Excerpted from To Cambodia With Love: A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur.
How do I describe my love of Cambodia? I’m not the world’s greatest wordsmith, so I’ll keep it simple. In 1994 I came to this country for five of the most exhilarating, nerve-jangling, and frightening days of my life-and that was it. I was hooked, completely, by a country and a people who’ve subsequently enriched my life to a degree I never thought possible. Those five days sparked a passion that grew with each of my annual visits, culminating in my migration here three years ago. I truly feel at home, I belong, I love every day of my life here, and I want to share my passion for this country with everyone. To Cambodia With Love is the perfect vehicle to do just that.
Fortunately, you don’t have to read my inadequate prose to understand the essence of Cambodia. I’ve joined forces with more than sixty contributors who know this country as well as I do-better in many instances-and who I’m convinced will inspire you to come and see for yourself why this beautiful land is so alluring. Whether it’s acclaimed memoirist Loung Ung eating chive rice cakes in the Russian Market inPhnom Penh, journalist Karen Coates exploring a bird sanctuary in Preah Vihear Province, pioneering guidebook author Ray Zepp riding a traditionalnorry along countryside railway tracks, or scholar and Angkor historian Dawn Rooney explaining her favorite time to visit Cambodia’s most celebrated temple, there are essays to feed your obsession if you’re already hooked, or spark a love that will continue to grow after your Cambodian baptism.
I urge you to discover and unearth Cambodia’s secrets, some of which you will find within these pages, others you must find for yourself-and you will, I assure you. Wander amongst the crowded maze of its markets, absorb the slow pace of village life in a rural landscape where few travelers venture, discover the unique lifestyle along the Mekong River, and above all, appreciate a culture and setting that spawned the incredible temples of Angkor, the jewel in Cambodia’s crown. Fifteen years ago, I was blessed to see the Angkor temples without the crowds, to experience sunrise over the pineapple towers of Angkor Wat in glorious solitude, and for that I will be eternally grateful. Though the secret of Angkor is now well and truly out in the open-it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world-there are still many opportunities to grasp your own special memories and lock them away forever, as I have … beginning with a few suggestions in this book.
I know it’s a bit of a tired cliché that it’s the people of this and that country that make it such a wonderful place, but the truth is, they really do. Cambodia is no different. After weathering decades of bloodshed and civil war, poverty, and instability, the Khmer have proved their incredible resilience, and their smile remains as bewitching as it has throughout time. The friendships I’ve developed over the years will last forever. No one will leave Cambodia without a large chunk of admiration and fondness for the people they encounter. You have my guarantee.
This is not a definitive guide to Cambodia. Far from it. It is about inspiration, discovery, sharing, and above all else, a love and a respect for a country that has changed my life forever, as I hope it will change yours.
Andy Brouwer
Editor, To Cambodia With Love
Editor, To Cambodia With Love
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