Cambodia - Siem Reap - Week 4

Photos from Ankgor Temples


The Cultural show at an orphanage in Siem Reap. A very rewarding experience!!

The journey by bus from Kanchanapuri to Cambodia was an interesting exercise. The bus service was horrific. The bus left us in the middle of a busy road in Bangkok in early morning traffic and pointed towards a Police Station that we couldn’t see from that point and said the bus would pick us up there. We had traffic going both sides of us and managed to get across the road safely. It was obviously too much effort to take us to the pick up point.

The demonstrations by the reds was still going on but it didn't affect us too much except they said the traffic was much slower than normal. Made for interesting sight seeing.

Then we got to witness corruption on both sides (Thailand and Cambodia) at the border crossing. The visa scam at the border (taking us to another location) and the ATMs at the border where we were told to take money out in Thai baht and convert it to Reil the Cambodia currency. When we arrived in Siem Reap everything was priced in US dollar.

We arrived, to the most disgusting hotel in Siem Reap you could imagine. We arranged accommodation at another hotel and they picked us up by tuk tuk at 10am the next morning. We slept in the bed but didn’t shower until we reached our new hotel. Anyway enough negatives. But we did feel pretty silly for being taken for a ride and not researching enough before we travelled.

From here on the fun started. The new Hotel Ta Som is excellent, the staff very friendly and helpful and they have gone out of their way to please. $15 US for aircon and hot water and a clean room, serviced daily.

We visited the Angkor temples over 3 days and they are just so beautiful and amazing and awe inspiring. We had a tuk tuk driver and a guide for both days and it was fantastic. Very hot. Day 1, 3 we checked out all the local attractions, Day 2, 4 and 5 the temples.

Future plans - We leave on Thursday 1 April for Battamburg for 2 nights and then Phon Phen for 2 nights and then on to Vietnam (no more border crossing dilemmas hopefully as we have arranged our visa in advance!!!) Hotel in Battamburg not confirmed yet.