• By: Riyanka
• May 03, 2019
• (1) Comments

Exploring Angkor Wat In A Saree: An Experience To Remember

As clichéd as it may sound, like any other Bengali girl, I, too, have a fascination for the 9 yards, but to be honest, I was pretty sceptical of backpacking in a saree! Until recently, when I thought to try it, I packed one of my favourites (from Mom’s collection) during my trip to Cambodia.

I was still undecided about whether to wear it, but I could imagine myself posing in front of Angkor Wat in a saree.

Here’s My Experience Of Exploring Angkor Wat In A Saree!

Our tuk-tuk driver had told me to be ready by 4 AM if I wished to catch the sunrise, so I had to wake by 3 AM to drape the saree and get ready before he arrived! Sunly, my tuk-tuk driver and new friend in Siem Reap, smiled as he saw me struggling a bit to get on the tuk-tuk, but his compliment made my day! “You look so Indian,” he said, as we started moving toward the temple complex.

I was a little conscious, thinking about how I would manage walking so much for the whole day and climbing the stairs, etc.

But I was equally excited! Till now, all my saree scenes were confined to family gatherings, weddings of friends, and office occasions – this surely was a pleasant change of scenario! I still didn’t know that the fun was about to begin!

“Indian woman always good in saree,” Sunly kept mumbling in his broken English, “You look like them in movies, television!” I was feeling a little awkward by then!

The lady at the ticket counter also beamed, looking at me, “Nice, Indian?”

I smiled at her, nodding my head.

Then, it was my guide, Ki, who enthusiastically introduced himself as a Hindu and easily figured out that I was an Indian, and then built a relationship between the Indians and the Cambodians, saying that we are all brothers and sisters, as we are all Hindus. I enjoyed the conversation as he showed me the carvings of the Ramayana and Mahabharata on the walls of Angkor, and in between, linked how Draupadi wore a saree and also Sita wore a saree. (Probably, I would have missed out on such detailed explanations if I were there in jeans & tee!)

My guide asked me (rather, instructed me!) to stop at places and pose. He was quite sure of his photographic skill, and I absolutely followed wherever he asked me to pause & smile! In the meantime, I also gathered the attention of several other tourists, who wanted to come and take a photo with me!

For a while, I felt like a celebrity! There was this Chinese lady who approached me and said something like “Photo, Photo”.  For a moment, my friend thought that she wanted us to take her picture, so he tried to take her phone, but then she started saying something that made no sense to us.

After a conversation of about 30 seconds, where she didn’t understand us, neither did we understand her – I figured out that she wanted a picture with me! “Hindu. Indian. Saree. Bollywood” – amidst all Mandarin, these are the 4 English words she used and was happily posing for the picture!

A few steps ahead stood her friend. She pulled her as well, and then we had a group photo together! Some other Chinese uncles and aunties also joined in, and I was the centre of attraction there!

Once the chaos ended, my guide said he also wanted a photo with me to show his family. I was thrilled with whatever was happening!

As I walked further, there was a man and five beautiful girls, dressed as apsaras. They were charging USD 1 from people who wished to click a photograph with the apsaras. This man called me, “Photo with apsaras?”

I was about to say “No”, but before I could say anything, “One dollar for all, free for you!”, is what he said! I wanted to laugh out loud but controlled my emotions and walked up to the apsaras. Of course, I did want a photograph with them! They showed me how to pose, and then I got a shot with them.

“This is like Bollywood”, the apsaras giggled amongst themselves, and I was thinking how deep an impact the Hindi-film industry has made on the world! While I stood there, some other people also stopped by to take our photo! By then, the celebrity-ish feeling had sunk within me!

My eyes began searching for another Indian woman, and I wished I could find someone to share company with.

But I didn’t! Nonetheless, it was quite an adventure for me to explore Angkor Wat in a saree!

Amidst all that was happening to me, I was in awe of the eclectic beauty of the temples that date back more than 1000 years, yet stand with all its glory and grandeur. I was thrilled at every step, wondering how beautifully the craftsmen had worked, given the minimal resources available at the time.

[Check Out The 3-Day Travel Guide for exploring the Angkor Temple Complex, here!]

Traversing across the ruins of Angkor would be a special journey, and that day, painted with all shades of fun and amusement, made everything even more special!

I’m sure many other female travellers out there must have explored abroad in a saree, and I would also like to hear their stories (the unusual, funny encounters) from the roads! Do share your stories if you have any – I’m all ears!

(Disclaimer: This post contains a few affiliate links. If you happen to click on any of them and make a purchase, I might earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Just know that I truly appreciate your support if you choose to do so.)