27 January 2023 - TUOL SLENG MEMORIAL MUSEUM - CAMBODIA

 

TUOL SLENG 

MEMORIAL MUSEUM 

- CAMBODIA -

G'day folks,

This once was the Khmer Rouge's high security prison. 

Tuol Sleng is nestled within in the heart of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. From the outside it looks unremarkable: a multi-story former high school with whitewashed walls and grey shutters. However, inside, Tuol Sleng holds a dark history.

Under the Khmer Rouge, Tuol Sleng was transformed from a school into Security prison 21 (S-21), a place in which some of the most violent atrocities of the Pol Pot’s regime were perpetrated. Originally named Chao Ponhea Yat High School, the complex includes five buildings in total. Several months after the Khemer Rouge took power in 1975, they implemented measures to convert the high school into a high-security facility. Between 1975 and 1979 it is estimated that over 15,000 people were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng. The prison held between 1,000 and 1,500 occupants along with a large security force.

 

Life within the prison was terrible, and the people imprisoned at Tuol Sleng were treated cruelly. Prisoners were shackled into their cells, forbidden to talk to one another and frequently beaten and tortured by the guards. All prisoners were interrogated during their stay at Tuol Sleng. These interrogations normally included torture: Prisoners were shocked with electricity, burned with irons and water-boarded.

In 2010, Cambodia convicted Kang Kek Iew, the chief of Tuol Sleng Prison, for crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Convention. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, and died while still in custody in 2020.

 

Today, the former prison stands as a monument to the brutalities of the Khmer Rouge. It is now a museum dedicated to preserving the memory of those who passed through its gates. Several of the implements that were used to torture the prisoners are also on display along with a “skull map,” a map of Cambodia made entirely from human skulls and bones. Rooms that were once used to torture and abuse are now lined with thousands of photographs of those who were incarcerated there.

17 January 2023 - PHNOM PENH MEMORIAL STUPA - CAMBODIA

 

PHNOM PENH 

MEMORIAL STUPA  

- CAMBODIA - 

G'day folks,

Here, 5,000 skulls are in memorial to those who were killed by the Khmer Rouge. 

After the Cambodian Civil War ended, the vicious rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge began.

From 1975-1979, they killed 1.7 million people out of a population of 8 million. Many of those murdered were buried in mass graves in what has come to be dubbed the “killing fields.”

 

In Phnom Penh at Choeung Ek, a memorial was erected to remember those who were killed at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. At the site, the remains of an estimated 10,000 people were found. The memorial was then constructed so as not to obscure the facts, but to show the grisly and honest truth.

Designed in the style of a Buddhist stupa, the Choeung Ek memorial has glass sides, and is comprised of multiple layers of human skulls. Totaling 5,000 of those executed at the site, the skulls are a harsh reminder of a genocide that took place only 40 years ago. The memorial is particularly disturbing upon closer examination of the skulls, many of which bear marks of the trauma they suffered before their execution.

Along with the stupa, Choeung Ek still has a number of pits that were used as mass graves, and some human bones can still be seen in the area. The Cambodian government encourages visitors to see the site, and never forget the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime.

21 August 2022 - BATTAMBANG BAT CAVE - CAMBODIA

 

 BATTAMBANG

 BAT CAVE 

- CAMBODIA -

G'day folks,

Here, you can take a hidden path to the mouth of a cave to watch millions of bats swarm at sunset.  

Just down the road from the Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau, visitors gather at sundown for an incredible spectacle of nature: the nightly exodus of a gargantuan colony of hungry wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bats.

Most spectators convene at the bars and stalls on the side of the road, where food and drinks (and cover) are available. But for those wanting a more intimate experience, you can have a local guide lead you up the hidden path to the mouth of the cave.

Standing so close to the cloud of flying creatures whooshing out of the cave is an enthralling encounter. The bats won’t hurt you—they’re too busy hunting for bugs to even care about you—but the swarm is so large and furious you can actually feel the temperature rise as they soar overhead.

 

The bat population is so high it can take upwards of 20 minutes for the cave to clear. Once they’re out, it’s amazing to watch the animals streak across the sky. The hordes of flying bats seem to paint the air with fluid black shapes, forming a series of striking images against a sky tinged with the last bits of sunset colors.

 

24 February 2016 CAMBODIA

CAMBODIA

G'day folks,

Welcome to some insights into another of my favourite destinations, courtesy of Travelfish; one of the best travel sites going around.  Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the Mekong Delta, mountains and Gulf of Thailand coastline. Its busy capital, Phnom Penh, is home to the art deco Central Market, glittering Royal Palace and the National Museum's historical and archaeological exhibits. In the country's northwest lie ruins of Angkor Wat, a massive stone temple complex built during the Khmer Empire.

For decades off limits to all but the most intrepid travellers, today Southeast Asia's Cambodia is a popular destination for all kinds of folks: from independent backpackers who roam far into the hinterland to luxury tourists who stay in style and see Cambodia's main drawcards between massages and exquisite French meals.

The ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat is Cambodia's national treasure. The nearby city of Siem Reap has developed dramatically since the days when Angelina Jolie filmed Tomb Raider here and fell in love with the nation.

While some lament the discovery of Angkor by the masses, the site is still breathtaking and Siem Reap offers all of the comforts one could wish for on any budget. Those with more than a day or two to spend in the Angkor area will find a host of more obscure ancient temples and monuments which can be fascinating in their own right.

Many do simply holiday at Angkor and travel no further, but Cambodia has a lot more to showcase. Consider as well a break on the lazy white-sand beaches of Sihanoukville, a stay at a stylish resort in resurging coastal Kep, or a tour to the atmospheric, mist-shrouded Bokor Hill Station for a taste of Cambodia's 1960s heyday. Meanwhile, several of Cambodia's islands have emerged as terrific alternatives to the more developed Thai islands.

  

Many write off Phnom Penh, yet it's a beautiful city, with a stunning colonial heritage, a gorgeous riverside promenade featuring a glittering palace, and a great selection of restaurants and bars.

Shopping here has taken off: trawl the stalls of the Russian market for "antique" finds, wispy organza fabrics and chic ceramics, stop in a few boutiques for home-grown designer clothes and get some leather shoes handcrafted at a bargain price at one of the city's skilled cobblers.

The reminders of the horrific genocide perpetrated by Cambodia's Khmer Rouge make for harrowing but essential viewing: do see Tuol Sleng and make a trip to the Killing Fields just outside the city for a sobering aside to your travels as you pause to remember the atrocities humans are capable of committing.

 

Further afield, Battambang offers travellers a taste of laid-back rural life and an increasingly captivating art scene. Stop to see Cambodia's first winery and tour isolated Khmer temples, some of which pre-date Angkor.

The former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Veng is another key stop for the more adventurous traveller, where the grave of Pol Pot serves as another reminder of the history Cambodia is struggling to overcome.

Travelfish shows you how to make the most of the popular destinations, points you in the direction of Cambodia's best-kept secrets and equips you with the knowledge you need to make up-to-the-minute decisions throughout your trip to Cambodia.

What not to miss

Survey the World Heritage listed ruins of Angkor Wat. Take a sunset cruise off Phnom Penh. Visit the remnants of the Khmer Rouge regime. Eat fresh crab at coastal Kep. Trek through the jungle in remote Rattanakiri.

When to go

The most popular time to go is between November and February. There is little rain and it isn't too hot. The wet season runs from May to October and isn't the best time for a Cambodian beach holiday. The wet does keep the crowds at bay and Angkor is wonderful in the wet season, so it isn't all bad. April is scorchingly hot.

 

 TRAVELFISH

Clancy's comment: Another gob smacking place to go.  Like great food, top people and amazing sights? This should be on your list.

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8 March 2015 - ANGKOR WAT

ANGKOR WAT

G'day folks,

I have featured this amazing place before but I think it is worth re-posting. Located in a part of Cambodia that was once the seat of the famous Khmer Empire, Angkor (meaning 'capital city' in Khmer) was the heart of this civilization that thrived from the 9th to 15th centuries CE. There are over one thousand different temples in Angkor of different sizes and scales, all of which have been restored as a landmark of historic Khmer architecture. The entire site is preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but even if you can't make the journey to Cambodia, here is a tour of Angkor's highlights. 

Clancy's comment: What an extraordinary place. Two things stagger me about this place: the quality of construction, considering its age and the lack of modern day equipment, and the fact that it has survived centuries. 

Trust me, it is one of the most interesting places to visit as a photographer. 


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