Where to Entertain

After an exhausted long trip to visit temple ruins, there are many types of entertainment such as performance, night life, spa and massage. All these types will treat you well by providing reinvigoration, relaxation, happiness, friendship, communication and research. Siem Reap is a place where visitors wish to visit and attend at least one of the entertainment. Performance has been a tradition since the earliest days of tourism in the 19th century to treat visitors to Siem Reap with an Apsara dance, folk Dance and Shadow Pupet, occasionally performs at the temple but most visitors attend one of the nightly dinner performances ant a local restaurant and other theaters. Dance performance starts at 7:30pm or 8:30pm. At night time, most visitors always look for a happy hours at the restaurants, pubs, clubs and bars, which cluster in the Old Market area, the Pub Street (Street 8) and connecting alleys: The Passage, Alley West and the Lane. The last few pubs and club closed as late as 4am. Spa & massage rebalance your body, mind, emotion harmony, can be found scattered across the town especially on and around the Old Market area.

Khmer Culture

Cambodia is both modern and traditional. In the present world, institutions and laws that ensure advancing in society are possible I'm anyone with ambition and talents. But Cambodian culture has old and deep roots, and traditional Cambodian society is established in customs and attitudes. Cambodians believe they are born into a place in society that is determined by the karma (the effects of thought and deep) of their past lives. However, for their acts of Thveu Bonn (Merit Making) they can advance their social position. Despite this, there will always be people dealing with those who are of higher or lower status. And this must be acknowledged by proper speech and the relevant gestures and action appropriate to the given social situation. Thus, for most Cambodian, there are always superiors to respect, meaning people who are given special treatment because of their higher status.

Khmer Greeting

Cambodians traditionally greet each other with a Sompeah. This is a pressing of the palms together as in prayer and bowing the head slightly. Younger people or people of lower status usually initiate the greeting and the lower the bow and the higher the hands are held, the more respect is shown. Hand shaking has also been largely accepted in Cambodia. Restraint and courtesy are the focal points of Cambodian social relations. The language of both speech and gesture features these qualities. Even in the greeting one another, Cambodian indicate status for the type of greeting used depends on the rank of the person addressed. Gestures used by those of lower ranks automatically recognize the status of the higher ranks. The most complex gestures are reserved for the royal family or Buddhist monks. Those automatically given respect-that is, those who are recognized as of higher social rank - including patrons, employers, teachers, parents, grandparents and in general, any one older. The superior returns a simpler greeting that acknowledges the respect given.

Apsara dance/Lakhon Preah Reach Traop/ Lakhon Loung

A classical dance, also known as Court or Palatine dance, created by the Royal Ballet of Cambo-dia in the mid-20th century under the patronage of Queen Sisowath Kos-somak, custumed based on the devatas as depicted on bas-relief of Angkor Wat. Apsara dance is one of the Cambodian World Heritage with the sompot Sarabap, a type silk brocade that is intricately pleated in the front.

Shadow Pupet

The black leather puppets most-ly made of cow's leather. Sbeik Thom (big puppets are actually depicting certain characters from the story) and Sbeik Toot (small articulated puppets). It is held in front of a light torch, either in front or behind a screen, creating a shadow. Sbeik Thom is the more uniquely Cambodian, more formal of the two types, restricting itself to stories from the Remaker. The performance is accompanied by a pin peat orchestra and narration, and the puppeteers are silent, moving the panels with dance-like movements. Sheik Toot has a far lighter feel, presenting popular stories of heroes, adventures, love and battles, with or without orchestra and with the puppeteers often doing the narration.

Lakhon Khol

The drama-dance with all masked males consists of 4-6 individual dances, often opening with an Apsara Dance, followed by two other Classical dances and two or three Theatrical Folk dances. This drama-dance often perform about Ramajanak (Ream Ker)

Circus

Based on the carvings on the ancient walls of 7th century Sambor Prey Kuk monuments in Kampong Thom province, the early 12th century temple of Angkor Wat, the late 12th century temple of Bayon, the late 12th century Elephant 'terrace in Siem Reap province and on wall paintings of the Kampong Trorlach Loe pagoda in Kampong Chhnang province, Paintings on the Kampong Tralach pagoda in Kampong Chhnang, the modern-day circus is very similar to Khmer traditional circus. It was believed that Khmer traditional circus consisted of simple magic performances and traveling troupes, such as Pahi circus, which is performed in public to sell traditional medicines. Original circus featured animals, juggling, acrobatics and tight-rope walkers and featured an assortment of illusionists, magicians, and sword-swallowers.

Trot Dance

Trot Dance is a popular dance representing a tale of a hunter and a deer who spread several danger between giant to ogress and peacock. It is performed to ward off evil and bad luck during Khmer New Year.

Kbach Kun Khmer Boran (Martrial Art)

Khmer martrial arts date back more than a thousand years, as evidenced by carvings and bas-reliefs in the Angkor temples. The martrial arts include Bokator, Pradal Serey, Baok Chambab, Kbach Kun dambang Veng, among others.

Bokator

Bokator, known formally as labo-katao, is a Cambodian martial art form that involves close hand-to-hand combat, ground techniques and weapon. Bakotor is one of the erliest Cambodian martrial art and is said to be the close quarter combat system used by the armies during the Angkor era. Practitioners are trained to strike with knees, elbows, hands, feet and even the head. Short sticks are commonly used as weapon.

Boak Chambab

Baok Chambab is Kmer wrestling, a sport in which two opponents try to pin (hold) each other's back to the ground. A match consissts of three rounds. Wrestlings perlbrm prematch ritual dancing. A wrestler wins a match by two out of three rounds. However, after each round, the loser is asked if he still wishes to continue with the match. A Baok Chambab match is traditional accompanied by drum beats, two drums known as Sko Nhy and Chhmol (female drum and male drum.)

Kbach Kun Dambong véng

Kbach Kun Dambang Veng liter-ally refers to an ancient Cambodian martrial art form involving the use of a long staff. It has traditionally berm practiced to prepare against enermies beating eventualy malice towards their villages and their country.

Pradal Serey

Pradal Serey is traditional Khmer Kick boxing. Amatch consists of five rounds and takes place in a boxing ring. There is a one or two-minute break in between each round. Before a match, boxers peform the praying rituals known as the Kun Krou. Traditional Cambodian music played during a match. The instruments used are the Skor taul (a drum) the Sralai (a flute-like instrument) and the stringed Chhing. Boxers are required to wear leather gloves and short. Victory sis instantaneously ganted when a boxer delivers a knock-out which is determined when the knocked down boxer is unable to continue the fight after  a 10-second count by the referee. Victory is also determined at the end of the match when judges decide by a point system which fighter was more effective. If the fighters end up with the same score, a draw is called.