The Hidden Treasures of Cambodia
After spending just under a month in Cambodia I built an amazing relationship with a country that will stay with me for a very long time. A country that possess incredible temples, stunning beaches and rural county side full of incredible nature it’s no wonder tourism in Cambodia is at an all time high and still on the rise so now is the time to visit! Below are my memories and thoughts on my experience in Cambodia shared in January when the country a month perfect for visiting.
I started my adventure in the biggest city in Cambodia – Phnom Penh a city full of friendly people, an interesting culture and delicious food. Most tours will include a brief visit either at the beginning or end of your trip here’s a brief summary of what you can expect head toThe Royal Palace, inside you’ll find a huge collection of buddhas made of gold, silver, crystal and bronze after embracing the royalty grab some history at the National Museum a gallery of archaeological and religiousartefacts.
This was my chance to enjoy some of Cambodia’s delicacies – my favourite being Amok,fish or chicken coated in a thick coconut milk served with rice on a bay of banana leaves also keep an eye out forLapKhmera marinated salad with lime and beef andBai Sach Chrouk which is grilled pork and rice a favourite amongst the locals. The best place to find these dishes in their purest forms are the street food carts with a huge selection of light snacks and meals cooked up right in front of you for ridiculously cheap prices my recommendation would be to head to Street 9 –an authentic market full of vendors selling all sorts of different types of food (avoid the fried cockroaches).
If your looking for some retail therapy then a visit to Phnom Penh markets will be right up your street, giving you the chance to be enlightened by local produce such as jewellery, antiques and textiles. Your options in the city are Central Market with a hidden gem thats Bantey Sreya bit tacky looking on the outside but is full of amazing silks of high quality which can’t be found in many other places. The Russian Market and O Russei are also worth a visit simply for the array of colours and frantic pace the market operates at.
After mixing with the locals at the markets and food stalls, next up was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had, The Killing Fieldsare not easy to visit but they really do allow you to understand what these amazing Cambodian people have been through despite their dark history. Its hard to put down on paper just what happened to the poor people of this country during the Khmer regime, however walking away from this experience allows you to get an insight of the horrors Cambodia has seen. This experience allowed me to appreciate how lucky I am and also helped me admire and appreciate what the people of Cambodia have been through.
The National Museum – Phnom Penh
After Phnom Penh I headed to the seaside town ofSihanoukville which took around 3 and a half hours being your gateway to paradise – after an hour and a half boat journey I arrived inKoh Rong Samloemthe first stop on my tour of the islands. Upon arriving on the island I was welcomed by crystal clear waters accompanied with golden sand up their with one of my favourite beaches on the planet – the island is a quaint and peaceful place a lot less developed than the larger island known as Koh Rong a ten minute boat journey north, Samloem offers a number of cheap beach hotels with a peaceful friendly atmosphere the perfect place to unwind after the hectic city living of Phnom Penh, go for a late night swim in the warm waters and keep an eye out for the magical glow in the dark plankton. If you are after a bit of night life then Koh Rong with a number of bars occupied by backpackers and local alike, head to the far side of the island if your after some beautiful beachside hotels sat on the beach, this is also where you will find the best restaurants on the island try some of the freshest seafood and Cambodian foods alike.
If its privacy you are looking for then look no further thanSong Saa Island which provides absolute luxury and a pure connection with the incredible environment these islands have to offer known as ‘The Paradise Island’ you will find it hard to discover absolute luxury like this anywhere else in Far East Asia.Song Saa is one of the most talked about luxury hotels the world over, and for good reason contact us for more details and offers on the famous resort.
Koh Rong
After enjoying island life for a couple of days it was time for me to head back to the mainland and see what Cambodia is most famous forAngkor Watsituated in Siem Reap a town full of big hotels and resorts and even the self explanatoryPub Street. People flock to Siem Reap to visit the famous temples however the place itself also has a lot to offer, during my stay here I visited a number of beautiful spots in the surrounding areas first of allTonl Sap Laknot really a hot spot for tourists making it even more peaceful and unique, jump on a boat head to the Kampong floating market for some truly rememberable memories. I thought this was the perfect place to take a Khmer cooking class so I could take home some of the tastes of Cambodia to my friends and family – I organised a 3 hour class with a local company which you will see advertised or ask one of our team to organise one for you during your stay. If your feeling really adventurous try some of the crazy food on offer at ‘Phsar Chas’ the Old Market full of spices and fresh produce sold by hawkers foods such as friend banana kebabs and roasted corn on the cob and other delicious desserts with a crispy scorpion or chicken feet served by a number of food stalls for those looking to push their taste buds to the limit – make sure you fit in the Angkor Night Markets while your in Siem Reap.
Now for the main event, Angkor Wat, much more than your ordinary temple this is world famous and is the reason alone why many people travel to Cambodia itself. Many of the tours sold by Low Cost Deals will include a tour to these incredible temples lasting up to four days down to the sheer size of the complex of over 50 temples enough for anyone to fill their cravings for culture. It took the Cambodian people 35 years to build which when you visit you can fully understand, the attention to detail in the sculptures engraved into the temples leave you awe inspired and you can fathom why 2.6 million people came to see this magnificent structure in 2010 and why it is the centre piece of the Cambodian flag.
Angkor Wat at sunrise
The most popular time to head to Angkor Wat is sunrise and it is easy to understand why, even though it is quite busy don’t let this affect your experience as what your about to see is one of the best sunrises the planet has to offer. As the sunrises behind the main temple it allows you connect with the temple as its set on a back drop of what for me was a beautiful purple sky, this method is very popular with tourists and will usually be included in many of the tours on offer on our site, however if you want to visit at a less busy time the temples are open until 7pm so explore at your leisure. You can organise a private session with one of the monks that pray and stay at the temple, I opted for a simple blessing which is available with one of the many monks you will see at Angkor Wat alsokeep an eye out for the crafty monkeys who occupy the temple and have a tendency to steal food from tourists bags! It takes people up to four days to visit all the temples on offer and it can take this long to really get to see the whole of Angkor Wat – however I visited most of the popular temples on a tuk tuk tour which I organised in Siem Reap for around 35 US dollars with a local tour guide a real authentic way to experience the temples.
The Bayon Temples
Make sure you save time and head to ‘The Bayon’ in Angkor Thom a temple decorated with 216 enormous faces which is quite obviously why people call it ‘the Face Temple’ you should spend a good 30 minutes exploring the different expressions of each face.
If any of these places take your fancy don’t hesitate to contact our team and ask more questions about my trip to Cambodia usually the best time to visit these places are between November and February as the weather is just perfect not too humid or hot which makes it perfect weather to sit on a beach or have a stroll around the temple.
Call us today on0161 748 6865 or fill in the contact form with any enquiries you might have about travelling to Cambodia with expert advise from our team!
