TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

The Angkor Archeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also one of the most important archaeological site not just in Cambodia but also probably in the South-East Asia region. The park covers an area that extended for hundreds of square kilometres and include major sites such as the Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom ancient temple complexes. Other notable sites include Banteay Srei, Beung Mealea, Srah Srang, Preah Khan and Preah Lup. I had been fortunate to get to visit the Angkor Archeological Park twice. During these visits, I got to view many of the artefacts and wall sculptures up close, taking digital photographs with both my DSLR and mobile phones. Video clips taken wit my digital devices during the second trip not just recorded what I saw and experienced but also hopefully, document the ingenuity of the ancient Khmer people who built these sites. Here, I had compiled a short 4-minute plus video of my second trip. The video is made up of a combination of video clips an...

This is a review of my experiences when I flew on Business Class (i.e. 'J' Class) onboard Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ163 from Siem Reap International Airport to Singapore's Changi International Airport in May 2022. I had just a week ago, flew the outbound sector on SQ164 from Singapore to Siem Reap. The flight tickets were redeemed using my frequent flyer miles accumulated through retail purchases during the pandemic-induced stay-at-home period between March 2020 and April 2022. Selfie of myself sitting at the Departure Gate waiting to board SQ163 from REP to SIN, Krong Siem Reap International Airport, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2022) Check-in Check-in at the SIA Business Class counter at the Siem Reap International Airport was a breeze. During the check-in process, I noticed that passengers in Economy Class were processed just as quickly. Probably because the flight was not full and most leisure travellers were still hesitant to travel because of COVID. As usual, the coun...

In many places of great historical and cultural significances around the world, wall sculptures left by generations before us convey messages of events past. Such messages are recorded versions of history of the places where they are found.  I have always been fascinated by how our ancient ancestors were able to faithfully convey events that would otherwise require many pages of descriptive words, through a series of wall sculptures. The creative ingenuities, stone masonry skills and storytelling talents of our ancient forebears were translated into these beautiful and amazing wall sculptures that allow us of later generations, to learn and study the civilisations that preceded us. Are these wall sculptures from the past simply just art? Or recorded history? To me, they are both and more. In my previous visits to Cambodia's renown Angkor Wat in 2015 and 2022, I spent time studying the many wall sculptures that still remained in this ancient site. The experience has made me more awa...

Cambodia, Siem Reap, Solitude at Angkor Archeological Park This article was previously published in this blog in May 2022. Written as an article in my series of Post-Trip Recollections Series, this trip was for me in every way a bucket list travel item in a very unique way. Why? Because it was my first time taking an airplane in almost 3 years. Mid-2022 was the period when worldwide travel restrictions imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic was slowly being lifted. I also wanted to use this chance to re-visit the Angkor  Archeological  Park. Usually crowded with tourists pre-pandemic, I thought then that it was my chance to re-visit Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, without the crowds. Having more time to study the historical archeological artefacts at my own leisure would be an amazing experience.  And I was right. Compared with my previous visit to these same sites, this visit allowed me much time to slowly walked through the site...

  "Your life's  journey is a collection of the trips in your lifetime ." -  Anonymous  Angkor Thom Complex, Angkor National Park, Cambodia (2022)

When I traveled to Siem Reap in May 2022 to visit the famous archeological and historical sites at the Angkor National Park, I found the place fairly deserted of international tourists. This was in start contrasts to my first trip there in 2015 where the whole area were basically swarming with lots of visitors, most of whom had travelled there internationally. Seizing upon this rare opportunity, I had a great time photographing the temples at the sites, including closeups photographs of the many intricate and stunning wall carvings, paintings and sculptures that had stood for centuries. For me, one of the most impressive sites at the Angkor National Park is the Baphuon Temple. Built sometime in the 11th century by Suryavarman I, Baphuon was originally dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. If one exits the temple at its west side and goes further back, an impressive sculpture of a reclining Buddha measuring approximately 9 metres by 70 metres can be seen. According to historians, this recli...

    Alight from the train am I, Into a land of bygones past, Walk the streets alone am I, Into eras of glories past. Marvels fill my brain, Flights of fantasies within, Thoughts flow like trains, Imaginations like fountains spring.  This, my journey begins, Air of excitement reigns, That, my adventure ends, A road well worth the time. - Journeys , an original poem by Timothy Tan, tankstraveltales On my second trip to Angkor Wat, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia (2022)

Holiday accommodations with personal spaces to relax in.......  Living in an apartment in a city, I am literally walled in. Yes, there are small pockets of greeneries within walking distance of my apartment, but I always believe it is good to live in a place with its own patch of open space, no matter how small. Where a small garden is not possible, at least a balcony where I can sit and enjoy the fresh air with a cup of coffee after a long day at the office. While I can't change much of my permanent living environment due to the high cost of real estate where I live, at least I have the luxury to choose my holiday accommodations when it comes to those few days of vacation escapades. When I travel, I thus tend to choose accommodations where the rooms come with a balcony accompanied by nice views or those rooms with a patio overlooking lush greeneries. When I am not out and about sight-seeing or shopping, a cup of coffee, some snacks and a good book will always accompany me on a nic...

In only my second visit to Siem Reap in May 2022, I had the chance to go around town sampling local food.  It was a delightful experience as I dined at small eateries and cafes alongside locals, ate what the locals ate and of course, saved a lot of money compared to if I were to dine out at expensive and touristy establishments. For me, part of the travel experience is to sample local food. Whenever the chance present itself, it is local food that I will choose, wherever in the world I visited.  Sampling local food is one of the joys of travelling, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2022) 

Travel takes flight......  After close to two and a half years literally marooned in my home city, I finally started to travel again.  In the space of three weeks, I had travelled to Malaysia and Cambodia. My trip to Cambodia's Siem Reap was my first flight in 30 long months.  My trip to Malaysia was an enjoyable one, connecting with relatives and friends. We drove north, crossing the land border between Singapore and Malaysia's southern state of Johor before continuing northwards passed the other Malaysian states of Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor and finally reaching the state of Perak and the city of Ipoh. A total driving distance of about 550 km. During my short one-week stay in Ipoh, I visited most of my favourite eating places, indulging myself and enjoying the culinary delights of Ipoh. Together with relatives and friends, we did a short 2-day, 1-night stay in Cameron Highlands, located on the border of the states of Perak and Pahang. At an elevation of betwe...

And so I just returned home yesterday from a trip to Siem Reap. This trip was my first flight in 30 months and second overseas trip in just as many months. The 30-month travel hiatus was because of international border restrictions that began in March 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. During the trip, I visited Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. This being my second visit to Siem Reap, I limited my archeological sites' visits to just these 2 places, spending more time to study and appreciate the splendour of both sites. In-between, I also had time during the trip to walk around the city of Siem Reap to explore the many back lanes during which I discovered many beautiful and quaint cafes where delicious food and aromatic coffees were served by friendly staff. Indulging in my serendipitous walking tours without maps and fixed plans allowed me to enjoy whatever that came by way. Photo collage of my trip, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2022) Photo collage of one of my cafe stops, Siem Reap, Cambodia ...

As an archeological museum for the collection and preservation of Angkorian artefacts, the Angkor National Museum has a relatively large collection of materials focusing on the art and culture of Khmer civilisation, including artefacts dating as far back as the 9th century.  If you are visiting Angkor Wat and its neighbouring temple complexes for the first time and wish to know more about Khmer history and culture before physically visiting the temple sites, I would definitely recommend spending at least half a day at this museum. Located conveniently in downtown Siem Reap, this museum is easily accessible. A small entrance fee is required.  The address of the museum is: 968 Vithei, Charles de Gaulle, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia  Khmer Art, Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Khmer Art, Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Khmer Art, Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Khmer Art, Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015)

Nothing is more magnificent than the sight of historical monuments which are testament to past civilisations. These monuments are living evidence of the history, culture, arts, science, knowledge, politics, religion and more of people who, collectively with other civilisations across the world and across the ages, form the basis of humankind and its evolutionary history.  Located near Siem Reap in north-eastern Cambodia, historical Angkor Wat is the largest religious temple complex in the world based on land area. Built in the early 12th century, Angkor was originally constructed as a dedication to the Hindu god, Vishnu. Towards the later part of that century, the temple complex was converted to a  Buddhist temple.  In 1992, the Angkor Archeological Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 16th Session of the UNECSO World Heritage Committee. Angkor Archeological Park includes Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.  Angkor Wat Temple Complex, Angkor Wat, Angkor ...

Cambodia, Siem Reap, Tonl é  Sap This was a previous post in this travelogue. It is a chronology of photos based on a first person view of what I saw when sailing on the famed Tonl é  Sap lake. This was from my trip to Siem Reap in Oct 2015. ****************** The Tonl é  Sap is a huge freshwater lake that connects to the Mekong River via the Tonl é  Sap River. The Tonl é  Sap is unique in that its size varies widely throughout the year as the rainy and dry seasons come and go. The lake is at its largest size typically during the months of September and October due to the southwest monsoon. Conversely, it is generally at its smallest size at the end of the dry season in the month of April. The difference in the lake's size between these two extremes can be as much as six times. Photograph of the lake as my boat makes it way upriver,  Tonl é  Sap, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Life on the lake,  Tonl é  Sap, Siem Reap, Cambodia (20...