Enormous trees and monstrous roots embracing the ruins of Preah Khan, Siem Reap, Cambodia
The route: Ipoh > Butterworth > Bangkok > Aranyaprathet (Thailand) > Poipet (Cambodia) > Siem Reap (& Angkor Wat) > Phnom Penh > Battambang > Poipet > Aranyaprathet > Bangkok > Hadyai > Butterworth
Day 01 (16.12.04) Ipoh > Butterworth > Bangkok
Day 02 (17.12.04) Khao San Road, Bangkok
Day 03 (18.12.04) Khao San Road, Bangkok
Day 04 (19.12.04) Bangkok > Aranyaprathet > Poipet > Siem Reap
Day 05 (20.12.04) Siem Reap (Angkor Wat & Angkor Thom)
Day 01 (16.12.04) Ipoh > Butterworth > Bangkok
Day 02 (17.12.04) Khao San Road, Bangkok
Day 03 (18.12.04) Khao San Road, Bangkok
Day 04 (19.12.04) Bangkok > Aranyaprathet > Poipet > Siem Reap
Day 05 (20.12.04) Siem Reap (Angkor Wat & Angkor Thom)
Day 06 (21.12.04) Grant Tour of Angkor Complex
Day 07 (22.12.04) Siem Reap > Phnom Penh by boat through Tonle Sap
Day 08 (23.12.04) Phnom Penh exploring Southern city
Day 09 (24.12.04) Phnom Penh exploring Eastern and Northern city
Day 10 (25.12.04) Phnom Penh > Battambang
Day 07 (22.12.04) Siem Reap > Phnom Penh by boat through Tonle Sap
Day 08 (23.12.04) Phnom Penh exploring Southern city
Day 09 (24.12.04) Phnom Penh exploring Eastern and Northern city
Day 10 (25.12.04) Phnom Penh > Battambang
Day 11 (26.12.04) Battambang > Poipet > Aranyaprathet > Bangkok
Day 12 (27.12.04) Bangkok > Hadyai > Butterworth > Ipoh
Day 01 (16.12.2004) Ipoh > Butterworth > Bangkok
I left Ipoh by the 9.30am bus on Dec.16 and arrived at Butterworth by 12.30pm. Here I met Mr. Yeap who passed me the Lonely Planet guide book for my reference and we had lunch together at the bus station. I took the 2.20pm train for Bangkok. This was the trip that I have to travel alone and had to lie to my wife that I am going with Mr. Yeap.
Bus fare RM10-00. Overnight train is RM95.
Day 12 (27.12.04) Bangkok > Hadyai > Butterworth > Ipoh
Day 01 (16.12.2004) Ipoh > Butterworth > Bangkok
I left Ipoh by the 9.30am bus on Dec.16 and arrived at Butterworth by 12.30pm. Here I met Mr. Yeap who passed me the Lonely Planet guide book for my reference and we had lunch together at the bus station. I took the 2.20pm train for Bangkok. This was the trip that I have to travel alone and had to lie to my wife that I am going with Mr. Yeap.
Bus fare RM10-00. Overnight train is RM95.
Ching Neng Bin at Khao San Road, Bangkok
Day 02 (17.12.2004) Bangkok, Khao San Road
11.30am arrived at Bangkok Hua Lampong railway station. Took a tuk-tuk (B100) to Khao San Road and stayed at Hello Guest House for B150 a night. This area is a backpackers’ paradise and it looks like Pattaya City, by day and night. It is a heaven for cheap accommodation. I explored the Khaosan Road area and walked to Wat Maha That passing by the National Theatre, National Museum, National Gallery, Thammasat University & Silpakorn University. I then took a boat across the Chao Phraya River visiting Wat Rakang Kositaram, Siriraj Hospital and Bangkok Noi Railway Station.
Sleeping: Hello Guest House for B150 per day.
Khao San Road, Bangkok
Ching Neng Bin took this river taxi boat across the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
Wat Rakhang khositaram Woramahaviharn or usually shortened to Wat Rakhangkhositaram, familiarly known as Wat Rakhang is a second-class royal monastery in Bangkok, Thailand.
Praying for their sick family to get well at the front side of Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok. Siriraj Hospital is the oldest and largest hospital in Thailand. It is in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus. It is the primary teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
The Chao Phraya River Bangkok
Khao San Road by night, Bangkok
Free drinks at Arise Pub, Bangkok
Pretty bar-girls at your service in Arise Pub, Bangkok
Ching Neng Bin with a pretty bar-girl at Arise Pub, Bangkok
Hairdo in the middle of Khao San Road, Bangkok
Day 03 (18.12.2004) Bangkok, Khao San Road
Morning walked to the following areas:-
The Democracy Monument is a public monument in the centre of Bangkok, capital of Thailand. It occupies a traffic circle on the wide east-west Ratchadamnoen Avenue, at the intersection of Dinso Road.
King Rama III statue, Bangkok. The monument was built by the Fine Arts Department in 1990 near the Royal Reception Pavilion in front of Wat Ratchanatdaram on Ratchadamnoen Road. The bronze statue, larger than life size, is seated on a throne. The surrounding area is decorated with beautiful plants, with the Royal Reception Pavilion and three minor pavilions known as Sala Rai nearby.
Phrakan Fortress, Bangkok
King Prajadhipok Museum is a museum in Pom Prap Sattru Phai District, Bangkok, Thailand. The building has three floors of permanent exhibitions relating to royal life of King Prajadhipok and Queen Rambai Barni of Thailand. The statue of Phrabat Somdet Phra Nanglao Chaoyuhua Phra Maha Chetsada Rat Chao was erected at the Royal Reception Pavilion at the corner of Ratchadamnoen road in 1990.
One of the many water canals in Bangkok
The Golden Mountain Temple, Bangkok
The monks at Golden Mountain Temple, Bangkok
Wat Ratchanaddaram, Bangkok. Meaning Temple of the Royal Niece, the temple was built to the order of King Nangklao (Rama III) for his granddaughter, Princess Somanass Waddhanawathy in 1846.
Wat Ratchanaddaram, Bangkok. Meaning Temple of the Royal Niece, the temple was built to the order of King Nangklao (Rama III) for his granddaughter, Princess Somanass Waddhanawathy in 1846.
The Bangkok City Hall, Bangkok
The Giant Swing was constructed in 1784 in front of the Devasathan shrine by King Rama I. During the reign of Rama II the swing ceremony was discontinued as the swing had become structurally damaged by lightning.
Wat Suthat Thepwararam is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. It is a royal temple of the first grade, one of ten such temples in Bangkok. Construction was begun by King Rama I in 2350 BE. In the beginning time it was called "Wat Maha Sutthawat" and located in the combretum grove.
Buddha images at Wat Suthat, Bangkok
Buddha image at Wat Suthat, Bangkok
King Rama 1 statue, Bangkok
Wat Pho, also spelled Wat Po, is a Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is on Rattanakosin Island, directly south of the Grand Palace. Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, its official name is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan.
The Military Office, Bangkok
Afternoon walked to the following areas:-
ค่ายมวย ส.วรพิน Sor. Vorapin Boxing Gym, Bangkok
The National Gallery is an art gallery and one of Thailand's national museums. It is located on Chao Fa Road in Bangkok's historic Phra Nakhon District, and is housed in the building of the former Royal Thai Mint.
The National Gallery is an art gallery and one of Thailand's national museums. It is located on Chao Fa Road in Bangkok's historic Phra Nakhon District, and is housed in the building of the former Royal Thai Mint.
The Grand Palace - Emerald Buddha, Bangkok
Day 04 (19.12.2004) Aranyaprathet>Poipet >Siem Reap
I left Bangkok at 8.00am for Siem Reap by VIP air-con bus from Khaosan Road. The bus ticket was purchased at a local tour office along Khaosan Road the day before. The bus ride was very comfortable and smooth along the highway to the border. By 12.30pm we arrived first at Aranyaprathet a Thai border down for our lunch & visa application by other backpackers. We then had to walk across the bridge over to Poipet a Cambodian border town. We were at the immigration check point at 3.30pm and spent an hour before we could get out of both check points to continue our journey at 4.30pm.
In Siem Reap I stayed at Green Town GH for US3 per day by the river side. I walked to town for dinner with a Japanese friend met in the bus.
Bus – Bangkok to Siem Reap from KM Travel for B200pp
Walking from Thailand side towards the border bridge to Poipet in Cambodia.
At Poipet, Cambodia, I noticed a strong contrast against the 7 Casinos of 5-star hotels, it’s like heaven and hell next to each other. Poor Cambodian children and beggars were everywhere and the town was really messy, the roads were very bumpy and dusty. We continued our journey by van and the clay road to Siem Reap was very dusty & bumpy driving through vast rice fields and small villages. We stopped halfway for dinner and finally arrived at Siem Reap by 10pm. It was hell of a journey driving through large pot-holes, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
The Poipet Resort Casinos in Poipet, Cambodia.
The Crown Casino in Poipet, Cambodia.
Scrap metal brought in from Thailand to Poipet, Cambodia.
I love this for my lunch - cheap and good
The long queue at the immigration check point in Poipet, Cambodia.
Tania, Debra and I at the Poipet check-point in Cambodia
I am sitting next to a Japanese backpacker
Day 05 (20.12.2004) Siem Reap > Angkor Thom > Angkor Wat
Hired a half day motor taxi for US5 and visited the Angkor Thom Complex:Green Town GH – US3 per day
Ching Neng Bin morning breakfast in Siem Reap.
Ching Neng Bin at the South Gate to Angkor Thom complex in Cambodia.
In front of each gate stand giant statues of 54 gods to the left and 54 demons to the right of the causeway
NORTH & SOUTH GATES: Angkor Thom is enclosed by a jayagiri (square wall) 8m high and 12 km in length and encircled by a jayasindhu (moat) 100m wide, said to have been inhabited by fierce crocodiles. This is yet another monumental expression of Mt.Meru surrounded by the oceans, both the city and the symbolic universe recreated by Jayavarman VII after the sacking of Angkor by the Chams. The city has five monumental gates, one each in the northern, western and southern walls and two in the eastern wall. The gates, which are 20m in height, are decorated with stone elephant trunks and crowned by four gargantuan faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara facing the cardinal directions.
The south gate is most popular with visitors, as it has been fully restored and many of the heads remain in place.
Ching Neng Bin at Bayon Exhibition Hull Bayon temple ground.
Bayon temple is located exactly at the center of Angkor Thom. It has a unique architecture of 214 smiling faces on the towers, and of course the bas relief carvings on its outer walls are also very interesting.
Two of the 216 stone faces that adorn the towers of Bayon. The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.
The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.
This third level of the Bayon temple is remarkable. There are 54 towers, each headed by four faces of Avalokitesvara which stare at the visitor from all angles.
The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.
A tower holds giant faces nearly 2 meters (or six feet) in height
Face to face... at Bayon temple
The Bayon temple bas-reliefs deal with gods and their epic adventures, historical events and everyday life.
Bayon temple.
Ching Neng Bin prayed for a safe journey at Bayon temple.
Ching Neng Bin at Bayon temple bas-reliefs.
A temple celebration in the Bayon complex ground.
The Baphuon is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva.
THE BAPHUON TEMPLE: A large pyramid temple built by Udayadityavarman II between 1050 and 1066. It features beautiful carvings including a 131-foot reclining Buddha. The Baphuon Temple was constructed as the principal temple in Udayadityavarman II's new city and was used to house his roya l linga.
This 3-tiered pyramid Baphuon Temple is currently undergoing restoration by Myanmar.
THE PHIMEANAKAS TEMPLE, built by Rajendravarman (AD944 - AD968) was said to be visited every night by a snake princess, on whom the prosperity of the kingdom depended. Local guides and villagers will undoubtedly tell visitors more about the legends surrounding the once lost city of Angkor.
The steps up the Phimeanakas. Phimeanakas or Vimeanakas at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu temple in the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman, then completed by Suryavarman I in the shape of a three tier pyramid as a Hindu temple.
On top of Phimeanakas temple
TERRACE OF ELEPHANTS: The 350m-long Terrace of elephants was used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as a base for the king’s grand audience hall. As you stand here, try to imagine the pomp and grandeur of the Khmer empire at its height, with infantry, cavalry, horse-drawn chariots and elephants parading across the at Central Square in a colorful procession, pennants and standards aloft. Looking on is the god king, crowned with a gold diadem, shade by multi-tiered parasols and attended by mandarins and handmaidens bearing gold and silver utensils. The Terrace of Elephants has five outworks extending towards the Central Square – three in the center and one at each end. The middle section of the retaining wall is decorated with life-size garuda and lions; towards either end are the two parts of the famous parade of elephants complete with their Khmer mahouts.
Elephant carvings all around the temple
Ching Neng Bin standing on Terrace of the Leper King. This is actually a misnamed terrace.The "King" is actually Yama the God of Destruction, and the leprosy isn't real. It's moss growing on the statues, causing discoloration on the stones.
Back at Green Town Guesthouse in Siem Reap
Visited Public Bank Siem Reap branch
Photo taken with staff of the Public Bank Siem Reap branch
For my lunch again
Siem Reap (pop 85k) was little more than a village when the first French explorers rediscovered Angkor in the 19th century. It is the gateway to Cambodia’s spiritual and cultural heartbeat, the temples of Angkor.
Day 06 (21.12.2004) Grand Tour of Angkor Temples by bicycle
After breakfast I hired a bicycle from the Guesthouse for US1.50 a day and cycled round the Small & Grand Tour Circuit of the Angkor Wat complex. It was a long journey cycling for more than 30km through the Grand & Small tour circuit visiting each and every Angkor Temples. As I was not used to cycling long distance, my buttock hurts and had to stand up every five minutes to ease the pain during the last hour. I reach GH at 6pm and walked to a Little India Restaurant for dinner with Ms. Tania & Debora.
Green Town GH – US3 per day
Booked speed boat ticket to Phnom Penh for US21pp
Angkor Wat entrance fee – US20per day or US40 for 3 days
For my breakfast and packed lunch
Poster of the new King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia along the road.
Cycled along the 3km road leading to Angkor Wat - many hotels along the way
A wedding couple and relatives at the entrance of Angkor Wat complex.
I too walked with them along the causeway of Angkor Wat complex.
The south gate of Angkor Thom is 7.2 km north of Siem Reap, and 1.7 km north of the entrance to Angkor Wat. The walls, 8m high and flanked by a moat, are each 3km long, enclosing an area of 9km². The walls are of laterite buttressed by earth, with a parapet on the top.
The south gate Angkor Thom moat is 100m wide
This is a China made bicycle - not bad but my buttock really hurts.
Notice the narrow passage through the South gate
Eating fruits at the compound of Terrace of elephants
Exiting Angkor Thom by the North Gate
Exiting Angkor Thom by the North Gate
The Prasat Preah Khan temple is some 3 kilometers north of Angkor Thom
Jayavarman VII's first capital, before the completion of Angkor Wat
This temple is partly in disrepair with strangler figs crawling up the walls, but has some excellent carvings
The many vaulted corridors leading through the temple to the other side
The many vaulted corridors leading through the temple to the other side
The temple of Preah Khan (Sacred Sword) is one of the largest complexes at Angkor – a maze of vaulted corridors, fine carvings and stonework. Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII (it may have served as his temporary residence while Angkor Thom was being built), and like Ta Prohm it is a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors.
I am standing on one of the 4 processional walkways approach of the temple
Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins.
Preah Khan covers a very large area, but the temple itself is within a rectangular enclosing wall of around 700m by 800m. Approaching from the west, there is little clue to nature’s genius, but on the outer retaining wall of the east gate, a pair of trees with monstrous roots embrace as they reach for the sky.
Prasat Prei & Banteay Prei temple
Prasat Prei temple
Prasat Neak Pean temple
Neak Pean. Not really a temple, this is an interesting quick stop. It consists of four pounds surrounding a large pound that has a tower in the middle. This tower is accessible on a causeway that cuts across the pond.
Neak Pean: A 12th century Buddhist temple has a large square pool surrounded by four smaller square pools. In the centre of the central pool is a circular ‘island’ encircled by the two naga whose intertwined tails give the temple its name. In the pool around the central island there were once four statues, but only one remains, reconstructed from the debris by the French archaeologists who cleared the site. Water once flowed from the central pool into the four peripheral pools via ornamental spouts, which can still be seen in the pavilions at each axis of the pool. The spouts are in the form of an elephant’s head, a horse’s head, a lion’s head and a human’s head. The pool was used for ritual purification rites and the complex was once in the centre of a huge 3km by 900m.
Prasat Neak Pean temple
Bought some T-shirts from this girl
Ta Som is a small temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built at the end of the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. It is located north east of Angkor Thom and just east of Neak Pean. The King dedicated the temple to his father Dharanindravarman II who was King of the Khmer Empire from 1150 to 1160.
Ta Som. Once it was abandoned, the jungle slowly overtook the buildings, cracking and squeezing walls and pricing stones apart.
Ta Prohm. Built during the time of king Jayavarman VII and is best known as the temple where trees have been left intertwined with the stonework, much as it was uncovered from the jungle. It might be considered in a state of disrepair but there is a strange beauty in the marvelous strangler fig trees which provide a stunning display of the embrace between nature and the human handiwork. This is one of the most popular temples after Angkor Wat and the Bayon because of the beautiful combinations of wood and stone.
Ta Prohm. Some carvings and statues remain as sharply carved as they were nearly 800 years ago. The main attraction of this place is not the temple but the strength of nature, huge tree with its roots spreading like monstrous octopus squeezing around the building. The trees acted as a protector to the temple as it holds the building to prevent it from collapsing and also can be destroyer because it crushed some buildings to pieces too.
Ta Prohm. Do you recognize a few scenes from Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider
Ta Prohm.
East Mebon. Located on what was an island in the now dry East Baray, this is a large, three-story temple-mountain crowned by five towers, like a miniature Angkor Wat. Originally built by Rajendravarman II in the 10th century, many structures are in poor shape, but the temple is best known for its massive (restored) elephant statues.
The East Mebon is a 10th Century temple at Angkor, Cambodia. Built during the reign of King Rajendravarman, it stands on what was an artificial island at the center of the now dry East Baray reservoir. The East Mebon was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and honors the parents of the king.
The temple mountain form is topped off by the now familiar arrangement of towers. The elaborate brick shrines are dotted with neatly arranged holes, which attached the original plaster work.
Pre Rup is a Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction. The temple's name is a comparatively modern one meaning "turn the body".
Pre Rup. A temple-mountain close to and quite similar in style to East Mebon, and constructed only a decade later. A favorite spot for viewing the sun set into the jungles and rice paddies of the Cambodian countryside.
Pre Rup is a Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction. The temple's name is a comparatively modern one meaning "turn the body".
Pre Rup: Built by Rajendravarman II, is about 1km south of the Eastern Mebon consists of a pyramid shaped temple mountain with the uppermost of the tree tiers carrying five square shrines. The brick sanctuaries were also once decorated with a plaster coating, fragments of which still remain on the southwestern tower, there are some amazingly detailed lintel carvings here. Several of the outermost eastern towers are closed to collapse and are propped by wooden supports. This temple may have served as an early royal crematorium.
Prasat Ta Prom temple
Ta Som stands to the east of Neak Pean, is yet another of the late 12th century Buddhist temples of Jayavarman VII. The central area of Ta Som is in a ruined state, but restoration by the World Monument fund is getting closer to completion.
The most impressive feature is the huge tree completely overwhelming the eastern gopura, providing one of the most popular photo opportunities in the Angkor area.
Ta Keo is a temple-mountain in Angkor, possibly the first to be built entirely of sandstone by Khmers.
TA KEO: A sandstone temple built by Jayavarman V between AD968 and 1001 was dedicated to Shiva. It has a large central tower surrounded by four smaller towers. It is undecorated that undoubtedly would have been one of the finest of all Angkor’s structures had it been finished. The summit of the central tower, which is surrounded by four lower towers, is almost 50m high. This cial arrangement with four towers at the corners of a square and fifth tower in the center is typical of many Angkorian temple mountains. No –one is certain why work was never completed, but a likely cause may have been the death of Jayavarman V.
TA KEO:The stairs at the east side of the monument are least steep and the easiest way to reach the top level.
Thommanon is just north of Chau Say Tevoda. Although unique, the temple complements its neighbour, as it was built around the same time to a similar design. It was also dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu.
Thommanon is one of a pair of Hindu temples built during the reign of Suryavarman II at Angkor, Cambodia. This small and elegant temple is east of the Gate of Victory of Angkor Thom and north of Chau Say Tevoda. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 1992 titled Angkor.
Ching Neng Bin morning breakfast in Siem Reap.
Ching Neng Bin at the South Gate to Angkor Thom complex in Cambodia.
In front of each gate stand giant statues of 54 gods to the left and 54 demons to the right of the causeway
NORTH & SOUTH GATES: Angkor Thom is enclosed by a jayagiri (square wall) 8m high and 12 km in length and encircled by a jayasindhu (moat) 100m wide, said to have been inhabited by fierce crocodiles. This is yet another monumental expression of Mt.Meru surrounded by the oceans, both the city and the symbolic universe recreated by Jayavarman VII after the sacking of Angkor by the Chams. The city has five monumental gates, one each in the northern, western and southern walls and two in the eastern wall. The gates, which are 20m in height, are decorated with stone elephant trunks and crowned by four gargantuan faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara facing the cardinal directions.
The south gate is most popular with visitors, as it has been fully restored and many of the heads remain in place.
Ching Neng Bin at Bayon Exhibition Hull Bayon temple ground.
Bayon temple is located exactly at the center of Angkor Thom. It has a unique architecture of 214 smiling faces on the towers, and of course the bas relief carvings on its outer walls are also very interesting.
Two of the 216 stone faces that adorn the towers of Bayon. The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.
The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.
This third level of the Bayon temple is remarkable. There are 54 towers, each headed by four faces of Avalokitesvara which stare at the visitor from all angles.
The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.
A tower holds giant faces nearly 2 meters (or six feet) in height
Face to face... at Bayon temple
The Bayon temple bas-reliefs deal with gods and their epic adventures, historical events and everyday life.
Bayon temple.
Ching Neng Bin prayed for a safe journey at Bayon temple.
Ching Neng Bin at Bayon temple bas-reliefs.
A temple celebration in the Bayon complex ground.
The Baphuon is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva.
THE BAPHUON TEMPLE: A large pyramid temple built by Udayadityavarman II between 1050 and 1066. It features beautiful carvings including a 131-foot reclining Buddha. The Baphuon Temple was constructed as the principal temple in Udayadityavarman II's new city and was used to house his roya l linga.
This 3-tiered pyramid Baphuon Temple is currently undergoing restoration by Myanmar.
THE PHIMEANAKAS TEMPLE, built by Rajendravarman (AD944 - AD968) was said to be visited every night by a snake princess, on whom the prosperity of the kingdom depended. Local guides and villagers will undoubtedly tell visitors more about the legends surrounding the once lost city of Angkor.
The steps up the Phimeanakas. Phimeanakas or Vimeanakas at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu temple in the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman, then completed by Suryavarman I in the shape of a three tier pyramid as a Hindu temple.
On top of Phimeanakas temple
TERRACE OF ELEPHANTS: The 350m-long Terrace of elephants was used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as a base for the king’s grand audience hall. As you stand here, try to imagine the pomp and grandeur of the Khmer empire at its height, with infantry, cavalry, horse-drawn chariots and elephants parading across the at Central Square in a colorful procession, pennants and standards aloft. Looking on is the god king, crowned with a gold diadem, shade by multi-tiered parasols and attended by mandarins and handmaidens bearing gold and silver utensils. The Terrace of Elephants has five outworks extending towards the Central Square – three in the center and one at each end. The middle section of the retaining wall is decorated with life-size garuda and lions; towards either end are the two parts of the famous parade of elephants complete with their Khmer mahouts.
Elephant carvings all around the temple
Ching Neng Bin standing on Terrace of the Leper King. This is actually a misnamed terrace.The "King" is actually Yama the God of Destruction, and the leprosy isn't real. It's moss growing on the statues, causing discoloration on the stones.
Back at Green Town Guesthouse in Siem Reap
Visited Public Bank Siem Reap branch
Photo taken with staff of the Public Bank Siem Reap branch
For my lunch again
Siem Reap (pop 85k) was little more than a village when the first French explorers rediscovered Angkor in the 19th century. It is the gateway to Cambodia’s spiritual and cultural heartbeat, the temples of Angkor.
Day 06 (21.12.2004) Grand Tour of Angkor Temples by bicycle
After breakfast I hired a bicycle from the Guesthouse for US1.50 a day and cycled round the Small & Grand Tour Circuit of the Angkor Wat complex. It was a long journey cycling for more than 30km through the Grand & Small tour circuit visiting each and every Angkor Temples. As I was not used to cycling long distance, my buttock hurts and had to stand up every five minutes to ease the pain during the last hour. I reach GH at 6pm and walked to a Little India Restaurant for dinner with Ms. Tania & Debora.
Green Town GH – US3 per day
Booked speed boat ticket to Phnom Penh for US21pp
Angkor Wat entrance fee – US20per day or US40 for 3 days
For my breakfast and packed lunch
Poster of the new King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia along the road.
Cycled along the 3km road leading to Angkor Wat - many hotels along the way
A wedding couple and relatives at the entrance of Angkor Wat complex.
I too walked with them along the causeway of Angkor Wat complex.
The south gate of Angkor Thom is 7.2 km north of Siem Reap, and 1.7 km north of the entrance to Angkor Wat. The walls, 8m high and flanked by a moat, are each 3km long, enclosing an area of 9km². The walls are of laterite buttressed by earth, with a parapet on the top.
The south gate Angkor Thom moat is 100m wide
This is a China made bicycle - not bad but my buttock really hurts.
Notice the narrow passage through the South gate
Eating fruits at the compound of Terrace of elephants
Exiting Angkor Thom by the North Gate
Exiting Angkor Thom by the North Gate
The Prasat Preah Khan temple is some 3 kilometers north of Angkor Thom
Jayavarman VII's first capital, before the completion of Angkor Wat
This temple is partly in disrepair with strangler figs crawling up the walls, but has some excellent carvings
The many vaulted corridors leading through the temple to the other side
The many vaulted corridors leading through the temple to the other side
The temple of Preah Khan (Sacred Sword) is one of the largest complexes at Angkor – a maze of vaulted corridors, fine carvings and stonework. Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII (it may have served as his temporary residence while Angkor Thom was being built), and like Ta Prohm it is a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors.
I am standing on one of the 4 processional walkways approach of the temple
Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins.
Preah Khan covers a very large area, but the temple itself is within a rectangular enclosing wall of around 700m by 800m. Approaching from the west, there is little clue to nature’s genius, but on the outer retaining wall of the east gate, a pair of trees with monstrous roots embrace as they reach for the sky.
Prasat Prei & Banteay Prei temple
Prasat Prei temple
Prasat Neak Pean temple
Neak Pean. Not really a temple, this is an interesting quick stop. It consists of four pounds surrounding a large pound that has a tower in the middle. This tower is accessible on a causeway that cuts across the pond.
Neak Pean: A 12th century Buddhist temple has a large square pool surrounded by four smaller square pools. In the centre of the central pool is a circular ‘island’ encircled by the two naga whose intertwined tails give the temple its name. In the pool around the central island there were once four statues, but only one remains, reconstructed from the debris by the French archaeologists who cleared the site. Water once flowed from the central pool into the four peripheral pools via ornamental spouts, which can still be seen in the pavilions at each axis of the pool. The spouts are in the form of an elephant’s head, a horse’s head, a lion’s head and a human’s head. The pool was used for ritual purification rites and the complex was once in the centre of a huge 3km by 900m.
Prasat Neak Pean temple
Bought some T-shirts from this girl
Ta Som is a small temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built at the end of the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. It is located north east of Angkor Thom and just east of Neak Pean. The King dedicated the temple to his father Dharanindravarman II who was King of the Khmer Empire from 1150 to 1160.
Ta Som. Once it was abandoned, the jungle slowly overtook the buildings, cracking and squeezing walls and pricing stones apart.
Ta Prohm. Built during the time of king Jayavarman VII and is best known as the temple where trees have been left intertwined with the stonework, much as it was uncovered from the jungle. It might be considered in a state of disrepair but there is a strange beauty in the marvelous strangler fig trees which provide a stunning display of the embrace between nature and the human handiwork. This is one of the most popular temples after Angkor Wat and the Bayon because of the beautiful combinations of wood and stone.
Ta Prohm. Some carvings and statues remain as sharply carved as they were nearly 800 years ago. The main attraction of this place is not the temple but the strength of nature, huge tree with its roots spreading like monstrous octopus squeezing around the building. The trees acted as a protector to the temple as it holds the building to prevent it from collapsing and also can be destroyer because it crushed some buildings to pieces too.
Ta Prohm. Do you recognize a few scenes from Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider
Ta Prohm.
East Mebon. Located on what was an island in the now dry East Baray, this is a large, three-story temple-mountain crowned by five towers, like a miniature Angkor Wat. Originally built by Rajendravarman II in the 10th century, many structures are in poor shape, but the temple is best known for its massive (restored) elephant statues.
The East Mebon is a 10th Century temple at Angkor, Cambodia. Built during the reign of King Rajendravarman, it stands on what was an artificial island at the center of the now dry East Baray reservoir. The East Mebon was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and honors the parents of the king.
The temple mountain form is topped off by the now familiar arrangement of towers. The elaborate brick shrines are dotted with neatly arranged holes, which attached the original plaster work.
Pre Rup is a Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction. The temple's name is a comparatively modern one meaning "turn the body".
Pre Rup. A temple-mountain close to and quite similar in style to East Mebon, and constructed only a decade later. A favorite spot for viewing the sun set into the jungles and rice paddies of the Cambodian countryside.
Pre Rup is a Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction. The temple's name is a comparatively modern one meaning "turn the body".
Pre Rup: Built by Rajendravarman II, is about 1km south of the Eastern Mebon consists of a pyramid shaped temple mountain with the uppermost of the tree tiers carrying five square shrines. The brick sanctuaries were also once decorated with a plaster coating, fragments of which still remain on the southwestern tower, there are some amazingly detailed lintel carvings here. Several of the outermost eastern towers are closed to collapse and are propped by wooden supports. This temple may have served as an early royal crematorium.
Prasat Ta Prom temple
Ta Som stands to the east of Neak Pean, is yet another of the late 12th century Buddhist temples of Jayavarman VII. The central area of Ta Som is in a ruined state, but restoration by the World Monument fund is getting closer to completion.
The most impressive feature is the huge tree completely overwhelming the eastern gopura, providing one of the most popular photo opportunities in the Angkor area.
Ta Keo is a temple-mountain in Angkor, possibly the first to be built entirely of sandstone by Khmers.
TA KEO: A sandstone temple built by Jayavarman V between AD968 and 1001 was dedicated to Shiva. It has a large central tower surrounded by four smaller towers. It is undecorated that undoubtedly would have been one of the finest of all Angkor’s structures had it been finished. The summit of the central tower, which is surrounded by four lower towers, is almost 50m high. This cial arrangement with four towers at the corners of a square and fifth tower in the center is typical of many Angkorian temple mountains. No –one is certain why work was never completed, but a likely cause may have been the death of Jayavarman V.
TA KEO:The stairs at the east side of the monument are least steep and the easiest way to reach the top level.
Thommanon is just north of Chau Say Tevoda. Although unique, the temple complements its neighbour, as it was built around the same time to a similar design. It was also dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu.
Thommanon is one of a pair of Hindu temples built during the reign of Suryavarman II at Angkor, Cambodia. This small and elegant temple is east of the Gate of Victory of Angkor Thom and north of Chau Say Tevoda. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 1992 titled Angkor.
Other temples
Sras Srang Lake: Is a basin measuring 800m by 400m has a tiny island in the middle once bore a wooden temple, of which only the stone base remains. This is a beautiful body of water from which to take in a quiet sunrise.
Banteay Kdei: Is massive Buddhist monastery surrounded by four concentric walls. The outer wall measures 500m by 700m. Each of its four entrances is decorated with garuda, which hold aloft one of Jayavarman VII’s favorite themes; the four faces of Avalokiteshvara. The inside of the central tower was never finished and much of the temple is in a ruinous state due to hasty construction.
Ta Nei: Ta Nei, 800m north of Ta Keo, was built by Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181-1219). There is something of the spirit of Ta Prohm here, albeit on a lesser scale, with moss and tentacle-like roots covering many outer areas of this small temple. It now houses the Apsara Authority’s training unit and can be accessed only by walking across the French-built dam. To get to the dam, take the long track on the left, just after the Spean Thmor Bridge when coming from Siem Reap.
Victory Gate
Victory Gate
Chau Say Tevoda is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is just east of Angkor Thom, directly south of Thommanon across the Victory Way. Built in the mid-12th century, it is a Hindu temple in the Angkor Wat period. It is dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu with unique types of female sculptures of devatas enshrined in it.
Chau Say Tevoda temple under restoration by China
Cycled back through the East Gate
Prasat Suor Prat under restoration by Japanese Govt.This "Temple of the Rope Dancers" with its 12 towers is very picturesque. With all of them lined neatly in a row, 6 on the left, and 6 on the right, one imagines that it would make a great picture.
At the main entrance to Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a whole city in itself. It is a meticulously planned complex which leads the visitor from the outside world, through the Hindu universe and up to the home of the gods. From the gallery in the western outer wall of the temple, the towers of the temple rise almost one-third of a mile away. The terrace gives way to another great entrance which leads to a wide causeway lined with stone balustrades. Buildings which were once libraries, and sunken pools, lie on either side. From here, steps rise up to a terrace, and on to another gallery and a final terrace, built in a cruciform. From here, steps begin the long ascent up the mountain to the five towers that form the pinnacle of Angkor Wat.
The Angkor Wat causeway is 190m long.
Angkor Wat Moat is 600 feet wide, almost 4 miles in circumference as the outer ocean of the universe
Angkor Wat Moat is 600 feet wide, almost 4 miles in circumference as the outer ocean of the universe
Another wedding couple at Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat outer wall of Western Gate
Angkor Wat statue of Vishnu is 3.25m tall
ANGKOR WAT, one of the seven Wonder of the World, was the ultimate creation of the pyramid temple - the formation in stone of the magic mountain of Hindu mythology surrounded by its universe and oceans. Its builder, Suryavarman II, was the king of a great empire stretching over much of Indo-China. Angkor Wat was his legacy to the future, larger than any temple before it. It was more elaborately decorated, with a complex series of buildings built on rising terraces and linked by causeways. Its central towers were taller than any built before by the Khmers. A visitor to his city in 1146 would have seen Angkor as the symbol of a great king who had just demolished the Cham Kingdom and annexed it to his already large empire. A visitor familiar with the Khmer religion and theory of kingship would also recognize, from the moment he entered the outer gateway of the western approach to Angkor Wat, that he was entering the cosmic universe of Hindu mythology.
Ms Tania from Kenya and Ching Neng Bin at the Angkor Wat Esplanade
Ms Debra from England and Ching Neng Bin at the Angkor Wat Esplanade
The Angkor Wat Library. This building in the gardens of the temple of Angkor Wat is best known as the Library of Angkor Wat is the agreed name of buildings that are found in almost all outdoor speakers Khmer temples. libraries are often built in pairs and each side of the path.
Angkor Wat inner Wall esplanade - Churning of the Ocean of Milk. The Churning of the Ocean of Milk Gallery, located in the temple complex of Angkor Wat, displays a spectacular 49 meters of intricately sculpted bas-reliefs that are part of a larger ensemble of scenes from the Battle of Kuruksetra, the Ramayana, the 37 Heavens and the 32 Hells, and Angkor Wat's patron, Suryavarman II
The Churning of the Ocean of Milk Gallery, located in the temple complex of Angkor Wat, displays a spectacular 49 meters of intricately sculpted bas-reliefs that are part of a larger ensemble of scenes from the Battle of Kuruksetra, the Ramayana, the 37 Heavens and the 32 Hells, and Angkor Wat's patron, Suryavarman II
Angkor Wat second storey temple
Angkor Wat second storey temple
Ching Neng Bin at Angkor Wat second storey temple
The wide stairways up to the Third storeys Angkor Wat temple
The wide stairways up to the pinnacle of Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat Bas-Reliefs
Sleeping Buddha statue on the third storey temple
Day 07 (22.12.2004) Siem Reap > Phnom Penh by boat
8.00am I took the express boat to Phnom Penh sailing through Tonle Sap Lake. Boats from Siem Reap leave from the floating village of Chong Kneas near Phnom Krom, 11km south of Siem Reap. 2.00pm I arrived at Phnom Penh. Explore the town and attended Public Bank staff dinner at branch compound in the evening on invitation by the Mr. Phan the branch manager.
Boat ticket to Phnom Penh for US21pp
Capitol Guest House for US2-00 per day
Phnom Penh Public Bank branch
Mr. Phan Ying Tong the Phnom Penh Public Bank branch manager
Ching Neng Bin was invited for the bank's staff dinner at the branch premises in Phnom Penh
Capitol Guest House for US2-00 per day
Day 8 (23.12.2004) Phnom Penh
Early morning, I explore the Southern part of the City. I bought a pair of Nike sport-shoe for US13-00 at the Russian Market. On the way back I visited the genocide museum – Tuol Sleng, the former Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison.
Phnom Penh Public Bank branch
Mr. Phan Ying Tong the Phnom Penh Public Bank branch manager
Ching Neng Bin was invited for the bank's staff dinner at the branch premises in Phnom Penh
Capitol Guest House for US2-00 per day
Day 8 (23.12.2004) Phnom Penh
Early morning, I explore the Southern part of the City. I bought a pair of Nike sport-shoe for US13-00 at the Russian Market. On the way back I visited the genocide museum – Tuol Sleng, the former Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison.
Afternoon was exploring the central city area.
Morning breakfast at Capitol Guest House
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a museum in Phnom Penh, chronicling the Cambodian genocide. The site is a former secondary school which was used as Security Prison 21 by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979.
The Independence Monument in Phnom Penh was built in 1958 to memorialize Cambodia's independence from France in 1953. It stands on the intersection of Norodom Boulevard and Sihanouk Boulevard in the centre of the city.
The garbage on the main road, Phnom Penh
Day 9 (24.12.2004) exploring eastern and northern Phnom Penh city
Petronas Office
Malaysian embassy
Grand Palace
Museum
River side
Wat Tathom
Central Market
Super Market Sorya
Petronas Cambodia Office, Phnom Penh
The Malaysian embassy, Phnom Penh
The Malaysian embassy, Phnom Penh
Photo taken with the police, Phnom Penh
The Mekong river view, Phnom Penh
The Mekong river view, Phnom Penh
The Grand Palace, Phnom Penh.
The National Museum of Cambodia in Chey Chumneas, Phnom Penh is Cambodia's largest museum of cultural history and is the country's leading historical and archaeological museum.
The Japanese bridge donated by Japan, Phnom Penh
Wat Tathom, Phnom Penh
Wat Tathom, Phnom Penh
The Central Market is an Art Deco landmark of Phnom Penh. The bright yellow building completed in 1937 has a 26m high central dome, with four tall arch-roofed arms branching out diagonally across the block, creating vast hallways housing countless stalls and all kinds of goods.
Fried water bugs taste good, Phnom Penh
Day 10 (25.12.2004) Phnom Penh > Battambang
The bus departed Phnom Penh, Capitol Hotel at 8am and arrived at Battambang 1pm. I had my lunch at one of the shop and later walked round the town.
Battambang is an elegant riverside town, home to some of the best preserved French period architecture in the country. There is a very popular boat service connecting it to Siem Reap, probably the most scenic river trip in the country. The city is easily negotiable on foot and at the centre of town is Psar Nat – Meeting Market and all commercial activity and most of the city’s hotels are located within a few blocks from here. Across the river are several large properties serving as administrative centres for the NGOs.
Bus fare to Battambang – US3pp
Morning breakfast at Capitol Guest House
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a museum in Phnom Penh, chronicling the Cambodian genocide. The site is a former secondary school which was used as Security Prison 21 by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979.
The Independence Monument in Phnom Penh was built in 1958 to memorialize Cambodia's independence from France in 1953. It stands on the intersection of Norodom Boulevard and Sihanouk Boulevard in the centre of the city.
The garbage on the main road, Phnom Penh
Day 9 (24.12.2004) exploring eastern and northern Phnom Penh city
Petronas Office
Malaysian embassy
Grand Palace
Museum
River side
Wat Tathom
Central Market
Super Market Sorya
Petronas Cambodia Office, Phnom Penh
The Malaysian embassy, Phnom Penh
The Malaysian embassy, Phnom Penh
Photo taken with the police, Phnom Penh
The Mekong river view, Phnom Penh
The Mekong river view, Phnom Penh
The Grand Palace, Phnom Penh.
The National Museum of Cambodia in Chey Chumneas, Phnom Penh is Cambodia's largest museum of cultural history and is the country's leading historical and archaeological museum.
The Japanese bridge donated by Japan, Phnom Penh
Wat Tathom, Phnom Penh
Wat Tathom, Phnom Penh
The Central Market is an Art Deco landmark of Phnom Penh. The bright yellow building completed in 1937 has a 26m high central dome, with four tall arch-roofed arms branching out diagonally across the block, creating vast hallways housing countless stalls and all kinds of goods.
Fried water bugs taste good, Phnom Penh
Day 10 (25.12.2004) Phnom Penh > Battambang
The bus departed Phnom Penh, Capitol Hotel at 8am and arrived at Battambang 1pm. I had my lunch at one of the shop and later walked round the town.
Battambang is an elegant riverside town, home to some of the best preserved French period architecture in the country. There is a very popular boat service connecting it to Siem Reap, probably the most scenic river trip in the country. The city is easily negotiable on foot and at the centre of town is Psar Nat – Meeting Market and all commercial activity and most of the city’s hotels are located within a few blocks from here. Across the river are several large properties serving as administrative centres for the NGOs.
Bus fare to Battambang – US3pp
Royal Guest House - US2 per day.
Having breakfast with this 70 year old grandmother from France
Royal Guest House - US2 per day.
Battambang market
Battambang main road
Traditional vacuum bottle massage
Traditional vacuum bottle massage
Cupping is the term applied to a technique that uses small glass cups as suction devices that are placed on the ski to disperse and break up stagnation and congestion by drawing congested blood, energy or other humors to the surface. In dry cupping, the therapist will simply place the suction cups on the skin. In wet cupping, the practitioner will make a small incision on the skin and then apply the suction cup to draw out small amounts of blood.
There is a boat service connecting to Siem Reap
Having breakfast with this 70 year old grandmother from France
Royal Guest House - US2 per day.
Battambang market
Battambang main road
Traditional vacuum bottle massage
Traditional vacuum bottle massage
Cupping is the term applied to a technique that uses small glass cups as suction devices that are placed on the ski to disperse and break up stagnation and congestion by drawing congested blood, energy or other humors to the surface. In dry cupping, the therapist will simply place the suction cups on the skin. In wet cupping, the practitioner will make a small incision on the skin and then apply the suction cup to draw out small amounts of blood.
There is a boat service connecting to Siem Reap
Day 11 (25.12.2004) Battambang > Poipet > Bangkok
08.00 am air-con car for US5-00 to Poipet
Motor taxi to bus station at Aranyaprathet for B50
12.00 pm Air-con bus to Bangkok Eastern Station for B164
04.30 pm arrived at bus station and took a motor taxi to Bang Sui Train station for B100.
No train ticket to Hadyai so took the LRT to Hua Lampong station for B31.
08.00 pm took a bus to Hadyai for B750.
A sunrise view from the top floor of the hotel
The Battambang market
Air-con car for US5-00 to Poipet with other backpackers
Bangkok LRT station
Bangkok Hua Lampong train station
Day 12 (26.12.2004) Bangkok >Hadyai >Butterworth >Ipoh
11.00 am arrived at Hadyai
01.00 pm Air-con van to Butterworth for B200
05.00 pm at Butterworth
07.30 pm bus to Ipoh at RM10
10.00 pm arrived home in Ipoh
The day was marked by the deadliest tsunami in history. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea mega-thrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, killing over 230,000 people in fourteen countries.
At Butterworth Train Station and Home Sweet Home.
Total cost for the whole journey is about RM800
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08.00 am air-con car for US5-00 to Poipet
Motor taxi to bus station at Aranyaprathet for B50
12.00 pm Air-con bus to Bangkok Eastern Station for B164
04.30 pm arrived at bus station and took a motor taxi to Bang Sui Train station for B100.
No train ticket to Hadyai so took the LRT to Hua Lampong station for B31.
08.00 pm took a bus to Hadyai for B750.
A sunrise view from the top floor of the hotel
The Battambang market
Air-con car for US5-00 to Poipet with other backpackers
Bangkok LRT station
Bangkok Hua Lampong train station
Day 12 (26.12.2004) Bangkok >Hadyai >Butterworth >Ipoh
11.00 am arrived at Hadyai
01.00 pm Air-con van to Butterworth for B200
05.00 pm at Butterworth
07.30 pm bus to Ipoh at RM10
10.00 pm arrived home in Ipoh
The day was marked by the deadliest tsunami in history. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea mega-thrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, killing over 230,000 people in fourteen countries.
At Butterworth Train Station and Home Sweet Home.
Total cost for the whole journey is about RM800
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Hi, I like your travel very much, am hoping to be friends of yours and join the adventure some day.
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