After three weeks in Vietnam, we were happy to change for another country: Cambodia!
We had been especially looking forward to Cambodia as this is where we would meet again with our French friends from Nantes: Lola and Cyprien.
As soon as we arrived in our hotel in Phnom Penh, we contacted them and gathered for a beer. One thing to point out was how hot it was! So hoottttt.... We would definitely suffer from the heat on the following days. Anyway, we were so happy to catch up with our friends. We celebrated and went to a very local restaurant, indulging with local specialties and lots of beers. We took the opportunity to plan the upcoming days together and within a few minutes, we agreed to go a South in order to reach the coast as we expected the temperatures to be a little more bearable.
So the very next day, we took a bus for the city of Sianouhkville. It took us more or less 6 hours to reach our destination. By then, it was late afternoon so we looked for a hotel (which proved to be very unwelcoming - comfort close to none!) and had diner on a terrace overlooking the ocean. Can't tell whether the view was nice as it was already pitch dark when we got there. Anyway, the food was alright and it was all we were asking for. We booked our boat tickets for the next day and went to bed!
The following morning, we were all excited to go to Koh Rong! We had heard lots of positive reviews about this little germ so we were looking forward to checking whether those good reviews were deserved... Or not. It took us quite a long time to reach our final destination as we ended up on a tour boat, meaning we had to stop on several occasions to let the day-trippers enjoy snorkeling sessions and lunch. We had paid the same amount but only asked for a direct transfer... But this was a tourist trap and trapped we were! So we had to bear with the situation... Ok the landscapes were amazing so it made the wait easier. However when it came to the lunch being provided to the day-trippers and not to us, direct commuters, we ended up in a verbal dispute with the organizers. They finally had no choice but to let us have some food too: fresh BBQ-grilled fish and vegetables. It was very good so we did well to complain!
By 3pm, we got to Koh Rong (instead of 11am!) so we quickly looked and find a cheap homestay. The room was very basic but again, we were on a budget so we certainly couldn't afford the much more appealing bungalows located by the end of the beach. Our room was in a simple wooden-house located in the back street of the village, somewhere in between backyards and trash disposal areas. But hey, again we were on a budget. David was struggling at night as it was very hot in the room, and the fan was anything but inefficient.
There, we decided to stay for three full days, enjoying the beach, the restaurants and doing nothing. It was amazing!!!!! After that heavy program, we were ready to go back to the civilization!
A few days in Phnom Penh, including a very nice day in the countryside with families of locals was enough to get a glimpse of the Cambodian lifestyle. Indeed, our minds were already focusing on our next destination and long-expected expedition: Angkor and it's world-famous temples!
Another long bus ride (one day) and we arrived in Siemens Reap. There we got to our hotel and got to bed. It was terribly hot already but it was nothing compared to the following days. Lucky we had the aircon in the room!
The following day, we went to the historical area for the sunset only. A good introduction to the site we thought.
Day 2 and day 3 were fully allocated to the visit of the area. We started around 5 in the morning to check out the sunrise as well as to take advantage of the deserted temples at such early hours. By 12pm, it was too hot and we had to get back to the hotel: more than 42 degrees in the shade!
Day 4, we stayed in the hotel with our friend as it was our last day together. At night, we went to the local market and had our last dinner. The day after, we would fly to another destination: Indonesia.
Overall, Cambodia was a nice part of our journey. First, because we gathered with our friends and had a lot of fun. Second, because we enjoyed a mix of beach time and temple sightseeing! Angkor deserves its fame. This is an amazing place well worth spending at least 2 days exploring! Certainly a highlight of our whole journey! Make sure to pay a visit to Cambodia if you have the opportunity!
We had been especially looking forward to Cambodia as this is where we would meet again with our French friends from Nantes: Lola and Cyprien.
As soon as we arrived in our hotel in Phnom Penh, we contacted them and gathered for a beer. One thing to point out was how hot it was! So hoottttt.... We would definitely suffer from the heat on the following days. Anyway, we were so happy to catch up with our friends. We celebrated and went to a very local restaurant, indulging with local specialties and lots of beers. We took the opportunity to plan the upcoming days together and within a few minutes, we agreed to go a South in order to reach the coast as we expected the temperatures to be a little more bearable.
So the very next day, we took a bus for the city of Sianouhkville. It took us more or less 6 hours to reach our destination. By then, it was late afternoon so we looked for a hotel (which proved to be very unwelcoming - comfort close to none!) and had diner on a terrace overlooking the ocean. Can't tell whether the view was nice as it was already pitch dark when we got there. Anyway, the food was alright and it was all we were asking for. We booked our boat tickets for the next day and went to bed!
The following morning, we were all excited to go to Koh Rong! We had heard lots of positive reviews about this little germ so we were looking forward to checking whether those good reviews were deserved... Or not. It took us quite a long time to reach our final destination as we ended up on a tour boat, meaning we had to stop on several occasions to let the day-trippers enjoy snorkeling sessions and lunch. We had paid the same amount but only asked for a direct transfer... But this was a tourist trap and trapped we were! So we had to bear with the situation... Ok the landscapes were amazing so it made the wait easier. However when it came to the lunch being provided to the day-trippers and not to us, direct commuters, we ended up in a verbal dispute with the organizers. They finally had no choice but to let us have some food too: fresh BBQ-grilled fish and vegetables. It was very good so we did well to complain!
By 3pm, we got to Koh Rong (instead of 11am!) so we quickly looked and find a cheap homestay. The room was very basic but again, we were on a budget so we certainly couldn't afford the much more appealing bungalows located by the end of the beach. Our room was in a simple wooden-house located in the back street of the village, somewhere in between backyards and trash disposal areas. But hey, again we were on a budget. David was struggling at night as it was very hot in the room, and the fan was anything but inefficient.
There, we decided to stay for three full days, enjoying the beach, the restaurants and doing nothing. It was amazing!!!!! After that heavy program, we were ready to go back to the civilization!
A few days in Phnom Penh, including a very nice day in the countryside with families of locals was enough to get a glimpse of the Cambodian lifestyle. Indeed, our minds were already focusing on our next destination and long-expected expedition: Angkor and it's world-famous temples!
Another long bus ride (one day) and we arrived in Siemens Reap. There we got to our hotel and got to bed. It was terribly hot already but it was nothing compared to the following days. Lucky we had the aircon in the room!
The following day, we went to the historical area for the sunset only. A good introduction to the site we thought.
Day 2 and day 3 were fully allocated to the visit of the area. We started around 5 in the morning to check out the sunrise as well as to take advantage of the deserted temples at such early hours. By 12pm, it was too hot and we had to get back to the hotel: more than 42 degrees in the shade!
Day 4, we stayed in the hotel with our friend as it was our last day together. At night, we went to the local market and had our last dinner. The day after, we would fly to another destination: Indonesia.
Overall, Cambodia was a nice part of our journey. First, because we gathered with our friends and had a lot of fun. Second, because we enjoyed a mix of beach time and temple sightseeing! Angkor deserves its fame. This is an amazing place well worth spending at least 2 days exploring! Certainly a highlight of our whole journey! Make sure to pay a visit to Cambodia if you have the opportunity!