Charming Cambodia
Cambodia is a country often overlooked for it's more famous neighbours of Vietnam and Thailand, but it is one you should add to your list. Full of colour, charm and class. There is everything from ancient temples on par with the seven wonders of the world, street food to keep you coming back for more and nature that makes you feel like you've walked into a fairy tale and that's just for starters. The people are warm and friendly despite the recent difficult history and the food will make the visit worth it alone. In short don't skip this wonderful country while explore south east Asia.
Phenom Penh
The mostly overlooked capital of Cambodia has a little of everything for anyone. From historical sites, amazing architecture, cruises down the river and incredible food. You won't be sorry to spend a few days exploring a city that is both modern and historical. Sobering but cheerful and most importantly never disappointing.
While in Phenom Penh i stayed at the Patio Urban hotel and spa resort. Which is a great mid range hotel with an incredible rooftop pool with great views of the city. Very affordable spa treatments, good rooftop restaurant with a good range of food and staff who make you feel welcome and that nothing is too much. Not to mention it is in a good location with several shops and restaurants near and the independence monument only a 5 min walk away. I started my short trip to Phenom Penh with a lovely dinner at the riverside. The dinner was grilled snakehead fish (local river fish similar to bass in taste), a chicken curry (slightly sweet rather than spicy, which tends to be the norm) and fruit. The river is a big feature of the city and the perfect place to grab a bite to eat with amazing sunset views. The area is bustling in the evening with several street food stalls filling the air with delicious smells and people boarding boats to make the most of the river at this amazing time of day and views.
The next day I started with a visit to the Royal palace. Which i would recommend going to in the morning before the heat and humidity kicks in as there is very little shade. You should give your self a couple of hours to explore this large and beautiful complex. Taking in some of the most amazing buildings that i have been lucky enough to see. You can see the imposing stone temple with the coronation throne inside and the famous Silver Pagoda (just be mindful that it is still a shrine) just to name a couple of attractions. I would also recommend getting a guide to explain the history and importance of the buildings as this allows you to really know what you are looking at. Next up after a quick stop for some refreshing juice (you will find fresh juice readily aviliable just about everywhere) it was time to visit the very sombre genocide museum S21. This former high school turned torture centre is a must visit while in this city. It helps you to understand the not too distant past that Cambodia had had to overcome and gives you a real appreciation not just for how lucky we have been not to experience what they have but also for how far the country has come in such as short amount of time. You are able to see cells, photos of both soldiers (some as young as 14) and victims. If you are lucky as i was you can even meet a survivor and hear his story of pain and survival. After a short 20min drive and a quick lunch I then visited the killing fields where many people who were tortured at S21 were taken to be killed. I would recommend doing S21 before the killing fields as it gives a lot of context for the killing fields. However due to the heaviness and the emotional nature of these two places if you feel you can't do both in one day maybe split them up . As for the killing fields themselves they are really hard hitting as one of the most striking features is a large stupa in the centre of the area containing over 8,000 skulls of victims that they have found. There are also several areas were there are signs explaining what happened in the locations such as a tree used to kill babies that are really emotionally difficult to deal with. However, it is also really important to get a clear understanding of what happened so we don't forget. It is a place that you feel the importance and gravity of what has happened and why it can't be forgotten. After going to such emotionally difficult places it was time to take a break before heading out for a sunset cruise on the river. The cruise was a great way to end the day. Really reaxing, with drinks and snacks provided. The views were so beautiful with warm oranges and deep reds filling the evening sky. It was the perfect way to unwind. After the cruise i decided to take a brief look at the night market. Which is a foodies dream. With just about every kind of food and juice. Things that i hadn't seen before and things that looked really good. At this point i wasn't hungry so i just had a sugar cane juice. Which is a great refreshing drink ton have while out and about. The market itself isn't really anything much apart from the food area and you probably don't need much more than an hour max. It was now time for me to head back to the hotel. Where after a little travel mishap with a tuk tuk taking me half an hour in the wrong direction, i had my first taste of fish amok. Which was really tasty.
Unfortunately this is all i had time to do and see in this incredible city but there is a lot more to it. For example Wat Phenom is a wonderful shrine with lovely gardens sat on a man made hill you can visit, the national museum offers interesting history inside a beautiful building and the central market offers great shopping and local produce. So You probably need around 3 days to fully experience the city.
Siem Reap
Probably the most famous town in Cambodia and the gateway to Ankor Wat, Siem Reap has a lot to offer. From The famous Ankor Wat which is on par with any of the seven wonders of the world, Pub street with it's bars and restaurants, floating villages and landmine sniffing rats. This town is so much more than cheap beer and famous temples, and deserves to have a good few days fully exploring and experiencing.
In Siem Reap i stayed in another mid range hotel called Somaden hotel and spa resort. It felt really luxurious with unbelievable décor, a rooftop pool and very affordable spa treatments. It's location was very central only a 10min drive from Ankor Wat and walking distance from Pub street. While being far enough away as to not be disturbed by the noise of the street. Once i had settled in to the hotel i had a walk around Pub street and the surrounding area. Which really comes alive with people in the evening. It is a very busy part of town with many bars playing music so loud you can feel it in your chest as you walk by. However if you are after good food and cheap beer (75 cent a pint) then this is the place for you. I grabbed a bite to eat at a restaurant on Pub street. Where i had Khemer noodles which not only was one of the best things i ate in Cambodia, but also looked like a piece of art when it came. After dinner i headed back to the hotel to rest up ready to tackle the famous Ankor Wat in the morning.
The next morning was an early start to see the sunrise at Ankor Wat. I was sitting opposite the moat outside of the main complex. Which i think was the perfect spot, not only can you sit and relax where as inside you have to stand in a busy cramped area. But you can see the temple reflected in the water as the sun rises which is really special. The colours in the sky are what truly makes it worth it to see this event, but the noise of the cicada which for around half an hour make it sound like you are in the middle of a jungle really make it an unforgettable experience. If you can go and see the sun rise i would say it is something that you shouldn't miss. After this i headed back to my hotel for a quick breakfast before taking on the temples. First up was of course exploring Ankor Wat in all it's glory. Honestly i would put it up there with any of the seven wonders of the world. It has the awe factor, history and beauty that any of the wonders have. And honestly i think it is often over looked. You will probably see a few monkeys in the area, incredible scenery and an air of calmness. You will also see Buddhist monks walking around and if you stop and talk with them a moment it can really add to the experience. Just a word of warning there are some steep parts to the main complex (you don't have to climb but can if you want) and it can be uneven under foot at times so make sure you have good shoes on. Next up we headed to Bayon Temple with it's many faces. This temple to me was the more interesting looking. Small than it' more famous neighbour but just as impressive. I was lucky enough to get a blessing from a Buddhist monk near this temple, which really made it special to me. But to me the whole temple was just more fascinating to me and the faces really caught my attention. After doing 2 temples i headed off to lunch at a training restaurant called Spoons. Where young people from poorer backgrounds were getting trained in the restaurant business as well as being provided with an education, so that they can make a living after. This restaurant is really worth a visit the service was excellent and the food delicious. After lunch i headed back to Ankor Wat complex to visit one more temple. The last temple and my favourite of the three was Ta Prolm. This is a temple where nature is still in charge. There are great trees growing out of the temples and towering above. There are bats living in the temple and and air of the unexplored to it. It feels like you could be an explorer from years gone past just discovering it for the first time. Not to mention that they filmed tomb raider here so you of course get that bragging right of going to the same temple as Angelina Jolie. After a long day of temple exploring it was back to the hotel for a little rest and freshen up before heading out to see a Phare theatre show. Which if you have the chance to go and see you must. It is like cirque du soleil meets comedy theatre. For a short 1 hour performance i was treated to unbelievable acrobatics, great story telling and a whole new respect for these artists. I was left wanting more which is always a good sign with any show. After the show i headed out to grab a light dinner before turning in for the night.
For my last day in Cambodia i headed to a floating village, but not before quickly stopping off at a local produce market. The local market was a feast for the eyes with just about anything you can think of being sold. Everything from bottles of petrol, live snakes and frogs, ants, fish an array of fruit and vegs and snacks. It was a great way to have small taste of every day life for locals and get to know a little more about some of the food aviliable in this country. The people were so friendly letting us hold the snakes or explaining about the noodles they were making. You could really feel that this market was a real hub for the local community. After the brief visit to the market it was on to the floating village. Since i visited in the dry season i was able to see the stilts that the houses were built on as i walked through the main village. The stililts that didn't look like they should be able to support the homes were built up to 10ft high as this is the level the waters can rise to and really give the village its sense of character. Again i was greeted by such friendly people with young children saying hello and locals offering a gentle smile. I then headed onto a boat to explore the lake. Which was one of the most relaxing things i did while in Cambodia. See the fishermen going about there business while finding out how they have adapted to the water was both fascinating and relaxing. After a very relaxing morning of markets and floating villages i grabbed a quick lunch and headed out to find out about the rats that are being used to sniff out landmines. I headed to the Apopo visitor centre for a 1hr guided tour where i was told about there incredible work, shown a demonstration and able to hold one of the (huge) rats. It was really interesting to find out about this crucial work and well worth a little visit. i found it amazing that in just 2 months these rats had found 76 landmines. After i headed back to freshen up and then headed out to the nearby countryside, with the aim to see the sunset here. However, due to the clouds i was unable to see the sunset. But this didn't take away from a lovely evening of walking through a lovely village, enjoying greats snacks from our lovely host and simply enjoying a short break from the main town. Then it was time for my final dinner before leaving this wonderful and underrated country.
Key things for Cambodia
Currency: Officially Cambodia uses the Riel however you will find that it operates on a dule currency system which uses both American dollars and Cambodian Riel (about 4000 Riel to 1usd) and you can pay and get change in both.
Dress: There isn't really any dress restrictions apart from when visiting shrines where hats must be removed, shoulders covered and modest dress is followed
Food: There is a lot of good food to try but a few must tries are Khmere noodles (a rice noodle dish pictured left), Fish Amok (a light and slightly sweet curry), Noodle soup, sticky rice and a varity of fruits. For the culinary brave you can try fried spider, cricket and ants. There is also barbequed frog readily available.
Religion: Cambodia is a primarily Buddhist country and as such it is very common to see Buddhist monks walking around so please stay respectful and don't take photos without asking first
Getting Around: Grab is a handy app to download and use to get around ( local equivalent to Uber) or you can hail a tuk tuk (just be careful not to get ripped off)