1. Temples. There are thousands of temples in Cambodia. We were able to visit 10 in Siem Reap and though others say they look the same, I think each one has its own character and charm. My favorite temples are:
Angkor Wat – the best time to go there is either sunrise or sunset. You’d be surprised to see swarms of tourists as early as 5am! I enjoyed exploring the grounds and imagining life inside the palace. Huge palace. There are even 4 pools inside for the king’s wives.
 |
| Sunrise at Angkor Wat. We were there before 5am:) |
 |
| I think this is a room of one of the king's wives. |
 |
| This is Angkor Wat from the back entrance |
You can also ride the hot air balloon to see the sunset but at the time we were there, it was windy so it was closed.
Ta Phrom – this is where Tomb Raider was shot. The gigantic trees are just so overwhelming. You look like a dwarf against the trees. I'm 5'6" but the roots are even taller than me!
Phnom Bakheng – Nice place to view the sunset but I’ve to warn you that the steps are high and steep. Easy to go up but really scary going down. The technique going down is to just focus on one step at a time and to never look beyond each step so you don’t realize how high it is.
 |
| The steps are steep! |
Here are assorted shots from the other temples we visited -
Spotted these elephants while we were walking towards a temple. Usually, you need to walk long distance to get to a temple. Make sure to apply sunblock, bring a wide-brimmed hat or umbrella, and bring an extra change of clothes because you'll be really sweaty.
2. Killing Fields. The place where we stayed in was actually near the Killing Fields and we passed by the site everyday. At the center of the area, there’s a small glass cabinet that houses skulls and bones of some of those who were killed. I didn’t bother looking at the photo exhibit anymore because I wanted to have happy memories of Cambodia.
3. Khmer Food. What to try – Fish amok (their version of laing), fried chicken and Cambodian barbecue (it's not the same as our barbecue but more like hot pot / shabu-shabu). We had dinner buffet one night and it was USD12/head.
4. Cars. The Toyota Camry is just a basic car in Cambodia. Their cabs are mostly Camrys. Apparently, these are reconditioned cars from First world countries.
6. Old market. It’s a nice place to shop! I love their shirts and bought a lot. One of which states a fave expression of Cambodians – SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT. At first we couldn’t quite get what it means. But later on, we actually found ourselves using it! When we went shopping, we tell the seller to give us the same price as the other stores because they are selling the same same t-shirts but different designs! Haha…
7. Language. Most Cambodians have a difficulty pronouncing S at the end of words (if the S is at the start or middle of the word, they can pronounce it). For example, when you say Philippines, they’ll say “Philippine”. We only realized this when our driver was telling us a story about planting something that sounds like “rye”. He was saying over and over “when you plant rye”… “when we harvest rye…”, then we realized he meant rice! A friend who’s based in Cambodia confirmed this. In fact, she said that in their office, one expression that her Cambodian officemates often utter is “Oh my goodne!” But I like Cambodians. I think they are one of the kindest and sincerest people.
Some useful tips:
- Don’t change to the local currency anymore. USD is widely accepted – just make sure you have small denomination of US bills.
- Car rental is only USD25 per day! They charge an extra USD10 for farther destinations. Drivers/guides are pretty flexible in itineraries. We requested to have naps in between our temple explorations! Haha.. You can also rent bikes if you're more adventurous. :)
- If you’re planning to stay in Siem Reap for a couple of days or more, get the temple pass for 3-4 days. It’s about USD40 and will allow you entry to all the temples. Just make sure to bring it all the time.
- If you're Catholic, there's anticipated mass on Saturday and masses on Sunday. Just ask your guide where it is because I can't describe how to get there. Haha... But here's where the mass was held. You need to remove your shoes before entering the hall.
We just sat the whole time except during consecration when we knelt. During the mass, the priest acknowledged all new faces and he asked us from which countries we come from. Beautiful mass and friendly people.
If you're planning to go to Siem Reap, you can get in touch with Mr Phansy for tours and hotel reservation. He can be contacted at phansyros@yahoo.com or +85592890005. Wann Dy (pronounced as Vann Dee) was our guide/driver who drove us around in a Toyota Camry. :)
