Cambodia
A country of 15 million, bordered by Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Angkor Wat is the main draw for tourists (over 50% of visitors will travel to Angkor Wat to see the ancient temples) and is well worth the trip.
As an outside-of-Japan trip we make no claims to the superiority of this itinerary or the experiences we enjoyed. It suited our particular sense of adventure and we recommend it! But if you feel some misguided choices then you’re probably right. You can learn how things went down so as to avoid or seek out these experiences for yourself.
Visas
In 2020 a visa was required to enter. Fortunately they are easy to obtain online by going to the Cambodian e-visa website. Price was $36 per person, and turnaround time was two business days. One thing to note: you don’t need to go buy an additional visa photo! Just scan your passport and upload it. We bought and scanned new photos- only to have the website use the photos from our passports anyways!
Siem Reap Airport
We flew into Siem Reap after a layover at Hanoi.
You’ll de-board your flight and have to walk to the customs area. Once you enter the building stay to the right and enter a lane that says “e-visa.” A group of westerners behind us was asked to “stop talking,” but if you’re coming in from Japan you’ve already been socialized to silent line etiquette, so just do what comes naturally (ie try to act invisible). Once you get to the front of the line show your passport, visa, and customs forms and you’ll be on your way! They will staple your visa into your passport.
We arranged a tuk-tuk ride ahead of time through our hotel, so it was simply a matter of finding the person holding a sign with our name. If you don’t arrange ahead of time don’t despair. There are drivers there willing to take you. I’d just recommend negotiating the price at the start, and maybe asking your lodging ahead of time what a fare price should be. The drivers know you will need a ride the next day, so it’s in their best interest to be fair and make a good impression. Just be ready if they offer to pick you up tomorrow morning as well. It’s competitive for the drivers so they want to hold on to customers if they can, making them quite loyal once you’ve established rapport.
Tuk-tuk from the airport.
Siem Reap Lodging
Many lodging options exist, from resort hotels to Airbnb’s to bunks at a group guest house. We stayed at Reasey Boutique Villa on Taphul Rd. This was a guesthouse with 6 rooms, and we booked it on Airbnb for about $60 a night. We would return! They were 5 minutes from “Pub Street” (next) and had tasty breakfasts for only $5.
Our stay at in Siem Reap.
Pub Street
Pub Street is a restaurant, bar, and club area in Siem Reap. Its hard to describe exactly, but some combination of downtown New Orleans merged with a country fair is a reasonable estimation. There are many fantastic venues for food and drink, and right now rolled ice-cream is all the rage! And if you’re looking for weed (we were not, but no judgement) apparently it’s a side gig for all the tuk-tuk drivers. “Tuk-tuk brother? Weed brother?” That was the inquiry (4 times) from a single walk down the street.
Pub street central point. Just down the way is a washed up WWE wrestler who will challenge you to the ring. It seems sketchy, but hey- you only live once.
There are many novel drinks and foods along Pub Street- this is one response to the Coronavirus that keeps the party going.
Rolled, or “Fried” ice-cream vendors will aggressively court your business. Rest assured, it is tasty!
Angkor Wat
You’ve survived a night on Pub Street, now it’s time to visit a legitimate “Wonder of the World.” Turns out that with all the different lists of “Wonders” this title isn’t all that unique. But Angkor Wat will not leave you disappointed.
Tip: have your hotel/Airbnb reserve you a tuk-tuk to get around for the day. They’ll take you to all the highlights, and it’s well worth the $25-ish dollars that they charge.
Tip # 2: To check out the ruins you need to be covered past the knees, and shoulders covered. This means pants or long shorts for men. Pants, dress, or wrap for women. If you get a sarong in town ahead of time (NOT at the entrance) it will cost about $3, and it’s much more comfortable than pants.
When you enter the main area of Angkor Wat it’s hard at first to grasp the extent of the ruins you are about to witness. That Tomb Raider was filmed here (probably with minimal special effects) gives you a sense of the spaces you are about to enter.
This is a historic spiritual site, but that apparently hasn’t stopped people from touching certain parts of the wall, polishing them over the years. The “Apsaras” are kind of like a Hindu equivalent of nymphs- female spirits of the clouds and waters. They are ubiquitous, and universally polished.
There are many painstakingly carved walls that it is immediately overwhelming.
It’s wall to wall history!
Small Buddha can be found throughout the ruins, with alms bowls and yellow sash. This one’s head was allowed to remain attached to its body (a rarity).
Once you think you are thoroughly impressed you’ll come across the outer walls, a seemingly endless carving depicting the 37 heavens and 32 hells. At this point if you had hired a guide they would probably be explain portions if the wall. We didn’t trust that the random guys hanging out under the trees in the front were as “official” as they claimed, so we will never know all the ins and outs of these pictures. But they’re impressive in their own right, no guide required for that.
After almost 2 hours in Angkor Wat itself we left to visit some more sites.
Another apsara, this time from the Ta Prohm temple.
Trees here grew from the top of the buildings, which hints at just how hidden and covered in dirt these structures had become. When the trees took root the buildings were probably not visible.
Another photo from Banteay Kdei. A maze of temples, trees, and stone.
Chau Say Thevada is a temple where you climb up and imagine yourself as an ancient monk. Vertigo and all!
Look down in the towers from above. A lot of work has gone into this restoration project (this one is funded by China).
The amazing aspect of Angkor Wat is that it just keeps going. Our tuk-tuk driver dropped us off at many sites with the single warning: “small.” In most places any one of these single structures would be considered incredible. But here where massive ancient ruins are the norm it takes a lot to impress a tuk-tuk.
Brahma, creator god in Hinduism with 4 faces.
Guard lion dogs, many of which are missing their face or jaws but this is an example of a complete statue.
Notice the Brahma everywhere? Don’t worry, we didn’t at first either.
Viewing the sunset from Phnom Bakheng is a nice way to end the day, but you’ll have to arrive early and wait around a bit because only 300 people are allowed on the top.
Travel to Krong Kampot
For the next leg of our journey we travel to Krong Kampot and the neighboring fishing town of Kep. These are on the southwest border of Cambodia. You can get there by flying from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and hiring a private driver from the airport. It’s about a 4 hour drive, or 5 if you get stuck in the Phnom Penh city traffic. One can’t help but wonder if a few Japanese flag men 👷🏼 could have broken the gridlock.
Booking a driver
To find a driver we came across Cambodia Taxi Driver in a blog, then we checked them out on Trip Advisor to confirm the company’s legitimacy. Turns out they were great! Our driver Rady was waiting at the airport in a Lexus SUV ready to go.
An aside about cars in Cambodia. Cambodia has a large used car market. They are the only member of ASEAN – the association of Southeast Asian countries – which allows the import of used vehicles. The imported vehicles of choice are the Lexus SUV, Range Rover SUV, Toyota Camry sedan, and Toyota Tacoma. It seemed that outside of scooters and tuk-tuks, those 4 vehicles made up 90% of the cars on the road. It is somewhat surreal to see so many luxury cars in places where many people are unable to wash their hands, and practice the aptly coined “open defecation” because of a lack of toilet facilities.
Airplane that travels from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh in an hour, costs a bit under $100.
Kampot and Kep
Kampot is a low key town with a few fun sites and a couple delicious restaurants. Spending one complete day in Kampot is probably adequate for most travellers. Kep is just a 30 minute tuk-tuk away, and good for a couple hour outing at the end of the day, or stop in along the way from your other sites.
https://goo.gl/maps/Unu5yqeEw3QwUBPu8
Brateak Krola Lake bear Kampot. In the foreground is a great example of a boat made in the traditional style – carved from a single palm tree. Perhaps “great” is an overstatement, since this boat’s seaworthiness looks questionable.
Pepper Farms
https://goo.gl/maps/aWN2QjyARxjsSUtf6
There are a couple pepper farms in the area competing for tourist visits. We went to “La Plantation” because, well, we said “pepper farm” and that’s where the driver took us.
Entrance – including a guided walking tour – is free here. They try to get you at the end by giving you a pepper tasting, and then hoping you’ll buy the pepper for sale. But there’s zero pressure to buy, so this can be a very inexpensive experience.
Pepper vines, grown 4 meters high. They can be harvested every couple of months.
Raw, pre-dried pepper fruit. When these green ones are dried they become the traditional black pepper corns. Eating one of these straight provides quite a kick!
Salt Fields
https://goo.gl/maps/QxCKzxGZu6GRzMnh7
Kampot is also one of the few areas where salt is produced in Cambodia. If you get a ride to the fields you can see where the magic happens! There is a little museum/nature center type place which was closed when we got there at noon, but by walking around the side of the building you can see their layout of the salt collection instruments.
Here is the actual salt field flooded with seawater, with some of the items used to gather the salt out front. The seawater is pumped in and then allowed to dry by evaporation, leaving the salt only. That layer of salt is then scraped to collect it, and stored in covered buildings to protect it from rain. How do they sift out any dirt or bugs that might get in? No idea.
Downtown Kampot
Cool vegetarian cafe with some super delicious sandwiches and fries. The couple who ran the place were very attentive and offered great service. But they simultaneously maintained the low key vibe necessary to attract the wandering artists / yoga fanatic / stoner crowd that made up the clientele. Upstairs is a yoga studio.
The cafe’s happy hour starts at 4:20, so hit up your favorite tuk-tuk driver (see Pub Street, above) and head on over! If they don’t cough up a rendition of “Freebird” then your next kombucha’s on us.
At the center of Kampot is the hallmark “Durian Circle”. The town is apparently known for their high quality durian – that supposedly tasty fruit that has the unfortunate quality of smelling like rotting meat. One day we’ll be brave enough to just try some. One day.
This newspaper was given to us at the hotel, and it makes you realize inflammatory news isn’t just an American specialty. Although seeing as how this prime minister has supposedly never lost an election in 30 years despite waning popularity this kind of thing probably seems a lot more ominous.
Requisite photo of a well balanced scooter ride. Only 4 here, and only 1 child. Doesn’t beat our personal best sighting of 2 adults and 3 kids, with what appeared to be a 5 year old holding a 1 year old.
Downtown Kampot in the evening. There was a pleasant breeze and walking wasn’t too difficult.
Crab Market! If you want to see fresh catch it’s best to go in the morning.
There are every kind of fish you can imagine, placed between sticks and grilled.
It is a fun and picturesque area to grab a drink and relax as the sun sets.
Beach time if want to get some sun, or dip in the water (although it’s not the most pristine appearing water you’ve ever seen).
The city of Kep is a pleasant 30 minute tuk-tuk ride to the southeast, with a giant crab who will welcome you once you make it to the beach.
Past Crab Market there is a row of restaurant/bars lining the water. Most have a similar look, with some drinks and seafood on offer. A couple like this one have cool decor.
Phnom Penh
Last stop of our adventure was the city of Phnom Penh. About 10% of Cambodia’s 16 million inhabitants call this city their home.
Royal Palace & Preah Vihear Preah Buddhist Temple
Beautiful royal grounds in the northeast corner of the city. You must wear long pants and cover your shoulders to visit, so go in the morning before it heats up! This is actually the temple section, adjacent to the Royal Palace grounds.
Royal Palace Grounds. In the middle (behind the immediate buildings) is where the Cambodian King spends his days. The architecture reminds you of what Angkor Wat must have looked like in the past. And the way the hedges are trimmed is quite the look!
The River Walk area is bustling and faintly picturesque. Need a tuk-tuk? Say no more my friend, there are 10 drivers willing to chase you down and offer a ride. Keep your eyes straight ahead, walk briskly, and practice the various ways of saying “no thank you.”
Night time river boats could be fun, but we found it more fun to watch them safely from the balcony of our Airbnb.
While no convenience store compares to the Japanese Konbini, these dour drinks can make you smile.
National Museum
The National Museum is also in downtown Phnom Penh, and like everything in Cambodia it seems to be casually filled with ancient artifacts. Rooms filled with Buddha statues that are hundred of years old are carefully watched over by older Cambodian women who gently stare you down if you get too close to the unprotected, unglazed specimens. It’s expensive compared to other things in Cambodia, but hopefully the money is going to preserve the historical objects.
Museum cat practices his Buddhist principles.
1500 year old stone tablet with the first known inscription to use a “zero.” No big deal, this was just shoved in a corner of the museum.
See you next time, ancient sculpture dude!
Killing Fields & Genocide Museum
This topic is hard to write about and think about. Worth the trip, the actual sites simultaneously show you too little and too much. Choeungek Genocidal Center is a memorial built on an area where executions took place. These sites were coined “Killing Fields” after the fact. The center is about 45 minutes outside of the city, and the genocide museum is in the middle of the city.
Tuol Sleng Prison is the prison, now “Genocide Museum,” that was originally school. It is a frightening reminder that things don’t always just “work out.”
Most markets and shops in Phnom Penh that cater to foreigners are filled with people aggressively trying to sell you items. This night market was more geared towards locals, and infinitely more pleasant and interesting. We still wouldn’t buy any food here, but it was fun to walk through the stalls.
Streets and return to the airport
Driving through the streets in a tuk-tuk is one of the best parts about visiting Southeast Asia. We were sad to depart at the end of the week. From our Airbnb near the River Walk area it took only 35 minutes to get to the airport, despite traffic. The Phnom Penh airport was small but clean and professional. Our return trip went through Vietnam and then on to Fukuoka without incident.