Angkor Thom , Cambodia

     It is hard to imagine any building bigger or more beautiful than Angkor Wat, but in Angkor Thom the sum of the parts add up to a greater whole. Aptly named, the fortified city of Angkor Thom is indeed a ‘Great City’ on an epic scale. The last great capital of the Khmer empire, and set over 10 sq km, Angkor Thom took monumental to a whole new level. It was built in part as a reaction to the surprise sacking of Angkor by the Chams, after Jayavarman VII (r 1181–1219) decided that his empire would never again be vulnerable at home. Beyond the formidable walls is a massive moat that would have stopped all but the hardiest invaders in their tracks. At the city’s height, it may have supported a population of one million people in the surrounding region. Centred on Bayon, the mesmerising, if mind-bending, state temple, Angkor Thom is enclosed by a jayagiri (square wall) 8m high and 12km in length and encircled by a 100m-wide jayasindhu (moat). This architectural layout is yet another expression of Mt Meru surrounded by the oceans.

     It is the gates that grab you first, flanked by a vast representation of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, 54 demons and 54 gods engaged in an epic tug of war on the causeway. Each gate towers above the visitor, the magnanimous faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara staring out over the kingdom. Imagine being a peasant in the 13th century approaching the forbidding capital for the first time? It would have been an awe-inspiring yet unsettling experience to enter such a gateway and come face to face with the divine power of the god-kings.

     The south gate is most popular with visitors, as it has been fully restored and many of the heads (mostly copies) remain in place. The gate is on the main road into Angkor Thom from Angkor Wat, and it gets very busy. More peaceful are the east and west gates, found at the end of dirt trails. The east gate was used as a location in Tomb Raider, where the bad guys broke into the ‘tomb’ by pulling down a giant (polystyrene!) apsara. The causeway at the west gate of Angkor Thom has completely collapsed, leaving a jumble of ancient stones sticking out of the soil, like victims of a terrible historical pile-up.

     In the centre of the walled enclosure are the city’s most important monuments, including Bayon, Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of Elephants. With all these temples and sites to cover, visitors should set aside a half day to explore Angkor Thom in depth.

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Prek Toal , Cambodia

     Prek Toal Ecotourism Site was established in 1999 under support from a NGO called Osmose. Prek Toal is a floating village with a bird sanctuary. Visitors can go on guided trips by trained SVC (Sam Veasna Center) bird guides and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) rangers to watch birds and learn about them. In addition to that, paddle boat tours through the floating village are being offered to see crocodile and fish rising farms and many more interesting things. There is also the special opportunity to stay overnight in the Environmental Research Station.

Prek Toal, Battambang is a protected eco-system regarded as the single most important breeding ground for globally threatened large waterbirds in South East Asia, and is located at the confluence of the Tonle Sap lake and the Sangker River, about halfway along the boat trip between Siem Reap and Battambang. The site is an ornithologists dream as every year from January to June, as the lake’s water level recedes, flocks of migratory storks, adjutants, pelicans, ibises, cormorants, and more come to nest in the surrounding flooded forest. Over 120 species of water and forest birds have been recorded, among which are 15 endangered species such as the greater adjutant and the masked finfoot. However, there is more to the experience than just bird watching, the floating village of Prek Toal has set up a community tourism project. Here you can learn about the lives of the people who lead an entirely aquatic existence.

Several hundred families live on the water in houseboats or houses built on bamboo rafts. Homes are served by floating shops, floating barbers, floating petrol stations, in fact all the amenities of any village on land, yet floating. The only buildings on stilts (more than 10m high) are the pagoda, the spirit house, and the school. In the past a threat to the area was large scale egg and chick collection by villages, however since the introduction of the community tourism project and the realisation that economically the birds are worth more alive this has stopped and 7 bird species have been saved from extinction.

Villagers are now employed as rangers, project staff, boatmen, and guides, homestays are also offered. Aside from tourism the economy of the village relies mainly on fish and you can witness prahoc (fermented fish paste) and tuk trey (fish sauce) processing, as well as fish being dried and smoked. Other activities include floating vegetable gardens, water hyacinth handicraft, and crocodile farming! Visiting Prek Toal is a truly wonderful personal experience, yet it is also a socially responsible experience as and you will be contributing to the protection of the waterbird colonies and the well-being of the local communities.

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Yeak Laom , Cambodia

     Yeak Laom Lake is located about 5 kilometers southeast of central Banlung. This beautiful lake is a crater formed after a volcanic eruption over 4000 years ago; the diameter of this lake is about 800 meters and it bears about 50 meters of clear water.

At one end, there are two wooden platforms for tourists to view the lake up close, but some people cannot resist a dip to feel the warmth of the water for themselves.

A path surrounds the lake, providing a leisurely track for trekking. A walk around the lake takes around forty minutes. Midway along the track, at the western end of the lake, there is a small visitor center which exhibits and sells local handicrafts such as musical instruments, crossbows, baskets, scarves and handbags made from hand-woven cloth.

Wild pigs and rare birds including eagles can be seen around the lake and tourists may also spot rarely seen large brightly colored butterflies; some with wing spans of up to 20 centimeters.

The Cambodian term ‘ Yeak Laom ’, translated into English means ‘giants’ and ‘surroundings’. Thus, the legend of the lake, often recited by local raconteurs, goes as follows:

In ancient time, there was a very powerful giant king who had the most attractive daughter. Both her hair and body emitted a fragrant aroma so the giant king named her ‘Neang Sak Kra Oob’ which means ‘fragrant hair girl’. When she grew up, a strong, handsome man came to woo her. Their love for each other soon grew up strong but this lovely couple was afraid that the giant king would eventually discover their secret love so they both decided to flee into the deep forest.

Soon after, the giant king learned of his daughter’s situation and he was both deeply shocked and distresses. First he expressed pity for his daughter. Then he assembled a battalion of troops to search for his beloved daughter. His entire kingdom and the jungle were checked by his gigantic army of soldiers but they could find no sign of her even as they finally reached the thick forest where a pond is located today.

The giant king suspected that his daughter might be in the forest so he deployed his massive forces to secure the perimeter of the forest. Suddenly, he ordered all his troops to pull out of the forest and dig there surrounding ground very deeply to find his precious daughter. They all dug with vigor but the soldiers eventually became exhausted and their efforts were to no avail. Finally, the giant king reluctantly ordered all his troops to return to his kingdom.

The giant hold dug by the giant king’s troops, including the uprooting of trees, in an unsuccessful effort to find the King’s daughter, has left this deep pond in the Ratanak Kiri area. That is why the local people call this site “Yeak Laom Pond”.

But there is a slightly different version from that previously mentioned. This version declares that there was a giant commander who had tried to arrest the giant king’s daughter and separate her from her lover. When the troops of the commander surrounded the mountain where they were hiding, this lovely couple thought that there was no way to escape.

Because their true love, both of them decided to wish to disappear into the ground. They both started to pray to the spiritual power, Preah Eisey, and to all of the gods, ‘with your respectful magical powers protecting this area in perpetuity, please, we will sacrifice our live by making the sink down ’. Suddenly, the mountain area quickly sunk into the ground including the giant king’s daughter and her lover. This is why this plateau top has become a deep pond and is the reason the local people call this pond ‘Yeak Laom’.

Another ancient folktale claims that the story of the origin of this ‘Yeak Loam’ name is completely different and likely more believable. The recalls that ‘Yeak’ in the language of the ancient minority living there meant the ‘owner or the chief of the villagers’. The word ‘Loam’ was the name of the person who was a former chief of that area. So, there for the words ‘Yeak Laom’ is a respectful reminder of the sacred and spiritual nature of their ancient leader that used to rule the local minority people in happiness and harmony a long time ago.

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Bou Sra Waterfall , Cambodia

     The dramatic 3-stage falls create a natural and relatively safe swimming pool, which is popular with both locals and visitors alike during the warmer months. Beautiful nature photography is a possibility here, as is just hanging out and enjoying lunch in a relatively pristine and quiet piece of natural Cambodia.

A planned tourist development here never really took off to Bou Sra Falls remote location, although there are non-pushy vendors selling snacks and souvenirs if you're in the mood for refreshment. It's a good idea to hire an English speaking driver/guide to explain what you're looking at and provide interesting background information.

Only relatively skilled bikers should attempt this twisting and gravelly road by themselves, and exercise extra caution in the muddy season.

In the opposite direction of Bou Sra, there are several smaller, closer waterfalls that are near Phunong villages and are pleasant places to take a self-driven moto and hike around. To reach them, drive down the main road in town that goes by the market and head straight out of town. Follow the turn to the left 7 km and you'll reach the small Sen Monorom falls that nonetheless offers great cliff jumping.

Further down the main road, on the second left turn another 17 km is Kbal Preah Waterfall. It's larger and right next to Domrai Choan village. Trips to these falls can be arranged via most any tour guide company in town.

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Fountain of Wealth – Suntec City , Singapore

The Fountain of Wealth is recognized since 1998 by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the largest fountain in the world. It is located in the hub of one of Singapore’s largest shopping malls, the Suntec City.
The fountain is made of silicon bronze, and consists of a circular ring with a circumference of 66 meters supported by four legs. It occupies an area of 1,683 square meters, with a height of 13.8m. The base of the fountain is located underground, on the level of the main basement restaurant area of Suntec City. The circular ring top of the fountain is visible at ground level.

The Fountain of Wealth, and in fact Suntec City as a whole, was constructed in accordance to feng shui principles. Surrounding it are five office blocks representing the fingers and thumb of a left hand emerging from the ground, and the Fountain of Wealth symbolizes the ring in the palm of the hand, guaranteeing the retention of wealth. In Chinese culture, water symbolizes wealth and life and the inward movement of water signifies the preservation of wealth for Suntec City.
During certain periods of the day, the main fountain is turned off, so visitors are able to walk around a mini fountain at the center of the fountain’s base for good luck. At night, the fountain is the setting for laser performances, as well as “live” song and laser message dedications.



source from:  worldtoptop

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Merlion Park – Places , Singapore

The Merlion Park located in the city-state of Singapore is a beautiful park installed with the unique Merlion structure. This statue of a creature that is half-mermaid (or fish) and half-lion attracts a number of tourists and has become a landmark of Singapore. With the head of a lion and fish-like body, the fountain-statue appeals to the onlookers. It looks amazing especially in the glowing lights turned on at night.
This statue was originally located at the Merlion Park along the Esplanade Bridge. The then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew got the installation of the statue done ceremoniously on 15 September, 1972. Now this statue has been shifted to a new place, which is near the One Fullerton Hotel.

The lion head represents the lion that was spotted by Sang Nila Utama, a Srivijayan prince. The Malay Annals records the incident took place when the prince had re-discovered Singapura in 11AD. The fish tail of the Merlion represent the ancient city of Temasek which means sea in the Javanese language. It symbolizes the fact that Singapore was initially a humble fishing village even though now it has turned out to be one of the most popular tourist spots in the world.
The Merlion Statue was built by the late craftsmen Mr. Lim Nang Seng from cement fondue. Mr. Lim built another smaller version of the Merlion measuring 2 metres in height and weighing 3 tones. The body of this statue was made of cement while the skin was made of porcelain plates and the eyes comprised small red teacups.
One can enjoy the beautiful views of Singapore’s colonial district when strolling in Merlion Park. There is a souvenir shop within its precincts that sells Merlion T-shirts as well as other gift items.



 source from: mapsofworld

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Marina Barrage , Singapore

The Marina Barrage is a dam located across the 350-metre wide Marina Channel built to create Singapore’s first freshwater urban reservoir. It now acts as a water source, flood control and a new lifestyle attraction. The view of downtown Singapore from the bridge holding the dam offers a great photo opportunity.
As the water in the Marina Basin is unaffected by the tides, the water level is kept constant, making it ideal for all kinds of recreational activities such as boating, windsurfing, kayaking, dragon boating etc.

One of its highlights is the Green Roof at the Marina Barrage Visitor Centre, which is about the size of four football fields. The landscape roof not only provides cover over the structures below, but also provides public access as an open recreational park. From there you can enjoy a panoramic view of Singapore’s city skyline and open sea. Inside the Visitor center, the galleries are beautiful to look at and informative as well.
Another attraction is the colorful fountains that pump water from the ground. There is plenty of space in the water area, so is possible to run trough the fountains and even have a cool splashing time.



source from: worldtoptop

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