The Revival of Cambodia’s Railway

cambodia trains

 

The existing Cambodian railway system covers 650 kilometers and consist of two lines: The Northern line (386 km) , built between 1929 and 1942 during the French Protectorate and  the Southern line (266 km) which was built later in the 60’s. It was then operated under the name of CHEMINS DE FER ROYAUX DU CAMBODGE ( C.F.R.C.). The tracks suffered a lot during the war and from the lack of maintenance afterwards.

Freight and passenger trains were definitely put out of service in 2007. The project of rehabilitation of the network had many setbacks as it was on the pipeline since 2013

 

The railway is being rehabilitated since 2016 by the government with the help of the Asian Development Bank, the Australian Agency for International Development and China.  Poipte-Phnom Pen is actually only  only a small part of the much bigger Trans-Asia railway, projected initiated in 1995, that will connect Singapore to Kunming in China.  and finally  in 2016 Sihanoukville and Kampot  opened.  2018 is an important year is it should be the year when passengers can travel from Phnom Penh to Poipet and maybe even Bangkok.

 

This is a railway master plan in Cambodia running between 2014 and 2031 and beyond which plan to  to add 3 more lines, 8 branch lines, 4 high speed lines, 5 industrial railway and 4 access railway. The lines which have the priority are the one connecting to Vietnam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sisophon- Poipet (48 kilometers)

 

This section of the Northern line  is particularly important as it  connects Sisophon in Banteay Meanchey province  to the city of Poipet, the main international border to  Thailand. The line was completed in 1942 by the French but suffered a lot of damage during the Pol Pot regime when the line was destroyed.

After many setbacks (the line was initially  planned to be opened in 2008), service resumed on the 4th April 2018 after 40 years of interruption. In May 2018, two passenger cars and one freight car were running once a day. The current train schedule is a departure at 9  am and arriving at Poipet a around 11 am. Rehabilitation of the Poipet train station was near completion in May 2018.

 

The train station in Sisophon is quite small with few ticket counters, it has some interesting art deco architecture with a rounded rooftop. It has been cleaned up and had a paint job with bright yellow and blue colors probably in march 2018.

 

sisophon train station

 

poipet train station

 

 

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The railway line opened again  on the 29th April 2018  and follow the NR5 all the way to Battambang.

 

Battambang- Pursat (107 kilometers)

 

The train  is scheduled to resume service on the 29th of May 2018.

 

 

 

 

Fine Art Gallery Cambodia Myanmar Vietnam India

fine art gallery asia

A selection of our best pictures from  Cambodia, Myanmar, India and Vietnam are now available as Fine Art Prints via the e-commerce platform Fine Art America.

You can choose from a large selection of papers: matte, glossy, metallic and the pictures will be send to you in a tube roll. You can as well order wooden framed prints with a large selection of finishing.

 

Order now your Fine Art Print at Angkor Photography Tours Fine Art Gallery

 

 

siem reap photo gallery Cambodia

Cambodia photo gallery

 

Myanmar fine art gallery

 

hoi photo gallery

Most Memorable Photos from 2016

2016 in pictures angkor photography tours

The year 2016 ended in a wink. Nevertheless, it was a year full of sweet recollections and splendid adventures, as I travelled here and there, meet new people, and experience new cultures.  Looking through my collection of more than 1000 edited pictures of 2016, I was inspired to select my favorite ones. I picked these pictures not only based on my own personal choice of uniqueness and aesthetic value, but also, by the stories behind.

These photographs and memories were taken in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, France, and the Philippines from my 2016 travel diary.

 

1. Cambodia : Angkor Wat Solar Eclipse – March 2016

angkor wat solar eclipse photography tour

 

This unique picture was taken on the 9th March during a partial eclipse of the sun in Angkor Wat Temple. What make this shot rare is that of the date of the eclipse was less than 2 weeks away from the spring equinox and it was possible to find a shooting location where the sun was just above the central tower at the maximum of the eclipse. According to  ephemerides, the next partial solar eclipse in Angkor Wat temple during sunrise will take place in 2042 ! Due to the nature of this  eclipse, so the passing of the moon in front of the sun could be only be captured using a very dark filter in this case a 10-stop neutral density filter  ND1000 which blocks 99.9 % of the incoming light coming to the sensor. This is a one-of-a kind, unforgettable shot in Angkor Wat as we  were only 2 photographers at this spot. Others have vanished to go see the other temples and most people except few guides were not aware of the solar eclipse that day. To see more pictures of this solar eclipse please have a look at my blog post.

Settings: ISO 400, 105 mm,  f:4, 1/40s, ND 1000 filter

 

 

2. Ho Chi Minh City : Street Scene – April 2016

Saigon street photography tour

Ho Chi Minh is a sprawling city of 8 million and with almost as many motorbikes racing in its streets. Here you can find places to service your motorbike even on sidewalks.

While inside a coffee shop (which is also numerous in Saigon) my attention was caught by this colorful poster across the street. I took few shots of it alone  but it did not come out very well. By moving few feet, I got a much better picture : framing the customer with her red dusk mask waiting for her motorbike to be serviced against the blue metallic wall, while the poster of a future housing development was in the background. The black and yellow line worked as well as a leading line to connect all  the elements of the picture.

Settings: ISO 160, 20 mm, f:7.1, 1/100s

 

3. Cambodia : Boy Planting Rice, April 2016

flooded paddy fields siem reap photo tour

During the month of April, Cambodian farmers are busy planting floating rice on the West Baray, one of the biggest man made reservoirs in the word build during the Khmer empire in the 11th century.To get closer, we boarded a  small fisherman wooden boat  and it was when I took a shot of this  Cambodian kid, knee-deep in water, smiling despite the  hardship of his  work.

Settings: ISO 100, 168 mm,  f:5.6,  1/500 s  

 

 

 

4. Cambodia : Angkor  Wat Vesak Day – May 2016

angkor wat khmer family vesak day

This picture was taken beside the main tower of Angkor Wat (also called Bakan) which is also the most sacred place of the temple. This Khmer family was walking counter-clockwise making several rounds around it, and I waited there to frame the shot with my  20 mm, the minimum focal length from this corner  to fit all the building in a horizontal frame. This scene was taken 2 days before Buddha’s Day (Vesak Day). The act of walking around a sacred temple is called circumambulation and is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practices and usually done clockwise.

Settings: ISO 250, 20 mm, f:7.1  1/800 s   

 

5. India : Ladakhi Monk in Lamayuru Monastery- July 2016

This picture was taken during our first photo tour in Ladakh India, more precisely in Lamayuru monastery about 100 km from Leh. We visited Lamayuru Temple during the 3-day annual colorful monastic festival. This monk posed for a brief moment, adjusting his robe, just enough time for me to frame a shot with the door. The colorful mural with its main character looking at the monk add another dimension to the picture.

Settings: ISO 640, 32 mm, f:4, 1/160 s

 

 

6. India : Milky Way in the Himalayas, July 2016

milky way ladakh himalaya photography tour

During our photo tour in Ladakh, we spent several nights in tents at an altitude of 4700 meters. Even during summer months, temperatures goes down below 5 degree Celsius at night. Adding to that the altitude sickness, this night shot sessions was quite challenging but looking at the starry skies and the Milky Way stretching over the Himalaya mountains was quite rewarding. In this shoot the illuminated tent is the one we used for our dinner and gives a touch of color and a sense of scale to the picture.

Settings: ISO 2000, 20 mm f:2.8, 30s

 

7. Thailand : Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok  at Golden Hour –  July 2016

Suvarnabhumi aiport bangkok thailnd photography tour

This shot was taken at the international airport of Bangkok at sunset. Suvarnabhumi, the busiest airport in Thailand handled more than 50 million passengers in 2015. This section of the terminal although not so photogenic came out much better for few minutes with the evening sunlight  illuminating  nicely the arched rooftop.

Settings:  ISO 400, 84 mm, f:4 1/25s

 

8. France : French Medieval Castle at Sunset – October 2016

Beynac castle dordogne France photography tours

During a scouting photo trip in the region of Dordogne in France, famous worldwide for its food and castles, we ended up the day at the village of Beynac-et-Cazenac  just in time for sunset with a view of  the  Beynac Castle built on on a limestone cliff and overlooking the river. This  12th century fortress was built around the same than Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia  and it is tempting to compare the austere architecture of the fortress with the scale and symmetry of Angkor and its fined carvings. Also on the 12th century, only 50,000 people were living in Paris against  800,000 in Angkor according to last LIDAR survey.

Settings: ISO 200, 24 mm, f:5.6,  1/320  s

 

9. Cambodia : Betel Leaves Vendors – November 2016

elderly betel vendors at market siem reap cambodia

In Cambodia, betel consumption is not as widespread as in Myanmar. Most of the time, only the elderly are munching betel unlike in Myanmar where you can see young people chewing them. In this picture, a wooden basket with fresh betel leaves is standing on the floor in front of this two smiling elderly Cambodian ladies.  The three other ingredients making up the so-called betel squid missing from the picture are areca nut, tobacco and lime water (saturated solution of calcium hydroxide).

Settings: ISO 400, 38 mm f:4, 1/160s  

 

10. Cambodia : Red Angkor Wat Sunrise, November 2016

angkor wat sunrise siem reap photography tour

Out of the many sunrises at Angkor Wat temple I have witnessed in 2016, this one was one the most spectacular hat  I have seen. The bright red dramatic cloudy sky were just breathtaking. This picture was taken around the end of November when monsoon season was coming to an end.

Settings: ISO 320 , 20 mm, f:5.6,  1/80s

 

 

11. Philippines : Here Comes the Bride, December 2016

Bride Intramuros Manila photography tours

I took this quick shot at San Augustin Church in Intramuros Manila just when the bride was making her entrance. Intramuros is the frequently visited area in Manila where two beautiful churches are located not far from each other. You can visit the area by taking a horse carriage (kalesa in Filipino), but one of the best way for photographer is to wander around the cobble stone streets in order  not miss any photographic opportunities.

Settings:  ISO 500, 35 mm, f:2.8, 1/15s

 

12. Philippines : New Year Fireworks in Manila , December 2016

Manila new year fireworks photography tour

 

This picture is one of my last clicks of 2016 taken just 5 minutes before New Year’s Eve in Metro Manila. New Year in this megacity is celebrated with loads of fireworks and firecrackers that lighten up the skies around the city. Fireworks and firecrackers are grand spectacles during this year end celebration. The adverse effect though is that hundreds of people injure themselves every year using firecrackers and it gives raise to a peak in particles pollution few hours after.Fireworks were scattered and I was lucky to have a vantage point from a rooftop with the neon illuminated Rockwell Center in Makati just in the frame. Several shots were combined in Photoshop to  have more firework explosions.

Settings:  ISO 100, 25 mm, f:9, 30 s (composite picture)

Sukhothai historical park revisited

I recently had the opportunity to revisit the temples of Sukhothai in Thailand  I explored for the first time back in 2011. Leading photography tours in Angkor for more 2 years now and having walked hundreds of kilometers in the temples it gave me a new perspective about photography but also allowed me to appreciate better the architecture and influences, especially Khmer, present in Sukhothai.

The Sukhothai historical park, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1991, is located about 400 kilometers north of Bangkok and is home of the old temples of the Kingdom of Sukhothai (translated by dawn of happiness) which existed between the 13th (after being freed from the Khmer empire) and 14th century (after being annexed by Ayutthaya).

The park lies on 70 square kilometers and divided in two sections, the inner and the outer wall. The inner city is immaculately clean with cut grass, ponds and frangipani trees and certainly a model of management. While it is possible to visit the temples inside the inner enclosure of 2.5 sq km2 by walk (Angkor Wat temple is 1.95 sq km2) it is advisable to rent a bicycle.

The architecture in Sukhothai got many influences over the years from Ceylonese (modern Sri Lanka) and Khmer art. In the part, are ruins of two temples built during the Khmer empire. The largest one, just outside them main enclosure, called Wat Phra Pai Luang is the oldest of the group built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, but only one tower with the Khmer architecture remains.

Wat Si Sawai is another example of Khmer architecture subsequently modified with the Thai style with three beautiful towers (called prang) one of them still housing a pedestal which once held a linga, dedicated to shiva.

The main temple in Sukhothai park is Wat Mahathat with an imposing seated Buddha facing east making this temple it a perfect location for sunrise and sunset. As a bonus there is like in Angkor Wat a small reflecting pond.

Within the walled old city, on temple temple not to be missed is Wat Sa Si with a Sukhothai style walking Buddha and a main tall Chedi

Wat Si Chum outside the park has an impressive seating Buddha image quite enigmatic behind a tall square structure called Mandapa. In a crumbling state, the Buddha image and Mandapa were restored between 1953 and 1956.

If you already visited the temples of Angkor I would recommend extending your UNESCO world heritage journey by spending one or two days exploring the ruins of Sukhothai as this site has the advantage of being much less touristic than Angkor and great for photography.

 

Seated-Buddha-Wat-Mahathat-temple-Sukhothai

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple

 

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple

 

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple at night

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple at night

 

Standing buddha images at  Wat Mahathat temple

Standing buddha images at Wat Mahathat temple

 

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple

 

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple with sun

Seated Buddha at Wat Mahathat temple with sun

 

The impressive seated Buddha of Wat Si Chum temple

The impressive seated Buddha of Wat Si Chum temple

 

Wat Si Sawai temple

Wat Si Sawai temple

 

Walking pilgrims sculpture at Wat Mahathat

Walking pilgrims sculpture at Wat Mahathat

 

Walking Buddha Wat Si Sai Sukhothai

Walking Buddha Wat Si Sai Sukhothai style

 

Walking Buddha Wat Si Sai Sukhothai

Walking Buddha Wat Si Sai Sukhothai

 

Buddha feet at Wat Saphan temple

Buddha feet at Wat Saphan temple

 

Buddha feet Wat Phra Pai Luang

Buddha feet at Wat Phra Pai Luang