Siem Reap, Cambodia

The border crossing into Cambodia was relatively smooth compared to some stories we had read. Fortunately for us we did our research and were aware of what to look out for (nothing dangerous, just scams in general).

We arrived at Rosy Guesthouse just before sunset. Despite being exhausted from a full day of travel from Bangkok we decided to meander around town for awhile. We eventually came across “Pub Street”, which had all varieties of restaurants with most dishes starting around $2.

The next day we did a short self guided walking tour of the city. Afterwards we hired a Tuk Tuk for the day. Our first stop was to a local Silk Farm. I think I speak for both of us when I say I didn’t realize how complicated the process was. Beginning with the type of leaves the caterpillars eat all the way to the weaving on the loom each step can alter the feel, color, and quality of the final piece.

After perusing the silk farm for a couple hours we hopped back into the Tuk Tuk and made a quick stop at Sentuers d’ Angkor, a small company that specializes in handmade soaps, spices, and candles from local ingredients. We then headed over to the entrance to Angkor Wat to get our three day passes. Going after 5PM got us into the park for a few hours at sunset before the pass went into effect.

The next morning we got up and biked to the temples. We arrived at about 4:45AM. We were the very first ones there and had the rare opportunity to see the deserted temple under the light of a full moon. We were just in time check out the inside of the temple and get the best spot of the picturesque and most popular photo point of Angkor Wat before hundreds of people swamped the area. It was awesome! For the better part of the next three days we alternated between biking and hiring Tuk Tuks to go between each ruin site. Each temple was amazing in regard to its own history but Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Tah Prom were particularly stunning. It’s difficult to describe in words how each looked. The best thing to do would be to look at the pictures and see for yourself.

The last day we stopped by a butterfly atrium, watched a documentary about the Khmer Rouge, and grabbed dinner. For dinner we had Cambodian style BBQ. It consisted of a cylindrical shaped dish on top of a plate of coals with soup, vegetables, and an assortment of croc, snake, and frog meat that you cooked over the coals. The next day we hitched a bus back to Bangkok for another adventure.