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The charm of Cambodia hits you as soon as you enter. Unfortunately, they have a colourful, somber past. However, this doesn’t define them. The people are so friendly and always willing to help. The bond between each and every one of them is strong and a lifetime away from the past. I felt completely safe and at ease here.
Phnom Pehn, Cambodia – A Unique Charm
Every backpacker who visits will know or learn about the Killing Fields. In this area, an educational tape guides you through each individual section with harrowing stories playing in your ears. Remember you are only hearing about them the local people had to experience this first hand. All if the conflict was only just over 50 years ago (at the time of my visit). This life-changing ordeal is still so raw.
The torture and suffering inflicted by their own people on a mass scale was heart-wrenching. I bet you will have tears in your eyes. This was a real eye-opener just like the war in Vietnam. Yet, the courage and bounce-back ability of this nation shines on through. Their determination for a better future makes this one of my favourite countries. Cambodia without a doubt has left the most amazing impression on me.
After Yet Another Humbling Experience in Cambodia…
The small village of Sihanoukville was up next as we continued our adventure. A quiet beachside town and a great little party spot. A big recharge was on the cards here for us. All we did apart from lay on a beach was attend an epic jungle party with a great DJ and a Ferris wheel. It was crazy we had to cross a body of water across a wooden barge. It was a fun evening out. However, the next morning we were paying for it! And that hangover wasn’t helped by the “slow boat” over to Koh Rong. Yet, it turned out to be a very bumpy speed boat over… (lessoned learnt… kinda)
A Beautiful Cambodia Island – Koh Rong
Koh Rong definitely had an island feel and I couldn’t be happier. It will was filled with white sandy beaches and warm clear waters. Perfect sun and beach to top up the tan and relax. Here, there are plenty of boat exploring options for you to choose from if you fancy exploring more. We did so with a day tour booked up, off we set the next morning. The first stop of the day was snorkeling, followed by fishing.
Unfortunately, we didn’t catch anything for dinner. So, dinner for the group was limiting. We made our way to Long Beach for sunset but our adventure didn’t end here. However, this was the best beach by far. It was amazing. Gorgeous squeaky white sand beneath your feet. Warm crystal blue waters to swim in and topped with an amazing sunset. Perfect.
What could go wrong?
Perfect. Bliss. Nice and relaxed. Time to go back to shore. Everyone was loaded onto the boat so we set off. As we made our way back the boat broke down in the middle of the sea, in the pitch black. Luckily, there was one more boat behind us, so we got a tow back with black smoke filling the air. The boat was really struggling to pull us along but with not much longer to go it managed to hold out. It felt like something out of a horror movie at the time. But we made it back in one piece. Yes. Things go wrong when you travel but it’s part of the experience. And when you look back, you laugh.
Siem Reap – A Temple Masterpiece
Angkor Wat is the biggest known highlight in Cambodia. These temples known as Angkor Wat Temple are in the town of Siem Reap. The ruins span over 400 hectares and were originally built as a Hindu temple before being taken over by Buddhism. It is the largest known religious temple city. It is located in Northern Cambodia. The best time to arrive is sunrise. It is a busy place so be prepared for some crowds. It is easy to enter as you can buy tickets at the gate. The sun rises over the main temple and it was beautiful and worth getting up early.
This whole place is magnificent. The architecture and the eye for detail on every stone amazes me beyond belief. To think all these historic sites were built by hand. No machines like nowadays. The craftsmanship of these accident builders is something special.
The Final Stop Before Crossing Another Border…
The quiet town of Battambang came alive around dusk as plenty of bats left their cave to venture for their evening meal. A long thick black line fly’s through the sky. It was quite remarkable to witness. Also, about the only thing to do here. We had a tuk-tuk driver for the day. As we waited for this event, he took us to a local school where we ‘taught’ the children some English. It was fun. We brought sweets from the tuck shop for every child. One sweet made them so happy. Another, example of why we can be so happy with so little.