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The last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge; mystical auras, folk tales of riches and legends, a land filled with precious stones and a magical mountain. Welcome to Pailin.
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Escaping a terrible fate, a beautiful woman plunges into a swirling river and a myth is born. But the reducing number of dolphins is threatening the time honoured special relationship between the locals and the animals.
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Over a hundred km from the provincial town of Kampong Cham, the enchanting sound of birds singing in the forest fills the air. Ahead lays the natural romantic beauty of the Haung waterfall. For the superstitious and the curious; this is a magical, mystical place.
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Over a thousand feet up, with a swirling mist and sharp dew, the stunning view of the Gulf of Thailand is endlessly disrupted by the roaring sound of trucks. Part of the Elephant range of mountains in Kampot and located in one of Cambodia’s six national parks, Bokar Mountain has a long and interesting history. It will soon have an interesting future.
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Vihear Sour may seem like an ordinary rural pagoda but its unassuming façade conceals one of Cambodia’s most sacred spots.
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Whispered prayers mingle with the sigh of white water tumbling from jagged cliffs. White-robed, cadaverous Ajar, Cambodia’s esoteric wise men, offer blessings to a crowd of well dressed Khmers, fragrant minarets of smoke rising from their smouldering incense. This is Phnom Kulen or Kulen Mountain perhaps Cambodia’s most revered sacred grove.
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Beneath the remains of a ruined house in the middle of the forest there is a silent underground house with the loud, sweet sound of bats as well as the sound of a water fall. The house, now in ruins, is that of the Cambodian Democratic leader, Ta Mok, Brother No.1.
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Tourism is bringing visitors to almost every corner of Cambodia, breathing life into ancient cities. Yet Sambor Prei Kuk, once the bustling heart of a mighty empire, remains a deserted relic.
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Under the bright light which were being beautified with small tros [Cambodian Traditional musician instruments to catch fish] as well as Cambodia traditional music is being played by a disable band in front of the entrance to get some money from the visitors or buyers who goes shopping in Angkor Night Market.
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Rising abruptly from emerald paddies with the mist shrouded Cardomoms behind, Phnom Sor (White Mountain) is the scenic setting of a fading culture.
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Noisy, dusty streets jammed with honking cars – to the casual eye Phnom Penh has little to offer. Yet Cambodians and foreigners alike are flocking to the city which was once "Paris of the East".
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Splashing and laughter has replaced the droning propaganda and endless thud of mattock against mud. This is the reservoir known as Ang Teuk Kamping Puoy, symbol of a Kingdom struggling to come to terms with its terrible past.
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Ecotourism, Asia’s new buzzword, seems at first glance to be the ideal way to ‘save the forest’, although without the support of local communities and a constant stream of visitors, ecotourism remains a pipedream. Phnom Penh based NGO Khmer Community Development (KCD) think they have found the ideal balance.
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“Kampong Loung Duong Chet [Kampong Luong is my heart],” sang famed Khmer crooner Sin Sisamuth; visitors to the floating village on the Tonle Sap lake soon see why.
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Thick slimy mud makes the 10km to Ka Chagn Falls is an hour-long odyssey of thrills and many spills. The little known resort provides a cash income for the Tapon, one of Ratannakiri’s many ethnic minorities.
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Timeless and sublime, the dusty approach to the forest temple of Prasat Prei Basack is without parallel. Flocks of birds lazily rise from a shimmering lake, cows and buffaloes lethargically chew their cud.
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