Wednesday 25 October 2017

A Cambodian Retreat

The first time I went to Siem Reap was almost 6 years ago, and I was a broke student. I do remember how much I loved the place, and how fondly I thought of it, and I knew apart of me would always come back. 

Fast forward years later, and when my husband and I decided that we needed a break, he mentioned his interest in doing a yoga retreat. We eventually found one in Siem Reap and it was the first time going on holiday and 'not doing anything' for a couple of days. Usually I pack my holidays. I want to see everything there is, I want to meet different people and do different things, try the different foods and restaurants and just immerse myself in the experiences there are to offer. 

This was the first time doing a yoga retreat, having yoga and meditation sessions three to four times a day, and learning the concepts of the other arms of yoga asides from just the asanas (also the first time I had so many vegetarian meals!!). 

I personally find meditation very difficult, but it also made me realize how cluttered my mind could get, and how difficult it is to retain mindful information. It's been good, learning to connect, learning to forgive, and learning to let go. 

When we eventually emerged from our retreat and spent our last day temple hopping, we got a guide - and I don't regret it at all; the temples are so rich in history and mythology that having a guide made the whole complex really come alive for us, and being able to appreciate the small details of the temples really made a difference in the way I viewed them. Having previously walked around the temples without knowing much about the history, and having a guide this time round really made a big difference. 

If you're ever in Cambodia, I thoroughly recommend Rithy from Angkor Wat Day Tours as your guide; he spoke excellent English and was so knowledgeable about the history of the temples, and really made sure we saw the best spots! 

It's a lovely laidback enough place that I feel that I would come back another day. Until then, enjoy our holiday video!

Kampuchea '17 from Syaril Ezzuddeen on Vimeo.

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