After departing the comfort of my rented apartment in the
quiet city of Chiang Mai, Thailand, on the
7th of Feb. 2007, I boarded the same old train I had rode from Bangkok, but
this time I was headed back to Bangkok to meet Dakota. He was my travel
partner for years and we had only recently been separated. He was to fly into
Bangkok from Hong Kong at midnight on the 8th and
the next morning we would begin a long and most rewarding journey into the
mysterious Cambodia. The country was home of the Killing
Fields of Pol Pot, iron ruler of the
Khmer Rouge, and the oldest and largest temples
in the world, The Angkor Wat and numerous other
ancient temples of the Buddhists reign, including the inspiring, but
dilapidated jungle temples about a 3 1/2 hour Tuk-Tuk ride north of Siem
Reap, the Angkor Thum.
Arriving in Bangkok at 7:AM, after a 12 hour overnight
venture on my favorite mode of transportation, the train, I grabbed a taxi and
checked into my prebooked hotel, The New World...clean,
safe and cheap. I spent the day just doing what I usually do, strolling
browsing and eyeing the gorgeous ladies...that and walking for hours looking
for some edible food...squid, fish eyes and chicken bone soup is just not my
thing. Staying slim in Asia is not a problem!
Dakota arrived about 2:am on the morning of the
8th of Feb. and after some hugs and
greetings we retired for at least 5 hours sleep...we would definitely need it
and more, as we would hop a taxi at 7:am all the way to the Cambodia border.
The $50 private taxi fare was a very cheap price
to pay to stay off the antiquated 20 year old over crowded buses and there was
no train to Siem Reap...which was our first
destination.
Climbing
out of bed on the 8th we did our morning rituals and took our bags to the
lobby. Our taxi showed up right on time and without much adieu we were off.
The road was fairly good and the trip took just about 3 hours. Arriving at the
border town of Poipet,
(click on Pics to enlarge) we climbed out
of the taxi, grabbed our bags, and strolled over to a shanty looking group of
men and women sitting and laying under a canopy. I could see why they were
laying around...it was bloody hot. The temperature had risen 20 degrees from
Bangkok. Walking closer I really doubted it was the official border crossing,
but who knows? I was, however, surprised at how good they spoke English and as
they scurried up to greet us I was pondering the prospect of being scammed, as
I had read numerous articles about fake Visas. A young guy came up to us and
blurted..."Hello, you need to fill out papers for your Cambodian Visas...yes?"
And then went on to ask for our Passports. The cabbie wasn't any help, as he
didn't speak a word of English. I ignored the young man for a moment, grabbed
a couple of small plastic chairs and ordered 2 cokes...it was to hot to think
and I needed a moment to analyze the situation.
(Click on map to enlarge) After a brief
pause and a half bottle of Coke I glanced at the official looking tag on his
shirt and asked..."How long does
it
take to get our Visas and how much money?" He replied, we don't give you a
Visa. We help you with papers and then drive you to border police and they
will give you your Visas." Hell, it was only $40 bucks for both and we didn't
have a clue...so why not? He said it would only take 20 minutes, so we filled
out the forms and gave him our Passports. He then hopped on a motor scooter
and took off. We drank the remainder of our cokes and chatted with the young
guys and a couple of girls and in a few minutes he was back. Piling into a
small car we drove about 4 kilometers to the official border. Getting our
Visas would take some patience, as the border was buzzing with
Thais & tourists from the
UK and France. As usual we were the only
Yanks. Wanting to change some money I grabbed a guy on a scooter and while
going to the exchange vendor I noticed several fairly new Casinos, so if you
have the time and the money I'm sure they'd love to entertain you, well at
least till you're broke and I'm quite sure it wouldn't take long. Definitely
not our thing. As for
Poipet, the city...it was somewhat like the thrown together shack city
of Ciudad Del Esteon, Paraguay on the
Brazilian border of
Foz do Iguaçu, home of the worlds biggest
waterfalls, Iguaçu Falls.
Cambodian border Casinos;
Banned from most forms of gambling in their own country, cashed-up Thais and
quite a few S. Koreans are frittering away tens of millions of dollars every
year at gaudy border casinos. After roaring up the highway from Bangkok the
Thais park their luxury German or Japanese sedans in tightly guarded car parks
opposite miserable frontier towns like Poipet, in Cambodia. Gambling is
illegal in Thailand, but, as one Casino manage
r
bluntly stated. "Legally speaking we might be in Cambodia, but practically
speaking we are in fact in Thailand." Just about everyone milling around the
Holiday Palace, the Golden
Crown Casino and the Star Vegas is Thai
and the only currency accepted is the Thai baht. The 5,000 Cambodian employees
are expected to speak only Thai. The casinos are owned by investors from
Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and China. The management task force
also counts Americans, Britons, Australians and French -- in all more than a
dozen varying nationalities. (
Rd to Siem Reap after rain) *Click on Pics to
enlarge.
Border Scams: Watch out
for fake Visas, people promising to drive you to Siem Reap and demanding
payment in advance. Unless you're sitting in their car, taxi, truck,
whatever...don't pay anything. In Poipet the
tourists, especially those coming on the Khao San Road buses are being told
they must change as much as $100 US into Cambodian Riel and are being
short changed by $15 US or more in the exchange. This is a complete scam.
There is no law declaring that you have to change any money on arrival in
Cambodia (or in Sisophon) and certainly not at a rate that scams you for about
$15. Everyone loves dollars, so whatever you might need to change you can do
it in Siem Reap at any number of locations and at much better rates. (Dusty
village on way to Siem Reap) *Click on Pics to enlarge.*
The road, more accurately a goat trail, to Siem Reap. It's
only a 5 hour ride in a taxi, but a 12 hour marathon bus trip from the Thai
border to Siem Reap. Terribly bad road between Sisophon and Siem Reap, almost
impassable after a heavy rain. And even in the dry season, not detailing the
potholes that could swallow a 747, it's choked in red dust...not just the
road, but everything; trees, grass, livestock, people, villages and all. Every
photo I shot with my Nikon D100 was red. It was if I was shooting on Mars. The
entire experience and especially driving through the small road side villages
was an unexpected highlight and
was surreal in every sense of the word. Somewhat like beaming through a
multi-dimensional twilight zone while high on LSD...not that I've ever tried
any LSD, but I have been around a few people that have and believe me when you
see a grown man sitting buck naked on the curb of a busy LA intersection
chewing the bark off a tree...well it's not hard to imagine the effects.
We were just grateful that we had a confident driver and
with only a couple of water stops in small villages of poor, but pleasant
people and lots of free roaming cows. (Pic on rt) We arrived in Siem Reap just
before dark and the city was a beehive of trucks, buses, taxis, vendor carts,
wagons, and wheeled contraptions I can't begin to describe. Add a million
scooters buzzing in every direction and it was and is a sight to behold. The
driver couldn't speak or understand a simple word of English, so it was
impossible to get him to drive us to our pre-booked hotel and he instead took
us where he takes everyone...to a parking lot where we would hop into a
Tuk-Tuk for the short ride to our hotel. We had booked the 4 star Apsara
Angkor Hotel
Resort about 2 weeks in advance and was looking forward to checking
in and showering before heading back out for dinner. Pulling up in their long
driveway entrance I was impressed. Walking into the lobby I was even more
impressed. The lobby, bar-cafe and restaurant was adorned with Cambodian hand
carved furniture and along with the cultural artifacts and the bright colorful
paintings they had captured the talent and mastery of the Cambodian people and
their long enduring heritage. (Pic. of Dakota in
Tuk-Tuk, Feb. 9th, 07)
Apsara Angkor Hotel
Resort; information. (Click on Pic to enlarge)
-
144 rooms in 38-different color of Khmer silk. All rooms
with full mini bar, safe deposit, hair dryer, telephone, data port
internet
in rooms, E-card lock & key card system. Gyms, Jacuzzi, sauna, steam bath
and swimming pool. Currency exchange, Bank and Souvenir & Jewelry shop.
Traditional massage & Spa service. Business Center and concierges.
Restaurant and lounge & pool bar. Poolside, as well as in-suite Internet
Access. Laundry and valet service. Airport transfer/pick up. Tour
service/onward reservation. Wheel chair for disabled guests. Doctor on call
24 hours. Baby sitting service. Multilingual staff and 24-hour room service.
Tuk-Tuks and taxi service available just outside the hotel's entrance.
Using the luxurious hotel as a base we toured, filmed and
explored the region for 5 rewarding days and nights and highly refer the
Apsara Angkor Hotel to every visitor seeking style, comfort, excellent service
and fine amenities. A full breakfast is included in their daily rates and all
dining experiences are superbly prepared by their in-house chef in their very
accommodating restaurant.
Brief summary of getting to and touring around Siem Reap:
(Click on pics to enlarge) Siem Reap is
lavished with remnants of their French overlords and in general is divided
into many areas, some quite poor with dirt roads and other areas adorned with
architectural beauty and numerous parks. The countryside heading to Angkor Wat
from Siem Reap was serenely charming with many small villages along the
river. The Tuk-Tuk drive was only about 30 minutes and getting a real early
start
gave us the entire day to explore Angkor Wat, (Pic on
rt. Ta Prohm Temple) and believe me...it was more than amazing... it
was unbelievable. I was expecting a temple, but was not expecting such a
complex blending of structure and nature...it was a city...an ancient city of
worship. We were not about to miss touring the many other temples and so
the very next day flagged down the same Tuk-Tuk driver and headed north to
visit the Angkor Thorm (pic. on left.) and then
on to the Bayon
Temple.
The temple was built under the reign of different King that built Angkor
Wat and even though much smaller it was just as stunning. Then we rode to Ta
Prohm Temple, (Above pic on rt) and wandered in,
around and through the crumbling rooms and the walls mostly held together by
giant Fig tree roots, (2nd Pic from far rt). I must have shot a thousand
photographs and even then felt I could not truly capture the soul of these
magnificent temples. We proceeded the next day to yet another temple, which
was a tiring 3 hour ride, as a good hour was down a dirt road. Finally
arriving in the isolated jungle temple we knew instantly that this was
definitely a temple of character and wasn't as visited as many of the other
more well known ones. It demanded respect in it's towering statement to the
world. The Angkor Borey, (Pic far rt) was still in relative decent condition
and is a must see, for sure. Each day we toured a temple and sometimes we
visited 2 different temples in one day.
We didn't get to visit the Preah Vihear Temple, (below
pic.) as it is located on a mo
untain
top on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. As that a centuries old feud
had reopened Thailand closed all access to the mountain temple. In previous
years as many as 1,000 tourists a day boarded buses in Thailand, traveled on
smoothly paved Thai roads, walked up the steps and started snapping pictures.
Until last Dec 17, when the Thai army closed the border at Preah Vihear,
claiming Cambodian vendors living near the temple were polluting a stream that
flows into Thailand. The border has stayed closed ever since. Sure, tourists
can get to the temple from the Cambodian side. But unless they rent a
helicopter, they face a couple days of spine-jolting rides through former
Khmer Rouge battlefields followed by a three-hour climb up a mine-infested
mountain. Cambodia is building a new road, but it's been stated that the road
can take up to 2 years to complete.
Securing a taxi ride for $50 dollars we left the Phnom Penh
on the 14th of Feb, 2007and headed south to the capital, Phnom Penh. The drive
was relaxing, the road was very good and in an uneventful 7 hours we arrived
in the sprawling mega-city of Phnom Penh. Another day...another adventure!
Brief summary of Phnom Phen: A huge city,
but centralized like most Asian cities it offers about every possible
experience a person could fathom. Like a beehive the city roared to live at an
early hour and continued until past midnight. The city has a lively atmosphere
with plenty of liquor and good food everywhere. There were boat races on the
Mekong, partying in the streets and the bars were hopping. We even watched
some Asian belly dancing in one nightclub. (Above pic.
Mekong Delta) We wandered around quit a bit and would say the main
streets are not really dangerous at night, but I would avoid the alleyways for
sure. After about an hour of arriving we found a nice, quiet and comfortable
hotel for $18us per double occupancy, but decided to rent 2 separate rooms.
The hotel had satellite TV, a private bath and a large accommodating bed. We
spent the first 2 days walking around eating, doing some sight seeing and
learning our way around. A few nights of tuk-tukking to some wild bars,
sipping cokes and spending hours of eyeing hundreds of cute bar girls, and at
times just chatting with some of the English speaking locals and when
exhausted we rested along the river in the evenings, which was always crowded
with young locals...smooching and chatting. Our first morning we toured the
magnificent Royal Palace and pretty much strolled around and continued just
touring the central city region on our 2nd day.
(Pic.
on left, boat people selling fruit) On our third day we took a Tuk-Tuk,
3 wheeler taxi, for an hour ride south to arrange for a boat excursion. The
drive to the delta took us along endless stretches of green rice-fields and
countless small villages lining the roadway. My Nikon stayed busy as I snapped
countless photos of women wearing their traditional hats, while working the
fields. The colors of the landscape blending with grazing oxen and field
workers wearing bright yellows and blues was astounding. Arriving at the
crowded and filthy river port we precariously made our way around thousands of
people, dogs, bikes, trucks, vendors, beggars and hundreds of very dirty, but
cute, kids playing in the rubbish. After crawling our way through the
mega-mess
we hopped aboard a 6 person long boat and rammed our way through the packed
river for a day of touring up the Mekong Delta to Stung Treng. We didn't see a
single tourist which gave us an entire new insight to the daily lives of real
Cambodians. Poverty was vividly evident, but so was their ability to adapt to
it with hard work and diligence. Strong people to say the least! (Pic
on right of a family hut on the Mekong river)
Most of the really poor live in small house-boats and along
the shores of the delta. They survive on fishing and selling whatever they
can. The entire scene was ancient and surreal and I remain mesmerized by these
over powering imagines. In general Cambodia, while still reeling from endless
wars and oppression, is definitely on the road to recovery and are slowly
building, and rebuilding, their country's infrastructure. It will take many
decades, but even just recently they opened a good road from Kampot to Kep and
will, hopefully, soon build a decent road from the Thai border to Siem Reap.
In southern Cambodia there are many really nice beaches, especially in
Sihanoukville, (Pic below rt) and you can get there by road or by boat from
Phnom Penh via the southern river route through Ko Kong in Thailand and back
into Cambodia. The white sand beaches are laden with bars, cafes and pool
tables, as well as hammocks for those much needed afternoon naps. Just don't
forget your sunscreen.
I will say, in all honesty, that the Cambodians are very
friendly people with
the warmest smiles, but there are a lot of people crippled from the
millions of remaining landmines from the Vietnam war, and there are even more
people just really poor, so be ready for lots of very persistent beggars. The
country is, however, home to the cutest children, (see
below Pic.) They sell everything from shoe-shines, books, maps, candies
and from souvenirs to postcards. Be generous and please leave your snobby
attitudes at home...these people live from day to day and selling and/or
begging is their only hope to survive another day. Wars waged by western
countries are the main reasons they are
so
poor. And for you guys looking for some extra curriculum attractions...there's
thousands of bar girls and every taxi and Tuk-Tuk driver in the country can
partner you with some girls. So, have fun, be cool, remain friendly,
avoid drugs and confrontations and you'll have the time of your life... and
bring USA dollars, small bills, such as singles and fives. Take note that they
hate accepting their own currency and you'll never get a fair exchange using
it! (Use ATMS when possible)
Expense & cleanliness: Dining and hotels are extremely
over-priced and continually frustrated me, especially when dining. Cambodia is
very expensive to visit, especially when compared to Vietnam, Laos and
Thailand. In fact I found it as expensive as the mega-modern city of Hong
Kong. Be advised not to expect any bargains when booking a hotel and when
dining. Tuk-Tuks & Taxis are very moderate and usually negotiable. Another
issue is the desperation of their people when begging and/or selling items on
the street. They just don't take no for an answer and are worst than
pesky mosquitoes on a river bank. The streets are crowded, chaotic and always
dirty, as it is normal for the citizens to throw everything undesirable
where-ever; in the streets, walkways, parks, and especially into the already
polluted rivers. This is true even at their most treasured tourism
attractions...the temples, including Angkor Wat. It is truly an issue that
needs attention. All in all, I was not deeply impressed with Cambodia in
general, but as that it is such a beckoning region it is worth a visit...just
don't expect too much beyond the mostly in disarray, and generally stripped
bare, temples. During one of the frequent and heavy rain storms the streets
are ankle deep, as due to the street pollution the few drains are totally
plugged. In addition, the towns, cities and even country sides are extremely
dusty, which makes it hard to see and even breathe. And foremost...don't go
trekking off the beaten trails and roads...for one simple reason... LAND
MINES!!!
More info: Road Travel
Modern, big air-condition buses between PP and Sihanoukville and to
Kampong Cham. Big buses also ply the roads to Siem Reap and Battambang now ($4
from PP). Road conditions are MUCH better now. Older buses, pickups and shared
taxis are used when the roads are worse. The Toyota Camry shared taxis are
running almost all routes now, even on the Poipet / Battambang / Siem Reap
route.
Motorbike Taxis
Available everywhere and everytime. 500 Riel for short distance. 1000-4000 R
for longer distances in Phnom Penh, a bit more at night. Drivers with good
English (sometimes French) wait in front of guesthouses. Moderately bargaining
is usual before you go. Going rate is PP is 4-6$ for whole day. In SR 6$ for a
whole day with temple visits is the going rate, drivers ask for more when
visiting remote places like Banteay Srey. Moto rides for long distances on bad
roads (or no roads) can be very expensive. The trip from Ban Lung to Sen
Monorom (more than 200 km, 13h) was 50 $. This route is really hardcore for
bike and driver. He stays overnight and usually returns without passenger.
Trains
Cheap, but extremely slow, crowded and mostly dirty, as well as
antiquated, but somewhat romantic. Regular passenger train service is
sometimes suspended between PP and SHV. The buses are much faster and more
comfortable, but most have no toilets.
Boats
Larger speedboats or express boats are in service on most routes, but only
when water level is high on the rivers, Tonle Sap and Mekong. Slower cargo
boats are most often overloaded and less comfortable, but between Laos and
Cambodia there are newer speedboats for up to 16 passengers.
Accommodations
Hotels are widely priced; The nice luxury hotels and resorts range from $100
dollars upwards to around $160. Guesthouses 5$ - 15$. Smaller hotels with few
amenities range from $18 to $26 for a double room, often including bathroom,
towels, TV. The luxury hotels are mostly only available in Phnom Penh,
Sihanoukville and Siem Reap.
Safety
While it has dramatically improved and even though every part of the country
is accessible now, including the route 7 between Kratie and Stung Treng and
the road to Sen Monorom, it is always advisable to remain fairly sober, alert
and remember you are a guest and must adapt in your behavior and attitude. The
most dangerous places are in Phnom Penh, so avoid walking alone in poorly lit
backstreets. Leave your valuables and passport in the hotel or guesthouse and
limit the amount of carried cash to your activities at the time. It is also
advisable to take a taxi or Tuk-Tuk for getting around in the cities. They
may over-charge you, but won't try to rob you.
Dining: As a tourist expect to pay quite a lot more
for food and beverages than locals. Its the same as in most countries in Asia
and believe me...auguring doesn't help. We have been charged 3 times more than
what was even posted on their menus. Be cautious when combining different
items or ordering things not on the menu, as it will definitely cost you
dearly.
*Commentary* I was really thrilled to be traveling
with Dakota again, but knew he couldn't stay with me for long. In that regard
we looked forward to the new adventurous challenge in exploring this country
from top to bottom. Having such a short length of time meant we would have to
be quick and precise...with no time to relax. In 10 days we would fly to
Vientiane, the capital of Laos where we would try and tour the best of Laos in
only 7 days. With 10 years of traveling together we were confident we could
explore these 2 countries in that short amount of time and if not I could
always stay longer in Laos. After only 2 days in the boring Laotian capital
city of Vientiane we hopped a short flt to La Prabang. Four days later, on the
24th of Feb. Dakota flew to Hong Kong and then on to London, but only for a
week, as he would then proceed to tour Spain, Portugal, Morocco. Afterwards
and with only another week in London he flew to Egypt for a week long tour. As
for me, I ended up staying in Luoang Prabang, Laos for an additional 12
days...amazing town and region, but that's another story. I was alone again,
but as a single male I enjoyed my time spent in SE Asia...so many ladies...so
little time!
And so my journey continues into Laos and then eventually
to settle for a couple of months in what would become one of my favorite
countries; Vietnam. Then onto the ancient and cultured countries of China,
Japan, Taiwan, the gambling island of Macau, then back to South China and 2
months back in the glory of Hong Kong and making a circle, again, back to
HCMC, Vietnam and in the last week of Sept. 2007, I found myself back in Siem
Reap, Cambodia. I guess you could say that I like SE. Asia!
Click
on the below
links for more details & photos, etc.
Additional pics & info of Cambodia!
Read
our Review of Angkor Wat!
Read
Cambodia Sex Industry Review!
Return
to Travelers Digest Cambodia directory!
Read
our Review of the mysterious Laos!
Read our USA-Vietnam War Remembered!
Read
Our Global Reviews - &
-
Our 2008 Articles of Special Interest
To; Travelers
Digest Main Directory
Photos shot on location in Feb. 07 and the entire review
was updated May 15th 2008. The review was written in it's entirety by Michael
Smith and is the sole property of Travelers Digest. It may not be copied,
posted or retained, either mechanically or electronically, and/or used by
anyone for any reason whatsoever without the written consent of Travelers
Digest or Michael Smith.
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