The most memorable vacations do not always involve jet skis and a
cruise ship. Often, the unforgettable places we’ve traveled to offered us
something a bit more thought-provoking, something that encompassed a powerful
and spiritual history for a culture and we previously knew little about.
This tends to be the experience for travelers who visit the beautiful
temples in Angkor, Cambodia. Every year, thousands of people take in the
peaceful yet powerful presence of nearly 100 stone temples, some dating back to
the 9th century. The temples stand as astonishing remains of what
was once a majestic, religious and social city. With its wooden homes long
since decayed and with little preserved historical artifacts, the temples serve
as the ultimate sign of Cambodia’s past. It has now become an important
national symbol for Cambodia, appearing on the national flag. If you wish to
peak into the rich history of a culture typically undervalued in school textbooks, buy a ticket to
Cambodia. Then visit a travel doctor for
the needed Cambodia travel shots, and you’re set to enjoy this
beautiful country and its incredible temples.
It’s most famous temple is the Angkor Wat, and for a good reason.
At this great site of temples, Angkor Wat is the best preserved and is actually
still in use as a religious site for Buddhism. Its enormous structure
symbolizes the mythic Mount Meru, or, the house of the gods. Walking in you
will notice five rectangular walls, depicting the five peaks of the great
mountain. Before the temple began
serving a Buddhist community, it was founded in praise of Hinduism. King
Suryavaram II had it built in the 12th century to honor the Hindu
god, Vishnu, the supreme god of the universe.
The second temple of note is the Ta Prohm, the only
structure that holds almost all of its original architecture and material. Without
constant manicuring by human hands, over centuries Ta Prohm has become engulfed
by the tropical rainforest’s trees. These ancient yet powerful plants have
proven their strength against human constructs, having pried their thick roots
in between heavy stones, cracking the framework. In the past couple of decades,
Ta Prohm’s infrastructure has been repaired to prevent any more damage
(including collapsing ceilings). Thus you can feel safe within these walls, or,
perhaps we should say, under these trees.
Before you visit Cambodia, however, you need to be wary of
the health risks present in this very humid country. Luckily, if you count on
only visiting major cities such as Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh, you may not need
antimalarial medication, as the Center for Disease Control lists these two
cities as the only parts of the country with no cases of malaria. Yet nobody wants to be stuck
in the city when there is beautiful countryside to see, so you may want to get
some medicine and antimalarial medication for
malaria just in case.
There are other health concerns besides malaria connected with
Cambodia, and nobody should go there without visiting a travel doctor first for a thorough consultation.
Most importantly, you need to check out what Cambodia travel immunization nyc you will need, and get it at least four
weeks before taking off. Visit this Travel clinic nyc located at 274 Madison Avenue
in NYC for a complete travel consultation, including what vaccinations and
medicines you should bring. Visit TravelClinicNY.com to learn more about travel clinic and to make
an appointment with our experienced travel physician.
Once you get the doctor’s visit out of the way, you’re ready
to experience a vacation you’ll never forget.