Travellers Pursuits

Cambodia

Cambodia‘s raw beauty is found in its relics, its people, its cities and its nature. Still reeling from a relatively recent civic turmoil, Cambodia‘s perseverance and strength is admirable and inspiring. The authentic, kind and hard working people of this country was one of the highlights of our trip. Another was the raw beauty the developing nation offered. From the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat to the modern restaurants offered in the cities, Cambodia proves itself a worthy destination to visit.

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Siem Reap

Siem Reap is Cambodia‘s greatest tourist attraction. Pilgrims and travellers alike flock to the city for the same reason: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is an iconic Hindu-Buddhist temple situated in an ancient temple complex that spans over four hundred acres. It is considered as the largest religious structure in the world.

Its large size speaks for itself but the beauty and serenity the site holds is something else. Every temple has something to offer. Every site holds centuries of history and religious importance. Angkor Wat is a standing ancient relic you can spend weeks walking through.

There are many ways to spend time exploring the temple complex; the popular choices are a day trip, 3 days, or a whole week. You could hire a personal driver, rent a scooter, or rent a pedal bike and do the whole thing yourself. We personally opted for the day option whilst hiring a personal Tuk-Tuk driver to drive us around all day throughout the afternoon. Looking back, I think that this was a mistake. We still enjoyed our time but we merely scraped off the tip of the iceberg with just one day and it was all quite rushed. Personally, if I could go back, I would opt to renting our own scooter, driving ourselves, buying the three day pass and taking our time to explore this amazing ancient relic from the past.

Siem Reap‘s beauty is not only found in Angkor Wat. The city itself is an attraction by itself. As the nearest city to the country’s biggest attraction, it naturally becomes the hub for everything one might need. Here you can book tours, tour guides, rent scooters, rent drivers, and find all the different ways to explore the massive temple complex. Here you can stay at the most luxurious hotels Cambodia offers or stay at its humble home stays and hostels. Here you can find laundromats to do your laundry in. Convenience stores to fill up your supplies in. Pharmacies for your medical needs. Food for your cravings. Night life to liven things up. Cafes to start your sleepy days in. Siem Reap’s got it all for you.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Made in Cambodia Market is a great place to show support to the locals and snag yourself a great souvenir home. All of the vendors are locals and you are sure that the money supports a great cause. Cambodia is still reeling from its recent civil turmoil: a genocide that killed millions. You can still see the country feeling the effects today and trying to heal from it. One of those ways are local vendor marketplaces where tourism flourishes such as this market. Here you can support landmine victims, growing artists, local jewelers and much more. Here you can be sure that your support goes directly to the Cambodians who help make it a truly special place.

Korea’s strategy of “Soft Power” strategy can be felt all through South East Asia. Cambodia is not spared from this as Korean investment and Korean restaurants can be seen in many places. Many Korean travellers can also be sighted in the public frequently. Naturally, feeling a little homesick, Koreans flock to cuisine familiar to them. Korean Restaurant Kimchi does exactly that. They provide authentic Korean food that groups of Korean visitors frequent their eatery. We’ve been there twice and both times we were very impressed. The people who own and run the restaurant are both welcoming and kind, the service fast, the taste amazing and the portions are very generous; especially the side dishes!

Il Forno is one of the places we completely fell in love with in Siem Reap; we were so in love that we even went out of our way in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh to visit their Il Forno branch just to have a second taste! (we preferred the Siem Reap branch as their prices were cheaper, taste and atmosphere better.)

Its more of a hidden gem in an alleyway kind of vibe where the seating is very casual and the taste very formal. The wine was great. The prices were better. The bread? heavenly. Never have I ever experienced this kind of bread before; I’m not sure how to describe it. Imagine a twisted straight tree branch the length of a spaghetti noodle. A spaghetti noodle with an amazingly tender and crispy crust that just both crackle and melt in your mouth. This was only our appetizer. The main meal was a delicious pizza, perfectly cooked. Toppings just right. Crispy thin crust authentic Italian pizza. We still look back dearly to Il Forno and its amazing bread and pizza.

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Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is Cambodia’s capital city. It is the hub and center of the country and I can see why. Everything here screams of Cambodia life. The big plazas with everyone spending their cool afternoons in. The big public markets that both sell merchandise and food. The Tuk-tuk drivers littering all over the streets. You can’t get more Cambodia than this.

Exploring Phnom Penh‘s streets oddly reminded me of home, the Philippines; it felt like I was just strolling through my home town. The people are kind and helpful. The fruits and vegetables fresh as can be. The tuk-tuks reminds me of the tri-cycles we have at home.

We did our fair bit of exploring and there is certainly beauty to be found in the city of Phnom Penh. We explored all along the Tonle Sap river, visited museums and even went out to see what the night life has to offer. The city is both modern and authentic; it has everything one would want.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Cambodia Bagels was an absolute delight. We were craving Bagels in Cambodia of all places; with a quick google search, we found this place with some raving reviews. One person even said that this was better than New York City bagels. That’s a glowing recommendation. Sufficed to say, we made sure to include this bagel shop in our itinerary and our route from our relatively nearby National Museum of Cambodia. It sits in an unassuming spot by a very artsy alleyway. We saw lots of foreigners around so I am assuming the area is an established base for tourists. However, the bagel shop itself in the mid morning was empty. We made our order. We waited outside and we were delightfully surprised at what greeted us. Two amazingly loaded and beautiful bagels. Needless to say, our cravings were filled. We ended up buying two more that day for our lunch by the Riverside Park and even making a pit stop in the early mornings the next day to order FOUR more bagels to take with us during our bus ride to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. It was THAT good.

After our riverside lunch, we were spending our time lounging around in bliss from the bagels. We decided to spend a good part of our afternoon at the CHHMA Catfe . The cats are absolutely adorable. A wide and unique variety of cats were available to interact with. The drinks were decently priced and absolutely delicious. Its a nice Cat Cafe, if you’re a fan, I would recommend checking this place. A big plus is you get a cute pair of socks included with your purchases.

If Museums are your thing, I’d highly recommend the National Museum of Cambodia . The entry price is decent, and there is a surprisingly good collection of art and history to be found here. Its not a place you can get lost in for days but I don’t believe that’s what makes a good museum. Many things make this museum great. Its central area hosts an exposed and vibrant, open garden to lounge around in. The buildings are organized very well taking you from one exhibition to the next. The museum also showcases significant portions of the country’s history and artistry.

Looking for what the local life is like? Head towards Wat Botum Park and the surrounding areas. I’d also recommend visiting here in the late afternoons as the sun slowly fades under the horizon; as the heat dies down, everyone leaves their shady shelters and enjoys the outdoors. We saw Cambodians playing sports, walking around, spending time with friends and family and overall just enjoying life. We also enjoyed exploring the night markets here.