Thursday, December 26, 2013
暹粒与巴厘岛计划开通直航班机
暹粒与巴厘岛计划开通直航班机
为加强两国的合作关係，柬印两国计划將开通从印尼巴厘岛直飞暹粒省的航班。
印尼驻柬大使苏哈尔佐摩昨日上午会晤国会主席韩桑林时，双方针对开通柬印直航事项进行討论。
据国会主席办公厅官员高比瑟表示，为进一步加强两国关係，柬埔寨和印尼將致力开通两国直透航班，其中最先落实的航线为巴厘至暹粒。
他也透露，在过去4年间，印尼对我国投资总额达到了3亿美元，涉及多个项目。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
为加强两国的合作关係，柬印两国计划將开通从印尼巴厘岛直飞暹粒省的航班。
印尼驻柬大使苏哈尔佐摩昨日上午会晤国会主席韩桑林时，双方针对开通柬印直航事项进行討论。
据国会主席办公厅官员高比瑟表示，为进一步加强两国关係，柬埔寨和印尼將致力开通两国直透航班，其中最先落实的航线为巴厘至暹粒。
他也透露，在过去4年间，印尼对我国投资总额达到了3亿美元，涉及多个项目。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Friday, December 20, 2013
第二届海洋节‧ 白马喜迎国內外游客
第二届海洋节‧ 白马喜迎国內外游客
每项赛事结束，马上当场举行颁奖典礼。
在白马省(Kep)海滩举行的“第二届海洋节”昨日隆重开幕，吸引上万名当地居民和游客参加。
昨日晚上，副总理宋安代表洪森总理出席主持开幕式，旅游部长唐坤及旅游部高官出席活动。
政府决定每年举行一次海洋节，並轮流在4个海滨省份举行，今年海洋节在白马省举行，旨在推介我国海洋与海岛之美。
从6日至8日举行的海洋节有10多项活动，包括游泳比赛、铁人三项运动、水上摩托车比赛、沙滩排球、空中体育、烟火秀、美食展、展销会等。
据当局旅游局官员透露，从昨日下午海滩开始出现人潮，估计有上万名国內外游客聚集海滩，快快乐乐地享受海洋节的欢乐和热闹气氛。
昨晚在开幕式上，国內著名歌手和艺术家以及多名舞蹈演员参加，使沿白马海滩的夜景更加璀璨。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
每项赛事结束，马上当场举行颁奖典礼。
在白马省(Kep)海滩举行的“第二届海洋节”昨日隆重开幕，吸引上万名当地居民和游客参加。
昨日晚上，副总理宋安代表洪森总理出席主持开幕式，旅游部长唐坤及旅游部高官出席活动。
政府决定每年举行一次海洋节，並轮流在4个海滨省份举行，今年海洋节在白马省举行，旨在推介我国海洋与海岛之美。
从6日至8日举行的海洋节有10多项活动，包括游泳比赛、铁人三项运动、水上摩托车比赛、沙滩排球、空中体育、烟火秀、美食展、展销会等。
据当局旅游局官员透露，从昨日下午海滩开始出现人潮，估计有上万名国內外游客聚集海滩，快快乐乐地享受海洋节的欢乐和热闹气氛。
昨晚在开幕式上，国內著名歌手和艺术家以及多名舞蹈演员参加，使沿白马海滩的夜景更加璀璨。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
亚航Air Asia‧暹粒曼谷新航班开通
亚航Air Asia‧暹粒曼谷新航班开通
隨著班机开通，欲飞行来往暹粒与曼谷的消费者又多了一个选择。
亚洲航空公司（Air Asia）7月宣佈开通曼谷往返暹粒的直航班机后，第一趟班机於10月1日中午著陆暹粒。
昨天的第一趟班机载满180名乘客，抵达暹粒机场时，受到亚洲航空的特別欢迎。
亚航的曼谷往返暹粒的班机为每日一趟，上午10时20分由曼谷廊曼机场起飞往暹粒，中午12时15由暹粒起飞往曼谷。飞行时间约1小时。
与此同时，配合旅游旺季，自今年11月30日起，亚航每逢週五、六、日增闢第二班机，安排在傍晚7时50分由曼谷起飞来暹粒，晚上9时45分由暹粒起飞往曼谷。
配合增加班机，亚航推出的优惠机票，单程起63美元起（包括机场税和处理费）。
有意订票者可登录亚航网站（http://www.airasia.com），或联繫亚航旅游服务中心（电话：023983777）与授权代理，包括World Pop Travel（电话：023994789）、Wanly Travel（电话：023218999）、Easy Travel（电话：063767767）、VLK Royal Tourism（电话：023884488）、Hong Qin Travel（电话：023221111）。
本梯次优惠票订购期为今年9月30日至今年10月6日；飞行日期为今年10月30日至明年8月5日。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
隨著班机开通，欲飞行来往暹粒与曼谷的消费者又多了一个选择。
亚洲航空公司（Air Asia）7月宣佈开通曼谷往返暹粒的直航班机后，第一趟班机於10月1日中午著陆暹粒。
昨天的第一趟班机载满180名乘客，抵达暹粒机场时，受到亚洲航空的特別欢迎。
亚航的曼谷往返暹粒的班机为每日一趟，上午10时20分由曼谷廊曼机场起飞往暹粒，中午12时15由暹粒起飞往曼谷。飞行时间约1小时。
与此同时，配合旅游旺季，自今年11月30日起，亚航每逢週五、六、日增闢第二班机，安排在傍晚7时50分由曼谷起飞来暹粒，晚上9时45分由暹粒起飞往曼谷。
配合增加班机，亚航推出的优惠机票，单程起63美元起（包括机场税和处理费）。
有意订票者可登录亚航网站（http://www.airasia.com），或联繫亚航旅游服务中心（电话：023983777）与授权代理，包括World Pop Travel（电话：023994789）、Wanly Travel（电话：023218999）、Easy Travel（电话：063767767）、VLK Royal Tourism（电话：023884488）、Hong Qin Travel（电话：023221111）。
本梯次优惠票订购期为今年9月30日至今年10月6日；飞行日期为今年10月30日至明年8月5日。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
吴哥航空开通直飞广州航班
吴哥航空开通直飞广州航班
吴哥航空由暹粒直飞中国广州国际航线正式开通，为这家国营民航公司画下新里程碑。
暹粒飞广州航班，是於上月29日上午，由暹粒正式起飞，机型为空中巴士A321型客机，共有176个座位，单程飞行时间为2小时35分钟。
这是吴哥航空开辟的第六条国际机线，也是首个飞往中国主要城市的航班。
吴哥航空总执行长德烈宋拉透露，成立只有5年的吴哥航空，业务发展快速，除了经营国內航线外，也积极开拓国际航线，至今已开通了六条国际航线，包括金边或暹粒直飞曼谷、河內、胡志明市及广州，近期还將增设直飞中国上海航班。
也是总理府国务秘书的德烈宋拉指出，近来，中国旅客已成为柬埔寨最大的外国旅客来源之一，今年首7个月，入境中国旅客人数达26万7千506人，仅次於越南和韩国，促使吴哥航空决定开发由旅游重镇暹粒直飞中国主要城市搭客市场。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
吴哥航空由暹粒直飞中国广州国际航线正式开通，为这家国营民航公司画下新里程碑。
暹粒飞广州航班，是於上月29日上午，由暹粒正式起飞，机型为空中巴士A321型客机，共有176个座位，单程飞行时间为2小时35分钟。
这是吴哥航空开辟的第六条国际机线，也是首个飞往中国主要城市的航班。
吴哥航空总执行长德烈宋拉透露，成立只有5年的吴哥航空，业务发展快速，除了经营国內航线外，也积极开拓国际航线，至今已开通了六条国际航线，包括金边或暹粒直飞曼谷、河內、胡志明市及广州，近期还將增设直飞中国上海航班。
也是总理府国务秘书的德烈宋拉指出，近来，中国旅客已成为柬埔寨最大的外国旅客来源之一，今年首7个月，入境中国旅客人数达26万7千506人，仅次於越南和韩国，促使吴哥航空决定开发由旅游重镇暹粒直飞中国主要城市搭客市场。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Friday, October 4, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Imagining Angkor: how an ancient civilisation looked
The stone monuments of Angkor may be awe-inspiring, but they don’t tell the full story of what was once the world’s largest city. Although architectural evidence is sparse, experts have determined that the temples once bore colour and stood in the midst of an urban centre of up to one million people.
Now artist Bruno Levy has combined established facts with educated guesses to illustrate what Angkor may have looked like at its peak, in order to recapture the essence of the cityscape for an upcoming pocket guidebook to the ancient civilisation. It is tentatively scheduled to be published at the end of October.
“This book will be revolutionary, not a copy-and-paste of other texts,” Levy said, speaking at cultural centre Meta House, where an exhibition of his illustrations titled Angkorevealed will open tonight.
The 51-year-old Parisian, who holds a master’s degree in Southeast Asian languages and civilisations with a focus on Cambodia and Thailand, did not say much about the book’s content, but added that it was being written “under the authority” of Damian Lewis, an Australian archaeologist. In June, Evans made international headlines after discovering a “lost city” near Phnom Kulen.
Angkorevealed builds upon previous computer-generated 3D images of Angkor that Levy originally exhibited in 2009. To update the pictures, he superimposed the old images on background photographs of landscapes, as well as foreground shots of people, animals, plants and various props.
The resulting images display a peculiar juxtaposition of beautifully rendered buildings and realistic, life-like objects that manage to tease the viewer with snippets of established knowledge, such as the size of the temples, while reminding us that there is still a lot on which we can only speculate.
Architectural evidence, such as traces of gold, stucco and paint, has revealed a few certainties about the temples’ original appearances.
“It is proven by archaeologists that the place was painted. Some of them had a layer of stucco and there are traces of gilding,” said Levy.
But the artist was forced to take creative licence when it came to selecting colours. Many temples show remains of paint, but not much else is known, although laser analysis inside Angkor Wat shows evidence of red, white and orhre paint in successive layers.
To guide his guesswork, Levy based his colour selection on the designs of modern pagodas in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, as well as active Hindu temples in India. The deeply carved sections of the temples, such as bas reliefs, are extensively coloured, while slick surfaces are left white or just lightly coloured.
It is not just the temples, however, that Levy aimed to illuminate. Using Angkorian bas reliefs and the accounts of Zhou Daguan, the Chinese emissary who visited Angkor in 1296 and left the only first-hand account of the civilisation, Levy filled the spaces in front of the magnificent temples with quaint wooden houses and ordinary Khmers going about their business.
For Levy, it is the long-dead residents who ultimately defined Angkor.
“I fell under the charm of the ruins, but I was much more interested in what the ruins mean in terms of civilisation.”
Angkorevealed opens at Meta House on September 25 at 6pm and will run throughout October.
~News courtesy of Phnom Penh Post~
The stone monuments of Angkor may be awe-inspiring, but they don’t tell the full story of what was once the world’s largest city. Although architectural evidence is sparse, experts have determined that the temples once bore colour and stood in the midst of an urban centre of up to one million people.
Now artist Bruno Levy has combined established facts with educated guesses to illustrate what Angkor may have looked like at its peak, in order to recapture the essence of the cityscape for an upcoming pocket guidebook to the ancient civilisation. It is tentatively scheduled to be published at the end of October.
“This book will be revolutionary, not a copy-and-paste of other texts,” Levy said, speaking at cultural centre Meta House, where an exhibition of his illustrations titled Angkorevealed will open tonight.
The 51-year-old Parisian, who holds a master’s degree in Southeast Asian languages and civilisations with a focus on Cambodia and Thailand, did not say much about the book’s content, but added that it was being written “under the authority” of Damian Lewis, an Australian archaeologist. In June, Evans made international headlines after discovering a “lost city” near Phnom Kulen.
Angkorevealed builds upon previous computer-generated 3D images of Angkor that Levy originally exhibited in 2009. To update the pictures, he superimposed the old images on background photographs of landscapes, as well as foreground shots of people, animals, plants and various props.
The resulting images display a peculiar juxtaposition of beautifully rendered buildings and realistic, life-like objects that manage to tease the viewer with snippets of established knowledge, such as the size of the temples, while reminding us that there is still a lot on which we can only speculate.
Architectural evidence, such as traces of gold, stucco and paint, has revealed a few certainties about the temples’ original appearances.
“It is proven by archaeologists that the place was painted. Some of them had a layer of stucco and there are traces of gilding,” said Levy.
But the artist was forced to take creative licence when it came to selecting colours. Many temples show remains of paint, but not much else is known, although laser analysis inside Angkor Wat shows evidence of red, white and orhre paint in successive layers.
To guide his guesswork, Levy based his colour selection on the designs of modern pagodas in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, as well as active Hindu temples in India. The deeply carved sections of the temples, such as bas reliefs, are extensively coloured, while slick surfaces are left white or just lightly coloured.
It is not just the temples, however, that Levy aimed to illuminate. Using Angkorian bas reliefs and the accounts of Zhou Daguan, the Chinese emissary who visited Angkor in 1296 and left the only first-hand account of the civilisation, Levy filled the spaces in front of the magnificent temples with quaint wooden houses and ordinary Khmers going about their business.
For Levy, it is the long-dead residents who ultimately defined Angkor.
“I fell under the charm of the ruins, but I was much more interested in what the ruins mean in terms of civilisation.”
Angkorevealed opens at Meta House on September 25 at 6pm and will run throughout October.
~News courtesy of Phnom Penh Post~
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
Numbers 0-5
Value - Khmer - Word form
0 ០ សូន្យ soun
1 ១ មួយ muoy
2 ២ ពីរ pii
3 ៣ បី bei
4 ៤ បួន buon
5 ៥ ប្រាំ pram
0 ០ សូន្យ soun
1 ១ មួយ muoy
2 ២ ពីរ pii
3 ៣ បី bei
4 ៤ បួន buon
5 ៥ ប្រាំ pram
Install Khmer unicode
Install Khmer unicode on Windows 7
http://www.sbbic.org/lang/en-us/2010/07/15/how-to-install-khmer-unicode-on-windows-7/
Install Khmer unicode on Windows XP
http://www.sbbic.org/lang/en-us/2010/03/27/how-to-install-khmer-unicode-on-your-windows-xp-computer
http://www.sbbic.org/lang/en-us/2010/07/15/how-to-install-khmer-unicode-on-windows-7/
Install Khmer unicode on Windows XP
http://www.sbbic.org/lang/en-us/2010/03/27/how-to-install-khmer-unicode-on-your-windows-xp-computer
碳烤咖啡飘香
碳烤咖啡飘香
採用传统方式炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，全採用人工製作。
西哈努克港口，除了拥有风景怡人的海边之外，还有一个您可能不知的传统碳烤咖啡。
炭烤咖啡，採用传统方式炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，全採用人工，所以每天工人在烤咖啡的时候，都会千里飘香，这让爱好咖啡者都陶醉在咖啡香味当中，这也为西港增添一种特色。
出售炭烤咖啡的西港老牌粿条店仙女餐厅，就在餐厅隔壁设立一个炭烤咖啡的小空间，每天用人工炭烤老咖啡供自卖和零售，坐在咖啡店的客人们还能闻著咖啡香气，现场喝口香醇的咖啡，实属人生一件美事，而且不喜欢喝咖啡的客人，也可以在此享受咖啡的香气。
这特色就只有在西港能找到，而且喜欢咖啡的国內外游客，都可以买一两公斤当手信，或者在家冲泡细细品尝。
该店的老板娘符爱莉（48岁）是海南人，1994年跟隨父母亲在西港开设咖啡粿条店，至今十余年。
符爱莉指出，该店使用的咖啡豆，是自行用人工慢火炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，工人每天烤两轮，每次烤七公斤，每天能生產出14公斤的炭烤咖啡豆。
她说，新鲜烤出来的咖啡豆，磨成粉之后，最好在两个星期內用完，这样就可以保留它的香气。目前，该店炭烤咖啡豆每公斤售价12至13美元，不少识途的金边人，週末过来都会跟她卖一两公斤，带回去自己喝或当手信送人。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
採用传统方式炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，全採用人工製作。
西哈努克港口，除了拥有风景怡人的海边之外，还有一个您可能不知的传统碳烤咖啡。
炭烤咖啡，採用传统方式炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，全採用人工，所以每天工人在烤咖啡的时候，都会千里飘香，这让爱好咖啡者都陶醉在咖啡香味当中，这也为西港增添一种特色。
出售炭烤咖啡的西港老牌粿条店仙女餐厅，就在餐厅隔壁设立一个炭烤咖啡的小空间，每天用人工炭烤老咖啡供自卖和零售，坐在咖啡店的客人们还能闻著咖啡香气，现场喝口香醇的咖啡，实属人生一件美事，而且不喜欢喝咖啡的客人，也可以在此享受咖啡的香气。
这特色就只有在西港能找到，而且喜欢咖啡的国內外游客，都可以买一两公斤当手信，或者在家冲泡细细品尝。
该店的老板娘符爱莉（48岁）是海南人，1994年跟隨父母亲在西港开设咖啡粿条店，至今十余年。
符爱莉指出，该店使用的咖啡豆，是自行用人工慢火炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，工人每天烤两轮，每次烤七公斤，每天能生產出14公斤的炭烤咖啡豆。
她说，新鲜烤出来的咖啡豆，磨成粉之后，最好在两个星期內用完，这样就可以保留它的香气。目前，该店炭烤咖啡豆每公斤售价12至13美元，不少识途的金边人，週末过来都会跟她卖一两公斤，带回去自己喝或当手信送人。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Monday, September 2, 2013
分散人潮免危及古跡‧多角度欣赏吴哥日落
分散人潮免危及古跡‧多角度欣赏吴哥日落
登上博山（Phnom Bok），欣赏美丽的日落。（图：吴哥日落网）
我国和澳洲合作，用互联网保护脆弱的吴哥古跡。
澳洲大使馆发表文告指出，新开发的网站angkorsunsets.com，游客可以从方圆400平方公里的古跡范围內，获知哪里可以欣赏日落的景点详情。
由於大量游客涌入已广为宣传的景点欣赏日落，已危及这些景点的建筑和完美。而新网站列出34个欣赏日落的替代景点，並附上详情，如气氛、离大门的距离和参观人数等，供游客作出选择。
文告表示，新网站乃澳洲政府於2008年发起的遗產管理框架项目之一部份，以应对游客激增及周边社区快速发展，对古跡带来的环境衝击。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
登上博山（Phnom Bok），欣赏美丽的日落。（图：吴哥日落网）
我国和澳洲合作，用互联网保护脆弱的吴哥古跡。
澳洲大使馆发表文告指出，新开发的网站angkorsunsets.com，游客可以从方圆400平方公里的古跡范围內，获知哪里可以欣赏日落的景点详情。
由於大量游客涌入已广为宣传的景点欣赏日落，已危及这些景点的建筑和完美。而新网站列出34个欣赏日落的替代景点，並附上详情，如气氛、离大门的距离和参观人数等，供游客作出选择。
文告表示，新网站乃澳洲政府於2008年发起的遗產管理框架项目之一部份，以应对游客激增及周边社区快速发展，对古跡带来的环境衝击。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Vietnam eyes joint tourism visa with Thailand, Cambodia
Vietnam eyes joint tourism visa with Thailand, Cambodia
Vietnamese tourism and foreign relations authorities are set to work with their counterparts from Thailand and Cambodia to introduce a single visa for tourists to the three countries.
Hoang Thi Diep, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, was quoted by Thoi Bao Kinh Te Saigon (Saigon Economic Times) as saying Thailand and Cambodia get a large number of tourists, are close to Vietnam, and already have a common visa for tourists.
The two countries signed an agreement last year to allow tourists from 35 countries and regions including Europe, Australia, the US, Hong Kong, Japan, China, and South Korea to visit both on a single visa.
Diep said Southeast Asian countries also plan to have a common visa for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.
Ho Chi Minh City authorities in May asked the tourism administration to push for a single visa for Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
La Quoc Khanh, deputy head of the city’s tourism department, said Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar have been cooperating at international tourism fairs for the past few years and now want to bring Thailand into the fold.
Together the four countries attracted 14.8 million visitors last year, he said.
Travel agencies have been pushing for a one-visa policy that would enable tourists to travel freely across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
But Vietnam already rejected the common visa concept when it was first mooted in 2010.
Vietnamese tourism officials had argued that the extra visa fees would not deter wealthy travelers and visa waivers would cause major losses to the tourism industry.
Tourists have also complained that when they go to Cambodia or Laos, they can simply turn up and pay US$25 on arrival while Vietnam charges almost double at $45 for a 30-day or 90-day single entry visa, the most expensive in the region.
~News courtesy of Thanh Nien~
Vietnamese tourism and foreign relations authorities are set to work with their counterparts from Thailand and Cambodia to introduce a single visa for tourists to the three countries.
Hoang Thi Diep, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, was quoted by Thoi Bao Kinh Te Saigon (Saigon Economic Times) as saying Thailand and Cambodia get a large number of tourists, are close to Vietnam, and already have a common visa for tourists.
The two countries signed an agreement last year to allow tourists from 35 countries and regions including Europe, Australia, the US, Hong Kong, Japan, China, and South Korea to visit both on a single visa.
Diep said Southeast Asian countries also plan to have a common visa for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.
Ho Chi Minh City authorities in May asked the tourism administration to push for a single visa for Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
La Quoc Khanh, deputy head of the city’s tourism department, said Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar have been cooperating at international tourism fairs for the past few years and now want to bring Thailand into the fold.
Together the four countries attracted 14.8 million visitors last year, he said.
Travel agencies have been pushing for a one-visa policy that would enable tourists to travel freely across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
But Vietnam already rejected the common visa concept when it was first mooted in 2010.
Vietnamese tourism officials had argued that the extra visa fees would not deter wealthy travelers and visa waivers would cause major losses to the tourism industry.
Tourists have also complained that when they go to Cambodia or Laos, they can simply turn up and pay US$25 on arrival while Vietnam charges almost double at $45 for a 30-day or 90-day single entry visa, the most expensive in the region.
~News courtesy of Thanh Nien~
Monday, August 5, 2013
Khmer language dialects
Khmer is spoken by approximately 12.6 million people in Cambodia where it is the official language It is also a second language for most of the minority groups and indigenous hill tribes there. Additionally more than 8 million Khmer native to southern Vietnam and 1.4 million in northeast Thailand speak dialects of Khmer.
Khmer dialects, although mutually intelligible, are sometimes quite marked. Notable variations are found in speakers from Phnom Penh (which is the capital city), the rural Battambang area, the areas of Northeast Thailand adjacent to Cambodia such as Surin province, the Cardamom Mountains, and in southern Vietnam.
The dialects form a continuum running roughly north to south. Standard Cambodian Khmer is mutually intelligible with the others but a Khmer Krom speaker from Vietnam, for instance, may have great difficulty communicating with a Khmer native to Sisaket Province in Thailand.
~Info courtesy of Wikipedia~
Khmer dialects, although mutually intelligible, are sometimes quite marked. Notable variations are found in speakers from Phnom Penh (which is the capital city), the rural Battambang area, the areas of Northeast Thailand adjacent to Cambodia such as Surin province, the Cardamom Mountains, and in southern Vietnam.
Stop sign in Khmer and English
The dialects form a continuum running roughly north to south. Standard Cambodian Khmer is mutually intelligible with the others but a Khmer Krom speaker from Vietnam, for instance, may have great difficulty communicating with a Khmer native to Sisaket Province in Thailand.
~Info courtesy of Wikipedia~
Thursday, August 1, 2013
高棉宗教文化遗址‧茶胶基苏山看日落
高棉宗教文化遗址‧茶胶基苏山看日落
.JPG)
登高望远，凝望遥远的地平线，基苏山脚下的田野美景尽收眼前。
茶胶省被誉为“柬埔寨文明的摇篮”，这里拥有许多前吴哥时代的重要文化古跡，最早可以追溯到11世纪初，许多游客，尤其是学者都会来这里朝圣，探索周边古蹟。
茶胶省位於干拉省、嗊吥和实居省之间，东南部与越南接壤。茶胶省拥有许多重要的寺庙、遗址，其中包含基苏山、巴戎高山、吴哥波雷古蹟等，这些都是在吴哥时代所建造；但经歷內战和岁月摧残，这些都城遗址早已不復当年的辉煌景象，却成为现代考古学家对研究高棉宗教文化的一个重要考察基地。
基苏山位於茶胶省森隆县，距离首都金边以南约60公里，在这座380米的高山上，有一座美丽的基苏寺，它是茶胶省歷史最悠久及最壮观的古蹟，於11世纪初，由信仰婆罗门教的苏耶跋摩一世（吴哥窟的传说）建立，它是献给印度教湿婆神（Shiva）和毗湿奴（Vishnu），寺庙的原名为斯里苏亚帕瓦塔（Sri Suryaparvata），意为“太阳神山寺”。
基苏寺是由红土和砂巖结构所建设，据当地寺庙住持农坤表示，国王当年兴建这座寺庙，是作为摄政王、王子、省长等皇室成员和大臣宣誓用途，因此是一座十分神圣的庙宇。
旅客通常都会从西侧爬上山顶，约233个阶梯，再从南侧下山，约412阶梯，而东侧则可以骑越野自行车或开车达到山顶。在抵达山顶时，都能看到新旧不同年代的神像和塔寺散佈整个山头，形成强烈的对比。
基苏山是外省游客，尤其是来自首都金边游客爱去的地方，特別是在假期和週末时期，游人不少。此外，它也吸引不少本地考古学家和文化系学生，到来这里研究和考察古代高棉文化歷史。
在山脚下，设有一排排茅草屋，供游客歇息和用餐，这里主要贩售烤鸡，提供游客用餐的方便。许多游客抵达后，会先享用午餐，然后选择在下午太阳相对暖和的时候才去爬山，以便在山顶上欣赏日落美景。
祭拜男性生殖器求平安
古寺年久失修
经歷內战和美国轰炸，基苏寺的许多塔寺结构已经遭受破坏，因久年失修，一些建筑已岌岌可危。
在走进基苏寺时，游客会被引导到一个塔寺里上香，祈求神明保佑。走进塔寺时，两旁都设有一个小水盆，塔寺內摆放了一座大神像和祭拜品，由於是信仰婆罗门教的关係，旁边还设一个石圆柱的“稜迦”（印度教对男性生殖器的称呼）雕像。
在上完香后，游客会被建议触摸“稜迦”三下，以祈求平安、吉祥。
许多游客前往基苏山是为了探索废墟的太阳神像，靠近太阳神像主庙是一个现代化的塔寺，安置年轻和老僧侣，平静的气氛深受国內外游客的欢迎。
游客更喜欢探索现代的太阳神像，设在一座小池塘中的一尊被7头龙围绕的佛陀，这是高棉信徒最敬仰的神龕，但鑑於缺乏保护，池塘周围犹如废墟。
在上香后，游客居高临下，从这座高山上，凝望遥远的地平线，一望无际的田野美景，尽收眼廉，大自然的魅力，能让游人疲惫的身心都平静了下来；对於那些喜欢寧静与追求灵修的游客，这里是不错的选择。
半年接待7千旅客
未来推展生態旅游
据森隆县长杨斯洛受访时表示，据统计显示，今年上半年，基苏山吸引约7千名游客参观，较去年同期的5千人次，增长了约40%。
森隆县长说，鑑於山上的主庙建筑风格可比擬吴哥时期的古剎，令前来基苏山观光的游客逐年增长，尤其是大学生，他们喜欢来此探索古文化歷史，进行考古研究报告。
他说，目前，县政府正计划加强基苏山作为旅游地標的管理工作，包括加强卫生和秩序，以吸引更多的游客。
“我们已经要求商贩以更合理的价格，推销更高品质的美食，尤其是这里最著名的烤鸡。”
他指出，也將加强基苏山周遭环境卫生和保安工作。
据县长表示，除了基苏山外，县政府也计划积极推广该省的生態旅游和丝绸纺织品等。
在山下都设有一排排茅草屋，供游客歇息和用餐。
（柬埔寨星洲日报／报导：黄如丽、海速卡拉）
登高望远，凝望遥远的地平线，基苏山脚下的田野美景尽收眼前。
茶胶省被誉为“柬埔寨文明的摇篮”，这里拥有许多前吴哥时代的重要文化古跡，最早可以追溯到11世纪初，许多游客，尤其是学者都会来这里朝圣，探索周边古蹟。
茶胶省位於干拉省、嗊吥和实居省之间，东南部与越南接壤。茶胶省拥有许多重要的寺庙、遗址，其中包含基苏山、巴戎高山、吴哥波雷古蹟等，这些都是在吴哥时代所建造；但经歷內战和岁月摧残，这些都城遗址早已不復当年的辉煌景象，却成为现代考古学家对研究高棉宗教文化的一个重要考察基地。
基苏山位於茶胶省森隆县，距离首都金边以南约60公里，在这座380米的高山上，有一座美丽的基苏寺，它是茶胶省歷史最悠久及最壮观的古蹟，於11世纪初，由信仰婆罗门教的苏耶跋摩一世（吴哥窟的传说）建立，它是献给印度教湿婆神（Shiva）和毗湿奴（Vishnu），寺庙的原名为斯里苏亚帕瓦塔（Sri Suryaparvata），意为“太阳神山寺”。
基苏寺是由红土和砂巖结构所建设，据当地寺庙住持农坤表示，国王当年兴建这座寺庙，是作为摄政王、王子、省长等皇室成员和大臣宣誓用途，因此是一座十分神圣的庙宇。
旅客通常都会从西侧爬上山顶，约233个阶梯，再从南侧下山，约412阶梯，而东侧则可以骑越野自行车或开车达到山顶。在抵达山顶时，都能看到新旧不同年代的神像和塔寺散佈整个山头，形成强烈的对比。
基苏山是外省游客，尤其是来自首都金边游客爱去的地方，特別是在假期和週末时期，游人不少。此外，它也吸引不少本地考古学家和文化系学生，到来这里研究和考察古代高棉文化歷史。
在山脚下，设有一排排茅草屋，供游客歇息和用餐，这里主要贩售烤鸡，提供游客用餐的方便。许多游客抵达后，会先享用午餐，然后选择在下午太阳相对暖和的时候才去爬山，以便在山顶上欣赏日落美景。
祭拜男性生殖器求平安
古寺年久失修
经歷內战和美国轰炸，基苏寺的许多塔寺结构已经遭受破坏，因久年失修，一些建筑已岌岌可危。
在走进基苏寺时，游客会被引导到一个塔寺里上香，祈求神明保佑。走进塔寺时，两旁都设有一个小水盆，塔寺內摆放了一座大神像和祭拜品，由於是信仰婆罗门教的关係，旁边还设一个石圆柱的“稜迦”（印度教对男性生殖器的称呼）雕像。
在上完香后，游客会被建议触摸“稜迦”三下，以祈求平安、吉祥。
许多游客前往基苏山是为了探索废墟的太阳神像，靠近太阳神像主庙是一个现代化的塔寺，安置年轻和老僧侣，平静的气氛深受国內外游客的欢迎。
游客更喜欢探索现代的太阳神像，设在一座小池塘中的一尊被7头龙围绕的佛陀，这是高棉信徒最敬仰的神龕，但鑑於缺乏保护，池塘周围犹如废墟。
在上香后，游客居高临下，从这座高山上，凝望遥远的地平线，一望无际的田野美景，尽收眼廉，大自然的魅力，能让游人疲惫的身心都平静了下来；对於那些喜欢寧静与追求灵修的游客，这里是不错的选择。
半年接待7千旅客
未来推展生態旅游
据森隆县长杨斯洛受访时表示，据统计显示，今年上半年，基苏山吸引约7千名游客参观，较去年同期的5千人次，增长了约40%。
森隆县长说，鑑於山上的主庙建筑风格可比擬吴哥时期的古剎，令前来基苏山观光的游客逐年增长，尤其是大学生，他们喜欢来此探索古文化歷史，进行考古研究报告。
他说，目前，县政府正计划加强基苏山作为旅游地標的管理工作，包括加强卫生和秩序，以吸引更多的游客。
“我们已经要求商贩以更合理的价格，推销更高品质的美食，尤其是这里最著名的烤鸡。”
他指出，也將加强基苏山周遭环境卫生和保安工作。
据县长表示，除了基苏山外，县政府也计划积极推广该省的生態旅游和丝绸纺织品等。
在山下都设有一排排茅草屋，供游客歇息和用餐。
（柬埔寨星洲日报／报导：黄如丽、海速卡拉）
Saturday, July 27, 2013
马德望老建筑‧述说殖民歷史
马德望老建筑‧述说殖民歷史
老街风貌仍保有殖民色彩。（图：柬埔寨星洲日报）
马德望市是马德望省的省会，虽说是柬埔寨第二大城市，但与金边市的繁华与囂闹有相定程度的差別。
马德望市Sangker河的沿河街道，留下了不少殖民时期的法式建筑，是这座城市的特色之一。据说这里是柬埔寨老式法国建筑保存最为集中之地。
旅游指南书向游客推荐这座平静的城市时，强调了她不是旅游热门景点，但也因为如此，游客可以在此体会到道地的高棉风情与歷史。
（星洲日报)
老街风貌仍保有殖民色彩。（图：柬埔寨星洲日报）
马德望市是马德望省的省会，虽说是柬埔寨第二大城市，但与金边市的繁华与囂闹有相定程度的差別。
马德望市Sangker河的沿河街道，留下了不少殖民时期的法式建筑，是这座城市的特色之一。据说这里是柬埔寨老式法国建筑保存最为集中之地。
旅游指南书向游客推荐这座平静的城市时，强调了她不是旅游热门景点，但也因为如此，游客可以在此体会到道地的高棉风情与歷史。
（星洲日报)
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
金边上半年旅客‧同比去年增18.40%
金边上半年旅客‧同比去年增18.40%
金边市的堆斯陵罪恶馆，是国游客参观的主要景点之一。
今年上半年，金边市接待来自140国家的旅客，共约有52万人数，与去年同期相比增长18.40%。
据金边市旅游局报告称，大部份来访柬的外国人主要是旅游或参加国际会议，其中有移民外国的柬民共有3万2千154人。
而国际游客市场主要是中国、美国、马来西亚、韩国、法国、澳洲、台湾、英国、泰国与新加坡等10个国家。
据金边市旅游局局长陈速占基斯那表示，到塔山仔观光的游客共有7万6千404人，比去年增31.56%；到堆斯陵罪恶馆参观的游客，共有16万7千126人，比去年增23.60%。
局长还指出，目前，获得旅游部发出相关准证的金边市业者共有2千278家，其中16家已结业，另8家因涉及毒品和性交易，而被勒令停业。
金边机场逾200万乘客
另一方面，国家民航国务秘书处国务秘书毛哈万那透露，今年上半年，金边国际机场接待超过200万名乘客。
他表示，今年金边国际机场整年接待的乘客人数有望达400万人次，再次创下新记录。
毛哈万那昨日上午出席研討会上，如是表示。
他还透露，我国与英国已达成开拓直飞协议，目前英国一家航空公司正在考察我国航空货运市场，同时也有许多国家有意与我国开闢直飞航线，包括肯亚、俄罗斯、澳洲、纽西兰、土耳其和非洲国家。
他透露，从1979年以来，共有24家国內和国际航空公司向民航局登记营业。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
金边市的堆斯陵罪恶馆，是国游客参观的主要景点之一。
今年上半年，金边市接待来自140国家的旅客，共约有52万人数，与去年同期相比增长18.40%。
据金边市旅游局报告称，大部份来访柬的外国人主要是旅游或参加国际会议，其中有移民外国的柬民共有3万2千154人。
而国际游客市场主要是中国、美国、马来西亚、韩国、法国、澳洲、台湾、英国、泰国与新加坡等10个国家。
据金边市旅游局局长陈速占基斯那表示，到塔山仔观光的游客共有7万6千404人，比去年增31.56%；到堆斯陵罪恶馆参观的游客，共有16万7千126人，比去年增23.60%。
局长还指出，目前，获得旅游部发出相关准证的金边市业者共有2千278家，其中16家已结业，另8家因涉及毒品和性交易，而被勒令停业。
金边机场逾200万乘客
另一方面，国家民航国务秘书处国务秘书毛哈万那透露，今年上半年，金边国际机场接待超过200万名乘客。
他表示，今年金边国际机场整年接待的乘客人数有望达400万人次，再次创下新记录。
毛哈万那昨日上午出席研討会上，如是表示。
他还透露，我国与英国已达成开拓直飞协议，目前英国一家航空公司正在考察我国航空货运市场，同时也有许多国家有意与我国开闢直飞航线，包括肯亚、俄罗斯、澳洲、纽西兰、土耳其和非洲国家。
他透露，从1979年以来，共有24家国內和国际航空公司向民航局登记营业。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Friday, July 12, 2013
Stung Treng 上丁
Stung Treng (Khmer: ស្ទឹងត្រែង) is the capital of Stung Treng Province, Cambodia. It is located in the western part of the Virachey National Park. It is the major city (and capital) of both the district and province and has a population of 29,665 (2009). In Lao, the city's name is known as Xieng Teng.
Stung Treng is located on a high sandy bank overlooking the Mekong River, where it is joined by the Se Kong river. It lies along the National Highway 7, about 400 km from Phnom Penh and 50 km south of the Laos border. A bridge connects the city to the other side of the river. The population is made up of a mix of Khmer and Lao people.
It contains a hospital, the Acleda Bank, Kong Ratana Sambath Guesthouse, Ou Dynak Red Guesthouse, Sok Sambath Hotel and Sorya Restaurant and an old settlement nearby called Thala Borivat.
It contains a hospital, the Acleda Bank, Kong Ratana Sambath Guesthouse, Ou Dynak Red Guesthouse, Sok Sambath Hotel and Sorya Restaurant and an old settlement nearby called Thala Borivat.
The city is served by Stung Treng Airport, but currently there are no regular commercial services.
Location of Stung Treng province
~Info courtesy of Wikipedia~
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Khmer Language Classification
Classification
Most classifications place Khmer in the eastern branch of a Mon-Khmer sub-grouping. In these classification schemes Khmer's closest genetic relatives are the Bahnaric and Pearic languages.More recent classifications doubt the validity of the Mon-Khmer sub-grouping and place the Khmer language as its own branch of Austroasiatic equidistant from the other 12 branches of the family.
~Info courtesy of Wikipedia~
Monday, July 8, 2013
柏威夏古剎‧庆祝列世遗5週年
柏威夏古剎‧庆祝列世遗5週年
昨天是柏威夏古剎被列为世界文化遗產名录5周年纪念日，约1千500名柏威夏官员和民眾一早便举行庆祝活动，提醒柬埔寨国和世人珍惜和维护这个属於全人类的文化遗址。
庆祝活动是在柏威夏古剎下方的洪森全球生態博物馆举行，王家军副参谋长明速比上將代表副总理宋安主持开幕仪式。
柏威夏古剎管理机构总监叶杜波拉致词时表示，柏威夏古剎是於2008年7月7日，获得联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）世界遗產大会通过，列入世界文化遗產名录，至今已是第5个年头。
他说，柏威夏古剎是高棉古代辉煌文化的重要遗址，也是柬埔寨文明的像征，更是全人类共同拥有的文化遗產。
他指出，参加庆祝活动的官员和民眾人数多达1千500人，包括柏省各级政府机构代表、柏威夏古剎管理机构人员和平民百姓等。
长久以来，我国和泰国针对柏威夏古剎附近地区的主权归属上存有爭议。柏威夏古剎建於公元10世纪至12世纪，两国在歷史上都宣称对该寺所属区域拥有主权。1962年，海牙国际法院把柏威夏古剎判归柬埔寨所有，这一裁决结果在泰国引发爭议。
2008年，联合国教科文组织正式批准柏威夏古剎为世界文化遗產，两国有关柏威夏古剎的主权爭议升级，泰柬双方在这一区域多次发生武装衝突，並造成人员伤亡，上万民眾被迫逃离家园。
今年4月15日，荷兰海牙国际法庭就我国於2011年要求，召开一连4天的听证会。柬泰两国都派出由政府高级別官员组成的代表团出席。我国代表团由外交部长何南丰率领，成员当中包括来自法国、英国和美国的有关法律与边界问题的国际律师。
大面积率领泰国代表团向国际法庭陈述的是，泰国驻荷兰大使威拉差，而泰国副总理兼外长素拉蓬、副总理兼教育部长蓬贴以及国防部长素坤蓬都將主席听证会。
国际法庭预料將於今年杪，就1962年裁决结果追加詮释申请，作出裁决。洪森总理和泰国首相英叻已表明，无论国际法庭裁决结果如何，两国都將尊重裁决，不应再起事端。
而刚於6月间举行的第37届世界文化遗產大会上，副总理宋安在记者招待会上表示，联合国教科文组织遗產委员会，已经同意拨出有关监管、保护和维修柏威夏古剎受损部份（在2011年柬泰交火期间遭受破坏）的经费，並將於今年10月或11月开始实施维修计划。
联合国教科文组织和国际生態安全合作组织代表团也经於6月18日，前往柏威夏古剎进行实地考察，以著手为柏威夏古剎战后修復工作进行准备。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
昨天是柏威夏古剎被列为世界文化遗產名录5周年纪念日，约1千500名柏威夏官员和民眾一早便举行庆祝活动，提醒柬埔寨国和世人珍惜和维护这个属於全人类的文化遗址。
庆祝活动是在柏威夏古剎下方的洪森全球生態博物馆举行，王家军副参谋长明速比上將代表副总理宋安主持开幕仪式。
柏威夏古剎管理机构总监叶杜波拉致词时表示，柏威夏古剎是於2008年7月7日，获得联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）世界遗產大会通过，列入世界文化遗產名录，至今已是第5个年头。
他说，柏威夏古剎是高棉古代辉煌文化的重要遗址，也是柬埔寨文明的像征，更是全人类共同拥有的文化遗產。
他指出，参加庆祝活动的官员和民眾人数多达1千500人，包括柏省各级政府机构代表、柏威夏古剎管理机构人员和平民百姓等。
长久以来，我国和泰国针对柏威夏古剎附近地区的主权归属上存有爭议。柏威夏古剎建於公元10世纪至12世纪，两国在歷史上都宣称对该寺所属区域拥有主权。1962年，海牙国际法院把柏威夏古剎判归柬埔寨所有，这一裁决结果在泰国引发爭议。
2008年，联合国教科文组织正式批准柏威夏古剎为世界文化遗產，两国有关柏威夏古剎的主权爭议升级，泰柬双方在这一区域多次发生武装衝突，並造成人员伤亡，上万民眾被迫逃离家园。
今年4月15日，荷兰海牙国际法庭就我国於2011年要求，召开一连4天的听证会。柬泰两国都派出由政府高级別官员组成的代表团出席。我国代表团由外交部长何南丰率领，成员当中包括来自法国、英国和美国的有关法律与边界问题的国际律师。
大面积率领泰国代表团向国际法庭陈述的是，泰国驻荷兰大使威拉差，而泰国副总理兼外长素拉蓬、副总理兼教育部长蓬贴以及国防部长素坤蓬都將主席听证会。
国际法庭预料將於今年杪，就1962年裁决结果追加詮释申请，作出裁决。洪森总理和泰国首相英叻已表明，无论国际法庭裁决结果如何，两国都將尊重裁决，不应再起事端。
而刚於6月间举行的第37届世界文化遗產大会上，副总理宋安在记者招待会上表示，联合国教科文组织遗產委员会，已经同意拨出有关监管、保护和维修柏威夏古剎受损部份（在2011年柬泰交火期间遭受破坏）的经费，並將於今年10月或11月开始实施维修计划。
联合国教科文组织和国际生態安全合作组织代表团也经於6月18日，前往柏威夏古剎进行实地考察，以著手为柏威夏古剎战后修復工作进行准备。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Beach-bumming in Sihanoukville
Beach-bumming in Sihanoukville
BY HEIDI FULLER
With 60 pristine tropical islands nestling in sapphire waters easily reached from Phnom Penh, Cambodia is the place to island-hop while enjoying sand, surf and traditional village life.
Trussed between two huge palm trunks, my hammock sways in a gentle breeze as Heng brings me a Mojito packed with ice and fresh mint.
Stretching out a lazy hand to clutch the ice cold glass, I bless the owner of Sihanoukville’s Snake House - a quirky Russian food restaurant where you eat surrounded by crocs and snakes - who told me about the 60-plus islands studding the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand along Cambodia’s southern coast.
Far from the (sometimes maddening) full-moon parties and kitsch bungalow accommodation cramming Thailand’s coastal resorts, Cambodia’s beaches - because they were undiscovered for years due to the upheavals of the Khmer Rouge regime - are largely deserted, a fact that tempted me immensely.
Enjoying the serenity in the Koh Ru bungalow
“It’s no tourist guide’s junket,” Ivor of the Snakehouse told me. “Not many of these islands have decent transportation links, so if you want to discover the best of what’s out there, you’ll probably need to hire a boat.”
That night in Sihanoukville, as my feet were nibbled free of calloused skin by fish in a tank, I decided to get a first-taster and booked a ticket for Koh Tang. Ivor had warned me to bring plenty of camping gear.
“Not many of the islands have proper tourist facilities or accommodation, so you’ll need to be prepared and, if you need diving gear, it’s probably better to arrange it all ahead of time from the mainland,” he warned.
Dragging my heavy pack on and off boats and along sandy beaches and jungle paths was a bit of a nuisance, but I was soon glad I heeded his advice.
A breezy five-hour trip from the mainland, Koh Tang became a battle ground in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured the crew of SS Mayaguez, a US-flagged container ship, and US marines launched an abortive rescue operation.
Later in 1978, this uninhabited island some 40km south of the Cambodian mainland again hit the headlines when Englishman John Dewhirst and New Zealander Kerry Hamill were captured here and later executed at the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S21 prison in Phnom Penh.
Deserted, apart from a small military presence, Koh Tang today has a happier reputation as one of the best dive sites in Cambodia.
Along with five other deep sea fans who’d come here, with Scuba Nation Diving Centre (two days’ “room”-and-board from US$220, we set up tents in a shady spot behind the long, sandy beach, then headed out to dive.
Over the next few days, we explored the wonderland of multicoloured shoals of fish that live in the staghorn coral of Explosion reef and frolicked with the barracudas, jacks and cobias along Three Bears reef, then returned to the campfire every evening and ate fresh fish, and drank punch-packing palm wine under a brilliant canopy of stars.
However, with my hair matted from washing in briny water and skin stinging from sunburn, the romance of roughing it Robinson Crusoe-style began to wear thin, so I was more than ready for my next stop at Koh Rong Saloem a few days later. Hailed as the next Ko Samui, Rong Saloem island is breathtakingly beautiful with endless stretches of chalk-white sand and a dense jungle interior where I hiked with a guide the following day and glimpsed a big-fanged black cobra.
Most of the time, however, I spent in the aptly named Lazy Beach Bungalows (US$40 a night) chilling out in one of half a dozen thatched-roofed huts scattered along a sandy beach nursed by a gentle curve of turquoise sea, then cooling off in the phosphorescent waters at night.
Seeking stimulation on the last day of my stay, I hired a long-tail boat powered by an outboard motor that looked like a hedge trimmer, and headed round the coast to Mai Pei Bei to do some volunteer work.
“If you’re staying for a while, you can teach at the school, but if you’re only here for the day, we’d love it if you help out with our beach clean-up operation,” said Nhean, who runs volunteer operations in this friendly little fishing village.
Along with Nhean and some other volunteers, we combed the beaches all day for litter and felt pleasantly meritorious as we relaxed our tired legs and aching backs that evening in one of the local food shacks sipping ice-cold Angkor beer and supping on tasty chunks of fresh-caught squid.
Back at Sihanoukville and surrounded by revelling crowds, I was soon feeling agoraphobic, so I decided to head for the islands on the other side of this lively Cambodian resort. Catching the Coasters boat which leaves every morning at 9.30 from Ochheuteal beach, I was soon leaping from the high prow of the boat into the soft sand of Koh Russei.
An hour’s ride from the mainland, Bamboo island is just two long sandy beaches linked across the middle by a jungle path that buzzes with cicadas. Friends had recommended Bimbamboo Bungalows on the busy side of the island which attracts all the daytrippers, but I opted for the more peaceful Koh Ru Bungalows (from US$15) on the southern side.
Painted in vivid colours, these bungalows are fairly basic, with shared showers and toilets, but the gently shelving sandy beach strewn with seashells makes it ideal for kids, giving a laidback, family feel to this side of the island. After a few days lazing on the beach and supping on prahok-flavoured fish soup, samlor machu and a grilled-fish-and-pickle dish called trik kreoung pahok at the beach restaurant, I headed back to Sihanoukville.
Up early the next day, I headed a few kilometres out of town and caught the passenger boat which travels along the mangrove-lined Prek Toeuk Sap River into Ream National Park.
Created in 1995, the park, which extends over 15,000ha of land and 6,000ha of marine habitat, is home to a host of endangered wildlife, including king cobras, pythons, great hornbills and leopard cats.
During my six-hour trip along this river which empties into the Gulf of Thailand, I saw coffee-coloured Rhesus monkeys grooming each other in the sun, rare Irrawady dolphins that popped their strange lumpy heads out from under our boat and dozens of flying fish leaping out of the water around us like rainbow-coloured spinners.
Apart from a few budget rooming places, the only accommodation inside the park is the Ream Beach Guesthouse (room from US$15 a night), a basic-but-friendly sleepery right on the beach where I spent the night.
The Ream Beach Guesthouse is the only accommodation available inside the Ream National Park
Early the next day, a small boat whisked me on the 30-minute ride across the glittering gulf to Koh Thmei, a pristine island where I’d reserved a room at the eco-friendly Koh Thmei Resort (room from US$15 a night).
Sitting on the balcony of one of the resort’s wooden bungalows overlooking a long sandy beach fringed by casuarina trees, I ordered another mojito and toasted the sun setting in streaks of fiery crimson over the gulf of Thailand. - Heidi Fuller-Love
~News courtesy of The Star~
BY HEIDI FULLER
With 60 pristine tropical islands nestling in sapphire waters easily reached from Phnom Penh, Cambodia is the place to island-hop while enjoying sand, surf and traditional village life.
Trussed between two huge palm trunks, my hammock sways in a gentle breeze as Heng brings me a Mojito packed with ice and fresh mint.
Stretching out a lazy hand to clutch the ice cold glass, I bless the owner of Sihanoukville’s Snake House - a quirky Russian food restaurant where you eat surrounded by crocs and snakes - who told me about the 60-plus islands studding the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand along Cambodia’s southern coast.
Far from the (sometimes maddening) full-moon parties and kitsch bungalow accommodation cramming Thailand’s coastal resorts, Cambodia’s beaches - because they were undiscovered for years due to the upheavals of the Khmer Rouge regime - are largely deserted, a fact that tempted me immensely.
Enjoying the serenity in the Koh Ru bungalow
“It’s no tourist guide’s junket,” Ivor of the Snakehouse told me. “Not many of these islands have decent transportation links, so if you want to discover the best of what’s out there, you’ll probably need to hire a boat.”
That night in Sihanoukville, as my feet were nibbled free of calloused skin by fish in a tank, I decided to get a first-taster and booked a ticket for Koh Tang. Ivor had warned me to bring plenty of camping gear.
“Not many of the islands have proper tourist facilities or accommodation, so you’ll need to be prepared and, if you need diving gear, it’s probably better to arrange it all ahead of time from the mainland,” he warned.
Dragging my heavy pack on and off boats and along sandy beaches and jungle paths was a bit of a nuisance, but I was soon glad I heeded his advice.
A breezy five-hour trip from the mainland, Koh Tang became a battle ground in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured the crew of SS Mayaguez, a US-flagged container ship, and US marines launched an abortive rescue operation.
Later in 1978, this uninhabited island some 40km south of the Cambodian mainland again hit the headlines when Englishman John Dewhirst and New Zealander Kerry Hamill were captured here and later executed at the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S21 prison in Phnom Penh.
Deserted, apart from a small military presence, Koh Tang today has a happier reputation as one of the best dive sites in Cambodia.
Along with five other deep sea fans who’d come here, with Scuba Nation Diving Centre (two days’ “room”-and-board from US$220, we set up tents in a shady spot behind the long, sandy beach, then headed out to dive.
Over the next few days, we explored the wonderland of multicoloured shoals of fish that live in the staghorn coral of Explosion reef and frolicked with the barracudas, jacks and cobias along Three Bears reef, then returned to the campfire every evening and ate fresh fish, and drank punch-packing palm wine under a brilliant canopy of stars.
However, with my hair matted from washing in briny water and skin stinging from sunburn, the romance of roughing it Robinson Crusoe-style began to wear thin, so I was more than ready for my next stop at Koh Rong Saloem a few days later. Hailed as the next Ko Samui, Rong Saloem island is breathtakingly beautiful with endless stretches of chalk-white sand and a dense jungle interior where I hiked with a guide the following day and glimpsed a big-fanged black cobra.
Most of the time, however, I spent in the aptly named Lazy Beach Bungalows (US$40 a night) chilling out in one of half a dozen thatched-roofed huts scattered along a sandy beach nursed by a gentle curve of turquoise sea, then cooling off in the phosphorescent waters at night.
Seeking stimulation on the last day of my stay, I hired a long-tail boat powered by an outboard motor that looked like a hedge trimmer, and headed round the coast to Mai Pei Bei to do some volunteer work.
“If you’re staying for a while, you can teach at the school, but if you’re only here for the day, we’d love it if you help out with our beach clean-up operation,” said Nhean, who runs volunteer operations in this friendly little fishing village.
Along with Nhean and some other volunteers, we combed the beaches all day for litter and felt pleasantly meritorious as we relaxed our tired legs and aching backs that evening in one of the local food shacks sipping ice-cold Angkor beer and supping on tasty chunks of fresh-caught squid.
Back at Sihanoukville and surrounded by revelling crowds, I was soon feeling agoraphobic, so I decided to head for the islands on the other side of this lively Cambodian resort. Catching the Coasters boat which leaves every morning at 9.30 from Ochheuteal beach, I was soon leaping from the high prow of the boat into the soft sand of Koh Russei.
An hour’s ride from the mainland, Bamboo island is just two long sandy beaches linked across the middle by a jungle path that buzzes with cicadas. Friends had recommended Bimbamboo Bungalows on the busy side of the island which attracts all the daytrippers, but I opted for the more peaceful Koh Ru Bungalows (from US$15) on the southern side.
Painted in vivid colours, these bungalows are fairly basic, with shared showers and toilets, but the gently shelving sandy beach strewn with seashells makes it ideal for kids, giving a laidback, family feel to this side of the island. After a few days lazing on the beach and supping on prahok-flavoured fish soup, samlor machu and a grilled-fish-and-pickle dish called trik kreoung pahok at the beach restaurant, I headed back to Sihanoukville.
Up early the next day, I headed a few kilometres out of town and caught the passenger boat which travels along the mangrove-lined Prek Toeuk Sap River into Ream National Park.
Created in 1995, the park, which extends over 15,000ha of land and 6,000ha of marine habitat, is home to a host of endangered wildlife, including king cobras, pythons, great hornbills and leopard cats.
During my six-hour trip along this river which empties into the Gulf of Thailand, I saw coffee-coloured Rhesus monkeys grooming each other in the sun, rare Irrawady dolphins that popped their strange lumpy heads out from under our boat and dozens of flying fish leaping out of the water around us like rainbow-coloured spinners.
Apart from a few budget rooming places, the only accommodation inside the park is the Ream Beach Guesthouse (room from US$15 a night), a basic-but-friendly sleepery right on the beach where I spent the night.
The Ream Beach Guesthouse is the only accommodation available inside the Ream National Park
Early the next day, a small boat whisked me on the 30-minute ride across the glittering gulf to Koh Thmei, a pristine island where I’d reserved a room at the eco-friendly Koh Thmei Resort (room from US$15 a night).
Sitting on the balcony of one of the resort’s wooden bungalows overlooking a long sandy beach fringed by casuarina trees, I ordered another mojito and toasted the sun setting in streaks of fiery crimson over the gulf of Thailand. - Heidi Fuller-Love
~News courtesy of The Star~
New flights from Da Nang to Seoul, Siem Reap
VNA opens new flights from Da Nang to Seoul, Siem Reap
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) on June 28 in Da Nang City announced that it has opened two direct flight routes from the city to Seoul (Korea) and Siem Reap (Cambodia).
There will be three flights a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, which will depart at 0.05 am in Da Nang and at 9.30 am (local time) in Seoul, by Airbus A321 aircraft for the Da Nang - Seoul route.
As for Da Nang - Siem Reap route, there will be one flight a day by ATR-72 aircraft, departing at 2.10 pm from Da Nang City and at 5.15 pm from Siem Reap.
The carrier announced that it will sell tickets at prices nearly 50 percent cheaper than normal prices for both routes until December 31 this year, with a round-trip ticket for Da Nang - Seoul route costing VND5,940,000, and VND1,738,000 for Da Nang – Siem Reap route.
~News courtesy of SGGP~
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) on June 28 in Da Nang City announced that it has opened two direct flight routes from the city to Seoul (Korea) and Siem Reap (Cambodia).
There will be three flights a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, which will depart at 0.05 am in Da Nang and at 9.30 am (local time) in Seoul, by Airbus A321 aircraft for the Da Nang - Seoul route.
As for Da Nang - Siem Reap route, there will be one flight a day by ATR-72 aircraft, departing at 2.10 pm from Da Nang City and at 5.15 pm from Siem Reap.
The carrier announced that it will sell tickets at prices nearly 50 percent cheaper than normal prices for both routes until December 31 this year, with a round-trip ticket for Da Nang - Seoul route costing VND5,940,000, and VND1,738,000 for Da Nang – Siem Reap route.
~News courtesy of SGGP~
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Khmer Language
Khmer (/kəˈmɛər/;ភាសាខ្មែរ, IPA: [pʰiːəsaː kʰmaːe]; or more formally, ខេមរភាសា,IPA: [kʰeɛmaʔraʔ pʰiːəsaː]), or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language(after Vietnamese), with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious registers, through the vehicles of Hinduism and Buddhism.
It is also the earliest recorded and earliest written language of the Mon–Khmer family, predating Mon and by a significant margin Vietnamese. The Khmer language has influenced, and also been influenced by, Thai, Lao, Vietnamese and Cham, all of which, due to geographical proximity and long-term cultural contact, form a sprachbund in peninsular Southeast Asia.
It is also the earliest recorded and earliest written language of the Mon–Khmer family, predating Mon and by a significant margin Vietnamese. The Khmer language has influenced, and also been influenced by, Thai, Lao, Vietnamese and Cham, all of which, due to geographical proximity and long-term cultural contact, form a sprachbund in peninsular Southeast Asia.
Khmer is primarily an analytic, isolating language. There are no inflections, conjugations or case endings. Instead, particles and auxiliary words are used to indicate grammatical relationships. General word order is subject–verb–object. Many words conform to the typical Mon-Khmer pattern, having a "main" syllable preceded by a minor syllable.
The Khmer language is written with an abugida known in Khmer as អក្សរខ្មែរ (IPA: [aʔksɑː kʰmaːe]). Khmer differs from neighboring languages such as Thai, Burmese, Lao and Vietnamese in that it is not a tonal language.
~Info courtesy of Wikipedia~
Friday, June 28, 2013
暹粒‧我国旅游重镇
暹粒‧我国旅游重镇
吴哥古寺眾多，其中以吴哥窟为主要的参观重点。（图：柬埔寨星洲日报）
位於暹粒省的吴哥古跡，是柬埔寨旅游业最重要的一环。提到柬埔寨，外国人往往最先联想到Angkor Wat。每年，暹粒省接待了超过百万人次的外国游客。根据截至去年11月的统计，去年来暹粒省观光的外国游客多达184万人次，与前年同比激增近28%；国內游客则达179万5千290人次。
报告显示，从1月至11月，旅游暹粒省的韩国游客以30万1千990名人次，高居十大榜首，其次是越南，共20万2千164人次，中国游客共16万3千302人次，日本和泰国则名列第4和第5。
古跡吸引外国贵宾
吴哥古跡，是我国引以为荣的祖先文化遗產，是高棉的国宝与象徵。歷年以来，到访我国外国政要与最高领导人，一般的行程都包括了参观吴哥古跡群，其中以吴哥窟以主。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
吴哥古寺眾多，其中以吴哥窟为主要的参观重点。（图：柬埔寨星洲日报）
位於暹粒省的吴哥古跡，是柬埔寨旅游业最重要的一环。提到柬埔寨，外国人往往最先联想到Angkor Wat。每年，暹粒省接待了超过百万人次的外国游客。根据截至去年11月的统计，去年来暹粒省观光的外国游客多达184万人次，与前年同比激增近28%；国內游客则达179万5千290人次。
报告显示，从1月至11月，旅游暹粒省的韩国游客以30万1千990名人次，高居十大榜首，其次是越南，共20万2千164人次，中国游客共16万3千302人次，日本和泰国则名列第4和第5。
古跡吸引外国贵宾
吴哥古跡，是我国引以为荣的祖先文化遗產，是高棉的国宝与象徵。歷年以来，到访我国外国政要与最高领导人，一般的行程都包括了参观吴哥古跡群，其中以吴哥窟以主。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Thursday, June 20, 2013
旅游部提5年策略‧广招中国游客
旅游部提5年策略‧广招中国游客
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旅游部长唐坤：柬埔寨与中国的外交关係日益巩固，这將有助於柬埔寨吸引更多的中国旅客。
柬埔寨旅游部將在首都金边、暹粒和西哈努克市成立唐人街，以大力宣传中华文化和习俗，希望藉此力爭更多中国旅客。
旅游部昨日敲定其5年策略，计划於2018年吸引130万中国旅客人次。此项策略將递交內阁事务部。
旅游部市场运营和宣传局长苏速堤昨日在出席柬埔寨旅游策略研討会上表示，目前，中国已经成为柬埔寨第三大旅客来源国。
柬埔寨於2012年接待中国游客达33万3千890人次，同比增长35%。今年首4个月，入境中国旅客达17万4千150人次，同比增长55%。
“我们正把眼光放到中国庞大的旅游市场。”
他说，通过此项策略，柬埔寨希望把到访的中国游客人数，从2015年的60万人次，增至2018年的130万人次。
为了实现这个目標，柬埔寨將继续向中国扩大柬埔寨旅游目的地宣传，及鼓励更多直航的开通。策略计划书提到，从中国飞往柬埔寨的费用较区域国家来的高，让中国旅客留下负面经验，柬埔寨將克服这方面的问题。
根据策略计划，柬埔寨將在机场准备中文语言的出入境表格和告示牌、使用中文路名，研究成立唐人街和培训更多华语导游。
据策略计划，为了迎接庞大的中国旅客，柬埔寨对华语导游需求量增大。2015年，估计需要1千200名华语导游，而2020年则增至2千400人。
去年消费逾千亿美元
中国游客量世界第一
中国旅游专家建议，我国可以通过加大在中国境內的旅游宣传，及投中国游客爱购物喜好，爭取更多中国游客前来观光。
中国旅游研究院国际旅游研究所代表李创新博士指出，去年共有8千821万人次的中国公民出国旅游，超过美国和德国，成为全球最大的旅客来源国，並总共花费1千零20亿美元；今年，出国游的中国人预计將达9千400万人次，总花费达1千180亿美元，增长20%。
他说，出国的中国游客中，约七成是前往香港、澳门和台湾观光。
他说，到东南亚旅游的中国游客，主要是集中在泰国、马来西亚和新加坡等三国，其余国家则占少数。而到柬埔寨观光的游客，大多是来自广东和广西省。
“这种情况和歷史因素有关。泰国早在1988年便向中国提供直航服务，因此成为中国游客最早观光的国家；马国和新加坡也意识到中国市场的重要性，紧接著在1990年对中国进行大力宣传，加上当地华侨在中国有许多亲戚，很快便成为中国出国旅游的热门景点。”
他坦言，中国人民仍对柬埔寨存有错误印象，认为到这个国家旅游不安全，因此我国政府有必要大力宣传，以纠正上述误解。
他指出，在泰国取景拍摄的中国电影《泰囧》放映后，在中国掀起一阵旅游泰国热，给泰国的旅游业带来巨大收益，我国可以此作为参考。
他指出，我国政府也可以考虑採取其他措施，包括设计跨国旅游產品，特別是推出柬泰游；投中国游客爱购物喜好，推出更多有吸引力的產品；提昇中文应用环境，让不諳外语的中国游客感到宾至如归。
方便中国游客
柬英中文並用
旅游部长唐坤在柬埔寨旅游策略研討会上表示，旅游部鼓励酒店、餐厅、观光渡假胜地业者，在告示牌和菜单上使用三种语文，即柬文、英文和中文。
唐坤表示，“中国游客现在很富裕，越来越多的中国旅客出境旅游.......他们很爱购买高档名牌和奢侈品。”看准这一点，柬埔寨必须扩充高档购物中心，增设更多正宗的中餐厅，提供最优的中国菜。
根据策略，投中国旅客所好，旅游部將联合私人领域和相关机构，在首都金边、暹粒和西哈努克市成立唐人街，里面將包含购物中心、中国古庙、酒店、餐厅、按摩院、娱乐中心、骑马和骑大象等。同时旅游部也將大力宣传中华文化和习俗，包括中秋节文化、华人新年和舞狮比赛等。另外，柬埔寨国內电视台也將设立更多中文节目，同时各大酒店、旅游度假村等电视台必须设有中国频道。
旅游部市场运营和宣传局长苏速堤表示，目前，旅游部正与谷歌加强合作，进一步推广网上宣传。同时，也在中国CCTV和美国有线电视新闻网等加大宣传。
吸引中国游客的部份策略
●在3个城市设立唐人街
●宣传中华文化和习俗
●开通更多中文节目
●在网络与新闻网扩大宣传柬
●扩大中文应用环境
●培训更多中文导游
●须扩充高档购物中心
●增设更多正宗中式餐厅
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
旅游部长唐坤：柬埔寨与中国的外交关係日益巩固，这將有助於柬埔寨吸引更多的中国旅客。
柬埔寨旅游部將在首都金边、暹粒和西哈努克市成立唐人街，以大力宣传中华文化和习俗，希望藉此力爭更多中国旅客。
旅游部昨日敲定其5年策略，计划於2018年吸引130万中国旅客人次。此项策略將递交內阁事务部。
旅游部市场运营和宣传局长苏速堤昨日在出席柬埔寨旅游策略研討会上表示，目前，中国已经成为柬埔寨第三大旅客来源国。
柬埔寨於2012年接待中国游客达33万3千890人次，同比增长35%。今年首4个月，入境中国旅客达17万4千150人次，同比增长55%。
“我们正把眼光放到中国庞大的旅游市场。”
他说，通过此项策略，柬埔寨希望把到访的中国游客人数，从2015年的60万人次，增至2018年的130万人次。
为了实现这个目標，柬埔寨將继续向中国扩大柬埔寨旅游目的地宣传，及鼓励更多直航的开通。策略计划书提到，从中国飞往柬埔寨的费用较区域国家来的高，让中国旅客留下负面经验，柬埔寨將克服这方面的问题。
根据策略计划，柬埔寨將在机场准备中文语言的出入境表格和告示牌、使用中文路名，研究成立唐人街和培训更多华语导游。
据策略计划，为了迎接庞大的中国旅客，柬埔寨对华语导游需求量增大。2015年，估计需要1千200名华语导游，而2020年则增至2千400人。
去年消费逾千亿美元
中国游客量世界第一
中国旅游专家建议，我国可以通过加大在中国境內的旅游宣传，及投中国游客爱购物喜好，爭取更多中国游客前来观光。
中国旅游研究院国际旅游研究所代表李创新博士指出，去年共有8千821万人次的中国公民出国旅游，超过美国和德国，成为全球最大的旅客来源国，並总共花费1千零20亿美元；今年，出国游的中国人预计將达9千400万人次，总花费达1千180亿美元，增长20%。
他说，出国的中国游客中，约七成是前往香港、澳门和台湾观光。
他说，到东南亚旅游的中国游客，主要是集中在泰国、马来西亚和新加坡等三国，其余国家则占少数。而到柬埔寨观光的游客，大多是来自广东和广西省。
“这种情况和歷史因素有关。泰国早在1988年便向中国提供直航服务，因此成为中国游客最早观光的国家；马国和新加坡也意识到中国市场的重要性，紧接著在1990年对中国进行大力宣传，加上当地华侨在中国有许多亲戚，很快便成为中国出国旅游的热门景点。”
他坦言，中国人民仍对柬埔寨存有错误印象，认为到这个国家旅游不安全，因此我国政府有必要大力宣传，以纠正上述误解。
他指出，在泰国取景拍摄的中国电影《泰囧》放映后，在中国掀起一阵旅游泰国热，给泰国的旅游业带来巨大收益，我国可以此作为参考。
他指出，我国政府也可以考虑採取其他措施，包括设计跨国旅游產品，特別是推出柬泰游；投中国游客爱购物喜好，推出更多有吸引力的產品；提昇中文应用环境，让不諳外语的中国游客感到宾至如归。
方便中国游客
柬英中文並用
旅游部长唐坤在柬埔寨旅游策略研討会上表示，旅游部鼓励酒店、餐厅、观光渡假胜地业者，在告示牌和菜单上使用三种语文，即柬文、英文和中文。
唐坤表示，“中国游客现在很富裕，越来越多的中国旅客出境旅游.......他们很爱购买高档名牌和奢侈品。”看准这一点，柬埔寨必须扩充高档购物中心，增设更多正宗的中餐厅，提供最优的中国菜。
根据策略，投中国旅客所好，旅游部將联合私人领域和相关机构，在首都金边、暹粒和西哈努克市成立唐人街，里面將包含购物中心、中国古庙、酒店、餐厅、按摩院、娱乐中心、骑马和骑大象等。同时旅游部也將大力宣传中华文化和习俗，包括中秋节文化、华人新年和舞狮比赛等。另外，柬埔寨国內电视台也將设立更多中文节目，同时各大酒店、旅游度假村等电视台必须设有中国频道。
旅游部市场运营和宣传局长苏速堤表示，目前，旅游部正与谷歌加强合作，进一步推广网上宣传。同时，也在中国CCTV和美国有线电视新闻网等加大宣传。
吸引中国游客的部份策略
●在3个城市设立唐人街
●宣传中华文化和习俗
●开通更多中文节目
●在网络与新闻网扩大宣传柬
●扩大中文应用环境
●培训更多中文导游
●须扩充高档购物中心
●增设更多正宗中式餐厅
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
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