Siem Reap Cambodia

We had a fantastic time in Siem Reap Cambodia on lots of levels. The hotel was a small boutique hotel with only 16 rooms and therefore all the staff knew us by name. The furniture and the surroundimgs were wonderful and it was just a lovely place to stay and totally different from the corporate chains.

We had a lovely tour guide that did his best to inform us ignorant Brits about his country and its history. Emotionally he told us how he was taken from his parents at the age of 7 and made to work under the Khmer Rouge in the fields. He lost friends due to mines and only survived as his father was a barber and that was considered ‘essential’. Otherwise his parents would have been killed. How can humans to this to each other?

The sites amazed us. Yes we knew there was a place called Angkor Wat because that’s what everyone talks about, but there is so much more!

By getting up early and doing the opposite to the Chinese tours we were able to avoid the crowds and many times had the temples to ourselves. It was a fascinating place to visit and I suspect we only scratched the surface. These pictures don’t do it justice. It is so large and complex and again reminded us that hundreds of years ago there were some pretty clever builders. There is no mortar holding the stones together, how were they cut with such precision?

The bike ride around the villages was also a brilliant way of seeing the country but also meeting the locals. Without exception the children waved or said hello. They had nothing. They didn’t beg they just wanted to see who these visitors were. We stopped to watch some fishing and one little boy didn’t understand what a camera was and when we showed him his picture and that of his friends he was so excited. These people have no electricity or running water.

During our visit the King had died and therefore all the flags were at half mast and there were lots of pictures of the king around the town but also in the villages, again it was interesting for people that had nothing to be able to show respect for their king.

Despite our initial reservations we travelled from the hotel into Town for a beer and supper on two nights and the Tuk Tuk was great fun. Although we should have been concerned about the traffic somehow it all worked.

Food and drink prices were incredibly reasonable. A jug of beer was $3, local currency wasn’t used, everything was in US$.

We were truly sorry to leave and would recommend Cambodia and this area to all those reading this blog. How long will it be before you can no longer be ‘Indiana Jones’ and explore the sites? This is not Disney, this is real. Check it out soon and visit soon........ before it is too late.