A visit to a Cambodian Silk Farm

 I visited a silk farm on the outskirts of Siem Reap in Puok District, a half-hour drive from the city centre. I was on a free tour arranged by Artisans Angkor, an establishment that creates job opportunities for young people living in rural areas, while promoting traditional Khmer craftsmanship and industry. Although our tour guide was down with high fever that morning, he made a fair attempt to engage and joke with all of us.   

Mulberry farm

The tour was highly informative; we were given a detailed understanding of the silk manufacturing process. We saw how mulberry leaves are grown, larva feeding on the leaves till they weave a cocoon around themselves which can be up to 1 km in length! The cocoons are then sunned so that they soften and the silk fibre can be easily obtained, during this process most of the silkworms die. This was particularly discomforting to learn about.

Silkworms feeding on mulberry leaves

Life cycle of a silkworm

The next step is reeling, where the filament from the cocoon is unwound. There were a couple of women seated next to a large round container with boiling water, delicately executing this task.  We then got to see and feel the raw silk that had been obtained thus far. It takes between 2000 to 3000 cocoons to make one pound of silk! Upon learning this fact, I realized that silk production or sericulture is an extremely time consuming and delicate process requiring absolute precision, without which you would need to redo any part of the line process again. I also thought back to all those times that I had bought a silk scarf while having negotiated hard for a good rate. Of course, I had no insight into how complicated the process can be.

Raw silk in different dyes

We then learnt about how raw silk is made into fine silk, and then dyed into different colours using natural dyes. It was interesting to see women there using their lower legs to fine tune a design in the silk scarves. In the end, we saw lots of women, most of them pregnant, weaving beautiful silk scarves of different colours and designs in handlooms. A wrong move while the fine strands pass through the loom meant redoing the entire process again. Just for context, it takes 4 – 5 days to complete one silk sari. India being the world’s second largest producer of silk has a lot of variety.

Colourful, well designed silk scarf

After seeing the entire process, I made a small mental note to myself that the next time I go silk shopping, I will not negotiate hard. 

Quad Biking in Rural Cambodia

On the way

While researching my trip to Cambodia, Quad biking appeared as a top attraction. Without wasting any time, I booked a 21 kms long easy tour via Quad Biking Cambodia priced at $37, a month in advance, as the slots are generally limited.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, one that I highly recommend to anyone visiting Siem Reap. 

I was picked up from my hostel in a quad bike half an hour before my tour was to begin. We zipped through the streets on a lazy Sunday afternoon, as other tourists watched in amazement. The actual tour takes places on the out skirts of the city, about ten minutes away. I was first taught the basics of riding a quad bike, familiarized with its various functions and given safety training. After a test ride with a trainer, I was deemed fit to ride on my own.  After signing a liability waiver form and making payment, off we went!

Wooden houses on stilts amidst paddy fields

I had the quad bike to myself and was following the guide on a bike in front of me. We rode on all kinds of terrain; from dirt tracks to paved roads to going cross country through barren, bumpy fields. As we passed through villages, grazing cows and hens, dried up lotus fields, paddy fields, ponds, canals and lots of smiling Cambodians outside their wooden houses; I got a glimpse into their simple, rural lifestyle.

A family of ducks in a canal

The highlight of the tour was our stop at the breeding pool for red fish. Amidst paddy fields, there was a pond that housed 200 of these orangish-red, wide eyed, hungry fish. It was an incredible sight. My guide asked me to go to the end of a wooden boardwalk and play with the red fish as he took some amazing pictures. I resisted putting my hand in as they would pick at it, much like the live fish massages in town, of which I am not a fan.

Red Fish

As the sun began to set, we rode back cross country through the fields and various dirt tracks. As I was now used to the vehicle, I decided to accelerate, which led to a bumpy, yet fun ride back to base. All in all, it was a memorable and adventurous afternoon, one that I will relish for a long time to come.

Sail Away in Goa

Goa is a great holiday destination irrespective of the time of year. From shack hopping to relaxing at the beach or pool side to partying the night away, you can do it all. When I was in Goa recently, I discovered another fun experience worth trying - sailing. There is an Aquasail club at Grand Hyatt hotel in Bambolim, located 7 kms away from Panjim, which is where I was staying. It’s a beautiful property sprawled over 28 acres of land, having its own casino, sail club, an adventure hub, a swimming pool and some amazing restaurants and bars.

Me and my friend decided to go sailing in the evening. Priced at Rs. 2500 per person, there is a discount for people staying at the hotel, lowering the price significantly. We got a couple of sail boat options to choose from and off we went. The waters were rough that evening so getting into the boat was tricky. Once in, and on our way, we rode along with the waves, the wind pushing us in the direction that we had wanted to go in; getting splashed in the process. As the sun was beginning to set, its warm glow on my face felt nice. I even got a chance to steer the sail boat which was fun.

As are our half hour slot was coming to an end, we noticed dolphins swimming in the distance. We sailed closer to them and saw them jump in joy, this was an amazing moment, a rare one we were told.

We came back relaxed and refreshed, energized for the night ahead.