Embracing Cambodia

I visited Cambodia on a week-long backpacking trip with friends.

Angkor Wat in Siem Reap Cambodia in a rainy day of February.

We included Cambodia in our DIY trip to three geographically closed countries. Vietnam and Thailand were the other two countries.

From Ho Chi Minh(HCM) City in Vietnam, our hotel arranged our transfer to Phnom Penh (PP). Almost all hotels and travel agencies in HCM can arrange tour to Cambodia's capital city. Tourist bus usually travels three times a day from HCM to PP. We decided to get the first trip to PP via Mekong Bus which left early morning in HCM. Travel time between HCM and PP is usually 6 hours, but it took us more than 6 hours because the bus stopped halfway for early lunch. Since it is a day trip, normal views from your bus windows were the traditional wooden Cambodian houses with long bamboo stairs, cows and goats along the roadside and wide rice paddy fields.

We reached Phnom Penh's bus station late lunch and decided to reserve tickets for Siem Reap before roaming the city. We negotiated with two TukTuk drivers to bring us to Royal Palace, a complex of buildings serving as the royal residence of the King of Cambodia in Phnom Penh. Since we only had a day in the city, Royal Palace is the only tourist attraction we visited in PP. The magnificent architecture and the attractive gold color of this famous landmark really impressed us.

Royal Palace in Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh

After exploring the Royal Palace, we went to Sorya's Centerpoint and had late lunch at the food court. From there, we headed to the bus station so we can catch the 6PM trip to Siem Reap. The usual travel from PP to Siem Reap is 5 to 6 hours, but it took us 8 hours because of the many road constructions along the way including two short stops at restaurants.

We reached Siem Reap at 2 am and were fetched by two Tuktuk drivers sent by our hotel, Two Dragons Hotel. That same day was our planned visit to Angkor Wat, so we only had two hours of rest.  Angkor wat is best visited during dawn or before the sun rises.

Fun ride at tuktuk.

Angkor Wat is the most popular tourist destination in Cambodia, and is one among the most popular attractions in southeast Asia.

This UNESCO World Heritage site is a temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world.

Very early morning pose with Angkor wat temple as our backdrop.

We reached Angkor Wat 5 a.m. and got surprised that the number of tourists was already overwhelming. After queuing for ticket (1-day pass) , we started to explore the complex. We waited for the sun to come and kiss the temples, unfortunately, the weather was gloomy. It even rained that day, their very first rain for that year according to a local. The complex is really huge that we spent hours walking and exploring the temples. The place is really a must-see, and majestic is the word to describe the temples. The temple where Tomb raider was filmed is one among my favorites. Sadly, we failed to see the sunrise in Angkor Wat, but our experience exploring the complex despite tiring was truly amazing and I would say, a once in a life-time experience.

We left Angkor Wat late afternoon and headed back to the hotel. After few hours rest, we went to Pub street, few minutes walk from our hotel. This colorful, lively street of Siem Reap has a lot of restaurants and bars offering food and drinks at affordable prices. Souvenir shops are also lined in the street. Foot massage offered along the street at one dollar for half an hour is also a must-try.

Few streets away from Pub street is Siem Reap market where you can buy cheap souvenirs. Be sure to visit early as most stalls closed before 8pm.

Tips:

• Cambodia is a visa-free country for Filipinos.
• Aside from Riel, Cambodia's currency, US dollar is accepted everywhere. Even small shops accept US Dollars.
• Most locals even children can speak English.
• When visiting temples, avoid wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts as complex officials will not allow you to enter the temples.