I’m not exactly sure what the right way is to sum up Cambodia. There were highs and lows as there always are, but this country felt different. Maybe it was because I started off doing something wildly sad on the first day. Really, I think it’s because they’re still on the cusp of figuring it out. It could have something to do with the large-scale adoption of western influences, all the way down to American currency. In my opinion, it would feel better if there was a stronger Cambodian personality, or at least a Khmer spin on the foreign aspects they choose to integrate.
There are some really good pieces, but the full puzzle isn’t quite there. Yet.
I found some great places to stay and some even better places to eat. But nearby there was bound to be mounds of dirt or piles of trash. Cleanliness can be chucked into the ‘in progress’ category. Geckos, roaches and rats were seen regularly. It’s something you have to put out of your mind when going to a restaurant. I’m not saying I need pristine surroundings (though the royal palace was a sight to see), but I could’ve avoided a few trips to the can in better circumstances. Although, you know, it wouldn’t be what it is without those elements. A few table ants and a mosquito bite during a meal does enhance the authenticity.
In addition to insect repellant, don’t forget your sunscreen if you’re visiting during the non-rainy months. And remember to budget for drinking water. To say it’s warm would be a massive understatement. Air con was a luxury; a fan was a minimum requirement. Again, part of the experience.
The cultural offerings were stunning to witness. From both sides of the table. The Khmer Rouge history is such an important part of the country’s identity, albeit cripplingly disheartening. Whether it’s recovery from that or general progress, they’re definitely building toward something. Once they get their transit system on track, I think growth will be exponential. I’d be interested to see the difference in 10 years.
As for the main standout, it has to be, unsurprisingly, Angkor Wat. You could easily spend a full week exploring the temples and still have so much left to see. Now, I don’t think a normal person would have the stamina to do it in that heat, but that’s beside the point. I’m having trouble coming up with more to say about it. The collection of structures and carved stone was so vast and impressive that I found myself meandering about. Much like this post.
I can’t finish without mentioning the Khmer people. So positive, so kind. I saw so many faces light up in response to a smile or “Hello.” Hostel staff treated guests like immediate friends. The attitude and character can not only be appreciated, but used as inspiration.
I hope they Seam Reap the benefits of happiness and prosperity. What a segue.
By the Numbers
Days in Cambodia: 13 Tours: 6 Bus Rides: 7 Tuk Tuk Rides: 8 Massages: 1 Temples Visited: Lost Count Angkor Beers: Lost Count KHR Spent: ~1,772,148.00 USD Spent: ~$443.04 (Conversion rate of 4,000)
For those interested in visiting one day, here’s a list of where I went and how I ranked stuff: (click the top left button of the map to expand the list view)
Lastly, below is my “best of” album. This country has a lot more to offer than what I captured but hopefully I’ll be back when I’m a bit more advanced in my photography skills.
The bus/shuttle game in Cambodia is an interesting one. The arrangements and scheduling are all very loose and ill-explained. Some people on the stretch from Kampot to Phnom Penh had tickets and some didn’t. We changed vehicles a few times. We ended up being crammed into a small passenger van for about 5hrs on a drive that should’ve taken 3. Once in PP, it was unclear what our next move was.
Thankfully, it was only an hour until the next ride to Siem Reap. It was another full passenger van. Six more hours of transit with a non-functioning seatbelt and a race car driver insistent on overtaking other vehicles in the opposite lane of traffic.
I arrived nonetheless and my hostel was in walking distance from the drop off point. What a hostel it was as well.
Lub d (whatever that means). The vibe was very welcoming. Awesome amenities with a bar and pool right as you walk in. It seemed social and the staff was incredibly friendly. The dorm rooms and other facilities were super cozy and clean. This place has slotted into my overall top 5 accommodations on the trip. I immediately extended my stay there by one night, partially because the place was sweet and partially because I needed the extra time to organize all of the activities I wanted to do.
Unexpectedly, there was a clan of other Americans also staying at the hostel. By far the most Americans in one place that I’ve encountered on my travels. Kaitlin (29, Maryland) and David (26, Wisconsin) did the free walking tour with me in the morning. The tour was underwhelming and quick but it gave us a chance to get to know each other. David and I hung out for most of the day while Kaitlin did some stuff on her own. We reconvened for a cycling tour of the nearby lotus fields that evening.
Cue several other Americans entering the fray. There was a fleet of westerners on biking through the streets of Siem Reap chatting to one another. It took around 30 minutes to get out of the city. We stopped very briefly in one lotus field and then continued onto a more scenic spot to watch the sunset. We drank a beer with the kind staff while playing Heads Up. Somehow one of them was all about the Friends category and knew everything. It was another guy’s birthday and he sang us a song as the sun dipped below the horizon.
We had another 30 minute ride back to the hostel that destroyed everyone’s asses because of the rock-hard seats. Even in the dark, it was ridiculously hot and humid. It was time for a dip in the pool when we returned. Meet Sara (39, Florida but living in the UK) and Michael (47, Delaware but current nomad). While enjoying our temperate soak in the pool, we decided to coordinate a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat together in the morning.
After that was arranged, we went for dinner as a group and met the birthday boy out at a Pub Street spot for a beverage. X bar had a grungy atmosphere with a decent view of the city. There was also a small half pipe on the 3rd floor. We did our best to behave since we had a 4am wake up call. By that I mean we left at midnight. I ended up trying to stay awake to watch a soccer match which was a poor decision.
The team was responsible and on time in the morning. Props. David, Kaitlin, Sara, Michael and myself comprised the Temple squad. We boarded our tour bus and had our day passes purchased by 5am.
We unloaded at Angkor Wat after some blue had already spilled into the sky. There was a crowd surrounding the reflecting pool but we weaseled our way into the mix and got spots.
The city of temples was overwhelming at first. So many massive 12th century structures to explore. Angkor Wat was built in 37 years which seems insane based on the size, detail, and material needed for construction.
Eventually we went inside and made our way to the third floor by climbing a steep set of stairs. The internal layout was a grid of hallways that led to large, open-air sanctuaries. Incredible. None of the pictures from the day can do any of the buildings justice.
On the way out, David was lightly attacked by a monkey that was after a coconut. Luckily it was a non-rabies altercation.
The second stop, Bayon (The Temple of the Faces), was difficult to enjoy because it was overrun with boisterous Chinese tourists. Everywhere you turned there was either a gaggle of people or a stone-carved face, so part of it was interesting.
Next, we glossed over a site where elephant fights were held, paused for lunch at 10:30am, and briefly scoped a Buddha archway.
The last stop of the tour was Ta Prohm, otherwise known as “the Tomb Raider temple.” Much of this site was in ruins, thanks to several large trees growing right through the middle of everything. Again, the scale was difficult to capture with a camera. I just hope my eyes don’t forget.
Just like that, the tour was done and we were back at Lub d shortly after 12pm. We did so much, but it also felt like it wasn’t enough time.
We had a full day pass, so we negotiated with our awesome tour guide, Vishnu, to take our squad back for an afternoon expedition to visit a few new areas and catch the sunset somewhere.
After individual rest sessions, the 5 of us piled into Vishnu’s tuk tuk and rode back to hot spots.
We had a small hike up to a hilltop temple that offered a good view of the surrounding landscape. Then we had a really worthwhile stop at a temple we had all to ourselves. The lighting and the architecture were a pleasant pairing. We had a fun photo shoot and moved onto another wooded one that was technically closed but we wandered through quickly. Finally, we got to Pre Rup where we witnessed the last gasps of the setting sun before being kicked out.
Vishnu drove us through a very large local market on the way back to the hostel. We were barely able to drag ourselves to dinner before calling it a night.
Most of the next day was a rest and recoup situation for me. I walked around the city for a while in the early afternoon and made a morning bus reservation to head to Battambang. Then it was time to chill more in the AC.
Once the group assembled, I found out that Sara and David were also planning on going to Battambang so we combined forces on a room booking and they got bus tickets like me.
We walked around some of the night markets, had a late last dinner together and then hit the town to have some fun. The hostel was having an organized bar crawl, but we made our own and met up with them for a little bit. In the middle of pub street, there were promoters handing out flyers for free shots everywhere (coincidentally one of them was doing that as a Workaway — good to know for the future). The pamphlet shots became problematic. There were many and they tasted terrible.
We had an odd experience at a place slightly off the grid. Then before I knew it, we were back at X bar. There was dancing, more drinking, a random fire show on the half pipe, and a very overt $30 offer for sex. Nope.
Time evaporated. Either the bar closed or I left. Not entirely sure which. Not entirely sure at what time. I had a dalliance with a local girl and by the time I got back to Lub d it was light outside. I rounded up my packed belongings and successfully managed not to forget anything in my drunken stupor. I was starting to fade in and out when Sara and David came down to join me. We boarded our bus on time and I finished watching Tottenham Hotspur miraculously advance to the Champions League final over cellular data before passing out hard on the bus.
I woke up pretty much in Battambang. Another 3hr trip that took closer to 5. The reduced squad checked into our new digs and went down to get a meal. We sort of got strong-armed into a tour on our way out, but it was all stuff we were planning on doing anyway.
Post lunch, we were taken to the bamboo train, which is basically just a sheet of bamboo propelled by a gas engine. It kind of flew down the tracks. It gave us a chance to see rural Battambang at pace. We stopped in a tourist trap where the highlight was a cute little puppy. Then we tracked back to the beginning.
Next, we went to see thousands of bats flying out of an elevated cave. We also climbed a very eerie hill that had many labyrinths of pathways, abandoned worshiping areas and dissonant music playing from somewhere. There was a killing cave that we never found. But we did brave a slew of monkeys to arrive at a hilltop pagoda with a scenic lookout. The creepiness factor of the entire area, combined with the looming darkness convinced us to bounce after a short time.
Battambang wasn’t much to explore at night. I think we ended up doing the same walk to Street 2.5 about 7 or 8 times. All the interesting cafes and bars weren’t far off that strip.
I caught some sort of bug either at lunch or dinner that kind of sidelined me for the following day. Although we did get a triples, traditional Khmer massage which was worth it — a light deep tissue experience, with loads of pounding and clapping. Somehow I made it through without exploding, which was good.
I was planning to catch a bus to Bangkok after the second night but that didn’t seem in the cards. Sara and David found an interesting “tour of the North” that seemed like a good thing to entertain and do some mending.
We had an early start on Saturday morning. There were supposed to be 8 stops but we only got 6. We survived 500 crocodiles and even got to hold a baby, ate some fresh bamboo sticky rice, nearly vomited at the fish market, saw two temples and a killing field, as well as tried some fresh spring rolls while watching rice paper be made. Definitely a good opportunity to get a glimpse into local life and witness some of the culture of Battambang.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and making arrangements for our upcoming travels. Myself, Sara, and David had a solid dinner and watched a bit of live music before packing and heading to bed.
I’m currently in the midst of a marathon in-transit day, featuring at least 4 buses/shuttles, a break down, a land border crossing, a can of real BBQ Pringles, purchases in multiple currencies, and 15+ hrs of wheel rolling. I think I’ll make it to my destination. I hope I do…
