The Kingdom has won the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association’s International Travel Award for Best Destination despite the global coronavirus outbreak that has dampen the global tourism industry.

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Thourn Sinan, chairman of PATWA’s Cambodia chapter, yesterday said Cambodia won because the Kingdom is known for its rich heritage, public safety and friendliness of its people. Mr Sinan said the award for Best Destination will help boost the Kingdom’s global popularity.

 

“It will help market Cambodia,” he said. Chuk Chumno, spokesman for the Tourism Ministry, told Khmer Times the award was set to be presented in Berlin later month, but the award ceremony was postponed following the global COVID-19 outbreak, adding Cambodia’s award for Best Destination still stands. Mr Chumno said Cambodia won because of the ancient temples, food and culture.

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50701107/cambodia-named-worlds-best-destination-for-tourists

lol

who else was in the running>
China/Afghanistan/Somali /Iraqi ?

This has to be a windup 

It seems the Pacific Area Travel Writer Association has a single chapter, Cambodia.

3 hours ago, geovalin said:

Kingdom is known for its rich heritage, public safety and friendliness of its people.

So what part of that is wrong.

The ancient Khmer civilization was amazing. Most tourists just visit Angkor Wat, and maybe the Bayon and Ta Prohm, but there are dozens of old ruins to visit. The Khmer civilization, at its height, was the most powerful and well-organized empire in South East Asia. Its temple constructions, during the Middle Ages and earlier, far surpassed anything constructed in Europe at that time. Sailors on Chinese ships, visiting the area during those times found the lifestyle so alluring that they would often abandon their ship and stay permanently in the Khmer Kingdom; perhaps because of the lure of the Apsaras who are so frequently depicted on stone carvings or 'bas-reliefs'. ????

 

As tourists, we currently see even less than the 'tip of the iceberg'. However, recent technology called 'Lidar' is able to reveal more accurate details of what's below the surface. The temples were surrounded by well-organized urban areas with houses and roads. The following article provides explanations:
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/230238-high-tech-lidar-helps-uncover-secrets-angkor-wat-has-hidden-for-centuries

 

"It has long been the accepted wisdom that the magnificent temples at Angkor in Cambodia — with Angkor Wat the most famous — were only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of what was once the Khmer Kingdom. 

A survey of 370 square kilometers undertaken in 2012 helped settle once and for all the debate over whether the Khmer civilization was a disconnected set of small cities and towns or one massive-and-interconnected urban sprawl — one that relied on an extremely-large set of irrigation projects for its high crop yields."

 

Here are more details of the Lidar system.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/archaeology/lasers-lidar-driving-revolution-archaeology/

2 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

lol

who else was in the running>
China/Afghanistan/Somali /Iraqi ?

and Papua New Guinea

So many countries feature bare-breasted women as wives, workers, and warriors in their sacred cultures. Let's honor those traditions and get back to basics.

2 hours ago, VincentRJ said:

The ancient Khmer civilization was amazing. Most tourists just visit Angkor Wat, and maybe the Bayon and Ta Prohm, but there are dozens of old ruins to visit. The Khmer civilization, at its height, was the most powerful and well-organized empire in South East Asia. Its temple constructions, during the Middle Ages and earlier, far surpassed anything constructed in Europe at that time. Sailors on Chinese ships, visiting the area during those times found the lifestyle so alluring that they would often abandon their ship and stay permanently in the Khmer Kingdom; perhaps because of the lure of the Apsaras who are so frequently depicted on stone carvings or 'bas-reliefs'. ????

Totally agree with this, thanks.

Visited Angkor Wat with my Isaan/Khmer wife last year, and photographer her and my daughter up against some architectural sculptures of several concubines.

When I reviewed the pictures, I was amazed how closely one concubine sculpture resembled my wife...

These ancient people had incredibly good construction techniques. 

And some great looking women.

 

4 hours ago, VincentRJ said:

The ancient Khmer civilization was amazing. Most tourists just visit Angkor Wat, and maybe the Bayon and Ta Prohm, but there are dozens of old ruins to visit. The Khmer civilization, at its height, was the most powerful and well-organized empire in South East Asia. Its temple constructions, during the Middle Ages and earlier, far surpassed anything constructed in Europe at that time. Sailors on Chinese ships, visiting the area during those times found the lifestyle so alluring that they would often abandon their ship and stay permanently in the Khmer Kingdom; perhaps because of the lure of the Apsaras who are so frequently depicted on stone carvings or 'bas-reliefs'. ????

 

As tourists, we currently see even less than the 'tip of the iceberg'. However, recent technology called 'Lidar' is able to reveal more accurate details of what's below the surface. The temples were surrounded by well-organized urban areas with houses and roads. The following article provides explanations:
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/230238-high-tech-lidar-helps-uncover-secrets-angkor-wat-has-hidden-for-centuries

 

"It has long been the accepted wisdom that the magnificent temples at Angkor in Cambodia — with Angkor Wat the most famous — were only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of what was once the Khmer Kingdom. 

A survey of 370 square kilometers undertaken in 2012 helped settle once and for all the debate over whether the Khmer civilization was a disconnected set of small cities and towns or one massive-and-interconnected urban sprawl — one that relied on an extremely-large set of irrigation projects for its high crop yields."

 

Here are more details of the Lidar system.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/archaeology/lasers-lidar-driving-revolution-archaeology/

There's a very good 2 part BBC documentary called 'Jungle Atlantis' you can get on Amazon prime. The 3d modelling is excellent and the explanation of the incredibly rapid decline of the area is well done. The canals were just too straight...

12 hours ago, geovalin said:

Cambodia won because of the ancient temples, food and culture.

The food ? Really ?

13 hours ago, VincentRJ said:

The ancient Khmer civilization was amazing. Most tourists just visit Angkor Wat, and maybe the Bayon and Ta Prohm, but there are dozens of old ruins to visit. The Khmer civilization, at its height, was the most powerful and well-organized empire in South East Asia. Its temple constructions, during the Middle Ages and earlier, far surpassed anything constructed in Europe at that time. Sailors on Chinese ships, visiting the area during those times found the lifestyle so alluring that they would often abandon their ship and stay permanently in the Khmer Kingdom; perhaps because of the lure of the Apsaras who are so frequently depicted on stone carvings or 'bas-reliefs'. ????

 

As tourists, we currently see even less than the 'tip of the iceberg'. However, recent technology called 'Lidar' is able to reveal more accurate details of what's below the surface. The temples were surrounded by well-organized urban areas with houses and roads. The following article provides explanations:
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/230238-high-tech-lidar-helps-uncover-secrets-angkor-wat-has-hidden-for-centuries

 

"It has long been the accepted wisdom that the magnificent temples at Angkor in Cambodia — with Angkor Wat the most famous — were only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of what was once the Khmer Kingdom. 

A survey of 370 square kilometers undertaken in 2012 helped settle once and for all the debate over whether the Khmer civilization was a disconnected set of small cities and towns or one massive-and-interconnected urban sprawl — one that relied on an extremely-large set of irrigation projects for its high crop yields."

 

Here are more details of the Lidar system.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/archaeology/lasers-lidar-driving-revolution-archaeology/

Beautiful and spellbinding, no doubt, but let's not go overboard. Want to talk culture and architecture, look to the Greeks and Romans. Don't think one can be so dismissive of the great European architecture, much of which still stands and is incredibly detailed. Even my small home town has a giant, thousand-plus year old cathedral (way older than Angkor), straight as a die and dwarfs anything for miles around. Such a thing today would a billion dollars and then some. Thing with Angkor, Pyramids, Machu Picchu, et al; you have the time and labour, anything is possible.

 

Cambodia in general, great place to visit. Best in the world? Probably not (at least until basic infrastructure and safety issues are sorted) but depends on who the article is aimed at. Main issue with these sorts of articles is it tends to be detrimental to what it is meant to serve. Such a thing did no favours for Chiang Mai.

Comparing South East Asia with Europe in Middle Age time is a NO contest, most monuments in Europe

are still standing, can be visited inside and some are still used as habitation. There are arenas that are

still in use, now, that beats the Middle Age time, any time!

9 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Beautiful and spellbinding, no doubt, but let's not go overboard. Want to talk culture and architecture, look to the Greeks and Romans. Don't think one can be so dismissive of the great European architecture, much of which still stands and is incredibly detailed. Even my small home town has a giant, thousand-plus year old cathedral (way older than Angkor), straight as a die and dwarfs anything for miles around.

I'm not being dismissive of great European architecture. Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture is amazing, and is much older than the Khmer temples. The Khmer Kingdom extended from around the 8th to the 14th century AD. Angkor Wat was the last major temple, built in the 12th century. It's possibly the largest religious monument in the world, taking into consideration the whole area within the surrounding moat, and the amazing amount of carvings on the stone walls.

 

As I mentioned before, as tourists we see only a small tip of the iceberg because so much of that ancient civilization is still hidden under the forest floor, and so much still consists of unrestored blocks of stone with carvings, still lying on the ground. Angkor Wat has probably received the most renovation and restoration, yet, if you walk around the outskirts of the temple, close to the moat, you will still see numerous, unrestored blocks of stone with carvings, still lying on the ground. Other less famous temples have even more blocks lying around.

 

If the money were available to excavate all the temples and structures so far detected, and restore them all, this ancient Khmer civilization would, without doubt, be the most attractive and amazing archaeological site in the world.

 

When I last visited Siem Reap in 2019, I searched for a new place I hadn't seen before. I found a place called 'Kbal Spean' located in the Kulen Mountains. It's about 24 KM north of Angkor Wat and involves a interesting uphill walk through the rain forest before you see the few, but interesting carvings. The area was occupied by Hindu hermits around 11 hundred years ago. The following Wikipedia link provides more information.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kbal_Spean

 

When I visited the site, I came across more Cambodians than foreigners. I took a few photos, and one scene which impressed me was of a lovely lady lying on the ground as though asleep. See attached photo.
Oops! After reading the Wiki article, I see this is not a lady, but Lord Brahma. ????

 

The other two photos are of Lord Vishnu lying on a serpent God called Ananta. At his feet is Goddess Lakshmi, with defaced head, and to the far right is Lord Brahma sitting on Lotus petals.

 

I enjoyed the trek, but unfortunately is was a rather dry period and the spectacular waterfall was just a dribble. 

"world’s best destination for tourists"   and one of the worst to be a poor landless citizen.

13 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

I'm not being dismissive of great European architecture. Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture is amazing, and is much older than the Khmer temples. The Khmer Kingdom extended from around the 8th to the 14th century AD. Angkor Wat was the last major temple, built in the 12th century. It's possibly the largest religious monument in the world, taking into consideration the whole area within the surrounding moat, and the amazing amount of carvings on the stone walls.

 

As I mentioned before, as tourists we see only a small tip of the iceberg because so much of that ancient civilization is still hidden under the forest floor, and so much still consists of unrestored blocks of stone with carvings, still lying on the ground. Angkor Wat has probably received the most renovation and restoration, yet, if you walk around the outskirts of the temple, close to the moat, you will still see numerous, unrestored blocks of stone with carvings, still lying on the ground. Other less famous temples have even more blocks lying around.

 

If the money were available to excavate all the temples and structures so far detected, and restore them all, this ancient Khmer civilization would, without doubt, be the most attractive and amazing archaeological site in the world.

 

When I last visited Siem Reap in 2019, I searched for a new place I hadn't seen before. I found a place called 'Kbal Spean' located in the Kulen Mountains. It's about 24 KM north of Angkor Wat and involves a interesting uphill walk through the rain forest before you see the few, but interesting carvings. The area was occupied by Hindu hermits around 11 hundred years ago. The following Wikipedia link provides more information.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kbal_Spean

 

When I visited the site, I came across more Cambodians than foreigners. I took a few photos, and one scene which impressed me was of a lovely lady lying on the ground as though asleep. See attached photo.
Oops! After reading the Wiki article, I see this is not a lady, but Lord Brahma. ????

 

The other two photos are of Lord Vishnu lying on a serpent God called Ananta. At his feet is Goddess Lakshmi, with defaced head, and to the far right is Lord Brahma sitting on Lotus petals.

 

I enjoyed the trek, but unfortunately is was a rather dry period and the spectacular waterfall was just a dribble. 

And also those Cambodian gals dance up a storm, just check out Tik Tok or Bek Sloy on Youtube.

 

 

The Cambodians are sooooo friendly. My Thai wife said that Cambodia is the real land of smile. 

Also its' the real land of dance. A Khmer gal will have more feeling in her sway than any other woman ever could. It's mesmerizing...

 

Those graceful hand and arm movements, that perfect sway of the hips...

 

Feminine grace, thy name is Cambodia...