History
Little is known about the early history of Cambodia. Archeological evidence suggests that the area was occupied and cultivated from at least 4000BC. These early dwellers lived in buildings similar to those inhabited by today's Khmers, indicating that they may be direct ancestors, but the origin of these first settlers and the date of their arrival in Cambodia is unknown. It wasn't until the first century AD that the indigenous population began to adopt advanced concepts of rice cultivation, religious beliefs and social structure and to establish themselves as a civilization worthy of note. This transformation owes much to the visiting Indian traders, en route to China, who brought ideas as well as goods to the region. Thus, the area to the west of the Mekong Delta began establishing itself as an important commercial settlement centred around the port of Oc Eo (now in Vietnam). The civilization became known by the Chinese as Funan. The Indianized Funan port community enjoyed prosperity for several centuries, but gradually declined in importance from the sixth century, as farmers began to move away and cultivate the fertile areas around the Mekong and Tonle Sap. From this time, the Chinese referred to the inhabitants as the Chenla . Although this term implies a cohesive culture, the Chenla actually consisted of small, disparate fiefdoms operating independently. It took the foresight and inspirational guidance of Jayavarman II, recently returned from Indonesia, to guide these rival factions towards a prosperous unification.
jars of clayyi says "a must go place in Phonm Penh if you like great English food.
Waitresses speak gently in sweet English." siem reap wondersFistri Abdul Rahim says "its not just Angkor that's amazing, check out the Old Markets and the wonderfully friendly shopowners, Shop no 35 especially! Me and friend came back a second time and she offered us a great Siem Reap snack that is so tastefully sweet we just got to grab a few pieces to bring home.
Also, go around in the Tuk-tuks rather than the mini vans or cars, that way you could see the sights first hand and feel the breeze (and dust! hahah).
Oh and when you just want to chill and see the world go by, sit by the verandah on the ground floor or get a seat next to the balcony at the great, Grand Cafe. The profiterolles were great and so is the fresh orange juice!" Explore South-East Asia On Line (Video + Stills)David Mundstock says "My film "Ho Asked Me to Go” presents an exciting trip to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. It features Bangkok, Angkor Wat, Cambodian court dancing, both north and south Vietnam, including Hanoi’s water puppet theater, the Great Sacred Stupa of Laos, and Luang Prabang with its dazzling Buddhist temples, plus much more.
The video can be seen on the web, if you have a high speed internet connection.
This is a free, non-commercial, streaming video on the Windows Media Player. No ads and no strings attached. I still sell absolutely nothing.
With any modem you can view the gallery of still pictures from this trip.
There are 30 of my other amateur travel videos on-line including trips to China, Russia, Antarctica, Italy, the UK, Australia, Bali, Japan, Africa, Greece, and Turkey; see lions, whales, elephants, or penguins.
The planet is yours, including my Home Page giant galaxy of still pictures.
To watch the videos or view the stills, ask a search engine for: Intrepid Berkeley Explorer"
Your Tip for Cambodia
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Cambodia - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Cambodia - visit the main Cambodia forum to ask a question!
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