Siem Reap: Packaged tour vs. DIY
I was chatting with a reader of mine when she asked me whether it’s better to take a package tour of Siem Reap and Angkor Wat or to arrange everything herself. I remembered I had the same dilemma last year when I was planning my trip. To help me decide, I took to my spreadsheet and let the numbers...
Source: justwandering.org
Project: Cambodia Escapade
TIMELINE
This would be the unofficial notes and planner for my Cambodia trip this June. I already have the etickets to Phnom Penh. Together with four friends, we would have an overnight stay on Kuala Lumpur on June 29th and on June 30, we’ll sleepover at Phnom Penh. At or around 1PM, we will...
Source: Ax Realm
Krup-krup
En route from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, our van stopped over at Kampong Thom, a province two hours from Siem Reap. A stall on the sidewalk had crickets...and beetles (or what I hoped were beetles and not roaches):I don't really care about edible insects, I was more interested in the persimmons and pomegranates...
Source: It's a beautiful life!
The Great Ruins of Angkor
Angkor Wat would probably be one of the most visited historical sites in the whole Southeast Asian region. This is one place that you shouldn’t miss when you go to Indo-China.
for more travel stories and tips, go to http://www.flipnomad.com
The Great Ruins of Angkor
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Source: flipnomad
Phnom Penh: A City of Hope
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Source: flipnomad
Filipina on Flip Flops in Siem Reap, Cambodia (Day 1)
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| From Filipina on Flip Flops: Travel Tales and the City Life of a Filipina |
There it was, the temple complex of Angkor Wat, its “beehive” towers standing ever so proudly yet solemnly in the middle of the forest of Siem Reap, as it has done so for centuries. Other than how immense it was, I was taken by its location, hidden deep in the woods, forgotten and untouched, its existence unknown to the outside world for years and years. I wondered what it must’ve felt like for the French explorer who re-discovered Angkor in the 1800s, to have found all that grandeur and to have undoubtedly been flabbergasted by the staggering thought that a place as massive and as beautiful as that could’ve been forgotten almost entirely by civilization. And while Angkor Wat and the rest of Cambodia’s temples are now renowned all over the world and are visited by crowds of tourists each year, on that quiet, wet and gloomy Sunday morning, standing on the bridge towards its entrance, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of, and to have seen for myself, the “hidden” magnificence that is Angkor Wat.
Spirit House in Cambodia
I am not afraid of ghosts. Except when I’m alone. At night. In Cambodia where millions of people died of genocide in the seventies. Last year, when Honey had to go to the Philippines for work for almost two months, he left me in this kingdom far far away where I was alone. At night. In Cambodia where millions of people died of genocide in the seventies.
How did I manage to stop hyperventilating, prevent the hair at the back of my neck from standing up on end, and sleep during all those lonely nights? One, by multiplying my carbon emissions a hundredfold and turning on all the lights in the apartment at night. Two, by turning on the two televisions full-blast. And three, by comforting myself with the fact that my Cambodian landlady keeps a spirit house in an auspicious place right smack in the middle of the entrance of the apartment building.
Read more in Toe’s Kurokuroatbp.
Letter from a Future Tourist to Cambodia
I’ve received letters from a businessman on a business trip, a future teacher, and a future expat in Cambodia. Here’s one from a future tourist:
Dear Toe,
Hi! I found your blog via Kristene’s blog and I think you’re one of the best writers in the blogosphere (hindi kita binobola!).
I live in Dallas, Texas (originally from Bacolod), and was hoping that you could help me with some travel tips for Angkor Wat. My husband and I are going home for a visit to the Philippines in December and we’re hoping that we could make a sidetrip to another country in Asia during this time. I’d really like to see Angkor Wat if we can work it out.
If you have some time to help out, these are the questions I have:
- What airline would you recommend for the Philippines to Cambodia trip? Any good deals on fares (how much is a round-trip ticket)? Is there a straight flight from Manila (or Clark) to Siem Reap? Also, what ballpark price would you consider a “good deal” on the fares? How many hours of travel time is this?
- Any hotel recommendations? For hotels, around $100 would be our budget. We’re not picky on hotels as long as they’re clean and safe.
- Is December a good time to go to Cambodia? Are there any December dates/holidays that we should steer clear of (i.e. too many crowds at Angkor Wat? Or is it closed for the holiday?)
- Any recommendations on how many days to plan for Angkor Wat? Would three days be enough or would it be bitin (this would include arrival day + touring + departure day). We don’t really want to spend too many days away from the Philippines but would really like to do this sidetrip if time/resources permit.
- Do we need visas (our citizenship is Filipino so we still travel with our green passports)?
Thanks so much in advance! Hope you and your Honey are doing well!
Johanna
Read more in Toe’s Kurokuroatbp.
