Cambodia Roundup

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A dubious way to transport a ladder in Phnom Penh

A dubious way to transport a ladder in Phnom Penh

I spent 16 days in Cambodia and an average of $30 per day. I didn’t see too many places, just Banlung, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, and Siem Reap. The buses in southeast Asia were really wearing me down and I was concerned about my budget, so I decided to take it easy. I ended up spending more money than I had wanted to, though, mainly on the delicious western food I found near the beach.

I don’t have a burning desire to return to Cambodia. I found the people there to be a bit too aggressive and untrustworthy. It’s not that I felt unsafe there or like I’d be attacked, but rather that the people I encountered weren’t too concerned about my well-being and were always trying to rip me off. Also, the traffic was terrifying, especially when going for a bike ride.

I suppose if I do ever find myself in Cambodia again I’d like to explore more of the coast. I didn’t get to any of the islands or the smaller towns, and although the beach at Sihanoukville is beautiful, the town completely lacks culture and charm.

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Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom

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The Yank without a Chain in Angkor Wat

The Yank without a Chain in Angkor Wat

The highlight of my time in Cambodia was definitely Siem Reap and riding a bicycle around the Angkor Archaeological Park. I got the three day pass for $40, thinking that would allow me ample time to see pretty much everything. The park was much, much larger than I anticipated and in actuality I only scratched the surface!

My first day I visited the two major sites, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, as well as smaller sites like Phnom Bakheng for sunset and Baksei Chamkrong which lies between Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. It was difficult getting good photos because of the sheer number of other tourists who were trying to get the same photos at the same time, but I did manage to capture some of the details of the places. Once you can ignore the pushiness of both fellow tourists and locals, it’s truly magical to bring yourself back in time over 800 years to think about how these ancient royals lived.

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