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 Thirty-seven
steps - that's all it takes to reach heaven at the magical Angkor
Wat temple in
Cambodia.
The southern stairway to the iconic attraction was built to
represent the soul's journey to nirvana.
And after climbing the huge steps, in an ascent which seemed
almost vertical from the ground, the view from the top was paradise
indeed.
But then with its totemic towers, which are depicted on the
national flag, Angkor Wat makes a spellbinding sight from any angle.
Little wonder the Unesco world heritage site has been included in
the shortlist for the global poll to decide the new seven wonders of
the world.
The spectacular sandstone edifice, which featured prominently in
the movie Tomb Raider, was built in the 12th century to honour the
eight-armed god Vishnu.
It took 390,000 workers and 40,000 elephants more than 30 years
to build this spectacular landmark, which claims to be the largest
religious monument in the world.
Magnificently detailed, carved bas-reliefs line its corridors,
depicting stories from some of the great Hindu epics.
Angkor Wat is a timeless symbol of national pride in a country
desperately trying to leave behind some recent painful decades of
war and isolation.
But it is just one of around 100 ancient temples in the area
north of
Siem Reap that was once the heartland of the Khmer Empire.
Nearby is the Bayon Temple where more than 200 immense carved
stone faces grimace and grin from every direction. Another
incredible sight is the ruins of Ta Prohm, where the roots of trees
drip and spill like wax from giant candles over the ancient stones.
We took in all three stunning temples around Angkor Wat in one
day of sightseeing.
It was the fourth day of our tour of Cambodia and
Laos and both
former French colonies had made an instantly favourable impression,
especially when compared with other parts of South East Asia.
They make the perfect getaway for those who fear some areas of
Thailand have
become a tourist-plagued paradise lost.
Visitors will find ancient world sightseeing,
top quality hotels and outstanding natural beauty, along with
some of the world's friendliest people.
And one of the most attractive things about the region is there
is not a fast food outlet in sight - just some of the finest cuisine
ever to tickle a gourmand's palate.
The cooking - similar to Thai but not as spicy - was, after all,
once considered an art at the Cambodian and Laotian royal courts.
Eateries in Siem Reap marry high Gallic culinary standards with
the very best in local gastronomy. The award-winning restaurant at
our stylish five-star hotel,
Hotel de la Paix, was a case in point.
In this age of ethical travel, guests enjoying a pampering in
this hotel's luxury spa can salve their conscience in knowing a
chunk of their cash is being ploughed into a range of local
community-based projects such as education and food aid.
Our holiday had begun in
Bangkok four days
earlier, where I had a vastly different experience to my previous
visit nearly a decade ago.
Then, as a hardy hippy-trailing traveller, I ended up on the
backpacker-choked Khao San Road, but this time I stayed at the
Banyan Tree - a five-star hotel famous for Vertigo, its
aptly-named 61st floor rooftop restaurant. It was certainly a far
cry from the fleapit I previously stayed at in the Thai capital.
From Bangkok we flew to the enchanting 600-year-old royal capital
of Laos,
Luang Prabang.
The town, another Unesco world heritage site, nestles on a fork
of the Mekong and Khan rivers with lush green mountains on every
side.
It is dominated by the golden dome of the Phu Si temple on its
sacred hill, where saffron-robed monks sweep the beaten earth at
dawn.
There are thousands of monks living in Luang Prabang's 38
dramatic temples, whose roofs swoop down in multiple tiers to the
swaying coconut palm-lined roads.
The dramatic Royal Palace in the centre of town hints at the
majestic prestige of an era before communism and the spillover from
the Vietnam War.
Luang Prabang's grandiose French colonial stucco villas have
found a new lease of life as restaurants, bars and chic
accommodation.
Strolling through the town's night market which bursts with
colour on the main drag, charmingly polite stall holders banter and
barter with visitors.
No persistent street hawkers, no cheating tuk-tuk drivers, no
sleazy bar owners and no drunk Westerners - this is how Thailand
used to be.
From here we took a two-hour trip down the mighty Mekong, South
East Asia's longest river, to visit the sacred Tham Ting caves.
The centuries-old limestone caverns attract boatloads of
townsfolk who swarm down the river to make their devotions.
Hundreds of serenely smiling statues of cobweb-wreathed Buddhas
left there by pilgrims over the years fill the vast interior of the
caves and make a truly awe-inspiring sight.
Sailing back down the Mekong, gazing at the reflection of the
spectacular sunset in its waters, I was understandably reluctant to
fly home.
A visit to Cambodia and Laos leaves one wondering how long such a
paradise can remain unspoiled.
My advice is that now South East Asia's worst-kept secret is well
and truly out, you should really waste no time in booking to see it
for yourself.
Your experience of this taste of nirvana will, I can assure you,
prove quite unforgettable.
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