The BEST 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-CHIEF Jaffee Yee Yeow Fei EDITORS Don Ross James PruessCONTRIBUTING WRITERS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Larry Jagan Barry Broman L. Bruce Kekule PAST and PRESENT PEOPLE and CULTURE Ric Gaz Keith Lyons Keith Lyons Alberto CosiFESTIVALS and EVENTS ATTRACTIONS and HIGHLIGHTS Jaffee Yee FLORA and FAUNA ART DIRECTOR Nathalie Johnston Richie Chan Li Qi ART and ARTISTS Jim Algie HOTELS and RESORTS RESTAURANTS and CAFÉS CRUISE and GOLF Ma Thanegi RESTAURANTS and CAFÉS PUBLISHED BY Knowledge Media Group LimitedPO 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 byDarnsutha 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 of 1993, I first timidly set foot on Cambodian soil when the civil war has not ceased entirely. Itook a calculated risk to visit the country that I had long desired to see but was unable to go due to the perpetualunstable political situation. I finally mustered enough courage to take the plunge when invited by a colleague whowas then heading the UNESCO Office in Cambodia while knowing that I would be surrounded by the UN BlueBerets everywhere providing security to the historical election. I was very pleased to have made this first of my manytrips that followed and in someway witnessed history in the making and seeing with my own eyes how the countryhave evolved during the past 25 years. And incidentally making a small piece of history of my own in the office ofDiethelm Tours Phnom Penh by being the first person to have used 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 zeronight life as no 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 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 duringthe day, sitting on the back of a stone lion contemplating how human beings could create such a wonderful piece ofart thousands of years ago.My next memorable trip was a high profile trip in 1999 with a group of about 40 Bangkok-based internationaljournalists. We were honorable guests of the Cambodian government and spent several days at the newly refurbishedluxurious Raffles Le Royal and were honored to use an antique train belonging to King Sihanouk with a renovatedsteam locomotive Pacific 231 built in France in 1930s for a day trip from Phnom Penh to Kampot.The break neck speed of development since my early visits, has changed many areas of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap andKampot beyond recognition. Phnom Penh today is evolving to be a modern, cosmopolitan metropolis to rival anyother big modern capitals in Asia, Siem Reap is a hotspot for millions of tourists from all over the world all eagerto see one of the rare wonders of the world and the sleepy seaside town and fishing village Kampot is also graduallywaking 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 the country has to offer today, from top attractions, festivals, arts and culture, flora and fauna, cruise andgolf, luxurious hotels and resorts to fine dining. We hope you enjoy reading this handsome volume and will takehome a copy as a souvenir to share with your loved ones, friends, and family.Jaffee Yee Yeow Fei

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PEOPLE and CULTURE 19PEOPLE and CULTURE

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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

ISBN 9786169272410 9 786169 272410KNOWLEDGE MEDIA GROUP