Spectators crowd annual puppet parade

More than 1000 Siem Reap school kids and their families participated in an hour-long parade through town on Saturday night as part of the fifth annual Giant Puppet Project.

One of the aims of the project is to revive the lost art of Cambodian street parades, and organisers said crowds attending the march were the largest since the project was first started in 2007. Up to 5000 spectators thronged the route to catch a glimpse of the 10 giant tissue paper and rattan puppets on parade, many based on creatures from Khmer folklore, or designed to promote causes such as road safety.

The puppets, assembled by students and volunteers at a series of local workshops over the past few months, wound their way through the streets of downtown Siem Reap before the parade terminated outside Raffles Hotel d’Angkor, where spectators witnessed a display of bokator by children from the Green Gecko Project.

Many tourists in the crowd praised the parade as one of the highlights of their visit to Siem Reap. Dutch tourist Marleen Herten said she stumbled across the parade and “did not expect to see a street carnival like it while visiting Cambodia”.

US charity volunteer Elliot Linzer said the parade was the second he has witnessed. “It’s a great example of a project serving the local community in an original way.”

The Giant Puppet Project is the brainchild of a trio of UK artists and, since its inception in 2007, has grown into an annual parade with 10 different NGOs participating and financial support coming from a number of local businesses.

Giant Puppet Project artistic director Jig Cochrane said the parade’s organisers have trained an increasing number of artists and students from the Phare Ponleu Selpak Art School in Battambang to conduct workshops at local primary schools where the puppets are made.

Cochrane explained that the annual Puppet Project is tightly scheduled with planning beginning in early February before volunteers fan out to 12 local organisations and schools to conduct puppet-building workshops with an estimated 600 to 800 students.

Cochrane says that most puppets in the parade can be assembled in workshops within two days. Tissue paper used to build the outer coverings of the puppets is sourced from local suppliers following a series of fundraisers at Siem Reap bars in the lead-up to the parade each year.

Cochrane says one goal of the project is to repopularise street festivals in Cambodia.

“To me it’s a very ordinary thing but you speak to people on the streets in Cambodia and they’ve never seen a street parade before.

“All the countries in this region have carnivals and street parades, and it’s something that would have been going on here in pre-Khmer Rouge period,” he said.

Another key element to the parade is that it’s aimed squarely at children who both create the models and make up the majority of spectators.

“One of the main things is to create something wonderful and incredible and make people go: ‘Wow, look at what those kids did’.”

He said that for most of the kids who take part in the parade, “it’s really unusual to be in a situation where people are waving at them”.

This year the Puppet Project had support from 10 NGOs working in Siem Reap. Globalteer volunteers Emma Fisher and Kay Yasugi spoke at length about their experiences teaching children how to assemble the early stages of each puppet at local workshops, and explained that the process involves several volunteers spending two days with groups of between 15 and 30 children and translators assembling the frame of each puppet.

The puppets are then placed on trolleys and electrified in the days leading up to the parade. 

Puppet Project marketing and communications coordinator Bina Hanley said this year’s money donated by spectators during the parade was just over $1000. She said fundraising efforts are active all year with over $3000 collected through donations to the project’s Virgin Money Giving Account and several fundraisers at local bars including Abacus and Funky Munky raising $2250. Organisers this year also received a $5000 donation from an anonymous source.

Local hotels and businesses also donated accommodation and supplies for the volunteers and participants. (source: Phnompenh Post)
Cambodia Tours

Visit Preah Vihear at this moment

Fevers have been running high again along the Thai-Cambodian border, with casualties on both sides and damage to the 11th century Preah Vihear temple grabbing headlines. We give you the run down of the latest developments, how it might affect your trip, and what the background to the whole issue is.

(travelfish)

What happened?
On February 4, firefights between the Thai and Cambodian armies broke out in and around the disputed ruined temple of Preah Vihear. Skirmishes reached a peak two days later when both sides carried out full-scale heavy artillery bombardments. Both sides claimed civilian casualties, with the Thais showing photographs of destroyed buildings in nearby villages and Khmers claiming Thai shells had reached up to 20 kilometres into Cambodian territory.

Both sides claimed the other had fired first and made exaggerated claims of victory. Thai officers claimed 64 dead Khmer soldiers; Khmers reckoned they knocked out two Thai tanks. On Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appealed to the UN, insisting that Thailand was invading his country and pointing out that they had caused serious damage to the ancient temple. As of February 10, the shooting had stopped and all appears calm — for now.

Implications for tourists
Access to Preah Vihear from the Thai side had been curtailed even ahead of the recent violence. But it had been possible to reach the temple from Cambodia up until very recently. (We visited in August 2010 and though we had the place to ourselves we were willingly given a guided tour by a couple of Khmer soldiers.) Work on the Kompong Thom-Preah Vihear and Siem Reap-Anlong Veng-Preah Vihear routes mean it's possible to reach Preah Vihear in a day from Phnom Penh.

The temple can also be visited as a day trip from Siem Reap, meaning the temple could be firmly on the Cambodia tourist circuit. But the new sealed road leading to the top of the mountain passes through disputed territory, so if the Thais want to be awkward then this will be a major sticking point. If that stumbling block is overcome, expect access from the Khmer side to be feasible in the not too distant future. Do not expect Thai access to be reinstated in the near future — try Phnom Rung instead.

Please note that most Western governments including the UK and US have been warning against travel to Preah Vihear for some time already. Travel insurance bought in those countries is may be invalidated if you chose to ignore their advice.

The atmospheric little border temple of Tha Muean in Surin was off limits as of last weekend, but since we hear Thai and Khmer soldiers there were planning on having dinner together, that one may re-open soon.

As of Monday February 8, all border crossing points between Cambodia and Thailand, including Koh Kong and Chantaburi, were closed except for Poipet, but we wouldn't expect that to last long. (Half the casinos on the Khmer side of the border are owned by Thai generals.)

The background
To the Khmers, Preah Vihear is both the name of a province in north Cambodia and an Angkor-period ruined temple on the Thai border. For Thais, Khao Phra Viharn applies to a national park, temple, (Prasart Khao Phra Viharn), and the mountain the temple is situated upon.

The temple itself is located on the edge of a 400m escarpment of the Dandrek mountains, a range forming the border between northern Cambodia and the Thai provinces of Ubon, Sisaket, Surin and Buriram. To the north the land slopes down to the plains of the Khorat plateau, while the south provides a dramatic view over the forested lands of north Cambodia.

The temple
Though a sacred site to the Khmers from probably at least as early as the 6th or 7th centuries, most of the ruins seen today date from the reign of Suryavarman I in the 11th century. Additions by subsequent kings are apparent and earlier remains can still be identified. The spectacular and relatively well-preserved temple is classic Suryavarman I period, with a lengthy approach staircase from the north separated by a series of elaborate gateways, or gopuras, and a raised central shrine area with 'libraries' preceded by 2 'palaces' or entry pavilions. (Unusually for Khmer temples, the main entrance is to the north, undoubtedly due to the lie of the land.)

The border

 (travelfish)
When they controlled Cambodia, the French delineated the border with independent Siam by following the watershed of the Dandrek mountains, though making a slight detour at Preah Vihear. A dispute over ownership, since the Thais pointed out it was on their side of the watershed, was settled in 1962 when a UN ruling confirmed it as part of Cambodia. However, the owner of 4.6 square kilometres of wooded hillside directly west of the temple was not determined — leading to the current problems.

The western slopes and hillside opposite were Khmer Rouge territory until the mid-90s and remain strewn with mines and unexploded ordnance. No one really bothered about the area until recently when it became politically expedient to do so for both Thai and Khmer domestic political purposes.

Recent events
The first serious squabbling began in mid-2008 when UNESCO awarded Preah Vihear World Heritage status and recognised it as being Cambodian — ignoring Thai claims that it should be jointly administered.

Thai nationalists demonstrated near the temple and a military build-up ensued, with an exchange of fire in August 2008. Sporadic low-level outbreaks of violence continued throughout 2008-9, leading to deaths on both sides. Verbal and diplomatic spats persisted through 2010, generally caused by political posturing and agendas, and the stirring up of nationalist sentiments by military/politico cliques in Phnom Penh but particularly Bangkok, where the political scene has been highly charged and unstable.

In the build up to the current fighting, groups such as the People's Alliance for Democracy and Thai Patriotic Network have sought political leverage by prodding the unhealed Preah Vihear wound and Thai-Khmer relations in general. This culminated in the late January arrest of seven members of TPN for trespassing on Cambodian soil. There's not so many domestic political points to be gained by the Khmer government, but a longstanding fear and resentment of their powerful neighbours, Thailand and Vietnam, means the Khmer government is more than willing to retaliate at the least provocation. (Source:TravelFish)

(Cambodia Tours)

Water beds: a luxury ecolodge in the Cambodian rainforest

There’s more to Cambodia than beaches and temples. A luxury waterborne ecolodge offers a wilderness break in style. It’s pitch black as I set off tentatively in my kayak, the starless sky merging seamlessly into the inky river. The only sound is of my paddle in the water and a faint chirping of cicadas. Suddenly the darkness is broken – a tree decorated in a thousand fairy lights is frantically flickering on the riverbank.

“It’s the firefly disco,” says Chilly, my guide, pointing at the twinkling display. I am, it’s fair to say, in the middle of nowhere. This is the Tatai river, east of Koh Kong, in the southern reaches of Cambodia‘s Cardamom mountains. Half-way between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, this is a pristine area of rainforest and coastal mangroves that barely features on the tourist trail.

What’s more I’m camping – though it’s not exactly pop-up tent and baked beans. I’m staying at the Four Rivers Floating Lodge, which takes glamping to a whole new extreme.The brilliant idea of Romanian owner Valentin Pawlik, the entire resort is waterborne. You get here by boat, arriving at one of a series of floating wooden platforms. A central pontoon houses bar, restaurant and library.

There are 12 huge and super-luxurious South African safari tents (six more are planned), with private decks and sunloungers, double-sinked en suite bathrooms, and flatscreen TVs and DVD players that seem a tad incongruous in the heart of the jungle. But, hey, this is wilderness in style.It’s all very eco-friendly too – largely solar-powered, and staffed mostly by locals – so you needn’t have a guilty conscience. Move it away and there’d be little sign that it had ever existed.

Leaving the fireflies to party I paddle slowly back home and feast on spicy shrimp and freshwater fish with coconut, cooked in banana leaves, before heading for a blissful night’s rest, lulled to sleep by the gentle bobbing of the water.Most visitors to Cambodia flock to the revitalised capital of Phnom Penh further east, and the temples around Siem Reap in the north. This coastal region, part of the Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, is home to some of the country’s most impressive natural sights. The long civil war kept developers and loggers at bay, and the potential for ecotourism is huge (although the threat of hydroelectric power plants looms).

Four Rivers, with its gorgeous setting on a bend in the river, is magical at all times of day – misty in the morning, glowing at sunset and prettily lit up after dark – and as tranquil a place as you could wish for. I spend much of my time here kayaking through the mangrove maze (spotting those fireflies, and watching monkeys gather at the water’s edge at dusk), swimming in the river from steps outside my tent (a pool is planned) and visiting waterfalls, where the pounding torrent gives a great back massage.

There are excursions into the jungle, led by a former poacher, to spot wildlife and to visit villages and fruit plantations (overnight camping is a new option too). As I’m here at the end of the rainy season, when leeches and mud make trekking treacherous, we take a boat downstream instead. Thick mangrove forests line the banks, and dolphins can sometimes be spied in the estuary opening on to the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Kong island appears on the horizon, an as yet undeveloped paradise with pristine beaches and untouched rainforest.

We stop at Koh Sra Lau, an island with one tiny fishing village, and wander around while women sit mending nets and offer us fried fish with tamarind sauce and papaya. There’s no tourist fatigue here, just friendly welcomes. A little boy grabs my hand and leads me to the village school, where children proudly sweep the classroom before the teachers appear.

I’m keen to explore more, so the next day head to Chi Phat village, and a community-based project started by conservation charity Wildlife Alliance in the Southern Cardamoms Protected Forest. It aims to preserve the rainforest by helping villagers earn a living from ecotourism, instead of illegal logging or hunting endangered animals, and giving tourists a unique green adventure.

 It’s a winding bus journey down to the port town of Andoung Tuek and a two-hour boat ride along Phipot river to the village. There are several guesthouses, but I choose a homestay on the outskirts of town with Chou and her young family, who sit underneath the stilted wooden house, a cow curled at their feet like a pet dog. A far cry from the luxuries of Four Rivers it may be, but it’s clean, comfortable and a great way to see everyday village life.

Chi Phat is all about outdoor adventure: you can trek or cycle into jungle and mountains for days at a time, sleeping in hammocks or rustic campsites, go birdwatching, take boat trips or check out the nearby bat caves and an area dotted with mysterious ancient burial jars. I sign up for a 28km mountain bike tour to O’Malu waterfall.

Crossing grassy plains and traditional farmland, we follow Lucky – a 23-year-old from the village who’s been trained in everything from bike maintenance to wildlife spotting – up steep paths through the tangled jungle, with gibbons calling high overhead. It’s a challenging ride in parts (yep, I end up on my bum in a puddle at one point) but jumping into the cool pool at the base of the waterfall is a great reward.

There’s no one else around as we tuck into lunch, sitting on rocks in the sunshine, surrounded by rainforest, the waterfall roaring. Marvellous though the sights of Angkor Wat and the buzz of Phnom Penh are, I can’t help thinking that it’s Cambodia’s more remote natural attractions that offer the best adventure – and one it would be a shame to miss.

(CambodiaTours)

Adore Cambodia!

Cambodian tourism businesses have launched a colorful, global campaign, Adore Cambodia!, to let gay and lesbian travelers know they are especially welcome in the Kingdom of Wonders.

With the spread of ultra-cheap flights from regional hubs like Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, gay and lesbian tourists have discovered a quiet haven of tolerance, culture and world heritage that is actively reaching out to the economically powerful GLBT niche travel market.

“Siem Reap is remarkable because major players in the hospitality and service industries are comfortable extending a genuine welcome specifically to GLBT visitors,” explains John Goss, director of Utopia-Asia.com which lists more than 70 gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses around Cambodia. “These include Travel and Leisure’s #1 hotel in Cambodia, dozens of gay-run boutique accommodations, trend-setting restaurants, and fashion and design innovators that are part of a hip, emerging contemporary arts movement dubbed Cambodia Cool.”

Siem Reap also boasts Cambodia’s first men-only leisure complex combining an uber-stylish hotel, spa, and gym designed by one of the country’s leading architects. The New York Times even stood up and took notice recently, proclaiming Siem Reap to be a “gay haven” in 2010.

“Mutual respect between people is deeply a part of Khmer culture. Gays and lesbians are included as long as cultural traditions are respected,” explains openly gay business owner, Sopheara. “More and more Cambodians, in all strata of society, are living an open gay life. But you won’t find provocative displays of sexuality here, as you might in some other countries. Cambodia is refreshingly free and easy for gays wanting to blend in with our live-and-let-live lifestyle.”

There’s lots for gay and lesbian travelers to adore in Cambodia. Here are some of the charms to be discovered on your next weekend getaway or extended tropical holiday…

Romantic, gay-run boutique hotels for every budget. Inexpensive foodie thrills, from Khmer fusion fine dining to the handsome grilled banana vendor’s cart. A thriving arts, crafts and fashion scene splashing vivid colors across glossy magazines and runways around the globe. Rainbow travel services and tour guides to show you the ancient wonders of Angkor Wat. Responsible eco-tours to remote ruins and forests while viewing wildlife and interacting with locals in rural, community-building projects. A relaxed, no-hustle selection of gay-run bars, gyms, saunas, and spas to add just the right amount of fun and fitness to the laid-back local lifestyle.

Super cheap flights on budget airlines to connect you to many of Southeast Asia’s heritage cities. And, the tolerant and kind Khmer people who work so hard to make your holiday relaxed and trouble-free.
Discover the beauty of a warm Khmer welcome. You’re sure to Adore Cambodia!

The Adore Cambodia! logo design is based on the Cambodian national flower, the Rumbdul, depicted in the six colors of the internationally recognized “gay rainbow.”

For more information, please visit www.cambodiatours.com

Preah Vihear temple damaged in Thai-cambodia clashes

The 11th Century temple - a UNESCO World Heritage site - has been damaged during continued cross-border clashes of Cambodia with Thai troops.

Part of Preah Vihear temple collapsed after a Thai bombardment, officials said. Thailand has not commented.
The fighting has claimed five lives since Friday and thousands of villagers have been evacuated
There has been increased tension in the region since Cambodia won World Heritage status for the temple in 2008.

An international court ruling in 1962 said that the temple belonged to Cambodia although its main entrance is in Thailand and the surrounding area is claimed by both sides.

"A wing of our Preah Vihear temple has collapsed as a direct result of the Thai artillery bombardment," said the Cambodian military commander, in a statement.

The most recent tension was sparked this month when a Cambodian court sentenced two members of a Thai nationalist movement to up to eight years in prison after finding them guilty of espionage.

The two were among seven Thai politicians and activists charged with illegal entry after crossing into the disputed border area in December. (Source: BCC)

(Cambodia tours)