Cambodia – Maldo Travels

Siem Reap – Tourist Town

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 30 May 2019 23:39:00 +0000

Coming from London, we took a flight with Thai Airways to Bangkok which took 11 hours 45 minutes. Our flight was delayed 1 hour so we only had 45 mins to get to our connecting flight to Siem Reap. We ran the length of the Aeropuerto Suvarnabhumi and made it since there was no need to go through customs. The flight to Cambodia was quick and took about an hour. We landed in Cambodia at 8.30 AM and the airport is very small. At customs, there are 4 queues; one for a visa application, one for residents, one for ASEA members, and a general passport control queue. If you applied for the e-visa then you can join the last queue otherwise you join the visa queue. There are no ATMs at the airport but there is a Currency Exchange office.

For transportation, there’s a taxi office but they only take cash, so we had to exchange some GBP¹ for KHR². The cost of a taxi was 10 USD³ or 40,000 KHR. They give you a receipt and you have to exit the airport, handing in your customs form to the officials. You then meet the driver at the exit who takes your receipt and walks you to the taxi. The driver was very friendly and keen to sell us taxi transportation within Angkor Wat . He offered the service for 40 USD but this was solely transportation and no guide. He also had a price list of transportation to different places. We took his phone details but didn’t book anything. The ride to our hotel which was near the Angkor Night Market took about 30 minutes. After checking in, we headed out to look for tours and an ATM. We enquired with the tour agency at our hotel first but we then found another tour agency who had a very friendly sales rep. He sold us two Angkor Wat tours, a tour to the Floating Village, and a full-day car rental with a driver to Kulen Mountain. He also drove me in his scooter to a Maybank ATM which I read online had free withdrawals. However, this did not work for my card. So I ended up withdrawing money from ABA Bank which charged a 5 USD fee. The tour agency rep said that we could pay everywhere in USD or KHR, so we took out USD from the ATM since we’re more familiar with that currency.

After buying the tours we went for a walk and passed Pub Street in the Angkor Night Market area. We then walked towards the river where the Old Market is located. Both these areas are a nice walk and great for souvenir shopping. They sell clothes here as well and we ended up buying a couple of t-shirts from here for very cheap. We stayed in Siem Reap for 4 days and found the night market area to be great for walks during the day and night. The streets are filled with people since there are lots of restaurants, bars, and street food stalls so it feels safe. The people are also very friendly and there were more locals than I expected who could speak some English. The cuisine is also an interesting experience which can be similar to Thai food but with their unique flavors. Overall, it’s a very tourist-friendly place and the locals are keen to share their culture with visitors.

Kulen Mountain, Beng Mealea, and Bakong

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 29 May 2019 20:31:00 +0000

On our last day at Siem Reap, we got a private car with a driver who offered to take us to Kulen Mountain, Prasat Beng Mealea, and Prasat Bakong for 65 USD¹ total. This option is best if you are in a group, however, there were tour options for these locations but they didn’t include all these destinations. Our driver picked us up at around 8.20 AM and we first headed to Kulen Mountain. At around 9 AM, the driver asked if we wanted to stop and try some traditional Cambodian breakfast. We agreed and pulled up to a street food stall. He recommended a pork rice noodle soup or a fish rice noodle soup. Both were coconut-based with lemongrass costing 1.50 USD each and were very tasty. We finished breakfast at around 9.20 AM and then continued onwards for another hour to Kulen Mountain. There’s a ticket office at the park entrance and tickets cost 20 USD each. The last 20 minutes at the mountain is uphill along a narrow dirt road. There are park officials there though who help navigate traffic. Our first stop was at the Tiles of 1000 Lingas which are tiles carved into a stream’s bedrock. The driver told us of the story behind the tiles and then we walked about 5 minutes along the stream to a well. It was currently dry when we got there and the guide said when it fills up in the wet season. The locals believe it to be holy water since Kulen Mountain is considered a holy place.

We then went back to the car and drove another 5 minutes to the parking lot for the temple of the Reclining Buddha. From the parking lot, we walked through a market and up some steps which took about 5-10 minutes. Along the way, several locals have stacks of smaller bills in the local currency to change if you want to leave a donation at the temples. This place has many shrines for both Hindus and Buddhists. There are several cages in the area to leave your footwear if you want to step into the temples. The temples have been built around large rocks, and the reclining Buddha has been carved into the top of the largest rock. We climbed about 4-5 flights of stairs to get to the top where there was a small queue of people visiting the reclining Buddha. From the top, you also get a good view of the national park including a small town inside the park. At this site, it is mostly locals who come for worship but there are also several tourists visiting the area.

Once we were done taking pictures, we went back down to the car and drove a couple of minutes to the car park for the waterfall. From the car park, we walked through a market and arrived at the top of the waterfall. There is a small 5-meter waterfall here and a small stream you can bathe in. There is a trail that goes around the back and down to the large waterfall. It’s about a 10-minute walk and in the end, there is a small boardwalk with a swing that looks out to the waterfall. The locals charge to take pictures with the swing. There are also lockers there that you can rent if you want to go for a swim towards the waterfall. We left our belongings with the driver and jumped in. The water was refreshing but there are lots of small fish in the river, so probably not for the squeamish. There are several boulders in the river you can climb up to take pictures. Some people even ventured to the boulders at the base of the waterfall. Be careful in the water as it’s cloudy and there are several smaller rocks you can hit yourself on. The waterfall was a refreshing destination and a good break from visiting temples. Once we were done, we headed back to the car and onwards to Prasat Beng Mealea.

It took about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to the ruins of the temple of Beng Mealea. The driver dropped us off at the main entrance and said he will be at the car park which was at the other end. Tickets to the site cost 5 USD and you’re free to roam around. It’s quite a large site and it mostly lies untouched in ruins. There are paths and bridges for you to get around but walking throughout the site feels as though you’re discovering the place for the first time. There are also not many people at this site so it’s easier to take pictures here. We roamed around for about 30 minutes before heading to the exit to meet our driver.

The final destination of our day trip was Prasat Bakong. This was about a 30-minute drive from Siem Reap and about an hour’s drive from Beng Mealea. These temple ruins are part of Angkor so if you already bought the Angkor Wat ticket as we had, then you don’t need to pay for another ticket. There are several temples in the area but the key one is Bakong Temple. It is in the form of a pyramid with several levels and decorated with stone carvings. We also quickly visited the smaller temple of Preah Koh which can be identified by its 3 towers. We then headed back to Siem Reap and our driver dropped us off at our hotel.

A Full-Day Tour of Angkor

Jean Maldonado — Tue, 28 May 2019 23:36:00 +0000

We bought a tour which included transportation and a tour guide for 12.50 USD¹ each. The tour bus picked us up at around 8 AM and the first stop was the ticket office for those who hadn’t bought tickets yet. We had already bought the 3-day ticket so we just walked around the stalls while we waited. Once everyone had their tickets, we headed to the temple of Pre Rup. We then find some shade while the guide gives us some history on the temple. This temple has 3 levels and pre-dates Angkor Wat; being the main temple at the time. We then had some time to walk around to take pictures before heading to East Mebon. This temple is also from the same period as Pre Rup so it looks quite similar. This is a smaller temple with 2 levels but the interesting thing here is that there are many holes in the temple walls. The guide said that there used to be diamonds and other precious stones in these holes but have since been stolen. There are also elephant statues in the corners of the temple which is a good spot for pictures.

The next stop is the temple of Ta Som which has long tomb-raider-like corridors. There is a V-shaped tree just past the entrance which is a good photo spot. When you get to the end of the corridors, there’s a massive tree growing out of the temple walls that also makes for great pictures. Once we’re done here, we head to Neak Pean which is on an artificial island in the middle of a man-made lake. The tour bus dropped us off at the entrance where you walk along a bridge that leads to the temple. However, since we were there at the start of the wet season, the lake was dry. Normally, there would also be 4 ponds that surround the temple, each representing the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind. After quickly walking around to take pictures, we crossed back on the bridge and then to Preah Khan.

From the drop off point, it was a 5-minute walk to the temple. We crossed a bridge that was decorated with statues that had their heads or upper bodies cut off. The guide said that foreigners had done this with the help of the locals to sell in the black market. Preah Khan was the most tomb-raider-like temple with many long corridors. There was also a large tree growing out of its temple walls which made it very picturesque. There was a wedding photoshoot going on when we got there. The guide took us through the temple making stops to give information on the site. He then gave us some time to wander around the corridors before making our way back to the tour bus. It was now around 1 PM and we were taken to a tourist restaurant in the area. It seemed to be a fancy place as we were given refreshing cold face towels on the way in. The guide dropped us off and then said he’d be back in an hour. The menus had several Asian and Western dishes but not many Cambodian options. Prices ranged between 8 and 15 USD but it was all very tasty.

We were picked up from the restaurant at around 2 PM and then taken to Banteay Srei which took about 40 minutes to get there. This temple was built by a priest rather than a king. Its walls and towers were the most detailed and its carvings were very well preserved. The guide took us throughout the site making stops to give us information. It was a beautiful temple but quite small and debatable on whether it’s worth the 40-minute drive. From Banteay Srei, we then headed back to Siem Reap which took about an hour. We were dropped off at our hotel where we chilled by the pool for some time. In the evening, we went for dinner in Sok San road and a quick walk around the area.

Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 27 May 2019 22:44:00 +0000

This sunrise tour included transportation and a guide for 10 USD¹ each. It’s a very early start with the tour agency picking us up from our hotel at 4.40 AM. We were taken in a 4×4 buggy to the main road where the tour bus was waiting for us. Once everyone had arrived, it was then a 10-minute drive to the ticket hall for the Angkor Archaeological Park. Some people had already been on other tours so they already had a multi-day ticket. Those who needed to buy went with the tour guide who helped everyone purchase their tickets. Since we had another full-day tour the next day, we purchased the 3-day ticket for 62 USD. They take your picture at the ticket office which is printed on your ticket to ensure you don’t sell the ticket to someone else. Also, this is the only place you can buy tickets for Angkor, so be wary of your hotel or any tour agency offering to sell Angkor tickets. Once everyone bought their tickets, we headed to Angkor Wat which was about 5 minutes away. We arrived at the car park at around 5.20 AM. By now there was daylight but the sun was yet to come up above the temple. From the car park, you cross over a floating bridge and then walk about 5 minutes towards the temple.

We arrive at 2 ponds and everyone is gathered around the pond on the right side. This is because the sunlight first hits the pond on the right side. We went to the pond on the left first to take some pictures and then joined everyone at the pond on the right side. The sunrise was finished at around 6.20 AM and we re-grouped with the guide to head up to the temple. We start by walking the perimeter where there are many carved murals. The guide explains the murals and gives a history of who built the temple as well as its purpose. When we get to the back of the temple, we walk inside into the main square. From here, we get a great view of the temple, perfect for pictures. At around 7.45 AM, the guide says we can walk into the main temple and tells us to be back down at the main square by 8.15 AM. Inside the temple, you may come across some monks who look after the temple. As the complex is a sacred site, appropriate clothing should be worn. Since the weather is so hot and humid, the site officials are fine with shorts and t-shirts as long as knees and shoulders aren’t visible. The views from the top of the temple are incredible and the detail in the stonework is amazing. After walking around and taking pictures, we re-grouped with the guide.

At this point, we asked him if that was the end of the tour and he said yes and that they were going to stop somewhere for breakfast. We wanted more time at the site so we stayed and went our separate way. We later found out that the guide meant it was the end of the tour of Angkor Wat only. After breakfast, the tour was going to take us to Angkor Thom and then Ta Phrom. After we split from the group, we made our way to Angkor Thom. We exited through the car park where there are some street vendors. It was getting very hot so we bought some water there. We then walked north along the main road for 15 minutes and stopped at the temple of Phnom Bakheng. It was currently being restored but still open to visitors and it was a 10-minute walk uphill. Once at the temple, there are some great views and we found out that it’s a popular spot to catch the sunset. We then continued north on the main road and reached the South Gate. Next to this gate, you can find a smaller temple called Baksei Chamkrong. It was a quick stop here for pictures before we crossed the bridge decorated with carved stones that goes to the South Gate.

It was then another 15-minute walk to reach Angkor Thom. On the way, there were many monkeys and we crossed paths with 2 elephants. Once at Angkor Thom, we found some shade at the temple of Bayon and rested for about 30 minutes before exploring the temple ruins. This temple had many more towers than Angkor Wat although they were much smaller. What was interesting about this temple is that the many towers were shaped like the Buddha’s face. After about 10 minutes of roaming around, we headed to Baphuon. This temple has a long pathway leading up to it and several high steps to get to the top. You get some great views of the surroundings from the top. We rested here for about 15 minutes before heading to the exit which goes around the back of the temple. At the back, there is the face of a sideways Buddha on the temple walls. There are some information panels here explaining the difficulties of restoring this part of the temple.

The trail curves around the back and takes you to Phimeanakas. This temple has a pyramid-like shape with several animal figures decorating its edges. There is also a rectangular pond next to the temple. From here, we planned to start heading west towards Ta Phrom. However, someone who we thought was a park official said there was another temple a little further north. We decided to check it out and the person followed us giving us information on things we came across. We found this quite bizarre and realized he was trying to impose himself as our guide. We told him we didn’t want a guide and he wanted us to pay him for what he showed us which was practically nothing so we refused. It was a very uncomfortable experience but he left us alone. We continued west rather than going to the temple the person mentioned which was quite a big detour. After about 10 minutes walking west, we came across the Terrace of the Elephants. We walked around here for a bit and then continued to North Khleang.

We went through the ruins at North Khleang and then found the main road which goes to Victory Gate. After about 10 minutes down this road, we saw a sign for East Top Temple. It was a 5-minutes off the main road and not worth the detour since it’s quite small and mostly in ruins. Once we got back to the main road, it was a 5-minute walk to Victory Gate. This gate is shaped like the Buddha’s head and you can climb up the side to get some pictures. We took a 15-minute break here before crossing the bridge. At the other end of the bridge, there were 2 more temples. Thommanon to the north side of the bridge and Chau Say Tevoda on the south side. We took some quick pictures and then continued on the main road to Ta Keo.

This was a large temple with high walls and very steep steps. We took some rest here and after about 15-minutes, I saw grey clouds coming in. I quickly went around the temple to take pictures, and after about 10 minutes, it started to pour down. The amount of rain was incredible, and the ditch around the perimeter of the temple quickly filled up with water. It didn’t look like the rain was going to go away any time soon so we crossed over to the main road to see if there were any tuk-tuks. We waited for about 10 minutes and didn’t see any tuk-tuks pass by and since we had raincoats and a waterproof backpack, we decided to walk over to Ta Phrom which is a bigger temple.

It took about 15 minutes to walk there and we took refuge under the arc by the entrance since there were still no tuk-tuks. At this point, we were about to walk back to the main entrance and went to check the parking lot for tuk-tuks once more. There were only tour buses here but luckily a tuk-tuk came by and offered to take us back downtown for 5 USD. We agreed and it took about 35 minutes to reach Pub Street. We went to grab some food in the area before heading back to the hotel to get some rest.

Siem Reap – Floating Village Tour

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 26 May 2019 22:48:00 +0000

On the day we arrived, we bought an afternoon Floating Village tour for 12.50 USD¹ each. We were told to be at the tour agency at 1.30 PM to wait for the tour bus which arrived at around 1.45 PM. We were the first pick up and the bus then went on to pick up the other passengers from their hotels. Having spent over 16 hours on flights, we were knackered so slept through most of the ride, other than when the guide was giving information. It took about 30 minutes to reach a stop with a view of the rice fields which were dry at the time. It was also a stop for restrooms and snacks. We then continued onwards for another 30 mins towards the Tonle Sap Lake to the floating village of Kampong Phluk.

The month of May is the beginning of the wet season so when we got there it was dry. The houses are high up on stilts since in the wet season the water level rises around 10 meters. We walked through the village and we came across a group of ladies asking for donations for the local school. They followed us throughout which made everyone in the group very uncomfortable. On the walk, we also came across a temple in the middle of the village. When we reached the end of the village, we got on a motor-canoe and headed into Tonle Sap Lake.

It takes about 15 minutes on the motor-canoe to get to a floating restaurant in the middle of the lake where we stayed for the ‘sunset’. We got there at around 4.30 PM and stayed until 5.45 PM. However, the sunset hadn’t actually started yet. We got back to the tour bus at around 6 PM and began making our way back to Siem Reap. It started getting dark at around 6.30 PM and we arrived at Siem Reap at around 7 PM. They offered to drop us off downtown which we agreed to. We walked around the Angkor Night Market area for a bit and got some street food. We then headed to the hotel to rest since we needed to be up at 3.30 AM for our Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour.