Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Cambodia Beyond Angkor Wat: Temples, Bamboo Trains, Island Beaches
A husband and wife went on a trip to a country in Asia called Cambodia.
They flew there on an IndiGo flight from Calcutta to a city called Siem Reap.
Cambodia is very famous for a huge old temple called Angkor Wat, but the couple also wanted to see the rest of the country.
In a town called Battambang, they rode a funny 'bamboo train' — a little bamboo platform on wheels powered by a small engine.
They discovered that people in Cambodia like to use US dollars to pay for things, and they get local money called riel as change.
They also visited a beautiful island called Koh Rong, where the sea glows with tiny blue sparks made by creatures called bioluminescent plankton.
Long ago, Cambodia had a very sad period under a group called the Khmer Rouge, when many people lost their lives.
Today, the country has rebuilt itself, and the people are warm and friendly.
The couple loved their quiet, peaceful trip and ranked Koh Rong among their favourite beaches in the world.
They left hoping to return one day.
The author and his wife Urmila Sen flew on a direct IndiGo flight from Calcutta to Siem Reap, a route introduced only a few months earlier.
US dollars are accepted almost everywhere in Cambodia, with riel returned as change at about 4,000 to the dollar.
Angkor Wat, built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple to Vishnu, is the largest religious complex on earth, spread across 1.6 sq km.
In Battambang, the couple rode the famous 8km bamboo train, where single-track vehicles are manually lifted off the rails to let others pass.
On Koh Rong island, they stayed at Anaya Resort and watched bioluminescent plankton glow blue in the dark night water.
- Who
- A travelling couple — the article's author and his wife Urmila Sen — on an IndiGo flight from Calcutta to Siem Reap.
- What
- A journey through Cambodia beyond Angkor Wat, covering Angkor Wat, Battambang's bamboo train, Banan Temple and Koh Rong island.
- When
- Not specified; the article notes the direct Calcutta–Siem Reap IndiGo route had launched only a few months earlier.
- Where
- Cambodia — including Siem Reap, Battambang, Banan Temple and Koh Rong island.
- Why
- To discover a quieter, less-visited side of Cambodia beyond its most famous monument, Angkor Wat.
- Flight route
- Direct IndiGo flight from Calcutta to Siem Reap, introduced a few months earlier
- Angkor Wat
- World's largest religious complex; 1.6 sq km; built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple to Vishnu, later a Buddhist sanctuary
- Currency
- US dollars accepted almost everywhere; riel change at 4,000 to the dollar; credit cards rare with ~2% surcharge
- Bamboo train
- 8 km ride in Battambang; bamboo platform on railway wheels with a small diesel engine; single track, manually lifted to pass
- Banan Temple
- Reached by climbing 373 steep steps; began as a Hindu temple to Shiva, later Buddhist
- Koh Rong
- Stayed at Anaya Resort; watched bioluminescent plankton glow in the dark water
- Khmer Rouge history
- Nearly two million Cambodians died under Pol Pot's 'Year Zero' regime
- Tourism feel
- Cambodia felt quieter and less crowded than Thailand or Vietnam