A Trip to Siem Reap is What You Need for a Mindful You

I once had a client who was a Soul Therapist and at that time, I didn’t know that a profession like that existed. Being the curious person that I am, I took the role of being her instructional designer. In one of our virtual meetings, she explained to me about her process of renewing her energy frequency. She would go to ancient places to renew her vibration. To me, it was a novel idea because I only believed in strengthening my passion and faith in life through prayers.

I didn’t know that months later, I would be adopting this kind of belief. Every year,I found myself visiting more and more local ancient temples, mountains, waterfalls, heritage sites, and whispering a prayer of guidance and strength.

I promised myself that I would keep on taking myself to places with spiritual energies even internationally. On my bucket list was Siem Reap in Cambodia and I fulfilled this promise almost a year ago.

Let me share with you why a trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia is what you need for a mindful you.

My 7-Day Trip

🧳 My Accommodation

📍Three Little Birds Boutique Hotel

I booked a 6-night stay at the Three Little Birds at Sok San Road in Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia and it was a great choice for just $180 USD. I discovered this boutique hotel over at Booking website, I just recently checked and found out that it is now closed. Their new name is Tiny Home and I assume that they’ve also changed their management. 

I had a wonderful time here as their breakfast offering was really good! The British owners were both welcoming and warm and even helped me with arranging my visit to the Angkor Wat.

🧳 My Discoveries

📍Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport

Speaking of fortunate events, I was so lucky to have experienced the newly opened airport at Siem Reap, the Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport. It was a bit controversial last year because it is primarily funded by China and it’s part of their global infrastructure development strategy.

I love that it’s clean, modern, and efficient in their processes. I’m sure there will be an extensive list of shops and amenities once more and more tourists flock to Siem Reap.

📍Cambodian Handicraft Incubation Center (Satcha)

Before I go to a country, I do my research on the spots I’d love to explore, however, I also allow myself to discover places when I’ve already set foot in the location. One such great learning experience for me was in this place called Satcha.

I have huge respect for handicrafts people and artisans because of their creativity, attention to details, and patience. Not only that, but they also help in preserving the tradition and culture of their country. To me, this is worthy of praise and appreciation. 

What Satcha does is they serve as a space where local artisans and talents can be trained to produce high quality crafts showcasing the heritage of Cambodia. They make textiles, baskets, figurines, jewelry, ceramics, pots, and many more. There’s a workshop inside where I got to see first hand how they create these items skillfully. Aside from this, they also have a concept store where these beautiful art pieces are sold.

The Cambodian Handicraft Incubation Center also assists the local artisans in marketing their finished products and even offers a shared workspace so they can cut on costs. Demonstrations and workshops are sometimes scheduled for public viewing to help in promoting the skills of the talents here. This center truly creates a valuable social impact. 

I capped off my visit by trying out local food offerings at their in-house cafe, such as coconut juice, Kuy Teav Beef Soup, and some local chocolates. I truly enjoyed my visit here because aside from the arts & crafts that I got to see being made, the whole place has this calm and humble environment.

If you’re considering a trip to Siem Reap, don’t forget this SATCHA center in your itinerary!

📍Angkor Botanical Garden

When I was around 7 years old, during summer, we would always head back to my father’s hometown and spend the whole two months there with my grandparents. One of my chores back then was to sweep the dried leaves in the garden and water the plants.

I don’t have a green thumb and I’m not a big nature lover. I’m also not a botany enthusiast, but I appreciate plants and flowers. It reminds me of those years in my childhood and I guess, I took this special liking for gardens with me as I grew older.

Whenever I visit a new country, I’d make sure to visit a nearby botanical garden. I just love landscapes, greenery, walking paths, and a relaxing environment. And in my experience, most of the time there’s no entrance fee!

All of these I found in the Angkor Botanical Garden, plus there’s a nice cozy cafe inside!

📍Two Famous Local Independent Cafes

Did we even travel if we did not try a local independent cafe? I’m a self-confessed cafe lover. I go to cafes for the smell of coffee, their aesthetic interiors, and overall ambience. You can check here my cafe discoveries in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Now, check out these great cafe finds I chanced upon in Siem Reap!

The Little Red Espresso

I get attracted to coffee shops that have this cozy and bohemian look and The Little Red Espresso is such. I would normally opt for a classic latte or a cappuccino, but here, I tried their unique concoction of latte. It’s called the Blue Pea Flower Latte and it has spices of star anise and cinnamon in it. I didn’t think that the taste would mesh together so well. They also have plant-based food selection so it’s great for a vegetarian and vegan diets. Do try this out when you visit The Little Red Espresso!

The Bean Embassy

Here’s where I had my brunch because according to my research, they serve good food and good beverage. I had a typical Khmer breakfast, Lok Lak, which consisted of rice, stir-fried beef, salad, spicy sauce, and egg. As for this beverage, it was the experimental side of me that took over. So, I ordered this refreshing coffee drink that has ginger ale in it. I thought that it was a weird combination, but I love the kick and zest from it!

📍Kandal Village

This space has a lot of potential for what they envision it to be. It’s a street that houses local and artisan shops. If this will boom, I see a street lined up with customers, both local and foreign tourists, supporting the country’s craftsmanship. It would look like a parade!

When I was here, I looked into shops that offer handwoven purses, scarves, bedsheets, carvings, leather good, and many more. I really hope that this area will grow into something that can truly showcase the Khmer life. A vibrant and charming one!

Location : Hap Guan St. Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

📍The Streets at Night

I read in one of the online forums that a trip to Siem Reap is incomplete without checking out the street markets. The streets of Siem Reap (at least in the area where I stayed near to) come alive at night with the vibrant markets filled with handicrafts and souvenir shops. The streets are also loaded with food, food, food! Of course, I was able to use a bit of my bargaining skills in here for a pair of coordinates, pants, and shirts.

The Angkor Pub Street has evolved over the years. Back in the day, it used to smaller and laid back. It’s now more bustling, commercialized, touristy, and diverse. It has opened doors of employment to the local people.

📍The Streets in the Morning

In the morning, it’s a great chance to explore the streets as it’s less crowded. I literally GRAB-bed my way around and just went around places. I also had a good time riding what they call the “La Remorque”. It’s somewhat like a tuktuk, but the whole motorcyle is separate from the body of the vehicle.

🧳 My Main Agenda

📍The Angkor Wat

I intentionally planned this trip to experience the Angkor Wat and I recommend you to add this to your bucket list. It’s marvelous! I still cannot wrap around my head how their ancestors managed to construct this huge empire. It’s truly an evidence of how genius, meticulous, and hardworking they were.

I left my hotel at 4:30am in the hope of catching the sunrise at the entrance of the site. There were so many people and it was quite hard to take a photo of the majestic front facade. The sun did not shine so much that morning, but I’m still thankful I got to immerse myself in the ambience of this religious place.

Having visited many temples here in Sri Lanka and a few in India, the Angkor Wat is a mesh of both religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. I was able to see those patterns in the towers and carvings. The whole place is just grand and beautiful. One day is not enough to go through all the major and minor temples.

When I was walking through the paths and touching the intricate carvings, I caught myself talking to the surroundings and just asking for blessings from the environment. I didn’t know really who I was talking to, but I was whispering prayers of gratitude and hope.

It was at this moment when I understood the advice of my Soul Therapist client in visit ancient places to renew your energy. Exploring the Angkor Wat made me more appreciative of legacy. Even after centuries of decay, the beauty of the temples endure because it reminds us of the time and effort put in by the ancient people. I’m sure they had their own share of obstacles and hardships to build this immensely huge site and they were able to overcome those. It’s that legacy of surviving, working hard, and thriving.

Another realization that hit me while I was there was there are certain things that will remain true in life. People work together for a common goal and for a shared purpose. Yes, we see wars and conflicts around us. However, there are also evidences that will remind us that we all can understand one another, collaborate, and work on something bigger than ourselves.

After this visit, I felt recharged and imbued with a different sense of hope. It changed my perspective a lot. Through ancient heritage sites like this, I realize how interconnected our cultures and values are and we must preserve those for the future generations.

Indeed, my energy frequency was restored. I could not believe that I spent a good precious time at the world’s largest religious structure! Photos cannot do justice to this wonderful creation.

Ancient Sites Make You More Mindful

What did a trip to Siem Reap teach me about mindfulness?

They say that one way to be mindful in life is to live in the present and just be more aware of the now. It’s a beautiful paradox that when we look back at the past, it helps us to be more mindful, too. Going on this trip compelled me to somehow disconnect from the world and determine my distractions. I became more immersed in my feelings and thoughts.

The concept of forest bathing was a bit vague to me until this visit in Siem Reap, particularly in the Angkor Wat area. I enjoyed touching enormous trees and ancient paths. It was a good mindfulness activity because I got to tune in to the different sounds and scents around me. I literally smelled the earth!

A trip to Siem Reap also gave me a change to slow down and destress. When you’re visiting a calm and laid back place, you kind of adjust to that pace as well and it’s what I needed.

My discovery of their arts, handcrafts, flora, fauna, and local food taught me a lot about creativity, and inspiration. I hope more and more people would discover what Siem Reap has to offer to the world.

The grateful person in me had a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for life. It’s ironic that for me to be more present, I had to be in an ancient site. A trip to Siem Reap is life changing! I’ll definitely pay a visit again to Cambodia and enjoy the other provinces and cities.

Do you love heritage sites? What are the ancient heritage spots you’ve been to? Are you thinking of a trip to Siem Reap? Do you also believe in visiting these places to recharge your energies? Share your thoughts below!

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