GUEST ARTICLE: After visiting Phnom Penh we rented a car and driver and drove 300kms to Siem Reap. Getting out of the city was a bit slow going at first because of the traffic but fortunately it thinned out as we entered the countryside.

About 70kms out of Siem Reap we came upon a town called Skuon and stopped at “Tarantulaville.”

I’m not the biggest arachnid fan but considering this very unique tourist attraction my curiosity soon took over. Before I knew it I had a very big hairy new friend walking up my arm. Luckily they de-fang those big boys beforehand as they are quite poisonous. Amongst a throng of other terrified and curious tourists there were big white buckets full of live tarantulas ready for the deep fryer, and then laid out on platters to be sold to any takers. I chickened out on the taste testing but got some great shots of others enjoying these deep fried morsels ~ eek!!!

After that rather interesting experience we were back on the road gazing at the beautiful countryside. Along the way we passed small bamboo huts and ladies raking out rice on driveways to dry in the sun. There were plenty of smiley faced children pedalling home from school and local farmers with little stands set up alongside the road. About 5 hours later we reached the picturesque city of Siem Reap.

We checked into a great little boutique hotel we found on Tripadvisor called Pavillon D’Orient. So far the accommodations we’d stayed at had been excellent and very beautifully done in Cambodian style. This one was particularly good because of the price and also because we had at our disposal our own personal car and driver during the day and a tuk tuk and driver at night. That was an especially nice perk and the drivers were excellent guides to all the must see and do’s.

Dining in Siem Reap was a great experience. Downtown there is a network of cosy little alleyways boasting all types of restaurants and cuisines. After dinner we wandered over to the local Night Market and scoped out the shops. Once we had our fill of shopping we partook in a massage. I love Cambodian massages and the price is the lowest we’ve ever seen at $3/hr! We also tried a Dr.Fish massage but the whole feeling of thousands of little fish attached to my skin gave me the willies.

The last two days of our trip we spent touring all of the fascinating surrounding Temples (which of course is the main reason everyone goes to Siem Reap). We found an excellent guide called Vanny and he took us to a series of different temples found just outside of Siem Reap. The weather was stifling hot so it was always best to do these tours as early as we could to try and beat the heat. We wound our way through a labyrinth of the most beautifully carved temples we had ever seen.

Our fist temple was the Bayon Temple. The architecture and intricate carvings were mesmerising and learning about the history from Vanny was very interesting. All of these temples were built between the 11th and 12th centuries. There are many stories depicted on the walls of these temples and tell of the daily life, tragedies and victories that occurred over the centuries of different rule.

One very unique temple was the Lady Temple. This particular temple was definitely worth a look since it is the only temple with all of its carvings done into brick. The colour of the temple is warm rosy pink and when the sun is just right it looks really beautiful. We learned that carving into brick was very delicate and timely work but the result is nothing short of amazing.

The Angkor Wat Temple is really majestic and massive. The long cobblestone walkway to the temple is impressive and once we passed the outer gates we got a really good look at the grandeur of the temple in all its glory. Huge carved columns jutted out and a maze of lengthy intricately carved stonewalls within were absolutely breathtaking.

One Temple that really stood out to us and I have to say was our favourite was the ‘Tomb Raider’ Temple. They called it this because this is where Angelina Jolie made her film Tomb Raider back in 2001. The people really love her and all the publicity it produced for the area.

Giant Silk Cotton trees grow throughout the temple snaking themselves amongst the stone and hugging it in all the right places. We loved this place it was like stepping into some kind of fairytale land. Luckily for us there weren’t that many tourists that day so we got to spend quite a bit of time there exploring and taking it all in.

There were a few temples that we didn’t get to but that just means we’ll have to return again one day – no problem!! We were absolutely taken with Cambodia, with its culture, wonderful people and history. It is an amazing country and we fully enjoyed our trip. This is one of our favourites by far, make sure to put this one on your hit list its not to be missed

Rob Gowers Siem Reap Cambodia photos

This travel diary has been written by Rob Gower, a traveler who works part-time for a bus hire company and enjoys traveling along roads less traveled!

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: This was our first time to Cambodia and oh what a time we had! We arrived in early March just at the end of dry season. The temperature was still pretty hot but still made for some great days and beautiful warm nights. We caught a cab from the airport to our hotel The Pavilion located in the historical centre.

The streets were packed with anywhere from 1-5, yes 5 people per motorbike! Along with your typical barrage of vehicles crowding the streets. Say goodbye to lanes and hello to a symphony of chaotic driving. It’s actually not all that bad once you get used to the rhythm of it all.

An hour later we were warmly greeted at our beautiful little boutique hotel. Our room was great and we even had our own private pool, not bad for $90AUD eh! Phnom Penh has quite a bit of French influence (a result of French Indochina) from the beautiful architecture to the delectable food.

American currency is mainly used but there is still some Riel used as well. The price of things are really cheap, we had quite a few dinners for two for only $20. A pint of Angkor beer only costs about 0.75 and a good glass of vino for $3 ~ perfect! Cambodian food is really good and we particularly liked a local dish called Chicken Amok.

The local Tuk-Tuks are a great way to get around and I have to say they have to be the comfiest we’ve ever been in and conveniently there’s no shortage of them. They don’t cost much and you can always do a bit of friendly haggling to get where you want. Although if you are going on a big excursion a taxi would probably be more comfortable especially in the heat.

There is a nice strip along the waterfront with restaurants boasting all types of cuisines and nightlife (The Riverfront Area). There are also heaps of cheap massage shops nestled among the local shops. When dusk settles you can find the locals along the riverfront doing group exercises and local vendors selling all types of treats. There are also plenty of boats for hire if you feel like a cruise on the river (also very nice – a one hour private boat trip in a very big boat with crew cost just $20).

There is plenty of shopping to do in Phnom Penh. We went to the Russian and Central Markets which are both really big and full of lots of goodies. Make sure you give yourself some time though and do some price comparison shopping. I noticed that prices varied quite a bit especially when it came to jewellery. Don’t fall for the ‘weigh scale,’ trick (as if the metal used is precious).

After we finished with all of the city touring we settled in for the night before our visit to S21 and The Killing Fields the next day.

Our first stop was to S21 (Tuol Sleng, Cambodia Genocide Museum). We recommend you go there first in order to learn the history before going to the Killing Fields. S21 used to be a high school but later acted as a notorious security prison used by the Khmer Rouge during the Pol Pot regime from 1975-1979. After paying our small entrance fee we hired ourselves a guide, something that is a definite must.

Our guide was excellent and being a survivor of Pol Pot’s atrocities she made the experience even more moving. She told us of the unspeakable torture that went on in the prison. From 1975-79 thousands of people were rounded up and brought to this prison to be ‘interrogated.’ Intellectuals, young children and elders were mainly targeted. If they weren’t executed right away they were sent out to the fields to work in horrific conditions.

Our guide was only 14 when the Khmer Rouge took over Phnom Penh, her whole family was executed and she was sent to work in the rice fields under the watchful eye of cruel farmers who had sided with the regime. She showed us deep scars on her legs from being beaten with bamboo sticks and she still has trouble sleeping at night.

During our tour she pointed out some ex-Khmer Rouge soldiers who were also visiting the museum that day. Every one of the Khmer Rouge besides a few that were involved in Pol Pot’s regime have all been exonerated. Obviously it’s difficult for her to see them but even more so when she is asked to be their guide. I can’t even imagine how it must make her feel…

After brutal interrogation techniques were used on thousands of prisoners at S21, they were herded into the back of trucks and taken to a place called Choeung Ek. It used to be an orchard and a Chinese graveyard but it would later be known as the infamous “Killing Fields.” Prisoners were taken there and horribly executed and then placed in mass graves.

After S21 we drove to see these Killing Fields and were shocked by the giant memorial building, a Buddhist Shrine full of over 5,000 victims skulls. We hired a guide there as well and not surprisingly he was also an unfortunate victim of the regime. Behind the shrine are the Killing Fields, deep pits overgrown with grass but sadly fragments of clothing and bones were still clearly visible. Our guide told us this was one of the biggest burial sites with about 20,000 victims.

There’s a sign showing us where they played music from a loud speaker from a tree they dubbed ‘The Magic Tree.’ This was a common technique used to help cover up the screams from the victims. After the killings D.D.T was used to cover up the smell of the bodies. The terrible genocide of nearly 3 million people that occurred over Pol Pot’s 4-year regime is absolutely horrific and the destruction caused is still present to this day.

Visiting these sights was heartbreaking, it’s so hard to believe that this happened and not so long ago. I can’t even fathom what these poor people went through but I think it’s very important that we learn from it and never forget. We really loved the warm hospitality of the Cambodian people. After everything they’ve been through it’s amazing how resilient and amiable they are. The city itself was a nice surprise – clean, full of life, lots to do and very cheap.

After 3 nights, we headed off on the next step on our Cambodian adventure – a drive to Siem Reap.

Rob Gower’s Phnom Penh, Cambodia Photo Gallery

This travel diary has been written by Rob Gower, a traveler who works part-time for a bus hire company and enjoys traveling along roads less traveled!

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

Since this is a travel and photography blog I thought I’d highlight a few of my favourite 2011 photos rather than write about the year. Visit my Flickr profile to see more photos.

My Xmas/New Year Tasmanian family road trip holiday covered Hobart, Freycinet, Bicheno, Bay of Fires and Cradle Mountain.

Wombats in the Wild – Cradle Mountain, Tasmania.

2011 was a very busy period for work so I only had limited opportunities for random photo walks exploring my local area.

During the year I travelled for photography/journalism work to New Zealand’s South Island, the remote North West Kimberley region of Western Australia, Osaka and Tokyo Japan, the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, Darwin, Northern Territory, Bali, Indonesia and Canberra to report on President Obama’s trip as well as my visit to the NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.

My interest in street art and street photography increased throughout 2011.

Outpost Project – Street Art Exhibition Cockatoo Island, Sydney

Although I don’t drink I found myself in pubs many times this year for pub trivia competitions and other social events.

Other Favourite Photos

It’s been unseasonably cool and rainy for Sydney summertime this December.

Last night there was a full lunar eclipse, where the Earth blocked the Sun’s rays of light from hitting the moon and I like many photographers around the world was awake trying to take photos of it. Many articles on the internet still give advice about how to take Lunar Eclipse photos with a film camera so here are some general tips for more modern digital cameras!

photo credit: Neerav Bhatt – Lunar Eclipse 10/11 December 2011 – Viewed from Sydney Australia (Canon 60D with 70-300mm L lens @ 480mm (35mm equiv)

photo credit: Neerav Bhatt – Lunar Eclipse 28th August 2007 – Viewed from Sydney Australia (Panasonic FZ30 420mm @ 35mm equivalent)

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun’s rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a full moon. This NASA video explains the science in an easy to understand way.

Best Camera Settings & Tips for Great Lunar Eclipse Photos

There are lots of articles out there telling you to use very specific camera settings to take lunar eclipse photos but I think they’re wrong to be so exact because people are using so many different types of cameras/lenses and taking photos from such diverse places around the world with different weather and atmospheric conditions in the sky above them that any single set of camera settings won’t work for everyone.

In general though:

• Use a tripod if possible – though it is possible to take eclipse photos with a handheld camera like my 11 Dec Eclipse photo at top of this page if you have a *very* steady grip and use a high enough ISO setting
• A medium/high end digital SLR with a quality telephoto/zoom lense is a lot more likely to get you an eclipse photo with a visible moon large enough to see details.
• If you don’t have a big zoom lense you can take wide angle photos of the moon as it moves across the sky and becomes more eclipsed, totality (fully covered), then less eclipsed. If you stack these photos together it can look very creative.
• If your camera is set up on a tripod use a remote/cable trigger to take photos as this will keep the camera steady compared to you pressing the photo button with a finger.

More technically:

• Turn off the flash! The moon is far far away. All your flash will do is light up a few metres around you and totally spoil the eclipse photo as well as your night vision ability to see the eclipse with your eyes.
• Using spot focus and spot metering with the camera focused right on the moon will help you get a photo of the moon with detail and colour rather than an overexposed white blob
• Don’t use a fixed shutter speed all night. The apparent brightness of the moon will change a lot depending on how much of it is covered by the Earth’s shadow. Set the shutter manually and experiment or set it to Auto if your camera is good enough.
• Don’t use a long shutter speed like 1 second or more because the moon moves across the sky and a long camera exposure will make the photo look blurred.
• Use +- bracketing if possible and experiment with different ISO settings to see which setting yields good detail and colour at any given moment
• Don’t be afraid to use a higher ISO (make the camera more sensitive to light) if your first few photos are blurry due to shakiness on your part. I took the photo at the top of this page at ISO Speed: 1250 handheld.
• If taking eclipse photos with your camera on a tripod you’ll be able to close down the Aperture (F stop) to whatever the optimal setting aka sweet spot is for your lens eg: F8 whcih will result in a sharper photo with better details. Every lens is different so you will need to experiment to find the sweet spot.
• If hand holding the camera without a tripod it’s going to be very hard for you to take a sharp photo with shutter speed slower than 1/30th second (amateur photographers) or 1/6th second (professional photographers)

Good Examples of Creative Lunar Eclipse Photography

Photos of an eclipse with dark sky or clouds are very good but the best photos have something else in the background like a bridge, building, mountain landscape etc or if you’re really lucky a plane flying across the moon.

photo credit: a total eclipse of the cold moon by yellow_bird_woodstock, on Flickr

photo credit: Lunar Eclipse by puzzlescript, on Flickr

I created a Flickr Group Pool called Lunar Eclipse 10th/11th December 2011 (10-11/12/2011) where I invited creative photographers to add their eclipse photos. EDITED: Unfortunately you cannot view them as a slideshow because that would breach copyright.

After spending 48 hours in Darwin, I was a guest of Air Asia on a very brief tour of Bali. Air Asia is a Malaysian owned Airline that has a fleet of Airbus A320 jets covering South East Asia and has won the Skytrax award for Worlds Best Low-Cost Airline in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In Mid 2011 Air Asia agreed to purchase 200 more Airbus A320neo jets which the BBC reported is the “largest single order of commercial aircraft in history”.

Bali Airport – Entry/Exit Fees/Taxes

Do not let porters at the airport wearing grey/blue shirts wheel your luggage. They will want payment before they give the luggage back.

The first thing you have to do at Bali’s Denpasar International Airport is to pay a $US25 entry visa. You can pay in Australian dollars upon arrival in Indonesia and they will give you change at a good rate if you pay them with a $50 or $100 Australian note.

You’ll get a far better currency conversion rate at money changers located at Bali Airport than you will at the Travelex foreign exchange booth at Darwin Airport

On departure you need to pay 150,000 Rupiah exactly in local currency before you can fly home. I suggest using the 28 Degrees Credit Card whenever overseas to save on bank fees and get a good foreign exchange rate.

Accommodation and General Advice

The heat, humidity and smells of Asia signal that you’re in a very different part of the world even though the flight from Darwin only takes about 2 and a half hours. The sun is harsh so sunscreen a hat and drinking *lots* of water is a must. I don’t generally like buying bottled water because it is so wasteful but don’t drink the Bali tap water which tastes horrible and might give you “Bali belly”.

Different Indonesian islands/regions can have very different cultures and languages although Bahasa is the common over arching language spoken by everyone. Ma Ca Si is slang for thank you.

It must be said that unfortunately the tropical weather and affordable prices offered by Bali attracts a certain kind of Australian, namely “Bogan” in droves. Stay away from Kuta, Legian and parts of Seminyak frequented by these people if you’re the kind of traveller who is polite to locals, wants to learn their culture, view the scenery and not just get smashed drinking the local beer.

Places like Nusa Dua or Ubud are far better places to visit and it’s not just me saying that. An article in the Jakarta Globe newspaper addressed this exact topic just a few days ago:

“To give you a quick rundown, in Australia the term bogan denotes an individual who comes from a lower class of society with limited education. The term is usually used in a pejorative manner in daily conversation. The bogan is similar to America’s redneck”

“The image of Bali as Indonesia’s main tourist attraction soon lost its appeal as I strolled the streets of Legian-Kuta. It was as if I was back in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, like Dandenong or Chadstone. There were the tribes of bogan males everywhere sporting the ubiquitous Bintang singlets, shorts and thongs with tattoos covering their pale, hairy arms.”
- Jakarta Globe

I was a guest of Oasis Beach Benoa Hotel but unfortunately as the trip was so short (about 36 hours) I didn’t really get to use any of it’s facilities.

Transport

If you arrive/depart Bali on the weekend you’ll be less affected by the road traffic which can be quite congested.

While it might seem fun to ride a scooter or motorbike it is really unsafe as accidents occur often and road rules are treated as an option to follow or not.

Scooters/Motorbikes are a popular form of transport for local Balinese because they can’t afford cars. It is common to see families of mum+dad+child on one scooter as you can see below and also mobile shops cunningly designed to fit around the scooter. Poorer entrepreneurial Balinese work as “Jockeys”, hiring themselves out to sit in someones car so it qualifies to drive in faster lanes meant to reduce congestion.

Food & Religion

The Hindu religion is prominent in Bali. A large proportion of people’s income and time is spent on ceremonies. Ceremonial offerings can be seen everywhere outside shops and homes and in vehicles. Tanah Lot (land on the sea) built in the 11th century and extended in 16th century is one of the 6 main temples in Bali.

Rice is the staple food in Bali and subsistence farming is a common occupation. A temple dedicated to the goddess of agriculture on the edge of the rice field is placed there by the farmer to help the crop succeed.

Beach Bars

Ku De Ta beach bar and the Potato Head Beach Club are popular places for Australians and other Western tourists to relax.

The Potato Head Beach Club has a unique look with a facade of 18th century teak shutters collected from across the Indonesia.

Ku De Ta has live DJ’s playing Chillout music (my favourite). You can can listen to Ku De Ta radio syndicated on some days in Australia via the KOFFEE digital/online radio station.

Batik – Local Souvenir

My recommendation for a good quality local souvenir is a Batik scarf or other clothing. Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique.

Photo Highlights – Brief Glimpse of Bali Indonesia

Some of my Bali highlights photos have been displayed in this article but you can view all of them here or in a slideshow below:

DISCLAIMER: Almost all expenses for this trip were covered by Air Asia and it was organised by Bali Plus who arranged for a great guide called Sedana. I have full editorial control over the topics I want to write about on this trip and what I say.

Earlier this week I visited NASA’s Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) located at Tidbinbilla, 40min drive from Canberra in the Australian Capitol Territory (ACT). CDSCC’s radio telescopes provide continuous radio contact with spacecraft exploring the Solar System and beyond such as Cassini (Saturn), twin Exploration Rovers (Mars), Messenger spacecraft (Mercury), New Horizons spacecraft (Pluto) and Voyager 1 and 2, which have been in space for over 30 years.

The radio telescopes at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex are part of 3 stations in NASA’s Deep Space Network, the other two are located in Madrid (Spain) and Goldstone (USA). Tidbinbilla is operated by the CSIRO on behalf of NASA.

View Larger Map

The CDSCC Visitors centre has informative displays that will enthrall space fans young and old. The attached Moon Rock Café has a great view of one of the telescopes and serves good quality well priced food and drinks. I couldn’t resist buying a navy blue NASA baseball cap from the Gift Shop – a bargain at $15.50.

To drive to the CDSCC from the centre of Canberra follow the signs for Tourist Drive 5 (TD5). GPS Users: Enter into your nav.system: Discovery Drive, Paddys River District or coordinates: -35.39972,148.97086.

Glen Nagle (Education and Public Outreach Manager for CDSCC pictured above) gave my friend Nick Hodge and I a tour of the facility so I had background information for an article about the CDSCC for GEARE magazine. That article will only have space for some of the photos I took so here is a selection of the most interesting photos. You can view all of my Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex photos at Flickr.