While working on the east causeway conservation and protection project, the Ministry of Culture & Fine Arts discovered a wonderful, intact head of a demon. As you may know, the causeway was originally lined with demons and gods representing the famous Hindu story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Through time and looting almost all the original heads have been lost or destroyed. The protection of the east causeway is vitally important to Banteay Chhmar as it serves as a dam for the commune’s primary water supply in the moat.

6th Annual Khmer-Thai Student Exchange

Also this month, on Sunday November 16th, students, community leaders and officials gathered in the temple for the 6th Annual Khmer-Thai student exchange. It was a great morning of bonding and information sharing. Some of our brightest Cambodian youth helped to explain the history, culture and environment of Banteay Chhmar. Thank you to everyone for sharing their time and energy to make this meeting a success.

Finally, please take the time to read this article if you already have not done so. It was written by editor-at-large, Don George, from National Geographic. He takes on a nice, humanistic and personal view of his time here in Banteay Chhmar. 

In partnership with Khiri Travel, Banteay Chhmar is very pleased to announce that it has won another prestigious award. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has awarded Khiri Travel the 2014 Grand Award for Heritage and Culture for its Banteay Chhmar Tented Camp tour. This is truly an honor for the CBT, our community and Khiri Travel.

The tented camp allows visitors to stay in luxurious, fully furnished tents in close proximity to the main temple complex. Visitors will be able to experience a “sense of time and place” and appreciate the cultural and historical importance of the temple. The tents are low-impact and are taken down quickly leaving virtually no traces of disturbance. More importantly, is that the agreement with Khiri allows the CBT to manage the activities and services for the visitors. Therefore, a significant amount of income is earned for the community. The partnership also develops hospitality and management skills which will beneficial for the community. Finally, the Cambodian Ministry of Culture & Fine Arts (MCFA) is also involved in overseeing that the project will be successful while still protecting the heritage and culture of the precious and irreplaceable Banteay Chhmar temple complex.

A complete list of the PATA Grand and Gold Award winners for 2014 can be found here: PATA Awards 2014

Operation Groundswell

Solid waste management station provided by Operation Groundswell

We had another wonderful visit from our good friends at Operation Groundswell. As you may know from our previous posts, this excellent tour operator conducts “backpacktivist” trips around the world. Participants become socially, culturally and environmentally aware of and involved in the communities they visit. They also contribute toward the success and sustainability of the projects that they engage with.

Handwashing stations provided by Operation Groundswell

This year, the Operation Groundswell group generously contributed funds for two projects. First, the Banteay Chhmar community used some of the funds donated to build a solid waste management container for the market area. This will make it easier for both the sellers and the garbage collectors to dispose of the waste which is taken to a landfill 3 km outside of the village area. It should also keep the market area cleaner and safer. Second, the group also contributed funds toward installing two handwashing and hygiene stations at the primary school. The handwashing stations will complement the latrines that were also built for the students. This entire project should provide important steps toward improving the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the children concerning health and how to prevent disease.

Of course, it was not all work for Operation Groundswell. The group enjoyed a tour of the Banteay Chhmar Temple, they played games with the children, went fishing at a nearby farm and enjoyed a picnic by the baray. Thank you again to everyone from Operation Groundswell and see you next year!!!

CBT President, Khlot Sopheng (r), giving a temple tour

On May 21, the Banteay Chhmar CBT members gathered to hold elections for  president and vice-president. These elections are held every two years and provide an opportunity for members to advance their skills by holding new positions of responsibility. We are pleased to announce that Khlot Sopheng has been elected as the new Banteay Chhmar CBT president. And, in an unusual vote count, there was a tie for vice-president. Former president, Bieng Sruon, and Mao Sy each finished with 12 votes. They will share the vice-presidential duties. Thank you to all the members who came to vote, congratulations to the winners and best of success for the future of the CBT.

Ly Huor

We have the best news of all this month! On March 7th, we welcomed our newest CBT member – Ly Huor Yang. Ly Hor and her mother Savy are healthy and doing fine. This is Savy’s first child. Savy is a CBT homestay owner and cook, and her family also helps with other CBT activities. We are all very happy and wish Savy, her daughter and family a long, happy and healthy future.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

January 3rd was a very special day for the CBT members. The tour guides traveled to Sisophon to meet with the Provincial Governor to receive their official Ministry of Tourism (MoT) tour guide licenses. This is an important step for the guides and will help to ensure the CBT is recognized as a viable business and tourism entity in Banteay Chhmar.

The tour guide licensing process was facilitated by Heritage Watch. Other attendees at the meeting and ceremony included representatives from the Apsara Authority, the Heritage Police and the Thmor Puok District Chief.

Congratulations to the CBT tour guides! 🙂

Congratulations to the Banteay Chhmar CBT tour guides!

Banteay Chhmar CBT tour guide, Khouen Sreymom

Banteay Chhmar CBT tour guide, Sang Ponlok

Banteay Chhmar CBT tour guide meeting

Dong and his grandparents

And, we have more good news. Thanks to the care, concern and efforts of Simon and Sokha Pawson the CBT was able to provide health care for a young boy in the village. Dong has been suffering from a inguinal hernia for quite some time. Simon and Sokha raised some money from their family and friends in Australia. Dong was taken to the Angkor Children’s Hospital in Siem Reap at the end of December for an operation. He is back in Banteay Chhmar now and all indications are for a full recovery.

Dong is 8 years old and lives with his grandparents. Like many rural Cambodian stories, the parents left the village looking for work elsewhere. In Dong’s case the parents have gone to Thailand and have not been heard from in three years. There are many unfortunate cases like this in Banteay Chhmar and throughout Cambodia.

Simon Pawson (center) in Banteay Chhmar

Simon is a scholar and researcher specializing in community-based tourism at the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University. For the past two years, has been undertaking research at Banteay Chhmar, examining the relationship between our CBT project and the community itself. The research is part of his PhD thesis titled ‘Community development, responsible tourism and community-based tourism in emerging economies: A case study of discourses at Banteay Chhmar, Cambodia.’ His study examines responsible and community-based tourism in Cambodia and specifically uses our CBT project as a case study. Central to his research is documenting feedback from the stakeholders, especially the villagers, concerning community development and the CBT project. His research will conclude with an evaluation of the relative merits and shortcomings of the CBT project from the stakeholder’s perspectives. Simon can be reached at simon.pawson@anu.edu.au .

Sokha Pawson (right) donates books to the CBT library

In addition to helping Dong, Simon and Sokha also donated several boxes of books from the Mount Sinai Preschool in Sydney to the CBT library. Truly, wonderful people. A big THANK YOU to both of them and the students for their donations 🙂

Finally, the CBT has received numerous requests from visitors interested in making donations and helping the community. We are currently working on setting up an online donation page for our website. Please check back in the coming months. Thank you