In 2017, my wife and I decided to quit our jobs, sell everything we own and go travelling. We had a little over 12 months to enter Canada to validate our visas and not many plans beyond that. We took aim at Cambodia, a place that has always been high on our list (if only to fulfill her childhood Lara Croft fantasies) and set off!
Diving into Southeast Asia is always a culture shock and Phnom Penh was no different. Organised chaos, where simply crossing the street requires a feat of bravery! We spent the first day walking around getting our bearings, strolling along the mighty Mekong River. A country with such horrors in its recent past, we were struck by how happy and friendly the local Khmer people were. We visited the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and the national museum before heading out later at night to experience the night markets. The second day we visited both Security Prison 21 (The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum) and the Killing Fields just outside of the city. It is important to see these sites to truly understand how strong the people of Cambodia are, and how lucky we are to have grown up in Australia.
A few more days were spent exploring the markets, experiencing the night life and building the courage to cross the street before we booked a bus to head south to Sihanoukville. This was meant to be a short stopover, before getting a ferry across to Koh Rong, but getting in late left us with very few food options. We chose the wrong one and copped our first (and only) bout of food poisoning! A rough few days later and we were ready to head across.
Koh Rong is a little island off the south coast, covered in dense forest, with only a small port town and a few beach retreats scattered around it. We booked a tent on a picturesque hidden beach, with the only company being the lady who ran a little restaurant and a few friendly doggos! This was a much needed little vacation, spending our days swimming and eating. After a relaxing week we returned to the mainland and timed it to take a sleeping bus that night through to Siem Reap. Two steps from the bus my wife managed to tread in dog poo, resulting in them ending up in the bin… we were happy to see the back of Sihanoukville. The sleeping buses though are no joke! We had a full double bed with a privacy curtain, all for $20usd each!
The beautiful temples of Angkor Wat and surround sites are only 6km from the town of Siem Reap. We bought a 3-day pass and decided to walk it on the first day to save some money. We reached the temple complex just before sunrise and got to witness the sunrise over the calm waters and the temple! Heading inside, the architecture is simply stunning… the detail and precision is on another level to anything else I had experienced!
Moving on to the Bayon Temple, a temple from 12th century famed for 200 large smiling faces carved into stone walls, you start to really get a sense that this is a special place. Standing in the middle of a central room, we could look out through the hallway, out the entrance, down the path for a kilometre, then along a lake… and it is dead straight, no deviation. I still can’t fathom how they managed such perfection, yet alone replicate it over and over in every temple complex!
Within the Bayon Complex there were numerous other sites, Baphuon Temple an 11th-century pyramid-style temple, being the most impressive! We continued to explore heading out of the North Gate of Angor Thom toward Preah Khan Temple. It was at this point walking started to seem like a bad idea! As the heat of the day rose we started to struggle, but we pushed on and finished our day at Neak Poan, a Buddhist temple in the middle of the lake, before heading back to our accommodation. In total we covered 30kms, so the following day we hired some bicycles!
Ta Prohm is one of the most iconic destinations, with its large tree roots growing throughout the temple, so we decided to go here first to beat the crowds. Being able to walk around this beautiful place in peace and quiet was worth the early start! Moss covered rock, trees balancing precariously upon the crumbling walls, it’s a wonder this place is still standing. We passed Victory Gate on our way to Ta Nei Temple, hidden in the jungle, before aiming west away from Bayon.
Banteay Kdei was another perfect example of symmetry as we looked out onto Srah Srang reservoir, and after exploring Pre Rup Temple, we turned back and head home. Halfway back a monsoonal downpour came through causing flash flooding, getting deep enough that each downward pedal would end up underwater. Although we were soaked, it was an extremely refreshing way to finish a long day!
Our final day we treated ourselves by hiring a tuk tuk and driver, to head further north. Travelling through the picturesque countryside beyond the Angkor complex to Kbal Spean, we were dropped off at a trailhead leading off into the jungle. Signposts made it extremely clear to not veer off the path, as there and still so many land mines left over from the Khmer Rouge regime. After a beautiful hike we reached the river where a series of stone carvings of yonis and lingas (as tributes to the Hindu god, Shiva) can be seen in the riverbed. Because of this, Kbal Spean is frequently referred to as the valley of a 1000 Lingas or the River of a Thousand Lingas.
The rest of the day was spent exploring some lesser-known temples, before visiting the intricately carved pink sandstone temple of Banteay Srei. Although diminutive in size compared to the bigger temples, this was easily the most beautiful place of the lot! That afternoon, chilling in the hotel restaurant, listening to the afternoon rains hit the tin roof, we felt like we had truly ticked off a bucket list location. A dream come true, and our journey had just begun!
Part 2 we venture east to Ratanakiri & Mondulkiri
