I'm fairly new to blogging so it's taking me a while to figure out exactly where I plan to go with it. It really began with the idea that I would document daily (ha!) or weekly endeavors. But, as time has told, it's becoming more of a monthly post (which I am perfectly content with). The important thing is that it remains something I enjoy doing. As for Cambodia...well... I also had unreal ideas about how I would present it - I'm not sure what possessed me to think I would blog every night, but after much thought, I've settled on writing just a quick overview of the different Provinces that I visited in Cambodia.
Phnom Penh Highlights: Phnom Penh is very much a hustle and bustle province. It's on it's way to becoming more developed which you can see with the high rises, paved roads, stop lights, and highways. But, you'll soon realize it has a long way to go. Outdoor markets line nearly every street with vendors selling fruit, vegetables, clothing, and anything, really. It is a sight to see in itself.
Thinking back on my trip, there are only a few things in Phnom Penh that really stood out for me. The first one was visiting
Chueong Ek- one of the Killing Fields site. It felt surreal to stand there and look out at the deep holes like pok marks in the earth where hundreds of bodies where thrown and buried. They have memorialized this site and here is where you can see for yourself the skeletons that were excavated.
The night market is also fun and a must. It happens on Friday, Saturday, and I believe Sunday as well. Night market begins at 8pm and goes until midnight. I recommend eating a late lunch so that you can save an appetite for dinner there.
Mekong Island: This is where you can watch people weave silk. Silk weavers spend an average of 3-4 days to finish one piece of fabric measuring about 6'x3'. To get there, you must catch a ferry from Phnom Penh. Taking the ferry is easy to do. The ferry runs all day and is inexpensive.
Where I stayed:
Lucky Star 2 Hotel
14 Street 336, Sangkat phasr deum kor, khan, toul Kork
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
(0)23 880 023
- Because we had family sightseeing with us, we had to limit our hotel cost to about $15/night/room. We usually rented about 3 rooms at each hotel we stayed at. If I were traveling with less people, I would spend a little more for a better room elsewhere. But this hotel was not bad at all if you just need a place to rest after sightseeing.
Where I ate:
The Terrace cafe
NO. 36Eo, St. 289, 12151
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
(0)17 868 0807
Sophy's Restaurant
Post Office Square/ Street 104
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Spa I visited:
Bodia Spa Phnom Penh
Corner of Sothearos Blvd and 178 St (Above U-Care Pharmacy)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: 855 (0)23 226 199
Road to the Beach: I wanted to make note of the road to
Kompong Som (one of the beaches). While the beach itself wasn't a great experience for me - it was very touristy, I loved the road on the way to the beach. Because we had rented a van and a driver we had the luxury of stopping by some of the various vendors that were along the road. Along this road was were I probably had the freshest fruit of the entire trip. At one point we happened to stop by a vendor who had just gotten back from his Saomao farm and was still unloading this amazing fruit.
Battambang Highlights: A province that absolutely touched my heart, Battambang was my favorite province. I didn't do much sightseeing here as we spent most of our time visiting family. We also had most of our meals at the homes of our families. We did get to see a lot of the rural parts of Battamabang by visiting some of my mom's childhood friends. Can you imagine seeing an old friend whom you thought was murdered during the war? Wow! I also stopped by to see the house/shack I was born in. There is very much history for my family in this province. I often wonder what my life would have been like if things had turned out differently. Many times, during dinner, conversations always veered back to times during the war, but then, it would go further back to times before the war and I loved hearing these stories the most as they were always an insight as to how beautiful the country was and how happy and carefree people were.
Where I stayed:
Khemara Battambang Hotel
#611, Street 515, Chrey Kourng Village, Sangkat Slaket
Battambang, Cambodia
+855 53 737 878
Battambang Resort
Wat Ko Village
Battambang, Cambodia
+855 (0)12 510 100
I decided to stay here about half way through my trip because I felt I needed a vacation from my vacation (I know, poor me!), but seriously though, I really needed it. This resort is beautiful and is located far enough away from the city center, but still close enough to easily get to it. They have their own organic garden which the owner was happy to give me a tour of. The pool was lovely and they also offered pool aerobics some mornings. The rooms were clean and the staff very friendly and some speak relatively good english which made me very happy as I needed a break from speaking Khmer. The cost of this resort is a little more spendy ~ about $45/night, but absolutely worth it.
Siem Reap Highlights: Our Main purpose of visiting Siem Reap was to see Angkor wat, which is what we did the three days we were here. We were only able to tour the Wat during the early morning as the afternoon heat was too unbearable. One thing I would change about my visit in Seam Reap would be to stay longer as there were many temples we did not get to visit. Nonetheless, I was glad to finally see the Ancient ruins for myself and to be able to share it with my mom and daughter and all these new family members! Siem Reap also has a great Night Market which you must visit if you are there.
Where I stayed:
Monica Angkor Hotel
#245, Charles De Gaulle
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel:( 855)63 764 444
I understand this post is a little short and reductive, but again, this is just a highlight. I'll continue to add things as I remember them, so keep checking back. If any of you are planning a visit to Cambodia and have more specific questions, I'd be glad to answer them.
***Hint: If you click on a photo, you can view it in a larger format***
