Traditional Homes – country Cambodia

 Outside Phnom Penh – country Cambodia

Outside Phnom Penh – Wide-dusty-streets, a busy rural town

Wide dusty streets greet us as we enter small towns in the rural areas.  The provincial areas outside Phnom Penh are low-lying with fields of rice as the main crop.

Rice-paddies-and-palm trees – country Cambodia –

About traditional homes today

Traditional homes  in rural areas have wooden frames, a gabled – thatched, tiled or iron roof; walls of timber or woven bamboo; bamboo ladders or wooden stairs back and front, and a bamboo fence. Traditional homes  in the country side are on stilts to raise the houses above flood waters during the monsoon season. In some areas  homes are built three meters high on stilts  for protection from annual flooding.

Traditional Homes in Cambodia’s countryside have thatched walls and an iron roof.

Traditional homes are rectangular in shape and may vary in size from four by six meters, to six by ten meters. The house interior is usually  divided into three to four sections and separated by walls of woven bamboo.The first room serves as a living room, and to receive visitors.  The next is the parents bedroom, the third or fourth room is for children, or unmarried daughters. Smaller houses may contain only one room. Near the rear of the house is a separate kitchen for food preparation. Families spend very little time upstairs during the day. The area under the house serves as a work area for the daily chores.  The area under the house also serves as a shelter for the animals at night. Toilet facilities consist of simple pits in the ground, located away from the house, covered up when filled.

Traditional Homes – large clay vessels stand outside for water storage.

Traditional homes have at least one or more large clay vessels outside to catch and store rainwater for their domestic needs. A common sight in front of many traditional homes is a white cow,  contentedly chewing its cud in the front yard. Free range hens and colorful roosters are also a common sight.

Cows tethered in the front yard are a common sight. Traditional homes. Cambodia

Modernization of traditional homes

More houses today have an iron roof, even the odd temple has an iron roof placed over it for protection against the elements. Some houses are built-in underneath and wooden stairs replaced with cement ones. The modern changes made to the traditional style of homes in Cambodia depends entirely upon the financial status of the owner.

Modernization of traditional homes

So many interesting things to see on the way to Kep……...

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