Cambodia for Songkran

mikehohman

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Bikes
KLX250
Heading for Cambodia for Songkran again this year, so it got me thinking about last year's Songkran trip to Cambodia. What a blast. And a great way to avoid all the waterplay nonsense in Thailand.

Map of our 5 Day trip to Cambodia for Songkran (Thai and Khmer New Year), April 10-15, 2011
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Adrian, ready for trouble in our first (and only) night in the Khmer captial (trouble redacted)
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Village Women & Children
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A young girl who sold us some desperately needed water
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Adrian presses the flesh with some local dignataries, stumbling home from a pre New Year's party
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La Java Bleue, our base camp in Kampot for 3 nights
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My Timberlands, end Day 2
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Our bikes, moring of Day 3
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Monks watching the beachgoers in Kep
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A Khmer temple, very similar in style to Thai. Most Khmer are Theravada Buddhists, just like most Thai's, but there are scattered communities of Muslims as well
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Kampot River, and the old bridge
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Rusty Keyhole after dark
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A monument to the noble Durian, the provincial fruit, i guess. This was in the middle of a traffic circle. Unlike Thailand, Cambodia makes regular and efficient use of the roundabout (and they drive on the right...)
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Kampot River Delta. The town is just upriver (left) from the split in the river at center left.
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New Year's Day holiday makers stop for photos on the road up to Bokor Hill Station - the road is only open on Khmer holidays, and April 14th is the Khmer New Year (the day after Songkran, Thailand's New Year)
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The ruined Bokor Palace Hotel & Casino, floating on the clouds at Bokor Hill Station. Built by the French in the 1920's, the site was one of the last strongholds of Khmer Rouge in the 1990's.
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The Grand Ballroom
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The Hotel was built on the edge of an escarpment in the 'Elephant Mountains' west of Kampot, about 1,000 feet up. It offered stunning views and a cool escape from the tropical heat below.
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Tropical jungle below the Hill Station
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The old Catholic Church near the hotel. Government and Khmer Rouge soldiers would battle each other between the Hotel and Church, often switching sides from time to time. The site might make an excellent map for the next release of Call of Duty.
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The old bridge in Kampot (the other bridge is called, as you might have guessed, the new bridge).
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Golden temple rising from the water palms
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Along the Kampot River
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Kampot River view near sunset
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Kampot River view near sunset
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Tradional Khmer farmhouse
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Khmer fisherman
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And a video:
[VIDEO]http://vimeo.com/23095639[/VIDEO]
 
Fantastic pictures and video as usual Mike, you could make a great coffee table book.


I think this is the place Ted owns that has the tricked a DRZ 400? Did you see him there?

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Great shots..

That stretch from Snooky, Kampot and Kep really is a great zone to chill.

Having spent a couple of months there (PP mostly) recently I cant help but feel cambodia is just on the edge of a real economic jump.
 
LivinLOS said:
Great shots..

That stretch from Snooky, Kampot and Kep really is a great zone to chill.

Having spent a couple of months there (PP mostly) recently I cant help but feel cambodia is just on the edge of a real economic jump.

Agree, its coming from a low base so plenty of room for upside.

Ford have just started assembling Ford Everest's in Sihanoukville.....

Phil, that's not Teds house but his is equally impressive and located about 100m from the one pictured.

Great pics Mike
Since your last trip the blacktop road up to bokor is complete and a new Casino is due to open in April. It's eventually going to be a huge development and done to the Asian taste...
Some friends of mine went up a coupla weeks ago and didn't have to pay the $5 entry fee anymore.
 
Don't know how you do it but (as usual) stunning pictures. Wonder how the old hotel/casino at Bokor Hill will look like once they are done with the renovations.
 
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