Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Choob
NR6, 30km east of Sisophon • Around $10 return by moto
You'll know when you've arrived in the small village of CHOOB as soon as you see the
roadside lined with sandstone carvings of Buddhas and apsaras, from the tiny to the
enormous. The most prized (and pricey) types of sandstone have delicate veined
markings, while some of the larger pieces take months to complete, and many are
commissioned by temples or government o ces. For anyone prepared to lug a statue
home, prices can be very reasonable after a bit of bargaining.
2
Phnom Srok
50km northeast of Sisophon • About $25 return by moto
Easily combined with a visit to Choob, PHNOM SROK is one of the few villages in
the country where sericulture has been properly revived after the Khmer Rouge
years and is also known throughout Cambodia for its thick cotton kramas , sold
mainly in Siem Reap. Weaving looms clack away under the stilt-houses along the
village's north street, and you'll see tree branches flecked with furry silkworm
cocoons, looking like yellow balls. The families will be only too pleased to give you
a little tour.
Ang Trapaeng Thmor Crane Sanctuary
60km northeast of Sisophon • $10 • Visits can be arranged through Sam Veasna in Siem Reap (see p.145) or from Sisophon for around $25
by moto, or around $45 by car (if you can find one)
North of Phnom Srok lies the Ang Trapaeng Thmor reservoir, built by forced labour
during the Khmer Rouge era. The reservoir and surrounding area now serves as a
dry-season refuge for the globally endangered Sarus crane ( kriel ), one of Cambodia's
largest birds - adults can grow to up to 1.3m - and instantly recognizable thanks to
their distinctive red heads. Around 350 cranes visit the reserve between around January
and March and the sanctuary is also home to many other rare water birds (about two
hundred species have been spotted here) including black-necked stork, greater spotted
eagle and oriental plover. You might also be lucky enough to spot one of the sanctuary's
Eld's deer, another highly threatened species.
Banteay Chhmar
The huge Angkorian-era temple of Banteay Chhmar is one of Cambodia's least-
visited and most intriguing destinations, still untouched by the mass tourism
that has long since enveloped the temples of Angkor and which is now
(following recent road improvements) beginning to reach out even to the
formerly remote and inaccessible temples of Koh Ker and Preah Vihear.
Covering an area of around three square kilometres, the temple was built by
Jayavarman VII as a memorial to soldiers killed while defending his son in a
battle against the Chams. The temple is best known for its magnificent carvings ,
once rivalling those at the Bayon and Angkor Wat, although many of these have
been looted - most notoriously in 1998 when a group of rogue soldiers removed
two massive panels and trucked them across the border for sale in Bangkok.
Confiscated by the Thai police and returned to Cambodia, the panels are now
in the National Museum in Phnom Penh (see p.67). A massive programme
run by the Global Heritage Fund and Heritage Watch is now slowly restoring the
site, while efforts are also being made to have the temple listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
 
 
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