Fulvio Iori - Milano

This summer I was in Thailand and decided on the spot to organize via internet a brief detour to Angkor, since I've been reading a lot about this Wonder but for various reasons I hadn't had chances to visit it. I was immediately attracted by the completeness and beauty of this web site so I decided to book their Guided Tour service to the Temples. Having booked everything on-line just a day prior my arriving, I've been then aknowledged that Andy had read my mail just 27 minutes (!!) before my landing at 9.30 PM at Siem Reap. Believe it or not...exiting the airport there were the manager and driver waiting for me! Along the way to my hotel we planned the visits of my 3 days' tour and the following morning, sharp, their Guide and driver were picking me up at the lobby to start the tour.

They've been three unbelievable days: the magic of the sites, the architectural and cultural magnificency of the temples, the spectacular level reached by the Khmer culture. The UNESCO status, even if prestigious, doesn't give the whole idea of this wonder!! The city of Siem Reap also deserves a special mention: an authentic jewel still intact, "colonial" atmospheres of the lost "French Indochina" (but with no colonial ruling anymore...)

The whole extremely valued by the competence and professionality, flexibility, passion for their own cultural heritage by the whole staff: a real unique experience! And what about the project to contribute, with a share of the revenues, to cambodian childrens' education: I could concretely feel their sincere pride and involvement in this project, and this it has soundly touched me...

Reading back to what I wrote, I realize that all this could sound excessively "over promoting ": but, believe me, it was not my purpose. My only hope is that this initiative can succeed and, at the same time, the touristic boom Cambodia is worthly experiencing won't alter the integrity of sites and people. The natural politeness and deepness of Cambodian people at its whole, which goes beyond the frightening wounds left by the allucinated Khmer Rouge experiment, is really special and deserves the best. Think about it: nevertheless the genocide of a third (!!) of the entire population, this same people has had the courage and spiritual strenght to not allow itself to pursue a comprensible aim of counter-revenge, as sadly happened in the former Yugoslavia and as Iraq is experiencing. I believe that only this is already sensational. So, have a nice Cambodia and Angkor!

Fulvio Iori

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