Cambodia
presents a few problems for people traveling with children. All
those skulls at the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh will induce
nightmares, and hiking untold acres of stone temples near Siem
Reap could elicit as much whining as wonder. But 30 km beyond
Angkor Wat is an exquisite mountain region of waterfalls, ancient
wreckage and riverbed carvings that leave visitors of any age
in awe—although trying to explain the thousand stone phalluses
to the youngsters might present a challenge.
Phnom Kulen is the holiest mountain in Cambodia and a picnic
destination for Khmer families. But few foreigners visit. On
this peak in 802, King Jayavarman II declared himself a Hindu
god-king and kicked off the four-century Angkor period of Khmer
history that produced the Angkor temples, constructed of Phnom
Kulen's sandstone. The Khmer Rouge used the mountain as a final
stronghold for two decades after losing power in 1979, so it's
only been three years since visitors have again been able to
enjoy the cool waters and artistic treasures.
The waters hold special religious significance for Hindus,
thanks to the carvings commissioned by Jayavarman II. The despot
ordered part of the river diverted temporarily so that hundreds
of phallic images could be carved into the sandstone floors
along a shady brook area. These lingams—which actually look
no more raunchy than rounded bumps—are surrounded by square
outlines that represent the vulva, as per Hindu tradition. Tourists
can slosh right into the shallow river to touch or photograph
the sculptures through the flowing water.
The water becomes holy by passing over this area before moving
downstream to a series of tiered waterfalls. At the top, where
Jayavarman II chose to bathe, he again had the river diverted
so that the stone bed could be carved with an elaborate rendering
of the Hindu god Vishnu. Vishnu is laying on the serpent Ananta,
with his wife Lakshmi at his feet and a lotus flower protrudes
from his navel bearing the god Brahma. Visitors can walk into
the water to take pictures but are instructed not to touch the
underwater carvings.
The river then drops about 4 m to a landing where court officials
bathed. Beyond that, the water cascades another 20 m and creates
a pool where the masses once washed. As in the days of Elizabethan
theater in London, when the best seats in the house—those closest
to the stage—were inexplicably given to peasants, the Khmer
commoners enjoyed the most beautiful section of the cascades,
where a majestic sunlit waterfall streams through dense jungle
growth. Today, Khmer families pass leisurely afternoons here:
children frolic, and Buddhist monks crouch along the river downstream
to wash their orange robes.
Buddhists co-opted Phnom Kulen as a holy site of their own
after the Hindu heyday. A 10-minute car ride up the mountain
brings tourists to Preah Ang Tho, a 16th century Buddhist monastery
notable for the giant reclining Buddha carved into the top of
a 20-m boulder. Climb the rickety wooden staircase to a landing
that surrounds the 17-m-long Buddha, where monks and believers
bow, burn incense and leave fruit.
The last major site on Phnom Kulen takes a bit of perseverance
and imagination to enjoy. From the base of Preah Ang Tho, hire
a motorbike driver for a challenging ride deep into the jungle
wilderness (cost: about $10). He'll take you to a clearing that
was home, about 1,000 years ago, to an Angkorian Period pottery
factory. Shards of jars and fragments of sculptures are everywhere,
seemingly untouched by archaeologists. Instead, amateurs, in
the form of residents from nearby villages, have tried putting
pieces together, standing them up against dead trees.
Mindful of the pillaging of Angkor Wat, the locals in and
around this magical Cambodian mountain want to keep the hordes
away. Some Siem Reap guesthouse managers warn that Phnom Kulen
is riddled with land mines, even though the paths are well worn
and thousands of Khmer visit every year without incident. Motorbike
drivers, too, routinely discourage travelers by insisting it's
too far, too expensive and there's not enough to do for the
effort. They're partly right; it's too bum-numbingly far on
a motorbike and, at about $150 for a day trip in a four-wheel
drive, getting there in comfort is pricey. For that money, though,
you get a proper guide from a reputable agency like Tamarind
Tours (tamarindtours.com)
or Lolei Travel
(asiatours.net/cambodia) . You'll need that because few
guidebooks explain the history or significance of the area in
detail and, contrary to what you'll be told, Phnom Kulen offers
plenty to know.
