ATTRACTIONS and HIGHLIGHTS 37ATTRACTIONS and HIGHLIGHTS

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FLORA and FAUNA 61FLORA and FAUNA

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ART and ARTISTS 71ARTS and ARTISTS

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HOTELS and RESORTS 81HOTELS and RESORTS

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RESTAURANTS and CAFÉS 105RESTAURANTS and CAFÉS

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CRUISE and GOLF 119CRUISE and GOLF

ISBN 9786169272410 9 786169 272410KNOWLEDGE MEDIA GROUP