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| Phsa
Chas |
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Phsa Cha, the Old
Market, is located in the centre of town
and is for most tourists the place to
buy their souvenirs. Anything can be
found in Phsa Chas, from household
material to silk and from vegetables to
anything having Angkor Wat on it. Phsa
Chas is the cheapest place to pick up
some souvenirs. The market is divided
into two sections; the northeast section
can be referred to as the “Khmer
section”, where you can find useful
travel and household material, and the
southwest section referred to as the
“Foreign section”, where any type of
souvenir can be bought. |
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PLACE TO STAY |
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TEMPLES |
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TRAVELLERS' INFOS. |
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| Phsa
Leu |
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Phsa Leu is a good
place to pick up some clothing or some
handy travel material that you forgot at
home. Phsa Leu is located 1 km out of
town on the road to Phnom Penh and is in
size a lot bigger than Phsa Chas. The
market sells little to no souvenirs but
has some cheap clothing and gives you a
good impression about the Khmer way of
life. |
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Cambodian Cultural Village |
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The Cambodian
Cultural Village, also named “Cambodia
in miniature” is a very interesting
gathering of several minority groups in
Cambodia, 11 villages in total. All
villages feature houses of different
architectural styles and dance and
traditional wedding performances. The
Cambodian Cultural Village also hosts a
wax museum and miniatures of famous
historical Cambodian buildings and
structures. The cultural village is a
perfect way to spend an afternoon
learning more about Cambodia if you
don’t have the time to explore Cambodia
by yourself.
The cultural village opens from 8am
until 9pm and is located about 3 km out
of town on road number 6 towards the
airport and Battambang. The entrance fee
is US$12 for foreigners and US$1 for
Khmers. To get there take a motorbike or
tuktuk for about US$2. |
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Artisan d’Angkor |
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Artisan d’Angkor is a
company that helps young people to find
work in their home villages to practise
their crafts and to find their role in
society. Crafts vary from wood to stone
carving, lacquer and sandstone gilding,
wood lacquered and gilding and silk
work. Artisan already created more than
700 jobs in rural Cambodia and is
currently operating 15 workshops in 13
villages around Siem Reap.
Artisan d’Angkor consists of two
training centres, the craftsman training
centre in Siem Reap town and the
National Silk Centre in Puok. Both
training centres are available for tours
and are open from 7am to 6.30pm. At the
craftsmanship training centre it is
possible to see the artisans at work
with stone and wood carving and at the
National Silk Centre it is possible to
see the mulberry trees, which are used
to raise silkworms, silkworm breeding
and treatment of the thread and its
weaving. |
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Akira Landmine Museum |
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The Akira Landmine
Museum is located just off the main road
to Angkor Wat on a road on your right
hand side just before the ticket booth.
It is set up by Mr Aki Ra, a former
Khmer Rouge child soldier. He now has
devoted his life to make a saver
Cambodia for the many young children of
Cambodia. It is not only a landmine
museum anymore; it has also become an
orphanage for children of landmine
victims.
The landmine museum and the orphanage
are run by mostly foreign volunteers and
Mr. Aki Ra himself. The museum and
orphanage are open for visits and tours.
The museum doesn’t charge an entrance
fee but welcomes any donation of its
visitors. The museum is open from 7am to
6pm. |
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| Wats
(Pagoda) |
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There are several
wats (pagoda’s) around town that are
interesting for a visit. Although not
very large in size, they provide an
excellent view of what ancient
architecture can do with modern Khmer
structures. Wat Bo, Preah Inkosei, Wat
Athvea, Wat Thmey, and Wat Damnak are
all accessible for foreign visits and
the monks that live inside these wats
are more than willing to hook up with
you and talk about anything that keeps
the world going. On Sunday there is even
a special “talk to a monk” afternoon in
Wat Damnak, starting from 3pm. |
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Bar Street |
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Bar Street is Siem
Reap’s own infamous street filled with
pubs and restaurants. Basically any
drink, any kind of food for any price
can be enjoyed in this street. It is
right in the heart of the city centre
just one block away from Psa Chas. At
night, the street is blocked and it
becomes a pedestrian’s street.
Bar Street is a perfect place to end a
long day of temple hopping by enjoying
dinner at a rooftop restaurant or a cold
beer or cocktail on one of the outdoor
terraces. The happy hours around the
street make it also a cheap night out! |
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