A Brighter Future

Fair Trade shopping throughout Cambodia is expanding and popular with tourists. Locally designed clothing and accessories are made from exceptional quality resources, using traditional practices of arts and crafts that have been passed down through generations.

I bought some lovely casual pants, tops, bags and souvenirs made with good quality materials from various fair trade shops and boutiques, belonging to “Artisans Association Cambodia”. This organisation is not for profit and enables disabled and disadvantaged people in Cambodia to gain an education, skills, self esteem and most importantly, an income.


Left: Observing the various stages of silk making in Angkor Silk Farm was very interesting.

Women employed here are in a clean, organised and safe work environment and take pride in their work as well as themselves.

From silkworms munching on mulberry leaves through to the most finest crafted merchandise, is an amazing process.



I gain a deep satisfaction in knowing, that not only by purchasing something that benefits and provides the disadvantaged community with an income and future, I am also receiving a unique customary item to take home.

Daughters of Cambodia Visitor Centre in Phnom Penh

Above: Christian based "Daughters of Cambodia" is a place close to my heart and where I loved to shop also, for realising that my money was helping young girls to break free of their entrapment in the sex trade. The little boutique in Phnom Penh stocks good quality clothing, as well as some exquisite pieces of art and crafts. The profits are used to provide the girls with counselling, life-saving skills, medical treatment and an education to start a new life.

Half of the restaurants we dined in belonged to reputable training organisations, where the profits are invested into supporting young trainees.

Students are socially trained, gaining hospitality skills, self-confidence and grow to become productive, securing employment with a decent wage and an optimistic future.

I must add, these restaurants were incredibly appealing and satisfying with excellent cuisine, prepared with fresh, local produce and efficient and friendly service.

Romdeng Restaurant

Above: Delicious tropical Prawn, Coconut and Pomelo Salad complemented with a light, crisp glass of sauvignon blanc was my favourite in Romdeng Restaurant.

A couple of the restaurants I’d thoroughly recommend are Romdeng and Friends the Restaurant in Phnom Penh which are part of the “Tree Alliance” training restaurants.

Starfish Bakery

The Starfish Bakery & Cafe in Sihanoukville, in association with “Starfish Project” is where I devoured the most delicious grilled chicken and salad sandwich made with oven fresh brown rice, gluten free bread.

and Life Goes on

The Khmer people have been to hell and back, enduring years of carnage and

poverty under rickety laws. Despite this, their resilient spirit and optimism have

triumphed and they continue their life conveying their warm and generous smiles.

My admiration and fondness for the citizens of this kingdom is immeasurable.

"You may not control all the events that happen to you,
but you can decide not to be reduced by them"

- Maya Angelou

Khmer farmers with their precious Brahman cows

One of my most cherished highlights in Cambodia was our homestay in Sambor Prei Kuk. 

Our large room upstairs from our host family's main living area was fresh and spacious.

Each floor mattress quaintly arranged side by side, was made up with clean linen, a thin cotton bath towel neatly folded and a mosquito net suspended overhead. Our shared basic bathroom was also clean and adequate for what we needed for the night.

Our beds made up for the night - photo by co-traveller Corinna.

The family were typically cheerful and easy to interact with as they could speak and understand basic English quite well.

The meals prepared for dinner and breakfast from fresh local produce, was delicious and plentiful. With a variety of dishes to indulge in, all 14 of us left the table feeling extremely full and satisfied.

Our Home Stay in Sambo Prei Kuk

Within the Sambor Prei Kuk village, we also had the privilege of interacting with the children of the nearby school, helping to revise their English word charts, chatting about their interests, playing in the sand with the little ones and joining in the older children's much loved game of football.

Playing soccer with the kids at a village school
in Sambor Prei Kuk - video by Terry

Quite often, we'd stop along the roadside to purchased Kralan for 1USD. The delicious traditional combination of steamed rice, soy beans and coconut milk is stuffed into bamboo and cooked on hot coals to perfection. I treated myself to quite a few of these tasty, nutritious snacks to go. 

Young lady cooking and selling Kralan along the roadside.

Epitome of Survival

The Killing Fields

Observing the remains of the Choeng Ek Killing Fields (one of many throughout Cambodia) was unbelievably horrifying. Really, there is no word to describe it.

In the midst of the lush, peaceful countryside, not a word was uttered between visitors to this site, though grief and sadness was strongly sensed.

In grasping what lay before me, my body numbed, my heart wrenched and fell heavy as I welled with tears.

Thirty five years on, pieces of clothing and fragments of bone from bodies, massacred under Pol Pot's rule in 1975 - 1979, were still surfacing from the shallow mass graves, following heavy rainfalls.

The site of the Chankiri tree, where babies and children were bashed against its trunks with their mother's made to watch, deadened me. I couldn't feel my legs.

Chankiri Tree in the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek

To conserve ammunition, the Khmer Rouge practiced many methods of brutally killing their victims and the eight thousand human skulls, housed in the Choeng Ek memorial, indicate the sex, age and result of death.

Silently I prayed for their beautiful innocent souls, preconceiving that Karma must prevail.

A True Survivor

Following the sorrowful viewing of the killing fields, our group moved on to witness the ghostly remains of S-21.

What was once a high school in Phnom Penh, became the most brutal prison of all time under Pol Pot's rule.

Sighting the evident remains within the cells and learning the varied methods used to wreak excruciating pain and suffering to innocent victims is unimaginable.

I felt distressed and heartbroken seeing the images and learning the fate of every single person taken into this prison.

This is one of the most dismal places I have witnessed, though I'm not sorry I chose to come here.

As a vital part of Cambodia's history, these happenings need to be acknowledged with much empathy and respect paid to the victims (very few survived). The persecution these people endured in their very own country is incomprehensible.   

Meeting Chum Mey, one of only a handful of survivors of S-21 will stay with me forever. Goosebumps crawled all over my skin as I shook his hand and shared a compassionate smile. His face only revealed peace and gentle kindness, despite his agonizing past. 

Chum Mey lost his wife and four children during the Khmer Rouge Army regime and he himself was held and tortured in the Tuol Sleng S-21 prison.

The only reason Chum Mey survived is because his confession to being a mechanic was of vital use to the army.

Chum Mey - one of only a handful of survivors of the torturous Tuol Sleng

Prison (S-21) under the brutal rule of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge Army.

Today Chum Mey sits in the grounds of the prison, consumed with distressing memories of his past. In helping to deal with his heartache and acknowledging those who lost their lives, he wrote a book.

I bought a signed copy from Chum Mey and admire his ability to forgive his torturers rather than condemn them, as forgiveness helps to live with the pain.

“I see… a pile of skulls and bones. For the

first time since my arrival, what I see before

me is too painful and I break down completely.

These are my relatives, friends and neighbours,

I keep thinking… It is a long time before I am

calm again. And then I am able, with my bare

hands, to rearrange the skulls and bones so

that they are not scattered about”

Dith Pran

Dith Pran was a Cambodian photojournalist and survivor of the Cambodian genocide.

He was the subject of the Academy Award-winning film The Killing Fields.

Exchanging Gifts

Her face weathered with lines as deep as the memories of her past. Without doubt she has endured significant hardship due to her country's brutal pass. Maybe she has no family to care for her.

Poor dear lady shouldn't have to spend the rest of her days working on the streets of Phnom Penh. Her thin frail, bony hands slowly picked an assortment of potatoes from her bowls before placing them into a bag and handing them to her customer, simultaneously exchanging smiles and bowing their heads to one another.

Without being too intrusive, I captured her image with my iPhone and in realising this, she looked across to me and smiled, where spontaneously I smiled back. Khmer people bestow the most genuine smiles, despite poverty stricken conditions in which most of them exist. They are amazing souls, true to their Buddhist faith and beliefs.

Through the remainder of my two week trans-formative tour throughout Cambodia, I often referred to my iPhone image of her, though within mind I retained a clear impression.

For my Cambodian adventure, I mainly packed T shirts and long cotton pants for protection from the sun and mosquitoes. I decided I no longer needed most of these clothes, so I had them laundered and placed them in two carry bags along with sandals and shoes, also no longer required.

Returning to Phnom Penh at the end of my remarkable journey, experiencing the unique Khmer culture with 13 fellow travellers, I truly needed to see this lady again before flying home.

On my last morning before leaving for my mid-afternoon flight, I set out in search of her, assuming she will be at the same corner of the lane-way, where I saw her two weeks prior. My heart sank in discovering she wasn't there, so instinctively I'd walked to the end of the lane hoping to catch sight of her, where to my relief, squatting beside her precious bowls of potatoes, my gaze caught her eye.

I offered the bags of clothes to her and with hands clasped to her heart, she bowed her head, before taking a small bag and placing potatoes into it.

I indicated that I didn't want anything in return, also thinking to myself "what am I going to do with potatoes, when I have a plane to catch?" Though she insisted and I'm sure she would have been offended if I turned away her gift.

"Aw kon" (thank you) I replied, as I bowed to her and again we intuitively exchanged smiles before I departed.

With a spring in my step I was overcome with emotional jubilation, making my way back to my hotel with my small bag of potatoes in hand. My head held high, a smile from ear to ear and a peaceful heart, I was reminded "my life really is what I've made it, I am blessed".

I left the potatoes on the dresser in my hotel room, where I'm sure the room attendants appreciated them.

Cheers to the Best

Best of Cambodia

On the first meet of our tour, there was an evident gel

and "It's going to be special" - that I could tell.

One Swiss, two Kiwis, eleven Aussies in tow,

so began our adventure, we were all keen to go.

Along with our guide, affectionately called 'Bun'

never would we have experienced so much fun.

Spiders and red ants were available to try

and crispy crickets they loved to fry.

Mouthwatering seafood in Kampot was nice

and so was the bamboo, black bean sticky rice.

We shared in happy times, as well as the sad

counting our blessings for what we all had.

 Temples of celestial beauty and spirit

connected our hearts and souls as we knew it.

I missed karaoke, though dancing was fun,

Loved the 'two dollar' tuk tuks,

though we bartered for one (dollar).

Cocktails, wine, shooters and beers - 

we threw it all down when toasting cheers!

Bucky, you joker - so witty and sharp,

you kept me laughing, you're such a lark.

"Wandering Terry" in case you weren't told,

your photos are amazing and precious as gold.

Bun, you are a champion and deserve a 'High Five'

for keeping us entertained, safe and alive!

Crossing the road was a piece of cake -

you hold up your hand and they instantly brake.

Only in Cambodia, anything goes,
'Same, same but different'... as we all know.
Truly, my heart is overflowing with love.

I am blessed to have met you and thank 

the Gods above.

Julie Annette 

Little Treasures

The children are true little treasures of Cambodia.

Captured the delightful laughs of this boy playing marbles
as I was strolling through the Kampong Chhnang markets.

Beaming smiles, continued waves and endless "hellos" 

is the typical response from the village children.

The little ones especially will run up to you, bestowing their

biggest grins to simply have their photo taken.  

Unspoiled by the modern world,

their happy, smiling faces are infectious.

They love to learn, place all their attention into their

schooling and foresee a bright, happy future ahead.

One 14 year old girl said she wanted to become a

doctor... I have no doubt she will.

The Homestay in Sambo Prei kuk was an unforgettable

and warming affair with typical Cambodian life.

Our host family entertained and provided us with clean,

comfortable accommodation and served the

most scrumptious dinner and hearty breakfast.

High School students in Sambor Prei Kuk

Interacting with the children in Sambo Prei Kuk village

school, undoubtedly is one of the most rewarding

experiences in my life. 

Kids playing at a village school in Sambor Prei Kuk

The Vietnamese refugee children who live on boats on
Tonle Sap in Cambodia, row to their floating school daily.
However, they must learn to swim before they can enrol.

Another young girl who loves to draw.

Her friends also expressed her talent for drawing

and I was given this cut out picture that she drew.

Ask any child in Cambodia what their favourite sport is

and without a second's hesitation and widest smile,

they respond with excitement "football"

To watch them play is most entertaining,

for their skills are outstanding.

I tried to join in, but after 10 minutes, I was absolutely

exhausted and not to mention dripping in sweat.

My dear travel companions Terry, Jason and Amanda

certainly had a lot more stamina and co-ordination.

"Children deserve the freedom to play...
Play is not a luxury, it is a necessity"

The younger ones loved to create sculptures in the soil.
They used a crushed aluminium can to scrape the wet dirt.

"Children are the most important assets to our world.
For them, to become that asset, they must receive
love, education and respect.
They are the future of the world."
Julie Annette

Happy children in the village of Kampong Chhnang.

Think before visiting an orphanage - Children are not Tourist Attractions

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/why-were-rethinking-orphanage-tourism/

Serene Beauty

A land of diverse vegetation, so serene and lavish,
which makes for a pleasant and relaxing journey.

I can never take a bad photo of these striking
water lilies found throughout the country.

Our 25km group bike trip through the countryside
of Battambang with 'Soksabike' was the ultimate in
appreciating the picturesque landscape, meeting the
friendly locals and sampling their local produce.

Limes are so plentiful

My accommodation in Siem Reap -
Sonalong Boutique Village

Evergreen trees and opulent foliage naturally

provide a welcoming coolness and protection

from the sweltering sun's rays.

The balcony to my room in Natural Bungalows, Kampot

Waterfalls in Sihanoukville

Cambodian flowers - most pristine and perfect.

Beautiful lilies found in ponds throughout Siem Reap

Majestic ancient tree in Sambo Prei Kuk

 Cambodia's countryside fills me with a sense of
peace and profoundly soothes my heart and soul.

An Ancient Realm

Impressive temples of intricate structure and detailed

carvings and architecture dating back to the 7th century,

(even earlier) are a remarkable impression of Khmer history.

One of countless bas-reliefs carvings.
This one portrays someone being checked for head lice.

Bas-reliefs adorn the temple walls, portraying stories

of daily life events during the ancient Khmer Empire.

Absorbing the sunrise beyond Angkor Wat is no doubt
one of the most exquisite sights I have witnessed.
To be honest, it would have to be on even par with Ayers Rock.

Overwhelmed, I meandered through the majestic
Angkor Wat - largest religious monument in the world.
Ascending to the highest levels via countless flights of stairs
and passing through endless door and passage ways
within walls of colossal sculptured stone blocks.

Never forget the warm, broad smile of this Monk
who blessed me at Angkor Wat

I admired the four smiling faces carved in
vast towers of stone blocks in the Bayon temple,
situated in Angkor Thom (Great Royal City)
I believe the four faces represent
compassion,sympathy, equanimity and charity 

Amazing, no matter from what angle I stared

into the eyes of any one of the stone faces,

they were looking and smiling back at me.

Imposing, snaking roots of trees growing through ancient
ruins of Ta Prohm has signified it as one of the most
favourite temples in Angkor.
Also renowned as the location where the movie
'Tomb Raider' was filmed.
Photographers and writers are imaginatively inspired by
Ta Prohm's enchantment, - though I believe no words
or images can verify its natural, raw beauty.