Monthly Archives: January 2014

Siem Reap

When exploring top vacation spots of the world, one came across that I had never heard of before. When I researched farther I thought that the spot was worth sharing. The town Siem Reap resides in northwestern Cambodia and it is a popular resort town as the gateway to Angkor region. The name Siem Reap translates literally to the ‘Defeat of Siam’ today’s Thailand, and refers to the centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and Khmer peoples. Although this is true, modern Siem Reap is rather laid back and is a rather pleasant place to stay. The average year round temperature is a balmy 91 degrees, but the heat is a small concern when entrenched in the awesomeness of the town.

siem reap

There is a lot of history in the town and its architecture has a colonial and Chinese style that is intriguing to the eye. Since the town has a heavy cultural influence, there are museums, souvenir shops, fishing villages, and bird sanctuaries. Two of its most popular attractions are the Old Market and the Central market. The Old Market offers traditional antiques and tourist souvenirs while Central Market offers food, clothing, and jewelry. Perhaps one of the coolest attractions in Siem Reap is the Angkor Thom, an inner royal city built at the end of the 12th century its temple ground and towering southern gate draws tourists from all over the world.

angkor-thom

Usually when we think of vacation we think of beaches and sunshine. In this case if you’re looking for beauty, history, and culture, Siem Reap is the perfect place for you.

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old market

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Bora Bora

Its winter time in state college! The winter coats are out, the sidewalks are slippery, and everyone is skipping class to avoid the cold. If you do happen to be vegetating and avoiding contact with the outside world, you may catch an episode of Keeping up with Kardashians, and it may be the one where they take yet another luxurious vacation to Bora Bora. If you have not seen the episode, there is a lot of whining and family drama that revolves around Kim losing her diamond earring in the tropical waters after her soon to be second ex-husband pushes her in. While I try to avoid the Kardashians whenever I can, I couldn’t help but notice the beauty and awe of the island they stayed on.

Bora Bora

Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island is well known for its over the water bungalows on stilts and its economy relies almost entirely on tourism. Most of the attractions are aqua-centric, because who wouldn’t want to play around in that crystal blue water? Public transportation on the island is non-existent and the preferred methods of travel are bicycles and rental cars.

The average temperature for the island year round is 84.7 degrees. In the month of January the average high is 86, approximately 74 degrees warmer that it is right now. So since we cant actually be in Bora Bora , we might as well sit back, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, hibernate, and look at pictures of Bora Bora until winter ends.

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