I can’t walk that journey for you, but I can at least point you in the right direction. When looking for a place to settle down in Thailand’s cultural center, foreigners usually want a handful of the similar things.

And so there are four areas I recommend you focus your attentions.

1. Chiang Mai Center

The first and most obvious is Chiang Mai Center, where all the tourist venues are located.

Now, this wouldn’t’ be the first choice for me, but some travelers thrive on the non-stop party and constant influx of travelers. You will make friends and make them fast, and rather than going through the occasional alienation of living among a totally foreign culture, you’ll likely feel like you belong with the people you meet almost immediately.

Not to mention that when living in a place like the center of Chiang Mai, you’re never going to have to go far to find merchants that understand your “farang” ways and speak decent English—which eliminates a lot of the headache of living completely embedded in Thai culture, which is, of course, never too far away when you want it.

To add to this, Chiang Mai Center is full of great bars and restaurants to suit any foreigner’s taste (no matter how more or less distasteful those tastes are). You’ve got a quick walk to the Night Market. Tuk tuks can shoot you over to either mall quickly, and there are even a couple gyms in the area.

Just realize you are going to spend more on just about anything when you live in the Center—not just apartments but food and transportation as well. This is true in any downtown-type area but even truer when you live in a place full of people trying to trick naïve foreigners all the time.

Learning some Thai will go a long ways to deter people from cheating you.

2. Near Airport Plaza

Around the area where the freeways connect and Airport Plaza Mall rises to the sky you’ll find plenty of fine places to live as well. While a bit off the general tourist track, many condos in the area cater to expats and delicious, reasonably-priced restaurants target the middle-class Thai crowd, providing great venues to eat and listen to music.

Airport Plaza Mall offers extreme convenience and a nice escape from the dirty, rugged streets of Thailand, which does wear on your nerves when you experience it every day. They’ve got the absolute best food plaza I’ve encountered in all of Thailand, the best movie theater in town, and great shops for buying nice clothes (though at higher prices).

Around the holidays, Airport Plaza always throws big parties, with music and beer stalls for days at a time. And to top it all off, California Fitness is right upstairs. The area is also well-positioned to shoot out of town and do some roaming in the countryside via motorbike as well.

3. Downtown Nimanheimen

Nimanheimen area is my top pick but probably also the most expensive. Directly adjacent to Chiang Mai University, the area boasts the widest array of nightlife in town—if you like middle class Thai nightlife rather than foreigner nightlife, that is.

You’ll find live music everywhere, the best fine dining establishments in town, quiet coffee shops with wireless internet, and chic wine bars with extensive international lists. Quick motorbike rides can be had out past Mae Rim or up the mountain to Doi Suthep, and CMU and the 700 year Stadium both boast large pools for getting a good swim.

The mood here is relaxed, yet alive, and while it’s not an area packed to the gills with travelers, many of the educated residents speak English quite well. I’d say the only real drawback is being so far away from Airport Plaza Mall, as the other one standing on Huay Kaew Road is not all that great.

And while I did say Niman was expensive, go just a few blocks away from the downtown area and you can find great rates yet still be within walking distance. Look near the university, on either side, for some of the cheapest markets, housing, and eats in town.

4. Payap University Area

If you really want to get out of the way but still maintain access to all the big city amenities, find a nice condo in the Payap University area. For being so urbanized, the area is dead quiet much of the time, and aside from a few expats shopping at Big C with their families or strolling around the only German brewery in town, you won’t see many Westerners.

Good places to eat seem scarce at first and the same is true for nightclubs, but once familiar you will see there are university dives and fancier places scattered around. There are plenty of the typical 10 baht an hour internet shops you find in Thai university areas—these places also have the best equipment to keep the gamers happy.

There’s no shopping mall near Payap, but they do have a Big C with a huge food court, live music, beer tables, fast food restaurants, and the like.

Realize that the Payap area can get boring and frustrating if you don’t have a motorbike—there are not many tuk tuks in this area and things are more spread out. You’ll also need to head into town to get your fix of farang food and culture from time to time, no matter how hard core you are.

So a motorbike is a must.

Those are the areas in Chiang Mai that will most likely appeal to the foreigner, but don’t be afraid to get out there and find some for yourself. What I usually do is hop on a motorbike and tour around the backstreets of the areas I want to live and find something worth finding.

There’s nothing like stumbling across a cool little nook or cranny you didn’t know what was there and finding it bustling full of life and all the amenities you need.

Of course the main focus of a vacation is to kick back and relax, but a week long over indulgence of food and fun often has people returning home with a slightly guilty conscience. There is a way to balance exercise and relaxation on your next trip away from home.

1.Cardio

Of course you can’t shove an elliptical trainer into your carry on, but there is a wonderful piece of equipment that seems to shy away from the spotlight. You may have heard of it before. It’s called a skipping rope:)

Most of us jumped rope as kids, so I don’t think I need to explain how it’s done. It is by far one of the best cardio workouts you can do, and it’s fun! Jumping rope is a full body workout and can burn up to 200 calories in only 15 minutes. Pretty amazing for a piece of equipment that you could fit into a purse or carry on.

Not only is it ultra portable and an amazing workout tool, you can buy a skipping rope for under $10 so this purchase would most certainly not be breaking the bank.

2.Bodyweight Exercise

With these exercises you use your own body weight as resistance. Bodyweight exercises are a great way of keeping you’re body in top shape. Even if you haven’t heard the term before there’s no doubt that you know what some of these exercises are and have done at least a couple of them in your life.

Popular bodyweight exercises include, crunches, sit-ups, leg raises, chin ups, lunges, push-ups…etc. Some of them you will need objects like a chair or bench, even a parallel bar but don’t worry, you can still get a great workout if all you have is yourself and a ground beneath you.

If you want to learn more about bodyweight exercises and what you can do to workout without gym equipment there are lots of resources out there for you. One really great book that can teach you all the moves you need to know is Mark Lauren’s “You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women”

3.Travel Workout Circuit

-Jump rope for 1-3 minutes
-10 Push-Ups
-30 Crunches
-10 Leg Raises
-10 Squats

Repeat circuit

Mixing the cardio and bodyweight exercises together will give you the better results than doing just one or the other. Doing the 1-3 minute reps of jumping rope will keep your heart rate up so you will burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. This is a very efficient way to work out and can be incorporated into your regular workouts when you’re at home. Also keep in mind that there are numerous bodyweight exercises, so feel free to design your own circuit, or just switch it up everyday to keep things interesting.

4.Enjoy vs. Indulge

A huge part of most people’s holidays is food. It is important to experience the local cuisine where ever you may be but watch how much of it you’re putting in your mouth! Take the time to taste your food instead of piling it in then covering it up with Pepto-Bismol.

If you are somewhere new and exotic, chances are you are going to be sampling many different dishes. It isn’t rude in most cultures to leave food on your plate, so don’t feel like you have to polish everything off every single meal. Ask if you may have a smaller portion that way if you come across some other goodies that you want to try you can go for it without feeling like you’re stuffing yourself.

Another good way to add variety to your meals is getting together with other travelers and vacationers. Instead of going out by yourself or with one other person and trying to stuff down a feast just so you can try multiple dishes add a few more people to the mix. The more people you dine with the more dishes you will be able to try out. It also helps you to socialize with people and maybe even make some new friends.

So you’re thinking of going to Thailand and want the low down?  You are in for a rare treat to be able to experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this exotic culture first hand.  Whether for business or pleasure, long stay or short visit, you will not want to leave Thailand when the time comes.  You will have memories for a lifetime and will always have a longing to return.

The most prevalent language spoken in Thailand is Thai.  This is another of the tonal languages from which many other languages of adjoining areas have been derived.  Just as the English language has many variations (dialects), so has the Thai language.

Written Thai is based on an alphabet adopted from the Cambodian Khmers and is thought to have been standardized during the Sukhothai period.  The Thai alphabet consists of 44 consonants, 18 vowels, and 4 diphthong (tonal) notations.

The differences often are word usages, pronunciation, intonation and/or enunciation.  The Lao, Isan, Cambodian and Khmer languages have much in common so when you learn Thai, you will be able to easily adapt to other dialects and many other Asiatic languages. Because of the differences in the alphabet, Thai will be a different learning experience, but definitely worth the time and effort.

Though many Thai natives speak English and many visitors manage well without speaking Thai, it is so much more enjoyable if you learn (at a minimum) some basic Thai before going.  For one thing, you can understand what the natives are saying (about you?) and that can be very helpful sometimes, especially in an uncomfortable situation.  You will be able to explore and shop on your own without the cost and bother of a guide.  And besides, you will be the visitor – it is only reasonable that you try to speak their language as a courtesy to them.  Even if you don’t do it well, they will appreciate your efforts and show you respect in return.

You might be apprehensive about trying to learn a new language, or think it is too expensive, or too time consuming.  But surprisingly enough, learning a language has become much easier over the past few years. This is due mainly to the internet and interactive learning. As speed learning has increased, cost has decreased so now you can go online an hour or so a night (at minimal cost) and before you know it you will be speaking like a native. If you’re unsure if this is the right way for you to learn a new language, not to worry. Transparent language offers free language software for you to download! Give it a whirl, and see if it’s right for you.

There are other reasons for learning a new language as well.  Think about the following points:

Brain Stimulation and Life Skills Improvement:

The brain is stimulated by learning a new language and cognitive/life skills are increased as well.  The old phrase “Use It or Lose It” is actually true when it comes to brain power.  As we age we must constantly challenge our brain with new thoughts and activities.  And this challenge has to begin early in life and continue as we age.

Simplify Your Life:

Learning the language of your host country makes your day to day life much easier.  You will not need a guide everywhere you go, you will be able to avoid the hassles of shopping for the best buys, you will be able to merge into the ebb and flow of native life without feeling like a stand-out, and you will become a part of the local landscape.  Imagine yourself in the crowd at an impromptu performance of native theater or dancing – you won’t have to wonder what the narrator is saying or when to applaud/cry/cheer, etc.  You will have an enhanced appreciation of everything Thai.

Communicate Directly With The Locals:

You will be able to learn first hand the Thai culture, habits, values and religion if you speak with them in their own language.  You will be able to better appreciate their attitudes and attributes.  You will be able to explain your own position on issues; remember what the people think of you is what they will think of all people of your country.

Improve Business Possibilities:

If you can speak the language, business can be transacted faster and without all the bother of translators. Business will increase and be more profitable when you are able to negotiate on your own, face to face.

Be Appreciated By The Locals:

Native people will appreciate the fact that you have made the effort to learn their language.  Whether you have mastered it or not, the effort you made to try will be noticed as it means you have a respect for the Thai people. Respect is very important to the Thai, both in public and in private life. If you respect them, they will respect you.

In conclusion, you are going to have a wonderful visit to Thailand.  Their relatively conservative values, their love of family, their exotic music and colors, their tolerance of religions, their industrious nature and their partiality to the tourism industry will all impress you. You will want to return again and again.  Your knowledge of their language will indeed serve you well and will have been worth the time it took to learn it.

With the amount of activities that are available in Thailand, sorting through the choices would take weeks at best just to come up with a short list of things to do during this bonding experience. This is where the all inclusive honeymoon packages come in.

Looking through the Internet, one can see different package options that have been placed together, each one made with a different value in mind. Values such as length of stay, number of flights and, what most people look at, budget. With the number of packages available, there is definitely one package that would fit any person’s taste and frame of mind.

A lot of mystery and history is wrapped around the country of Thailand. Although it was recognized as a Newly Industrialized Country (NIC) fairly recently, it is also known that it just dropped changed its form of governance. Absolute monarchy was its previous government, and everyone knows that the land of kings and queens always holds a romantic appeal, perfect for those going on all inclusive honeymoon vacation packages.

Most people are unable to resist the charm of animals, and Thailand is rich with these. One animal to be seen in Thailand is the elephant, and the country has done what it can to preserve these great beasts. A visit to one of the elephant farms, and a ride on one of the tamer animals would surely complete a vacation that just started.

Known for its religion, Thailand is also home to numerous churches and temples. Among these is the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which is one of the important temples located in the northern portion of the country. The temple has a breathtaking view of the city, standing over 1500 meters above the sea.  Newlyweds are also encouraged to visit the resident Buddhist monks, who would be more than willing to bless the union of the couple.

Food is an essential part of every vacation, and it is no less important during a honeymoon. Thai food is well known for its spices, but the taste experience doesn’t end there. The country has four major regions, and each region has a different taste preference. Though all four are taken as a single cuisine, the mixture of the regional preferences are sure to come up with a totally new taste that would appeal to every single person. Add to that the Manohra, a barge converted into a floating restaurant, and dining would be transformed into such an experience that the word “enjoyable” would not be sufficient enough to describe it.

Towards the end of your honeymoon adventure, you would surely want to get a relaxing massage, and Thailand would definitely be the best place to find that. Thai massage is one of the oldest medical traditions in the world, and it is now becoming recognized worldwide. A cross between a massage and an exercise, Thai massage does not use oils, although the option will always be available.

At Pimalai Resort and Spa, the couple would be asked to lie on the floor, then their bodies will be put through their paces as the masseuses would push, rub, stretch and pull on your bodies in order to bring the muscles back to life.  It would definitely be a tiring event.  In the end though, you would leave feeling invigorated and ready to go through another few days of adventure.

After a week spent on activities, there is no better way to cool off than to get some memorabilia and maybe some souvenirs for friends. A day spent at Bangkok would definitely solve this, allowing you to stroll through malls and marketplaces and just take in the lifestyle and scenery. A perfect way to end a honeymoon and begin a new life.

Thailand may be a lot of things, but it definitely is a spot to visit when starting out on a new phase in one’s life. The new experiences would surely excite, and the memories would be something to bring home and hold on to. When the life starts in Thailand, after 50 years, both would want to come back, retrace their steps while holding the hand of the person they walked with half a century before.  This is the magic of Thailand.

Maya Bay is hands down one of the most beautiful places on earth. Located just off of Koh Phi Phi in the South of Thailand it is extremely accessible and a tourist hot spot.

It gained notoriety back in 2000 when the movie “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio was released. Today when you visit Koh Phi Phi the locals will tell you that the area is too busy now and that there are many more beautiful beaches to visit in the area. Although there is a bit more boat traffic than other beaches Maya Bay is still a must see.

When you first get to Koh Phi Phi you will be taken back by the unique and beautiful shape of the island itself. This is where to stay if you are planning to check out Maya Bay. There are no shortage of tour operators on the island so take your pick. They are all pretty close in price because they all offer the exact same packages.

The most popular day package includes, Maya Bay, Monkey beach (the name says it all), The Viking Caves, and James Bond Island.  When you take a guided tour like this you only get to spend a couple hours at each location. So if you are interested in spending the whole day at Maya Bay I would suggest renting a private long tail boat to take you there, that way you have the reigns on when you want to leave. It is a bit more expensive than the tour, but $30 for the day is still nothing for your own private transportation.

This area is know for some of the best rock climbing and scuba diving as well, I would highly recommend doing some rock climbing here because the setting is unreal and it is somewhat of a climbing hot spot. Another great way to explore the smaller islands surrounding Koh Phi Phi is by kayak, which is ideal for all skill levels.

When you go to Thailand make sure you make some time to check out Maya Bay and all the other gems around Koh Phi Phi. It is surely one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Happy travels:)

It’s called The Tiger Kingdom and it’s just outside of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. This place is out of this world. Basically it’s a restaurant/tiger sanctuary. So you could stop by for some lunch or dinner and watch the tigers play or you can pay  about $10 to go in to the pens and have your own one on one time with these big kitties.

They usually have tigers from 2-9 months old ($15 for 15 minutes), 6-9 months ($10 for 15 minutes), and 10-20 months ($10 for 15 minutes). They have combo packages too which are a bit more. When I was there they even had 2 lion cubs! I’m sure they are too big now to get close to, or they may have transfered them to a zoo or more appropriate location.

The pictures didn't turn out well, with three tigers roaming around I couldn't really keep my head still:)

What’s unique about this place is that the tigers aren’t chained up. They are free to walk about their pen even when you’re in there with them. The tigers have been trained from an early age that play with humans is forbidden. There is no use of electric shock devices or drugs to keep them in line, nor do they remove their claws. The trainers here use a nose tapping method. They use small wooden sticks about 10 inches long to tap their nose if they start to show aggressive behavior like eye contact or licking. The whole time I spent with the tigers, which was about a half hour, I never saw a trainer once have to tap a nose (except with the 3 month old cats, and in their case they would just tap them with their hand). They would just knock the stick on something near by like a log or the fence and the tiger would relax.

The trainers spend all day everyday with these cats, they know their personalities and they know their triggers. This is what makes it’s reasonably safe to have such intimate encounters with these animals. Now I say reasonably because that’s the truth, it’s not entirely safe. You would have to be pretty thick to think that stepping into a pen full of tigers doesn’t come without risk . They still are wild cats, even though they’ve been raised with constant human contact. And they are big and strong and if they really wanted to they could kill you, plain and simple.

When I went to The Tiger Kingdom I was a little bit nervous. I had already been to the Tiger

Christine giving a belly rub to a very friendly baby tiger!

Temple so I thought it’d be a cakewalk, but this was different, they were not tied down to anything. If they wanted to rip off my face, they could, and I knew it. I looked for reassurance at the ticket counter while I signed my waver, asking “it’s safe right? I mean, nothing bad is gonna happen right?” They just smiled at me and said “ah miss, they wild cat, they big cat, big cat never safe”. I continued, “But, nobody usually gets bitten or hurt do they?” to which they replied “big cat have claws, they like sometime bite and scratch, only small injury. Nobody die, now sign paper.”  These were not the reassuring words I was looking for. But I gotta give it to them for being honest.

There has not actually been any major injuries to anyone visiting The Tiger Kingdom to date, and I’m sure they are diligent in keeping it that way. Feeding your customers to the tigers wouldn’t really be good PR if you know what i mean. I must note that the trainers are very good with the people, they make sure you’re in a good place in your mind when you go in the pen and don’t push you to get too close if you don’t want to. They are happy having you just stand with them and observe. They also think it’s a nice break for the tigers when people don’t want to take a hundred pictures while they’re in the pen with them.

Tickle Tickle:)

If you are nervous about going I would suggest to go in the middle of the day, it is the time when the tigers are most relaxed. The trainers encourage play between the tigers and they really start to get active around 5pm. They are anticipating play and feeding time and can start to display more signs of aggression which is not so good for a nervous tourist. I went just as they were closing and could only see a select group of cats because others were starting to get a bit too frisky. I’d say if you are just going out there to grab some food from the restaurant dinner is the time to visit. You can eat dinner while watching the tigers run around playing with each other. It really is quite impressive to see their speed and power as they run after, and pounce on each other when all the humans are safely out of their way.

The Tiger Kingdom is truly and amazing place to visit. If you are in the Chiang Mai area, this is one place you do not want to miss.

If you want to save hundreds of dollars on your flight getting to the Tiger Kingdom Click Here!

Any seasoned backpacker will tell you the same thing; pick a few key places and focus on them. This is advice that is well worth taking to heart. There are so many factors that you just don’t think about, or just wouldn’t know about until you have actually gone backpacking. Here’s a few things to deeply consider before you pick how many places you will be visiting.

1.Transportation- You may have everything strategically planned out, but things don’t always go as planned. Maybe it’s just my bad luck but about half of the flights I book end up being delayed in some way, or weather prevents things from going as planned. In some cases this might tack on an extra day to your travel time. Availability can be another hurdle. If you are taking boats, trains, or buses there will be times when they are booked up and you just can’t get on on your desired dates. This often leads to another extra day to your travel time. I’d say adding an extra day of transportation hiccups per week would be realistic. On a 6 week trip that would be nearly an extra week that you should allocate just for bumps in the road.

2.Lost luggage- Every travellers nightmare with this one. You get to point B an your bags are not there. I will tell you from experience this does not just happen on air travel. I have had bags lost while taking ferries and minibuses as well. Now if you weren’t planning to be in point B for more than a day or two before you move on then you can expect that there may be times when you will just have to wait till your luggage arrives. This happens with the most reputable of companies, and most don’t guarantee that all your shit will end up where you are. Just look at the lost baggage disclaimers. I once had my bags left on an island that I was leaving from and ended up having to travel all the way back to get it. Not a huge problem, unless there is only one ferry per day. That set me back a full day.

3.Falling in Love/Too much to see- Although you may have good intentions about spreading your time evenly throughout these equally deserving cities the truth is you just might end up loving one more than the other. It happens all the time, you get to a place that you just seem to click with, meet a great bunch of people and become attached. Now you’ve decided to cut out a couple cities completely. Once this happens you realize you are willing to sacrifice quantity of locations for higher quality experiences. On the flip side some cities just simply have more things to see. There may be more attractions and activities, or be a lot more highlights to check out in surrounding areas.

4.Unexpected illness- Bacteria, viruses, food born illnesses do not realize that you are on vacation and you have a timeline to adhere to. Unfortunate, but people get sick, that’s life. And it may slow your life down a day or two.

5.Theft/Loss of items- We all try to be careful and cautious while traveling but criminals have a way of getting around this. Petty theft and pickpocketing is a problem no matter where you go. If it’s the case where you lost your passport this can be a huge set back. Usually you can get an emergency temporary passport issues, but in some cases it may take weeks to replace it.

6.Have a drink on me- Even if you’re not a big drinker you gotta understand that getting sauced is a huge part of the backpacking culture and chances are you will be partaking in the night to night festivities. There will be times when you plan to go and have a big night on the town, and there will also be times that it just creeps up on you. A couple drinks in the afternoon with lunch turns into a marathon. Result, a unrelenting hangover that destroys your ability to function the next day. Now if that next day happens to be a day you were supposed to be in transit,  it might just cost you another day.

Your best option is to choose a few places that are at the top of your list and stick with those. If you have some extra time to explore a few other cities then great, but don’t get your heart set on doing everything in one shot. I would suggest a week at each major city. Personally I don’t like to go to any country for less than a month, but if you have a shorter time frame a week at each major destination should do the trick.

The Royal Elephant Kraal was founded by community developer and zoologist Mr. Laithongrien Meepan. This man has literally designed, developed and built this sanctuary from the ground up. He is an expert on everything involving elephants from breeding and caring for elephants, to Thai elephant history and culture. He is know  throughout his country as the person to go to whenever there is need for consult or advice on wild or domestic elephants. If there is an elephant that need help Meepan is there to care for it. He personally owns 150 elephants who you can all meet when you come to the Royal Elephant Krall Village. But don’t just swing by and say hello, stay for a few days, a week, or even a month. When you visit the Elephanstay you will get your very own elephant to care for and bond with.

Caring for 150 elephants is no easy task. The Elephantstay is a non-profit organization that encourages people to volunteer some time (and some coin of course) to come out and learn about Asian Elephants, and what better way to learn about them than to live with and care for them for a few days? I mean really, who else is supposed to prepare the 23 000kgs of feed for them everyday? That’s what I though. It might as well be you!

On day one Program Managers Michelle Reedy and Ewa Narkiewicz will sit you down for an orientation on what to expect and the scheduling for the duration of your stay. After you get settled into your air conditioned bungalow you will head out to the meeting area to greet your elephant! What happens after this is absolute magic. You will actually be caring for your elephant throughout the whole day, feeding them, bathing them, riding them down to the river to cool off a couple times a day (yup that’s right, you get to ride them! And I’m not talking about on one of those chair saddles, you are actually right on it’s neck, just you and the mahout), and of course you can spend as much time as you like bonding with and getting to know your elephant.

My time at the Elephantstay was the most amazing and rewarding things I’ve ever done. Most people don’t even know this place exists, but almost everyone who does find out about it ends up spending time there. There is no other place you could go to make such a huge difference in such an amazing animals life and it will honestly make you melt inside. You will end up with a huge place in your heart for these incredible, sensitive creatures. It will have to be huge, I mean…have you seen how big they are??

For more information and booking visit  http://www.elephantstay.com

Indeed, the name of the mountain means “ship mountain”; the legend states that the rocky outcrop is the hull of a ship that was broken by a crocodile that was in love with Rumsay Sok but it was unrequited. The crocodile attacked Rumsay Sok and her fiancé whilst at sea and they unfortunately drowned. The locals punished the crocodile by draining the sea to kill it; its body is represented by the Crocodile Mountain (Phnom Krapeu) that can be seen from the top of Phnom Sampeou.

A visit to Phnom Sampeou essentially starts with a climb of 700 steps to the top. There is also a cemented road which you can use to walk up or take a motoride to the summit. Situated on the hilltop is a beautiful pagoda that

Photo By Kleinmatt66–flickr

gives breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. As well as the pagoda, which was actually used as a prison and torture centre during the time of the Khmer Rouge, there are a series of shrines and statues to be found along the way. It is most likely that you will be visiting Phnom Sampeou to explore the natural caves and grottos that have taken part in one of the most horrific genocides in human history.

Just as Phnom Penh has Choeung Ek, Battambang has the caves at Phnom Sampeou. As well as being one of the most important places in Cambodia for

Photo By Kleinmatt66–flickr

the battles between the Khmer Rouge and the government, many innocent people lost their lives in the caves. As you scale the mountain, you will see remnants of the war in the form of anti-aircraft guns and they are a poignant reminder of the realities of war. One of the caves has piles of skulls, bones and clothing of the victims who lost their lives here. Next to this memorial to the dead, there is a beautiful Buddha in a reclined position. It is stated that the Khmer Rouge used this cave to throw the prisoners to their death. There is a hole at the top of the cave where it is reported prisoners were bludgeoned and then hurled to the bottom of the cave through a hole. When you visit the Killing Caves at Phnom Sampeou, you will notice that it is not a long drop from the hole to the bottom; this meant that not everyone was dead when they were pushed into the cave – chilling and emotional thought.

Even if you do not wish to explore the caves, Phnom Sampeou is worth a visit just to take in the spectacular views. Many visitors like to climb their

Photo By Onna Kaldenberg

way to the top and have a picnic lunch whilst enjoying the wonderful Cambodian countryside. The cost to enter Phnom Sampeou is US$2 and if you take a moto it will cost approximately US$5 from Battambang (this includes waiting time whilst you visit the mountain). Taxis are also available or you could hire your own car or motorbike for the day.