On arrival at Phnom Penh airport we had to apply for a visa. This was quite an easy process. Forms had to be filled in and passport photo attached. Along with our passports these were processed in no time at all and after a payment of $30 each we had our passports with completed visas returned. Luggage collected and out to find a taxi. Cambodia had a different smell to Vietnam (This may sound silly but it’s true)
It took quite a while to reach The Blue Corner Boutique Hotel where we were staying for the next three nights. The taxi driver said the fare was €15 when at the airport it had said €9, we settled on €12!! It was a warm welcome at reception and we were soon in our room, unpacked and settled by the pool. Later that evening we decided to go for a walk and find somewhere to eat. It was a strange area with big streets that led to national monuments, but hardly a restaurant in sight. The few we saw and looked at their menus served chicken many ways but using feet, stomach, heads and hearts. Not a bit of chicken breast to be found. We ended up having chicken fried rice and it left a lot to be desired!! 😂😂
The following morning after a gorgeous breakfast in the hotel we hired a tuk tuk to take us to The Royal Palace and The Silver Pagtoda. Before we left the hotel I asked at reception if I was dressed okay, taking a wrap to cover my shoulders and was assured I was good to go. As we approached the ticket office I covered my shoulders well but the women said no wraps allowed and there was no way she was going to budge! I was a little amazed as my shoulders were well covered. I was told I could buy a T-shirt for $3 so that’s what I did. Quick change in the toilets and tickets purchased, off we went on our visit. It had all been worth it as the Palace was extravagant and beautiful. A little cheeky maybe but there were times in the visit when I tagged on to tour groups to listen to their guide. 🤣🤣

 

 

 

Once we were out of the palace I changed into my cooler clothes and in that time Andy had been chatting to a tuk tuk driver, John, outside the tourist information centre and had organised a tour with him for the next day to visit The Killing Fields and The Tull Sleng Genocide Museum. We walked along by the river and stopped for a drink at a small shop/cafe called The Daughters of Cambodia. This is a charity that aims to empower those trapped in the sex industry in Cambodia to walk free and start a new life, with healing, dignity, and the means to prosper. Teaching them new skills and ways of life.

We then headed further into the centre and came to the market. I could wander around these markets for hours. The food areas are just unbelievable.

The other areas just sell everything you can think of and always at a cheap price for you sir! 😂😂 Andy actually bought a new power bank as he lost his along the journey somehow!! In the evening we went to a Chinese restaurant, we took a look at the menu and didn’t know what anything was. The waitress was trying her best and even resorted to doing animal impressions to explain. We sat down and had a wonderful meal with great service.
The next morning we were picked up by John our friendly tuk tuk driver at 9am. We headed first to The Killing Fields, The Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre. This is the most well known of over 300 Killing Fields throughout Cambodia. As you enter you are given an audio tour to take you around the sites. It starts with Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge marching into Phnom Penh on the 17th April 1975. There are mass graves all around and as the rains come each year, bones and clothes are washed up and collected by staff.

 

One grave was of 166 victims who were found not to have heads. But the most horrific revelation of the tour was The Killing Tree 😢😢 I just find it so hard to understand how any human being can take a baby/child by the feet and smash their tiny head against a tree until they die!! Then toss them into a mass grave like rubbish.

 

The final part of the tour is the Memorial Stupa and its hundreds of skulls.

 

You may ask why visit such a place. There were visitors of all nationalities and all were so respectful and thoughtful. How could this happen? It must never happen again!!
Then it was a visit to The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S-21. This was the secret centre of a network of nearly 200 prisons where people were tortured by the Khmer Rouge.

 

Between 12,000 and 20,000 people were imprisoned here and there are only 12 confirmed survivors. Prisoners were sent in trucks to the Killing Fields to be executed and buried in the mass graves. What an emotional day!!
A chill by the pool was needed as we returned to the hotel.
The following morning, John our friendly tuk tuk driver picked us up and took us to the airport. We were flying to Siem Reap to continue our tour in Cambodia.
We were in the air only 35mins and soon out of the airport and our hotel provided a tuk tuk & driver for our transfer. We were staying at the Heaven Angkor Residence and we had another friendly welcome including a drink as we were checking in.

 

We are getting to be experts at unpacking and getting by the pool to chill in no time at all, especially when we have a pool side room 😍 That evening, armed with a map of the area we headed into the centre to take a look around and find somewhere to eat. This time it was easy. We walked past the market and couldn’t miss the sign for “Pub street” 😂
This was a pedestrianised area with restaurants, street food sellers and bars. It was a lively place. We enjoyed our meal even though Andy had almost finished his before mine arrived. We are getting used to food arriving whenever it’s ready!!

The next morning we decided to go on a tour with a tuk tuk driver from the hotel. We headed towards Tonle Sap Lake. As we got close we transferred to a boat on the river, this was a very traditional wooden boat and climbing onboard was quite precarious! We sailed through the fishing village and saw local life along the way. Nets being repaired. Boats being built. Children playing both in and out of the water. The houses were on stilts, so high with rickety ladders to climb. Such an unbelievable way to live.

 

The river led onto the lake and this lake is huge! We made our way to take a break at a crocodile farm. Just time to look at the crocodiles and have a drink before heading back in the boat.

 

Back along the river and this time there were more children about as school had finished for the day. After the dusty drive back to the hotel a dip in the pool was definitely required 😀😀 We had dinner that night at a restaurant called Haven, this was started by a Swiss couple who had been working at an orphanage locally and realised that the young adults leaving needed training and work experience to go forward in life. They train young people in all aspects of the restaurants needs. The food was wonderful and the service excellent.

The next morning was a 4:30am start to witness sunrise over Angkor Wat. Another tuk tuk drive with our first stop being the ticket office. There were queues of people all along the building. Each ticket has your photo on so it takes time to issue them. We then headed to Angkor Wat. It was still dark but we just followed everyone along the paths and over a floating bridge to the area people watch the sunrise behind the temple. It was a cloudy morning so not a very stunning sunrise but definitely an experience.

Once the sun was up the entrance to the temple was open and we wandered through this magnificent place. We climbed the steps to look at the higher levels. It’s amazing that it was built so long ago in the 12th century.

It is the biggest temple in the world.
Next we visited Angkor Thom.Angkor Thom is a sprawling walled city made from a red clay material known as laterite. It has an area of 9 square kilometres.

The city has face-towers at each entrance and all towers are covered with gigantic figures. At the heart of the city is the Bayon, the king’s state temple.
Then on to Ta Prohm, this is one of the most famous temples in Angkor. It’s known for the huge trees and the massive roots growing out of its walls. This jungle temple featured in “The Tomb Raider” movie.

We headed back to the hotel for a well earned afternoon nap by the pool.
That evening we took a walk down to “Pub street” again to find a place to eat. I tried the crocodile curry and it was tasty but a little chewy. Following that we tried a deep fried scorpion!! 😂😝 I managed a couple of legs but that was enough for me. Andy had a try too but we weren’t impressed.

We had an early airport transfer the following morning at 6:30am. We were flying to Phuket, Thailand. A week at Bangtao Beach to look forward to. Not only that but our little darling and our little princess are going to be there too 😍😍😍

May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.

Carol & Andy