RSSJan|10|2007
Pirates Of The Carribbean Tour
Posted by Zahir as Americas, Islands, Nature
Following the trail of the latest Hollywood blockbuster is a popular choice travel agents are starting to offer. Theres the Da Vinci tour for instance, which lets fans of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code see the city of lights through the bestselling book’s mysterious spots. For fans of pirates, however (or Johnny Depp perhaps), there is now a way to see the real thing, rather than just the beloved ride at Disneyland.
Pirates of The Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest was filmed in the Carribbean island of Dominica in 2005 and now several tour companies and resorts offer travellers a variety of ways to get a feel for the place where pirates once roamed (as well as see the exact locations where the film was shot).
Heres an interesting tour I found,which runs for a week and costs US$1300 for the first person and US$600 for …
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Jan|08|2007
Cooking Cambodian on Location
Posted by Zahir as Asia, Backpacking & Budget, Education, Food and Drink, Tips
Cambodian cuisine is usually overshadowed by that of its neighbor Thailand, whose food as we all know is beloved throughout the world. In Thailand, cooking classes are offered in practically every hotel all over the country, but one wouldnt really expect there to be similar offerings in places like Phnom Penh.
Enter the “Cambodian Cooking Class”, the first of its kind in Phnom Penh. Organized and held at the Frizz Cafe and Restaurant on the Mekong River, this is the only place where travellers can try their hand at Khmer cooking in Cambodia.
Similar but with some pretty big differences to Thai cooking, Cambodian cooking is big on flavour but low on heat. Unlike Thai food, where the chillis are cooked within the dish, Khmer cooking puts its spices on the side, leaving the degree of edible fire to the diner.
Historically, Khmer cuisine actually dates back to the …
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Jan|06|2007
Cambodia: Quick Budget Tips
Posted by Zahir as Adventure, Asia, Backpacking & Budget
Granted, Cambodia is one of the cheapest destinations in Asia. But if you want to save even more, take note of these quick tips for the frugal who still want a fantastic holiday:
1. Brush up on your Khmer
Like anywhere else, learning some of the local language can give you an edge, not just socially, but financially as well. Know the basics and add on some things which will come in handy when barganing or discering a scam from the real thing.
2. Know The Local Currency
Familiarise yourself with how much your home currency is worth in Cambodia, and equally important, know how much things cost locally. Expect to pay a reasonable amount over what locals pay. Its just common courtesy as a tourist.
3. Venture Beyond The Tourist Trail (This Means Loney Planet!)
Ok, you can refer to the LP “tourist bible” a little if you must, but the real …
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Jan|04|2007
Cambodia Dreaming: Angkor
Posted by Zahir as Adventure, Arts & Culture, Asia, Family
Angkor the kingdom of Khmer rulers from the eighth to the sixteen century, think Raiders of the Lost Arc, and the Temple of Doom, and registered on UNESCO’s world heritage list in 1992. It is mostly the religious buildings that remain as they were built as palaces for the gods in brick, laterite and sandstone.
The royal palaces do not remain as they were made of the perishable materials, wood. There has been significant pilfering of sculptures of Buddha and deities at Angkor, what remains are impressive structures and their stone carvings. The Khmer hardly left a surface uncarved on their temples and many of the structures are from the twelfth century.
Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and was built in the twelfth century. It covers a total area of almost 200 hectares and is surrounded by a moat. The temples covers about …
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Jan|02|2007
Cambodia Dreaming: Siam Reap
Posted by Zahir as Adventure, Arts & Culture, Asia, Family, Historical
Siem Reap, the step off point to Angkor is 291km by road to Phnom Penh and has so many temples you could stay here for the week. It is a pretty city with lovely flowering gardens and arched bridges across the Siem Reap River.
So the challenge is how many temples can you see in three days? After a boat jarring five hour journey up the Tonle Sap River and a seven a.m. departure, ear plugs are highly recommended for the trip as the only entertainment is a screen showing a vcd , watched by reading the subtitles.
For the brave there is the roof of the vessel, but bring a jumper as the boat travels with speed and the winds are strong. The cost of the trip is USD$25.00. For much of the way the Tonle Sap is so wide that you can not see it’s …
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Jan|01|2007
Cambodia Dreaming: Phnom Penh
Posted by Zahir as Arts & Culture, Asia, Cities, Family
Phnom Penh has a lot to offer a tourist. Sisowath Quay runs the length of the river and is full of cafes and bars serving excellent Khmer food, European food and beer from the region. To buy locally made silks and Buddhas go to the Russian market or the Central market. For temples go to the Wat Phnom and be chased by monkeys.
For history go to the National Museum, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and the Toul Sleng Museum. This last Museum was a secondary school called Tuol Svay Prey and was turned into a prison in April 1975 during the Khmer Rouge rein. It is said that the prison had more than 14,000 victims. The playground equipment was turned into equipment of torture in between gigantic frangipani trees, where the photographs taken of each prisioner will haunt you for life.
A mass grave was …
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