- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Rough Guides Ltd; First Edition edition (25 July 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1858288371
- ISBN-13: 978-1858288376
- Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 12.8 x 1.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
1,082,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #54 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > Cambodia
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
A comprehensive guide to this destination, with evocative accounts of all the attractions from the atmospheric temples of Angkor and Phnom Penh, to the laid back resort of Sihanoukville and the jungle-clad hills of Rattanakiri. It includes a detailed background on Cambodian history, religion and the resurgance in cultural life since the end of the Khmer Rouge era.
From the Author
As the author of the Rough Guide to Cambodia, I feel I have to reply to John Ekins' review which seems to be describing a different book from the practical travel guide I wrote. Yes, there are pages of text, but there are also dozens of colour photos, maps, town plans and temple layouts, all of which make this a comprehensive guide book - not a coffee table glossy.
Cambodia is a country that I know well and love, and for whose people I have the utmost regard. By the time the Khmer Rouge were overthrown in 1979 the majority of the population was starving and the country devastated; however, like it or not, some Cambodians were Khmer Rouge supporters. Between 1989 and 1996 the town of Pailin was a Khmer Rouge enclave, where the Khmer Rouge leaders exploited logging and gem-mining to get rich. Here (and in Anlong Veng), the locals, isolated from the rest of Cambodia by fighting, lived a fairly comfortable life on the back of these illegal activities.
During my visit to Pailin, longstanding residents told me they were "looked-after" by the Khmer Rouge. This included the provision of healthcare and education, and food for the elderly. Things changed in 1996, when the area became accessible to the rest of Cambodia. It was soon flooded with urban Cambodians seeking to make their fortune from gem-mining and competing with the Pailin residents for "riches".
At Rough Guides we pride ourselves in getting under the skin of the country and make no apologies for this. In fact, for most people, the depth of our research is the main reason to buy the guide, and it is unusual for readers to be upset by it. We remain dedicated to providing our readers with authoritative and accurate information. Judging by John Ekins' other reviews, he may by now have actually visited the country and perhaps formed a different impression of the Rough Guide, as have readers at amazon.com.
Cambodia is a country that I know well and love, and for whose people I have the utmost regard. By the time the Khmer Rouge were overthrown in 1979 the majority of the population was starving and the country devastated; however, like it or not, some Cambodians were Khmer Rouge supporters. Between 1989 and 1996 the town of Pailin was a Khmer Rouge enclave, where the Khmer Rouge leaders exploited logging and gem-mining to get rich. Here (and in Anlong Veng), the locals, isolated from the rest of Cambodia by fighting, lived a fairly comfortable life on the back of these illegal activities.
During my visit to Pailin, longstanding residents told me they were "looked-after" by the Khmer Rouge. This included the provision of healthcare and education, and food for the elderly. Things changed in 1996, when the area became accessible to the rest of Cambodia. It was soon flooded with urban Cambodians seeking to make their fortune from gem-mining and competing with the Pailin residents for "riches".
At Rough Guides we pride ourselves in getting under the skin of the country and make no apologies for this. In fact, for most people, the depth of our research is the main reason to buy the guide, and it is unusual for readers to be upset by it. We remain dedicated to providing our readers with authoritative and accurate information. Judging by John Ekins' other reviews, he may by now have actually visited the country and perhaps formed a different impression of the Rough Guide, as have readers at amazon.com.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Rough Guide to Cambodia,
By
This review is from: The Rough Guide to Cambodia (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)
The book was clean and arrived promptly but I wish that we had known it was such an early publication. The year was not given in the ad.
14 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dreadful,
By
This review is from: The Rough Guide to Cambodia (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)
This is a dreadful book. It is uninspiring. There are few photographs. The format is exceptionally dull - pages and pages of writing. What really made me choke though was the section about Pailin (p 140): "..long-term Pailin residents still reminisce about the Khmer Rouge years, when education and healthcare were available and food was given to the old and needy". What absolute rubbish. The sort of education that the Khmer Rouge gave is very well known about - communist indoctrination. As for food, well, perhaps it was a different Cambodia where so many people died of starvation, caused entirely by the Khmer Rouge. Then again, perhaps the author simply doesn't know what she is talking about. This book is gutter trash. Don't buy it.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Guide Book.,
By Brian Pressman - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Rough Guide to Cambodia (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)
I used this book while traveling through Cambodia this past summer. It was very helpful and has all the information one might need. I also like the format more than LP. I thought it was a bit easier to read. One down side to the book were the prices it listed. Almost everything was cheaper than quoted. (This of course made me a happy traveler) I guess this isnt the books fault though. The sections on Siem Reap & the temples at Ankor were good enough. However, it is really worth it to pick up one of the special temple guide books available at the market in town. They cost between $1-2 depending on how well you bargain. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good help for most areas in Cambodia,
By Steven Rozmus - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Rough Guide to Cambodia (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)
In late 2002 I got this book and with a couple of friends toured Siem Riep to Phnom Penh and then Phnom Penh to Banlung and back again on motorcycle. The Rough Guide was great for most major areas, with plenty of background information, reasonable maps and enough hotel selections listed. I found I reached for it over the LP Guide -- which, by the way, you can buy photocopy versions of it in Phnom Penh or Siem Riep (Angkor Wat area) for about $5. Rough Guide also gave a good warning of what to expect in Poipet, the border crossing town with Thailand that I would have to rate as the worst town I have ever been in but also plenty exciting. Last, there is one book that is better than this one if you will be spending more time touring Cambodia and, sadly, like my copy of it -- I lost it! It is geared toward self-guided motorcycle touring of Cambodia and Amazon did carry it before. I have to keep searching the site more closely, I guess. The maps, level of detail and writing style in that book was amazing. Along with it's section on the "Highway of Death" -- a muddy trail through logging country in eastern Cambodia. Buy this book and enjoy Cambodia. The country and the people are unforgettable and fantastic.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely practical and helpful!!,
By R. Bater - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Rough Guide to Cambodia (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)
Like other rough guides, it 'tell's it as it is.'
The chapters on Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville were accurate and up to date (the maps and restaurant reviews were good. The safety tips and health advice were also very helpful e.g. avoiding land mines!!! It was honest and gave a balanced view of the country. Read this book before you go there- or you may be in for a shock!! |
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