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Killing Fields - from the Sites of a Holocaust to a peaceful Memorial of the Dead   by Pushpitha Wijesinghe

Sandwiched between the countries of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam rests Cambodia which houses the world famous ruins of the Angkor Wat. Nestled in Cambodia's Angkor region, these ruins are considered as one of the top ten travel wonders of the world.

Take a sightseeing tour in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city, and you will be lost in a world of spectacular architecture and spellbinding artistry. What's more you can even opt for an exciting cultural expedition or unwind at the country's dazzling white beaches embracing the gulf of Thailand.

Tourist attractions in Cambodia come in many forms, where some attractions will mesmerize and inspire you others would ruffle your composure. If you are daring enough for an adventure into the world of the dead where a terrifying past is dug up and revealed, drop by the Killing Fields of Cambodia.

It is a site the sensitive, the faint hearted and young children are advised to refrain from visiting. As these Killing Fields exhibit thousands of skulls and bones collected from heart-rending acts of genocide that most would find disturbing and traumatizing.

Towards the south of Phnom Penh, around 17 kilometres away, is a site known as Choeung Ek which used to be a Chinese graveyard and an orchard. Today it nestles the memorial and the mass graves of those who died by the hands of the brutal Khmer Rouge, under the command of Southeast Asia's Hitler, Pol Pot.

At the Killing Fields in Choeung Ek you will see around 8000 skulls and bones of civilians who were massacred from 1975 to 1979. Around 17,000 were put to death in the Killing Fields while the death toll reached a staggering one million or so innocent Cambodian lives, all tortured and killed by the Khmer Rouge regime. Some of the skulls and bones exhumed belong to women and children. Those who escaped this malicious fate died through sheer exhaustion and malnutrition from forced labour at countrywide farmlands.

The Killing Fields houses an old run down school which was turned into a prison that held thousands of prisoners who were tortured and killed eventually. All the skulls and bones dug up have been neatly showcased and enshrined in a Buddhist stupa where a shrine is built to honour and commemorate the countless lives lost. Pain is written all over these bones that silently moan their untimely deaths. The shocking sight will make your heart skip a beat, wrapping your mind in sensations of horror and grief.

But as you explore you will be overwhelmed by its peaceful and serene ambiance, symbolising how a nation rose from such a tragic past and moved on towards a bright future. And today Cambodia stands tall as a popular tourist destination in the world, bold enough to flaunt their past that was stained by bloodshed. Killing Fields of Cambodia will no doubt shake you up, yet it will also awaken you to see the negative aspect of war and destruction more clearly from a different perspective.

Book a Cambodia hotel and visit the Killing Fields and other Cambodian attractions that will give you an insight into this unique nation. If you prefer best creature comforts topped with strategic location that provides quick access to your intended destinations, then look no further than Raffles Hotel Le Royal. Portraying historical charm, preserving perennial customs and offering award winning services, this five star hotel Cambodia will make your stay in Cambodia truly memorable.

About the Author

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.