Tag: Siem Reap

  • Khmer Architecture in the Shadows of Angkor Wat

    In Angkor Wat’s shadows, this pagoda is likely overshadowed by her formidable neighbor. But the pagoda’s stupas, Khmer painting, and intricate facial details are lovely – situated on a compound just outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia.

  • The remnants of two smiling faces adorn the Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia.

    A Return to Angkor: Exploring Breathtaking Bayon Temple

    As you wander through Bayon Temple’s wedding cake-like levels, it’s likely you’ll feel as though you’re being watched — and indeed you are — by the 216 immense faces that adorn the 54 towers of this Angkorian jewel. Built in the late 12th century, Bayon was established as the temple for King Jayavarman VII. It is…

  • Tourists walk toward Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

    An Afternoon at Angkor Wat

    During my maiden (and solo) visit to Angkor Wat, I glimpsed the majestic Cambodian structure at sunrise. Seeing the inky sky gradually awaken over the site and then illuminate it with a shrimp-colored hue was a magical experience. But in the years since, I’d read that the sunrise experience had lost some of its luster,…

  • Bobbins of orange, cream, and fuchsia silk inside a drawer at a silk farm near Siem Reap, Cambodia

    Learning the Fine Art of Sericulture & Weaving on a Cambodian Silk Farm

    Throughout Cambodia, marketplace stalls overflow with mounds of beautiful shimmering silk. There’s everything from scarves and chic purses to fabric designed for tailor-made shirts, dresses, and jackets.

  • Green and white silk thread is guided onto a roll on a silk farm near Siem Reap, Cambodia.

    Photo du Jour: Smooth as Cambodian Silk

    For centuries, Cambodians have been making silk and creating woven masterpieces with it. Once the silk has been carefully extracted from the silk worm’s cocoon, it is washed, twirled on to bobbins, and boil-dyed either via a natural or artificial coloring technique. I’m not sure if the silk samples featured here were colored naturally or…