Around Siem Reap Cambodia Travel Guide

Cambodia has much more to offer than just the temples of Angkor. Even around Siem Reap - the gateway to the temples - there are plenty of other opportunities to see more of Cambodia, the culture and the history of this country.

Don't just rush to the temples and forget to see the real Cambodia. Take your time to explore this beautiful and friendly country!.

landmines at the landmine museum cambodia

Aki Ra is the founder of the Cambodia Landmine Museum. His mother and father were killed during the Pol Pot regime. In 1994, he joined UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority of Cambodia) and received training as a de-miner. When UNTAC ended its mission, he continued to clear mines on his own. It wasn’t long before Aki Ra began receiving requests from villagers around the country, and he has been working to help clear mines ever since.

Aki Ra purchased a small parcel of land along the river just outside Siem Reap in 1997. He built a series of shacks to store his growing collection of shell casings and decommissioned mines. By 1998, Aki Ra had opened his doors to show his collection to tourists. His home quickly evolved to become the Cambodia Land Mine Museum. One of the most compelling aspects of the museum was that it served as a rescue center for a number of landmine amputee children that Aki Ra had brought off Phnom Penh’s streets or from extremely impoverished rural communities. As the museum grew bigger, so did the number of children.

The Cambodia Land Mine Museum & Relief Facility has now officially replaced the original Land Mine Museum. The new center includes an expanded museum that now displays the original exhibits from the museum, a school, a dormitory residence for up to 30 amputee children, and a dormitory for 10 amputee staff.

Landmine Museum
20 km northeast of Siem Reap on the road to Banteay Srey Temple.
Admission: $1. All contributions are utilized for the facility’s sustainable relief programs and humanitarian outreach.

Tonle Sap Lake Cambodia Tonle Sap bird watcher's paradise Cambodia

The Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. It forms a natural floodplain reservoir in the depression of the Cambodian plain and is drained by the Tonle Sap River into the Mekong River near Phnom Penh.

When the level of the Mekong River is high the flow of the Tonle Sap River reverses: water is pushed into the lake, raising its level by up to 10 meters and increasing its area from 2,500-3,000 square kilometers in the dry season to 10,000-16,000 square kilometers in the rainy season.

The beautiful Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary is a vital breeding ground for large water foul and the most accessible Biosphere area on the Tonle Sap Lake.

This birdwatcher’s paradise plays host to endangered species including the painted stork, the spot-billed pelican, the grey-headed fish eagle and the black-headed ibis.

The best viewing time is the early dry season when migratory birds congregate in the area. As the water levels recede and the dry season gets into full gear, the number of birds increases but the best viewing areas become inaccessible.

An ecological way to get there is with Osmose, an NGO dedicated to conserving the sanctuary. Their tour focuses both on bird watching and sustainable tourism programmes. Kicking off at 5.30am, the morning is spent cruising the reserve.

The afternoon includes visits to the local village, floating gardens, a pagoda and a crocodile farm. You’ll also learn about fishing techniques, environmental protection and making handicrafts from water hyacinth.

You can download a .pdf-file of the Conservation and Ecotourism projects of Osmose

Cambodia Travel Guide
frizz restaurant has moved to 67 Street 240, Phnom Penh Wi-Fi available at frizz restaurant Phnom Penh

frizz restaurant

#67, Street 240 (map)
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Tel: 023 - 22 09 53
Tel: 012 - 52 48 01

khmer restaurant frizz menu 2008 new menu frizz restaurant

We have introduced a new menu including more traditional Cambodian dishes, fresh salads and delicious desserts.
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restaurant frizz phnom penh is recommended by: Lonely Planet Cambodia 2008 (6th ed.) Footprint Cambodia Travel Guide Reise Know-How Rough Guide Cambodia

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news, events at frizz restaurant, phnom penh WiFi in Phnom Penh at frizz restaurant
Wi-Fi installed @ frizz

Wireless internet (Wi-Fi) is now available at frizz restaurant. Surf the net or update your blog while in Phnom Penh!
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frizz on Channel News Asia
frizz on tv show Taste Matters - Channel News Asia

CNA's tv-show 'Taste Matters' filmed at frizz restaurant and the Cambodia Cooking Class. The show featured our chef Heng preparing Fish Amok.
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Rick Stein at frizz
Rick Stein BBC top chef at frizz

BBC's top chef Rick Stein was here! The frizz restaurant's chef Heng will be featured on his television show.
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