🕊️ "Facing History: A Solemn Visit to Choeung Ek Memorial

#summervacay
### **📍 Location:**
12km south of Phnom Penh

### **⏰ Opening Hours:**
7:30AM-5:30PM (Morning visits recommended)

### **💰 Budget Breakdown:**
- **Entrance:** $6 (Includes audio guide)
- **Transport:**
- Tuk-tuk roundtrip: $15-20
- Shared minivan: $8/person
- **Extras:**
- Donation for maintenance: Optional
- Guidebook: $5

**⏳ Time Needed:** 2-3 hours

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### **⚰️ Why This Site Matters:**
1️⃣ **Most infamous Killing Field** of the Khmer Rouge regime
2️⃣ **17,000+ victims** memorialized in the stupa
3️⃣ **Preserved mass graves** with visible fragments

**💡 Visitor Guidelines:**
✔️ **Dress conservatively** (no bright colors)
✔️ **Audio guide essential** for context
✔️ **Morning visits** avoid heat/afternoon rains
✔️ **Silence respected** - minimal talking

**📌 Emotional Preparation:**
- Contains graphic descriptions of torture
- Bone fragments still surface after rains
- Not recommended for young children

**🌱 Healing Spaces:**
- Meditation bench under the "Killing Tree"
- Labyrinth for quiet reflection
- Memorial stupa with 8,000 skulls

**🚗 Responsible Transport:**
- Book through reputable guesthouses
- Avoid independent motodops (sensitive site)

#neverforget #cambodianhistory #darktourism

**"Where the past whispers painful truths - and every visitor becomes a witness to resilience."**

*(Note: Photography permitted but be discreet. No selfies with remains.)*

**🌿 Aftercare Tip:** Visit Wat Phnom or Russian Market afterward to decompress. The Bophana Center offers deeper historical context.