Artisans Angkor

Artisans Angkor grew out of an effort to rebuild Cambodia's traditional crafts after decades of war. Its roots lie in the Chantiers-Ecoles de Formation Professionnelle, a project of the Cambodian Ministry of Education begun in 1992 to train young people in building and craft trades. Between 1998 and 2001 a European programme helped to create Artisans Angkor as a workplace for those trainees, and in 2003, with French development support, it became an autonomous Cambodian company. It describes itself as Cambodian-owned and reinvests in training and new workshops.

The craft centre in Siem Reap, on Stung Thmey Street a short walk from the Old Market, is the easiest place in town to see traditional skills in action. Guided tours run daily from 7:30am to 6pm and take you through the workshops, where artisans carve sandstone and wood, apply lacquer and gilding, and produce silverware and silk. Many of the carvings draw on the same motifs you will see at Angkor, and the company also works on custom projects and on the restoration of cultural relics. In 2013 it was reported to employ around 900 craftspeople across dozens of workshops in Siem Reap Province.

At the end of the tour you can browse the boutique, which sells silk scarves, carvings, lacquerware, jewellery and homeware. Because everything is made in the company's own workshops, the provenance is clear, which makes it a good place to buy gifts.

To see silk being made from start to finish, Artisans Angkor also runs the Angkor Silk Farm in Puok District, about 20 minutes' drive from the centre. Set among five hectares of mulberry trees, it offers free guided tours covering every step from silkworm to woven cloth, including traditional ikat dyeing.

A workshop visit takes around 45 minutes to an hour and works well on a hot afternoon between temple trips, or on the morning you arrive. It suits families, design lovers and anyone curious about how the carvings at Angkor were made. Combine it with a walk around the Old Market and lunch in the surrounding streets. If you are short of time, the workshop tour is the better choice, while the silk farm makes a relaxed half-day outing with a tuk-tuk driver.