My 2 weeks in Cambodia weren’t that easy and cool… This was a road trip I had in mind for a long time, which aroused very contrasting emotions… I must say that my first impression was far more African than Asian!
Phnom Penh
I came back walking with tears in my eyes and spent the evening thinking about Cambodia’s recent past.
Less interesting Tonle Bati ($ 1), now incorporated by a Chinese cemetery.
Battambang
I have to say that my trip was a highly successful one, given the number of broken-down buses on the way!
The city museum has a collection of interesting sculptures ($ 1), but I was the only “white person” inside. Actually, I was practically the only “white person” in the city!
Very nice also the governor’s palace, but I could only admire from the outside.
I spent my second day in Battambang visiting the surrounding area ($ 7 by tuk-tuk).
I visited Phnom Ek ($ 2), and it’s really worth it, both for the ruins and the landscape crossed to get there. Here, too, I was the only non-Asian … next stop Phrasat Banan ($ 2), which is very nice and animated. The climb to the temple is exhausting, and the shade non-existing!
In the afternoon I took the bamboo train ($ 6) to the very traditional brick factory outside town, and I really found it very funny! If you read Italian, I told everything about the so-called norry in my interview for the train blog Bassa Velocità.
Siem Reap
Battambang – Siem Reap: I had a beautiful boat trip lasting eight hours ($ 20), leaving Battambang I could only notice the filthy water and was shocked to see people washing their clothes and even their teeth (!!!) in the river, in the middle of the huge amount of garbage and some animal carcass …
Moving away from the city, the river becomes more and more interesting and better organized. Fantastic villages and then impressive floating towns on the Tonlé Sap.
I recommend everyone to board taking a handy sweatshirt because the first few hours of navigation are freezing. Another detail: the first three people on both sides get wet! Obviously, I was sitting in the front row …
Accommodation in Siem Reap: I stayed at the Palm Garden Lodge ($ 9 per night, breakfast included). The hotel is not bad given the budget, but the cleaning of the bathroom really approximate. Even breakfast is more than mediocre, but they have free bikes for guests (!). The owner, Mao, is very nice and helpful and helped me negotiate a tuk-tuk ($ 30 for three days) to visit the temples further away.
Where to eat in Siem Reap: I loved the Cambodian BBQ in Pub Street ($ 25), where I found out I love crocodile meat. I had another excellent dinner at the Tigre de Papier ($ 7), where lok lak is so yummy!
If you like fruit smoothies, they prepare them everywhere on the road, and the price is always $ 1.
Not to get too tired, I dedicated the next day to relaxation 😉 I woke up late and had a great yummy breakfast at the French Quarter ($ 4), then spent the afternoon at the spa/pool of Angkor Century ($ 8 for access, towels, etc. + $ 15 meals and cocktails).
Later in the afternoon, I went to the night market, where I bought everything…
If you plan a trip to Siem Reap, which I heartily recommend, don’t miss the post I wrote about it!
Useful info for your 2 weeks in Cambodia
I always organized my trip by myself, helped by various guides and some friends’ travel tales.
Everything – flights, hotels, meals, etc. – costed me about 900 €.
The exchange at the time of the trip, in January 2011: $ 1 = 0.76 €; 1KHR (Riel) = 0.00019 €
I left mid-January with an Egyptair flight from Malpensa to Bangkok via Cairo (€ 489). I was fine, as always. Flights on time, clean airplane, and good value for money.
After a night stopover in Bangkok, the next morning, I took a quick flight with Air Asia from Bangkok to Phnom Penh (69 €) and got the Cambodian visa ($ 30) upon landing. The iter is very fast, and the visa is delivered on call, but by name and not surname.
You pay a $25 fee to leave the country too!
Packing tips
- pack a silk sleeping back to feel comfortable and sleep well even when the venue doesn’t look clean. I’m using this one, and it’s perfect after several years and lots of trips: Stretch Silk Liner
- always carry a sarong and extra socks to visit holy venues
- pick a backpack and not a trolley, in particular, if you plan both journeys (and I do hope you’ll plan them!)
- pack clothes for a week to have light luggage to carry around. Laundry shops are everywhere and are quite cheap. For a complete guide, I recommend you read my tips for packing light!
There are almost no people of my generation because exterminated at birth or before.
People are smiling but destroyed by the recent history and also by poverty and corruption.
Running into mine victims or signs indicating this kind of danger is something trivial. Despite all this, it is worth visiting the country and get closer to the culture and people.
During this trip I laughed, cried, I felt helpless, I felt angry and ashamed, I was excited and amused …I will never forget the smiles, the sad eyes, the signs witnessing a past that should not be forgotten because still present … and of course I do not forget the extraordinary beauty and richness of Cambodian culture.
