A group of young monks, their robes a luminous orange, cross the causeway. A stone’s throw away, paddy fields and golden temple roofs of Angkor shimmer in the morning sun. Monkeys swing from the trees and elephants stand in the shade nearby, waiting for passengers.
This is the trip of a lifetime. It will leave you with a new sense of wonder — and some great stories to share. Expert traveler Tom Vater tells you everything youneed to know to make this trip possible in Moon Angkor Wat: Including Siem Reap & Phnom Penh:
• How to get there, how long it will take, and where to stop along the way — including information on the cities of Siem Riep, Battambang, and Phnom Penh as well as excursions to remote temples
• How to choose the best means of transportation, whether you’re traveling by tuk-tuk, taxi, motorbike, or bicycle
• Background on authentic cultural experiences, from street food feasts to New Year’s celebrations — and where to find them
• Day-by-day itinerary suggestions
About Tom Vater
Tom Vater first visited Cambodia in 2001 to document the indigenous minorities in Mondulkiri for the British Library's International Sound Archive, and instantly fell in love with the country. A year later, Tom co-wrote and production-managed a documentary on Angkor for German-French television, which gave him the opportunity to spend several weeks among the country's temples. Since then, he has returned to Cambodia several times each year to cover its politics and culture for various publications. On his journeys around the country, he has encountered kings, pilgrims, soldiers, secret agents, pirates, hippies, policemen, and prophets. Every one of them put up with him for longer than he deserved.
Tom has been writing and traveling in Southeast Asia since 1993. He is the author of numerous books, and has co-written several documentary screenplays for European television. He is a regular contributor to the South Eastern Globe, one of Cambodia's English-language magazines. His feature articles, mostly on Asian subjects and destinations, have appeared around the world in publications such as The Asia Wall Street Journal, The South China Morning Post, The Far Eastern Economic Review, and Marie Claire.
Tom often works with his wife, photographer Aroon Thaewchatturat, with whom he shares a home in Bangkok and has published three photo books on South Asia. Visit his website at www.tomvater.com.
