So it’s been a while since I’ve posted as the internet has not been a good friend since leaving Phnom Penh. The toughest part of blogging really is finding that golden WIFI which makes life a whole lot easier…
Moving on anyway, here’s an update on what the two of us have been getting up to!
Our Cambodian adventure continued with travelling to Siem Reap, the most iconic place to visit in all of Cambodia. We decided against our original plan to fly there (domestic flights are not as cheap as you would think) and booked a coach ride with Giant Ibis Coaches – such an amazing find at only £20 for the two of us.
The ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap was actually really enjoyable. I anticipated a stuffy and noisy 6 hour coach ride however, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and air-conditioned the bus was. Plus we got some snacks and made a few rest stops on the way which broke up the long journey.
The Cambodian countryside was really interesting to see along the way. We’d been so used to seeing such built up areas, it was refreshing to sit back and gaze out over hundreds of acres of flat green land, catching small glimpses of village life. The houses were probably the most basic I’d ever seen – practically a garden-like shed on 4 wooden posts.
It was as if we’d stepped back in time where farmers ruled the land, with no stores or anything commercial in sight – just hard graft and cosy family life. The children seemed happy to be running around their simple surroundings too. Getting a coach allowed for a greater appreciation of how beautiful Cambodia really is, plus you’d never see such sights from a plane. I’ll definitely be considering more coaches in future! 
We made it to Siem Reap and were greeted by our hotel driver who took us to our home for the next few days – The Cashew Nut. The location was pretty much on point for us although that was about it. The hotel itself was quite nasty and not what you would have of expected – despite the glowing reviews on TripAdvisor. It was interesting to find out the hotel was actually run by an Englishman, yet it was in a bit of a state. Don’t get me wrong, he was a lovely man but I did question his abilities to run a good hotel. What made it even worse was that he boasted about buying the building next door to increase his hotel capacity. My thoughts were to tell him maybe he should fix all of the problems from his first one… a bit too cheeky though!
We had been blessed so far with such amazing hotels so I guess it’s only fair to have at least one bad one. Our room was essentially a giant bathroom, tiled from floor to ceiling, with a grotty old bathroom cubicle that had no shower. It was basically a hose coming out of the wall that soaked everything in sight if you attempted to wash. The bed was rock solid and had previous guest’s litter scattered under it. We even booked a private room however, had the joys of sharing our room with 3 of the NOISIEST gecko’s there ever was. The worst part though was the delightful sounds of drilling and hammering starting in the early hours of the morning from the new “hotel” extension. A perfect way to start your day really…
The rooftop terrace was nice and had fantastic views across Siem Reap, although the prospect of a jacuzzi did seem too good to be true as we dashed upstairs to cool down from the blistering heat – only to find out that the so called “jacuzzi” looked as if it had never been cleaned a day in its life. I could even see remnants of skin and god knows what else floating on the surface… You can pretty much guess that we decided against that idea.
Anyway… enough of the negativity!
Siem Reap had far more to offer us than a place to sleep so we agreed to spend as much time away from our room as humanly possible, just to be on the safe side.
Our hotel was located quite central to Siem Reap’s old market streets – again, very much influenced by French colonial times. The streets were pleasant to walk around however, the market workers here are perhaps some of the most pushy we have experienced so far. I have become rather impatient with them now and my usual politeness and good mannered self had slowly turned into an angry Scottish hooligan … A firm NO is about all I will give now. There have been a few times recently where I’ve just walked out angrily. I know they want to make good business but I firmly believe they would make more money if we were left to browse. There really is nothing more off-putting and annoying than being followed around!
The French influences are highlighted everywhere in Siem Reap. On almost every corner you will find sweet smelling bakeries, drawing you in with their homey scents. Every morning we would follow the inviting aromas and devour delicious breads, croissants and rich coffee to start our day. That is the way your day should always begin!
The food in general here is pretty good to be fair, although MUCH more expensive than Thailand and Vietnam – which was quite surprising. They use the dollar here hence why you will find that you spend way more than you would have budgeted for (we certainly did)…
Here are a few pictures of our favourite meals we had… As you’re probably well aware by now that we’re both extreme foodaholics!
The old market sits parallel to the world famous “Pub Street”, Cambodia’s answer to Magaluf. This place is absolute chaos at night and is the best place to go for a cheap drink. Gary and I hadn’t really done that much drinking during our travels however, our plan to avoid our hotel at all costs gave us no other choice than to have 1… or maybe 10 drinks each night!
We even managed to bump into a few familiar faces from home! Small world we live in…
The atmosphere on pub street is so electric and you’re never short on places to go or markets to shop. The night markets in particular are good to grab some souvenirs (If you’ve had enough beers make the hassle seem bearable). The river is lit up at night which is nice to walk around – just watch out for those market sellers on the prowl. After all, they are vicious in Cambodia…
By far the best thing to see in Siem Reap are the amazing temples, standing proudly in all their glory. We rented a Tuk Tuk for the entire day to check them all out. It was really an incredible day and the sights were truly unbelievable.
To start our day off, we stopped at the much anticipated Angkor Wat, which is by far the most iconic symbol and prime attraction in all of Cambodia. The symbol of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag and pretty much every hotel and restaurant uses some sort of reference to this amazing structure.
Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the entire world and it’s safe to say why this site attracts so many people. The distinguished sandstone structure was built in the early 12th century and possesses the most elegant grounds. We spent a good couple of hours admiring all the different rooms and views that can be seen from all areas.
Originally constructed as a Hindu temple for the Khmer Empire, Angkor Wat gradually turned into a Buddhist temple at the end of the 12th century. The name means “City of Temples” and interestingly, the temple has never been fully abandoned and remained somewhat preserved due to the moat surrounding the area.
Angkor Wat was such a unique place to see. Sure we have seen our fair share of Temples and Pagodas during our travels but Siem Reap really had a completely different vibe. We were not being dazzled by the beautiful colours and richness like previous temples and felt like we were seeing more of an authentic piece of history, completely preserved in all its beauty.
Our next area to explore was Angkor Thom, meaning “Great City”. This area boasts many iconic areas and was the last capital city of the Khmer Empire. Driving through the gates felt so grand and the setting was just so idilic. A nice change from being sandwiched inbetween the constant movement of people.
The distinctive Bayon Temple was our first stop, situated in the centre of Angkor Thom. The structure’s design was really cool! Also built in the late 12th or early 13th century, Bayon’s uniqueness lies within its 216 gigantic faces carved on the temples 54 gothic towers. As you walk around, you feel as if you are being looked at from every angle – quite spooky actually. The architecture is very striking and bold in comparison to Angkor Wat and differs greatly from every other temple. Again, the Bayon stands as a true symbol for Cambodia and is a must to visit whilst here.
The Baphuon, a temple constructed in the mid 11th century and dedicated to the Hindu God – Shiva, was next on the agenda. Like every other, Baphuon was then transformed into a Buddhist Temple later on. Official records were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge years which left the restoration extremely difficult, hence why much of the original structure cannot be seen. Much of the temple had largely collapsed as the structure had been built on land filled with sand making it very unstable throughout history.
Gary and I climbed to the very top and lay down to gaze out over the fantastic views. We were both knackered from climbing the millions of steep steps. The temperature’s were pretty tough going although we had been smart and packed plenty of water. Do not think about making this journey without water. It’s extremely thirsty work! The views were certainly worth it though and it was just surreal to look and think of the stories these fascinating structures could tell.
The Phimeanakas, along with the Baphuon were incorporated into the Royal Palace Grounds. The Phimeanakas was built at the end of the 10th century in the Khleang style, during the reign of Rajendravarman who was the king of the Khmer Empire (941-968). Walking around the grounds was incredibly peaceful and it was fascinating to see such grand pieces of history. The three tier pyramid structure was pretty impressive to see hidden in the midst of the forrest. Aparantly, the King did a lot of hiding out here to avoid contact with anyone he did not wish to contact…
A 350m terrace of elephants surrounds the other side of the palace walls. Sadly, there is not much left of the actual palace however, the middle of the elephant terrace was great to see. It had acted as an important area for the king back in the day as he could see the entire grounds to watch celebratory games and special ceremonies. The area also served as an audience view point for the King’s grand hall. You can only imagine the huge and colourful celebrations that would have happened here…
It was an extremely HOT day that day so by the time we reached our next stop, Ta Keo – I was about ready to collapse at the prospect of climbing more steep steps. I swear I do not want to know how many accidents occur here. Thankfully, Gary had way more energy about him as he proceeded to climb to the very top. I was happy staying mid level admiring the views. Ta Keo was very cool to see as it is known to be the first ever sandstone temple to be built by the Khmer empire – dating way back to around 1000AD. You are almost too scared to touch anything…
Our final temple of the day was at the well-known and popular – Ta Prohm. The temple was originally called Rajavihara and was build in 1186 AD. This is known by the stele which commemorates the foundation of the structures. Originally, Ta Prohm was designed as a Mahayana Buddhist Monastery and University by the Khmer King. It was fascinating to see as the temple as been left pretty much in its original condition, further highlighted through the huge tree roots which have covered and become part of the temple’s ghostly infrastructure – creating quite a spooky atmosphere.
This amazing temple is perhaps most famously known for its appearance in Angelina Jolie’s film – Tomb Raider. The eerie nature of the temple really did make for a perfect film location. Gary and I stupidly managed to get lost here due to the complex maze-like structure but thankfully grabbed a free lift off a kind Tuk Tuk driver. He brought us back to the safety of our own driver who had a rather puzzled expression when we finally pulled up beside him!
Siem Reap really is an incredible place to have ticked off the travel bucket list. Albeit, there is not a huge amount of stuff to do other than exploring temples but definitely worth a two day visit. The temples are just so untouched and those that have been restored – have been done in a way which respects their original roots. We perhaps overstayed our welcome as we struggled to fill our final day (that’s where the $0.50 beers came in handy).
Cambodia has been surprising in many ways for us. Your emotions are hugely played with, especially becoming more informed of the nation’s tragic past. I’ll never forget everything that I learnt from Phnom Penh and the brutality Cambodia once faced. Those images will be locked in my mind forever and have made me genuinely appreciate the life that I do have…
The freedom we have should never be ignored and having our loved ones around us really is the best thing you can ask for. Having that ripped from so many innocent souls really does place a dent in your heart.
On the other hand, exploring the preserved beauty of the ancient past really brings out the magic from this exotic country. The efforts to restore Cambodia’s history is remarkable and there are so many countries willing to help. We saw the likes of China and India using their resources to help revive some of the old temples.
Let’s hope they’re around for many more years to come…
I guess it’s now time for us to say goodbye to Cambodia and continue with our adventure.
Hope you have enjoyed reading this post and catching up with us.
Be sure to check in again,
Lots of love
Xx
