| Page Views: 853 Last Visit to Khett Siem Reab: March, 2006 | Siem Reap - contrast to the max! by thedouglas - last update: Aug 25, 2006 |
Contrasts............... | One side of the road...................... |
We had been to Siem Reap in January 2005, and then returned in March 2006 - and were amazed to see that there were even more hotels and accommodation buildings constructed in this short amount of time - just when you think that the town can't possibly take anymore. There is no evidence of any enhancement of the general infrastructure of the town to cope with all this building. Our driver even pointed out that the local "killing field" had been graded and sold to the highest international bidder - presumably, sickeningly, to build yet another hotel! Who could possibly want to stay in a hotel on the site of slaughter? We were also told that locals living on the perimeter of Siem Reap have very limited electricity as it is, due to this being prioritised for hotels.
This squalid "settlement" was exactly across the street from the hotel pictured below - from some of the rooms, this is the view! |
| Directly across the street - neighbours! |
|  | So near..............but unattainable There is an almost obscene juxtaposition of wealth and poverty here - where locals earn US$10 or less for a week of hard labour, and visitor may pay US$250+ per night for accommodation and their services. However, I have read that Western employers may pay locals 2 or 3 times the wage that locals pay them.
These buildings are literally across the street from each other. |
How the locals get ahead................. We visited our driver's "home", which was basically a corrugated iron single room shed - with a multi-purpose "bench" for communal sleeping, eating, studying etc. and little other furniture. Meanwhile, he is working to build a large home at the front of his property, hoping to be able to capitalise on the tourist industry - and offer accommodation. He scrimps to educate his children and build this house, to leave them something better. He collects dust from building sites from which to make concrete posts etc., and it is a very gradual process.
His wife has a virtually paralysed neck, a legacy of having an emergency caesarean performed in a rice field during a Khmer Rouge raid - and having to hide out in the bush until it was safe.
This rooftop setting was quite idyllic, looking over the Cambodian countryside.
It is also an interesting local fact that, as the infrastructure required to service the hoards of tourists and large hotels etc. has been virtually neglected, the locals who live outside the immediate centre of Siem Reap have little or no electricity to use in the evenings.
Not surprisingly, the cost of land has skyrocketed in Siem Reap since the tourism industry has increased in the area - as usual, this will undoubtedly leave future locals unable to own property here. | | | Rooftop dining at Siem Reap |
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| Pros: | "Survival and progress is evident in local craft and industry - and the spirit of the Camdodian people" | | Cons: | "Don't like to be negative - but would like to see the Cambodians reap a little more of the profits from the tourism in their region" | | In A Nutshell: | "A mere stepping stone..................." |
thedouglas' Khett Siem Reab Travel Tips
 Comments for thedouglas about Khett Siem Reab | | | | |
tiabunna Fri Sep 7, 2007 12:53 UTC
You have me convinced - just gotta go! Great that tourists can "put a bit back in" to places such as this, even if the 'benefits' of large hotel chains are less certain! | adelaidean Wed Sep 5, 2007 07:42 UTC
heheheheehe...another use for dental floss!!!! | neogary Fri Feb 23, 2007 04:08 UTC
Its so great of you to bring over 50kg of stuffs for the carry for kids programme, planning to do so too, but dont think it'll be 50kg, not even close:) All the best to you and your family | mavl Fri Jan 12, 2007 07:46 UTC
still tragic! LOL! so which hotel/guesthouse would you recommend in sr? good location and price, safe to leave stuff in room? |
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