Siem Reap Cambodia - Sous Dei

Eleven years after college graduation, my medtech friends and I embarked on a journey to a place filled with history and culture. Not a place on top of your travel list, but it was on top of ours. Angkor Wat - our destination for our reunion trip. Angkor Wat is found in Siem Reap, one of the must-see places in Cambodia. We chose to travel the way Cambodians do - by public buses and tuktuk. The journey to Siem Reap from Ho Chi Minh was long and tiring. However, a day at the Angkor Wat proved that all the effort was worth it.

The walls of the Angkor Wat tells more than a hundred stories. The place is full of character and history. It is not enough that you walk through the place, you have to read the stories that is intricate in its walls and facade. I can't help but be amazed by its beauty.

By 8am of July 18, we were on a bus headed to Phnom Penh from Ho Chi Minh. We reached the Mocbai border at around 9:45AM at Bivet border at around 11AM.. At 1:30PM we were headed to Siem Reap. It was mid-evening when we reached Siem Reap. Our official residence in Siem Reap was Golden Temple Villa where we stayed at 14USD per room per night. A place we highly recommend.

Foods that we've feasted on in Cambodia composed of Khmer amok and Jasmin Rice, Khmer lok Lak, Fried Spring Rolls and Cha Kreung which have average costs of 2USD per serving. Khmer amok was a dish with chicken fillet in fresh coconut cream, onion, cauliflower leaf, egg with traditional Khmer spices served with steamed Jasmine rice while Khmer lok lak was a combination of fried beef with pepper sauce topped with fresh cucumber, tomato, onion and lettuce. Cha Kreung was a mixture of beef, long beans, onions, green pepper, peanut and Khmer spices while their spring rolls were fried chicken with mixed vegetables wrapped in rice paper topped with Khmer peanut. Yummy indeed!

Our tuktuk driver, Dhy, accompanied us to Angkor Wat at around 5AM.  You have to be early if you want to catch the spectacular view of the Angkor Wat against the rising sun.  Entrance to the Wat cost us 20USD each while the 2 days and 1 night rent for the Tuktuk amounted to 16USD (tip included)You can ride the Air balloon at 15USD and gaze upon the beauty of Angkor Wat from above. Angkor Cafe serves  delicious Khmer breakfast and is found just in front the main entrance of the Angkor Wat. Lunch is best served in the restos in front of the Elephant Terrace. The whole day was spent exploring Angkor Wat, Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Leper King, Terrace of the Elephants, Preah Khan, Thommanom, Ta Phrom and Phnom Bakheng. We ended the day watching the Apsara dance.

The next day, we headed to Phnom Penh and thanks to Sapaco, had a free couch tour of the city where we had a glimpse of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the National Museum.

We stayed only for a day at Siem Reap and few hours at Phnom Penh but it's enough to say that Cambodia is a destination every one should see.