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Exploring Angkor Wat and the Angkor Temples of Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia. Angkor Wat at dawn, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Copyright © 2023 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring Angkor Wat and the Angkor Temples of Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia

Exploring Angkor Wat and the Angkor temples of Siem Reap in Cambodia is the reason most travellers visit Cambodia. And rightly so. The Angkor era temple cities and other archaeological sites that are the remnants of the mighty Khmer Empire are absolutely magnificent and are a highlight not only of Cambodia but of Southeast Asia.

We first visited Siem Reap, the departure point for Angkor Wat, only fifteen minutes from the riverside city, just before the wet season began. We’d flown from Bangkok, our base at the time, on a magazine assignment to find out what it was that was making this little Cambodian city, which feels more like a country town, so increasingly appealing to travellers.

But before we did that, we were determined to do what every other visitor to Siem Reap comes here to do, and that’s to spend a few days exploring Angkor Wat and the Angkor temples nearby. ‘Angkor’, by the way, means ‘city’, and a ‘wat’ is a temple.

We’d already explored the captivating Khmer Empire temples in Thailand’s Isaan region, including Prasat Phanom Rung, Prasat Muang Tam and Prasat Hin Phimai, so we knew what to expect in terms of their architectural styles, symmetry of form, and intricacy of their detailed carvings.

While I was enchanted by the Isaan temples we visited over the course of a few days in Northeastern Thailand, I wasn’t prepared for the grandeur and splendour of Angkor Wat, its walls upon walls of elaborately carved bas reliefs, its cool breezy courtyard decorated with divine apsara dancers, nor the beauty of the Bayon with its serene enigmatic smiling face towers and bas reliefs depicting scenes from everyday life, royal processions, battle scenes, and myths and legends.

Then there’s majestic Baphuon nearby, with its long causeway and ponds, and fine views from the top level; the breathtaking monastery Ta Prohm, where the roots of trees strangle the stone buildings; sprawling Preah Khan, set amidst towering forest with a soundtrack of birdsong; the pyramid-shaped temples of Bakong, surrounded by a wide glassy moat; Bakheng, situated atop a hill, with stunning views of Angkor Wat; East Mebon, with its precious well-preserved carved lintels and handsome elephant statues; and Ta Keo and Pre Rup, with their steep staircases and treetop vistas.

And there’s Neak Pean, a petite sanctuary set in the middle of a baray (man-made dam), accessible by a boardwalk; tiny Ta Som with its face towers strangled by the roots of a spectacular tree; lovely little-visited Banteay Kdei with its bejewelled devatas; the red-brick Prasat Kravan and its impressive carvings of Vishnu and Lakshmi, and a crocodile; and Thommanon, and Chau Say Tevoda, with their decorated lintels.

Then there are the temples further afield: beguiling Banteay Srei, with its pretty pink sandstone, intricate carvings and handsome monkey guardian statues; the hilltop ruins, including a giant elephant statue, scattered within jungle across Phnom Kulen; beautiful ruinous Beng Mealea, overgrown with wild vegetation; the expansive site of Koh Ker, with myriad 10th century structures, including a handsome pyramid; mountaintop Preah Vihear, with its breathtakingly-sited temple; the sprawling fortress city of Banteay Chhmar with wall upon wall decorated with bas-reliefs; and the pre-Angkorian 7th century Sambor Prei Kuk set within shady forest with octagonal sanctuaries and mysterious carvings.

But let me tell you about exploring Angkor Wat and the Angkor temples of Siem Reap, beginning with Angkor Thom the Bayon, and Angkor Wat. 

Exploring Angkor Wat and the Angkor Temples of Siem Reap

Angkor Thom and the Bayon

We’d arrived in Siem Reap on a morning flight from Phnom Penh, missing sunrise at Angkor Wat, so we began with the temple-city of Angkor Thom and its star attraction Prasat Bayon or the temple of Bayon, often called ‘the Bayon’. As we were staying at the Amansara, which we were writing about for a story, we had a guide and remork (Cambodian tuk tuk) at our disposal and the hotel had planned a two-day itinerary for us.

While we’re independent travellers at heart and prefer to do our own thing, we were reviewing the hotel so we had to test out their services. And besides, we appreciate what a good, knowledgeable local guide can bring to this sort of experience.

In this case, it was things like knowing when to visit an archaeological site to capture it in the best light and where to enter the site to avoid hordes of visitors – which is how we would come to approach most sites, from the back entrance. While ideal for photography, it could, however, be a tad disorienting at times.

We entered the Bayon via the east gallery gate and went around the back, gradually making our way to the front. In the process we didn’t see another soul for a good hour.

The Bayon is the centrepiece of Angkor Thom – the ‘Great City’ – the last capital of the Khmer Empire. Established in the twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII it sas part of an ambitious building programme that included the temples of Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and Banteay Kdei. Angkor Thom covers nine square kilometres, taking in the splendid naga bridges, the delightful Terrace of the Elephants, and the earlier temples of Baphuon and Phimeanakas.

Like Prasat Hin Phimai in Thailand, Prasat Bayon was a shrine to Mahayana Buddhism, a fusion of Buddhism and Hinduism, and dedicated primarily to Buddha, although other deities were also worshipped here. Religion was integral to the Khmer Empire, first Hinduism until the mid to late 12th century, and then Buddhism, and various syncretic forms of the two.

The Bayon’s distinguishing features are its colossal, serene carved faces. Originally, there were 216 of these handsome faces on 54 towers. Now there are 37 towers, each bearing four fine-looking faces.

While our guide believed these smiling visages were those of Buddha, some scholars have interpreted them as representations of King Jayavarman VII, whose likeness is similar (see the statue here), or of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, an enlightenment-being which embodies the compassion of all Buddhas and was regarded as a guardian.

Either way, they’re sublime. Had it not have been so scorching hot and the humidity so high, I could have scrambled about the Bayon all day, gazing at those splendid faces.

We spent an hour or two clambering about the temple, ducking into darkened chambers (the Bayon boasts 100 storehouses which were used to hold statues), climbing up and down steep stairs, and examining the elaborately carved and well preserved bas-reliefs.

The bas-reliefs on the lower-level walls beautifully depict historical and mythological tales, stories of epic battles on land and sea, and (most interesting to us) vivid scenes from everyday life, including farming, fishing, shopping, cooking, and festivals.

As a result, we left the Bayon with a much better understanding of how the millions of people who inhabited these massive cities must have lived their lives. But we left with as many questions as answers, which is always a good sign.

Watching Sunrise at Angkor Wat

We woke the next day at 4.15am, the Amansara staff brought coffee to our room at 4.30am, and we were in our remork at 4.45am, buzzing along the road to Angkor in the pitch-black darkness. We quickly bought our tickets at the office, including having our photos taken, and 15 minutes later we were there.

By the time we arrived at the West Gate of the vast temple complex, and hurried along the causeway across the moat with a handful of others making their way by torchlight, the sky was just beginning to turn a beautiful deep cobalt blue.

As our guide positioned Terence on a tiny muddy peninsula poking into the still pond in front of the temple (so he could be sure nobody would get in the way of his camera), the sky began to brighten, cycling through shades of blue until a pale baby-pink light slowly started to illuminate the structure, just as a sea of a people washed in behind us, all jostling for the best position.

I’d read countless complaints by travellers about the thousands of people who make a beeline to Angkor Wat for sunrise, but the numbers of tourists didn’t bother me at all when we visited – there couldn’t have been more than a couple of hundred, although our guide verified that in high season there would be a couple of thousand elbowing each other for space.

What irritated me a tad wasn’t the numbers, but rather that many didn’t seem to be here to savour the moment. Most appeared to be here just for the photo opportunity, to capture the spectacle on their cameras and phones and upload the images to their social media channels.

The place was noisy with the chatter of hundreds of voices. People were busy setting up tripods and discussing angles with their friends. If they didn’t have a big professional-looking camera with a long lens, then they were armed with iPhones, incessantly snapping pictures that they were probably sending out to the world on their Twitter and Instagram feeds.

I tried to remember the last time I’d watched the sun rise over such a majestic site. It was Machu Picchu, which we’d woken in the wee hours of the morning to trek down to from where we’d camped the night before. But unlike these visitors to Angkor Wat, a couple of dozen of us had sat in silence before the extraordinary Incan site.

We spoke in hushed tones as we waited for the sun to burst its light upon the pre-Columbian marvel that we’d hiked four days to see. There was no way anybody was going to ruin that moment. I don’t recall hearing the continual clicks of camera shutters that we heard that morning at Angkor Wat. All I remember were the sounds of my new friends’ gasps and sighs as the sun rose, revealing the breathtaking view of the monument below.

Terence was obligated to add to the din, because we were in Siem Reap working after all, and he’d be expected by editors to produce images of the sun beaming from behind the silhouette of Angkor Wat.

However, after a few snaps with my iPhone and camera, I decided to put away my devices and focus instead on this moment in time. I moved as far away from the commotion as I could and concentrated on that rising ball of fire in the sky and its illumination of this stupendous structure. I’m pleased I did. As you can see, it was divine.

Exploring Angkor Wat

Strangely, after the sun rose, the crowd dispersed as quickly as it had formed, flowing back over the causeway in the direction from which they came, leaving only thirty or so of us there to explore. Once again, instead of using the front door our savvy guide directed us to the back door – this time around it was to the rear entrance (near the East Gate) of Angkor Wat.

For me, that far side of the temple city, the side that was fully illuminated by the sun, was the most exquisite of all. Golden brown from the tangerine sky, rather than the motley grey of the other side, it radiated warmth. It was as if the temple was welcoming us in to discover its beauty. I wished we’d watched the sun rise from there. That’s where I’m going to savour it next time we return.

We spent a couple of hours clambering about the monumental site, the best preserved of the Angkor temples and the largest religious building in the world. Thought to be built as a mausoleum for King Suryavarman II (1113-1150) because it faces west – symbolically the direction associated with death – Angkor Wat was built in honour of the Hindu deity Vishnu, with whom the king was said to identify.

For our first hour exploring Angkor Wat, we saw only a handful of people with guides – all of whom had obviously taken the same clever approach as our guide: using the back door.

We ambled along the lower western porch, admiring the intricate bas-reliefs on the stone walls, which wrap around the building for over a kilometre. I could have spent all day here, browsing the galleries as I might paintings in an art museum.

The two-metre high bas-reliefs are so compelling because they tell stories from Hindu mythology, from the epic Mahabharata (Moha Phearata in Khmer) and Ramayana (Reamker in Khmer), of heaven and hell, gods and demons, armies and battles, in the most vivid detail.

After climbing the steep stairs we swung a right to see Vishnu battling demons. Around the corner on the northern gallery walls, Krishna rides a garuda, which helps him overcome a demon and extinguishes the flame of a burning city, while further along there is a raging battle between 21 Brahman gods and demons. In the northwest corner pavilion are scenes from the Ramayana, including Vishnu with his wife Lakshmi at his feet and apsaras floating above his head.

Around the corner on the western wall, we spend some time admiring the wonderfully depicted scene from the Ramayana in which Rama fights Ravana, the demon-king, for his abducted wife in the Battle of Lanka. He enlists the help of the monkey-god Hanuman who attacks Ravana, who leads a warrior-army from his chariot.

We then back-tracked to the spot where we began and continued along the eastern wall, before climbing up the three-storey central temple complex where – after agreeing to bribe a security guard – we were shown around the top level, closed for restoration when we visited.

Here, the walls are richly decorated with splendid carvings of ethereal apsaras or heavenly nymphs, of which there are said to be some 3,000 adorning Angkor Wat. But just as stunning as these beautiful bare-breasted celestial beings were the spectacular views of the sprawling temple surrounding us below.

For a moment I felt as if I was high above Machu Picchu once again. I could feel a slight breeze on my face, drying the perspiration on my skin, and although I could see a group spilling out from a tour bus on the other side of the moat, the only thing I could hear apart from the wind was a sigh. It was my own. I found myself sighing a lot at Angkor.

How to Get to Angkor Wat and More Information on Angkor

See our practical Guide to Experiencing Angkor Wat and the Angkor Temples, which contains lots of detail on how to get to Angkor Wat and how to get around Angkor Archaeological Park, when to visit, ticket prices, using guides versus exploring independently, what to do and see, and where to eat and drink.

If you’re interested in visiting more off-the-beaten-track temples, see our story on Exploring the Lost City of Mahendrapavarta at Mount Kulen and our guide to Cambodia’s lesser visited temple sites, such as Banteay Chhmar and Sambor Prei Kuk.

You should also find these posts helpful: an Archaeologist’s Guide to Angkor Archaeological Park (an interview with archaeologist Dr Damian Evans) and How to Get the Most out of the Angkor Archaeological Sites (part two of that interview).

For background reading on the Angkor period, I highly recommend Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques’ Ancient Angkor; Michael Coe’s Angkor and the Khmer Civilization; and David Chandler’s History of Cambodia. 

For more on the Angkor discoveries of recent years, see our other stories in The Guardian, CNN Travel and National Geographic Traveller (UK), based on interviews with Dr Damian Evans, Roland Fletcher and other archaeologists working around Angkor, and our trips to see their fieldwork.

Support our Cambodia Cookbook & Culinary History Book with a donation or monthly pledge on Patreon.

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About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

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Comments

  1. Alex says

    December 17, 2011 at 7:12 pm

    I’ve been to Angkor Wat on two separate trips to Cambodia and somehow have managed to miss the sunrise on both occasions. Sounds like a bit of a circus but still… if I’m lucky enough to make it back a third time, I’m there!

  2. Terence Carter says

    December 19, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    Alex, the best bit was we had a guide who took us through the Wat straight afterwards – when everyone had gone back to their hotels/hostels. Quiet, very atmospheric and we were back at our hotel before it became too hot and humid…

    T

  3. August says

    September 18, 2013 at 1:27 pm

    I’m a big fan of ruins… love exploring the visual heritage of a destination… so in my one trip to Siem Reap I took the opportunity to visit both Angkor Wat and the Bayon 2-3 times each so that I could catch the sunrise and sunset experiences. These two temples really are magical – must-sees.

    I was also a huge fan of Ta Prom, with its ruins being devoured by trees, and Preah Khan, which is just a labyrinth of crumbling jungle-covered hallways. You feel like a kid just wandering through and exploring.

    Being more of a culture vulture than the average traveller, I did visit a lot of other temples and sites too – but the 4 above are ones I recommend to everyone. I visited nearly a decade ago though so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more great sites that opened up for visitors since. Will have to make another journey there sooner or later.

  4. Jorge says

    October 18, 2013 at 9:27 am

    What a great story! I am a big fan of your blog. It’s always great to see a great story telling way of writing. If you are interested I have started a Before Travelling Community and I would love to invite you to join us. It would be great to you have you there.

  5. Lara Dunston says

    October 20, 2013 at 12:23 pm

    Jorge, thank you for the kind words. Best of luck with your site!

  6. Lara Dunston says

    January 8, 2018 at 10:45 pm

    August, I somehow missed your comment a few years ago, I’m so sorry. Thank you so much for dropping by. I’ve also just clicked through and looked at your fascinating site and am eager to chat to you. If you subscribed to the comments and you see this, I’ll be in touch very soon! Apologies, again!

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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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