Prochain Sommet de la Francophonie : Cambodge. 22 000 apprenants de français sur 17 millions d'habitants.
"C'est comme organiser le Tour de France à Oulan-Bator parce qu'il y a un vélo dans le musée national." — Huby
La satire complète : https://www.lestronchesdecake.fr/sommet-de-la-francophonie-macron/?src=masto2
#Francophonie2026 #Cambodge #Angkor #LTC

Bayon temple in #Angkor, #Cambodia, with enormous face sculptures

An early morning bike to West Baray, with a visit to the very early khmer temple Ak Yum.

Prasat Ak Yum, Khmer: អកយំ, is a very ancient temple in the larger Angkor Archeological area. It is situated on the south bank of West Baray. Parts of the temple area are covered by and probably got partly destroyed by the building of the giant water reservoir.

From the southwest dike of West Baray, visitors look down on this pre-khmer empire temple.

The temple is considered the oldest surviving temple mountain in Southeast Asia. Its base is 100 meter square, and the the three floors are appx 7 meter tall. A truly unique feature is a well from the top of the temple leading to an underground cellar 12.25 meter below the top. This cellar is 2,6 meter square and 2,7 meter tall. This type of temple cellar cave is not found in later temples built the next 550+ years of the Khmer Empire.

The first inscriptions found on the site points at a date corresponding with 674 CE, and the Ak Yum was probably completed before the Khmer Empire was declared at the holy Koulen Mountain in 802 CE. The temple was in active use into the 11th century. But it was partly buried in the late 11th century by the West Baray construction.

There are some speculations that Ak Yum was part of the last capital city before the Khmer Empire was established, the lost city of Banteau Choeu. This city was part of the transition from the Chenla Kingdom originally centered around Sambo Prey Kouk near Kampong Thom today.

https://drzinasia.wordpress.com/2024/03/15/the-pre-khmer-unique-mountain-temple-ak-yum/

#Angkor #ancient #art #architecture #sculpture #archive #worldculturalheritage #hinduism #khmer #empire #buddhism #visitcambodia #visitsiemreap #greentourism #biking #takeonlyphotos #leaveonlyfootprints
🎶🎶 #bikingintheangkorwonderland 🎶🎶

Morning gold

That time biking into a warm sunrise, leaving the morning chill of the forest in Angkor Park behind.

The bike/walking tracks in Angkor Park gives a great opportunity to get to see a more undisturbed part of the cultural landscape. With fauna and flora really worth enjoying and exploring.

Biking in the morning has the added benefit of less heat and less crowds.

Seeing the great architecture, and nature, from angels not so often shared on Internet makes these rides special.

The tracks are best explored using a mountain bike, being challenging enough in curvature, elevation and structure to make it really fun with a proper bike.

There are guided trips and group biking tours offered for visitors who want to share the experience. And save some time avoiding the truly demanding tracks or dead ends.


#eastmebon #angkor #siemreap #angkortemples #angkorpark #worldculturalheritage #nature #forest #bike #sunrise 🎶🎶#bikingintheangkorwonderland 🎶🎶 #archive #visitsiemreap #cambodia #kingdomofwonder #prasat #pre #rup #prerub #srahsrang #grandcircle #visitcambodia

Morning landscape between Angkor Thom and Phnom Bakheng

Access to bike tracks and easy rentals of sturdy, modern mountain bikes is another quality and healthy option to explore Angkor.

Early trips often gives the most exciting options regarding light and colours. And of course not too crowded sites.

An added experience is to see and meet how locals live and make use of the cultural landscape bordering the archaeological marvels of the Angkor Park.

As always, travel with care and respect our common cultural world heritage. And the privacy and dignity of the locals.


#phnombakhenghill #phnombakheng #angkor #angkorpark #angkorwat #angkorthom #apsara #worldculturalheritage #AOTBT #countryside #buddhism #khmer #bikingintheAngkorWonderland #sightseeing #siemreap, #Cambodia #southeastasia

A day at the aqua fish farm ponds

Inland aquafarms is one of the newer entrepreneurial efforts to use the land and water resources in Cambodia. The goal is to extend access to aqua based protein and quality farmed fish.

Classic Khmer food resource
Fish and seafood are the main sources of animal protein in classic Khmer cuisine. Access to an everlasting supply of fish, crayfish and shellfish was traditionally coming from the large waterways. The Mekong river complex, the Tonlé Sap and Tonlé Sap river and the coastal regions.

Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. And among the richest and biological most diverse sources for water based protein and other food produce in the world.

A source for an empire
With regional pressure and increasingly utilisation of these resources, modern technology like aquafarming is a way of keeping the flow of traditional food and nutrients at an acceptable level.

The nutritional benefits of eating a lot of fish and crayfish/shellfish is well known for health and human development. And there should be no surprises in an empire fed by healthy food, should be able to build art and architecture for the ages. Leaving a unique world cultural heritage for us all.

In addition to rich flavours and quality of produce, there are several good healthy reasons to enjoy Cambodian food. And drinks.


#2018CE #ancient #angkor #aqua #aquafarm #architecture #art #ទន្លេសាប#biking #bluesky #buddhism #Cambodia #citylife #countryside #dinner #fish #fishing #aquafood #food #khmerfood #drinks #khmerdrinks #greentourism #healthyfood #hinduism #khmer #kingdomofwonder #ក្រុងសៀមរាប #ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រ#កម្ពុជា #lake #tonlesap #Mekongriver #Mekong #people #roadtrip #seafood #SiemReap #siemreab #siemreap #TônléSab #TonléSap #TonleSap #usaid #village #villagelife #visitcambodia #visitsiemreap

Girl with the red ruby ring

Beng Mealea is one of the temples that take some time to visit. It is an hours drive outside Siem Reap city on the way to Kulen Mountain.

The Lotus Pond Temple, Prasat Beng Mealea, was build around the same time as Angkor Wat, but nearly seventy kilometres away. It is near the sacred Kulen Mountain. It is a large temple, and the last few years it has been heavily renovated. The accessibility both to the temple itself and inside it has been upgraded as well.

Refreshing green season
We where a group of visitors seeking shelter for a sudden downpour. Visiting Cambodia in green season means some short downpours morning or afternoon. And this was morning mid-September.

A small bridge-like shelter over a small river leading into a small lake was suddenly filled up. By visitors in different levels of soaked. And their guides. And some locals from the stalls selling food and drinks nearby.

We were all under visual scrutiny by this local girl.

Whether it was the general appearance of slightly soaked foreigners, or the typical curiosity Khmer children often have, is a mystery. But she did a perfect pose for a portrait.

Potential World Heritage
The Lotus Pond Temple was added to the list of tentative World Heritage Sites in 2020.

To visit Beng Mealea you need a separate ticket if you do not have the Angkor main pass. A daytrip here will often include a visit to Phnom Kulen, the river, waterfall and the Reclining Buddha, and highly recommended the beautiful temple Banteay Srei.

And meeting some nice locals.


#angkor #art #bengmealea #Buddhism #Cambodia #citylife #countryside #daytrip #girl #redruby #goldring #siemreap #2011ce #temple #worldheritage #ankorwat #khmergirl #nikon #greenseason #tourism #hinduism #history #khmer #child #Kulen #Mountain #KulenMountain #Lychee #LycheeMountain #Nikon #PhnomKulen #portrait #rain #shelter #jewellery #Siem #Reab #Reap #visitsiemreap #southeastasia #visitcambodia #worldculturalheritage