russ_in_LA

Cambodia:

This was our first flight on Air Asia, and the one hour trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap went fast. Although it's a no frills airline, I was impressed by the fact that many people pre-ordered lunch (we did not), and that it was served at a lightning fast speed, followed by drinks, and cleaned up, all in the 20 minute span from when the plane leveled off until it started it’s descent; and the airfare couldn't be beat at about $50 a piece.

We had booked four nights with the Golden Temple Residence in Siem Reap, and the representative was waiting for us when we arrived at the airport. They greeted us with a refreshing, wet towel and a cold drink, both of which were greatly appreciated.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we were greeted with another cold towel, and we relaxed and munched on some refreshments while they checked us in. We were captivated by the friendliness and the service at the hotel. The rate we paid included pick-up from and return to the airport dinner for one night at their restaurant, breakfast every morning made-to-order and a spa service for each of us. In addition the rooms were large and comfortable and everyone greeted us with a smile. We made a point to learn how to say hello, goodbye, thank you and please in Khmer, so the smiles we got in return were that much larger.

We booked excursions for the next two days through the hotel, paying $30 a day for a car and driver, with a snack for each of us provided by the hotel. It was an additional $30 per day for a guide who walked us through the complex give us explanations as we toured the sites.

The next morning we started our tour of the Angkor complex, which is actually dozens of sites, the most famous of which is Angkor Wat. We knew we were going to like our guide when he suggested that we take the sites in a different order than most people take them in order to reduce our exposure the crowds. We approached Angkor Wat from the opposite side from the main entrance, which enabled us to get photos without hordes of people in the shots.

I have to say that it was every bit as impressive as I was expecting. We entered into the interior of the complex where was possible to take a set of steep stairs up to the top level. Normally I would not have found the climb particularly strenuous, but the heat was every bit as intense as it had been in Bangkok, and by the time I got to the top I was already winded.

We spent some time making a circuit of the upper level, with incredible views of the towers and the surrounding countryside in every direction. At one point a young Buddhist monk, cloaked in his bright orange robes, was offering blessings for a small donation, so we decided to participate. This took the form of a small, colorful yarn bracelet, which he tied around our wrists, as we knelt before him. He then used what looked like a basting brush to sprinkle us with water, as we performed the “wai” by placing our palms together in front of our chests and bowing. I’m not an overly spiritual person, but it was hard not to be moved by the ritual.

There were small statues of Buddha or shrines situated at various locations within the complex. In the very center there was a darkened room with candles and a Buddha statue, where we entered to light a candle and meditate for a few minutes. It was incredibly atmospheric. After about 25 minutes or so we headed back down and exited out the front of the complex. It was at this point that we saw the hordes of people that were streaming in through the main gate, and we were doubly happy that we had approached the temple from the direction that we had.

In front of the main gate was a large reflecting pond where we were able to get the iconic photo of the temple, with its image reflecting in the water, and without all of the people that are typically there much earlier for the sunrise.

After Angkor Wat, we piled back into the car for a quick 5 minute drive to Angkor Thom. Before entering the site, we paused at the large stone gate, where our guide treated us to fresh pineapple from a road side stand and we admired some elephants as they strode by.

The highlight of Angkor Thom was the Bayon temple, with its large smiling stone Buddha faces, looking out in four directions from each of what was originally 52 towers. It must have been an awesome sight when it was first built and all 208 faces were present.

Our last stop for the day was at Ta Phrom, which we learned had been used for the filming of the movie Laura Croft tomb raider. This was a stunning temple, which was more in a state of disrepair than some of the others. Covered in bright green moss, we imaged what it was like for explorers to stumble across it and “discover” it hundreds of years ago. You can’t go through an airport in this part of the country without seeing posters displaying the famous images of trees growing out of these ancient ruins, but it is still impressive to see these towering giants in person, with their roots gripping onto the massive stones of the temples, seeming to hold them together, even as they are slowly ripping them apart. It was quite a sight, and a fantastic end to a great first day!

Baliwood

Enjoying your report!
What time did you start and end on your first tour day?
Did you stop for lunch?
Did the guide speak good English?
Thank you!

Looking forward to your next tour day.

Lolazahra

Brings back memories! And it does seem like you had a fantastic guide who really ensured that you got the best out of your first day visits. More please!

Kathie

It sounds like your guide did a good job of keeping you out of the worst of he crowds.

jseneca

Hi Russ
Great report.
i too will go to siem reap in a few weeks...
1. Regarding visiting angkor wat, any suggestions or mistakes to avoid or biggest time wasters?
2. i have yet to hire a driver/car and guide...Suggestions on how best to do this or roll the dice with the hotel concierge?

best,seneca

russ_in_LA

@jswneca: I'm afraid I did not do a lot of advanced planning for our time in Siem Reap. We had the hotel book our car and guide, and were very happy with them. We did what they referred to as the "big tour" and the "small tour", one of which we did one on each of our first two days. These are two loops that covered most of the major close-in sites, as well as the Banteay Sre Temple, also referred to as the temple of the beautiful women, which is well worth seeing. There are dozens more we could have seen which were further out. Hope that helps!

I'm hoping to finish this report eventually, but I have just been slammed the last couple weeks.

russ_in_LA

@Baliwood: We started about 8:30 each day and stopped for lunch at a restaurant near the ruins, chosen by our guide. Nothing amazing, but it allowed us to get back to sight-seeing quickly. Our guide's English, while heavily accented, was quite good. Certainly better than my Khmer!

Boveney

Really looking forward to the next installment of your TR. We are staying four nights at the Golden Temple Residence at the end of this month and the hotel has just emailed to ask if we want to book a guide---at $235 for two of us for one day, including park pass ($74 for two) and lunch. So the comp is $161 including lunch vs the $60 you paid without lunch. Must be quite a meal they have planned for us! Seriously, do you think prices could have soared by that much from November 2016?

Kathie

Boveney, IMO that is a silly price. I wouldn't book ahead through the hotel. There are licensed guides everywhere in Siem Reap. I'd wait until I got there and arrange for a driver (and guide, if you want one).

Boveney

Yes, obviously it's a silly price. We've got a Dawn Rooney book but will probably want a guide - one we will engage on the ground.

russ_in_LA

@Boveny: As I mentioned, we paid $30 for the driver all day and $30 for the guide. We had lunch near the ruins and it was the equivalent of $5 or $6 each. I don't know what's up with the price they quoted you. I'd definitely wait until you get there to book.

I'm hoping to eventually finish this report. I seem to have developed arthritis in my left hand, so it will probably be much less detailed going forward.

russ_in_LA

I’ve decided to try dictating the rest of this report, so I apologize in advance if I missed any weird auto-correcting.

On our second day in Siem Reap, we visited some temples along the "Grand Tour", the Big Circuit, which has a longer distance between the temples. This included Preah Khan, or “Royal Sword", built in the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII to honor his father, Banteay Kdei or "A Citadel of Chambers", and Neak Pean , which is a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Jayatataka Baray, which was associated with Preah Khan temple, also built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.

The highlight of the day, however, was the Banteay Srey, or the "Lady Temple" (late 10th c Hindu). This was the smallest in size of the ones we visited, made of pink sandstone construction, with a lot of intricate detail. It was incredibly beautiful. Outside the temple, we stopped for a refreshing cup of pressed sugarcane juice, offered by a young entrepreneur on a bicycle, and listened to a group playing some very beautiful local music, which included one man who was “playing” a leaf by blowing across it, which sounded a bit like a kazoo.

Sam was starting to feel a bit under the weather, so we skipped lunch and went back to the hotel around 2 PM. When he wasn't feeling better by dinner time I asked the hotel if they had any bland soup for him, and they kindly offered to make him a bowl of congee, which is a rice soup that is normally served at breakfast. This turned out to be perfect, and he tried to get some rest.

Unfortunately because we were in the center of Siem Reap, in the evenings there was generally quite a bit of loud music that seeped into our room until late. It didn't bother us too much the first two nights, but Sam really need to get some sleep. Unfortunately, it was not a particularly restful night for him. The next morning I reluctantly told the hotel that we were going to check out a day early, and move to a hotel that was outside of the city, so that Sam can you get some rest. Not only were they completely understanding, but they actually drove us to the new hotel and carried in our luggage. As I mentioned, everyone has been incredibly friendly and helpful.

We ended up canceling our activities for our third day and booking one night at the Phum Baitang resort, which was absurdly expensive. However, it was the perfect way to spend 24 hours where we didn't leave the premises, since Sam was feverish at this point and really needed to get some rest. The grounds are covered with rice patties which were stunningly beautiful shades of green, and with most people out touring during the day it was incredibly quiet as well. My only criticism would be that, after the very personal interactions that we had at our first hotel, this one felt a lot more impersonal. Most of the staff were not Cambodian, so it felt less like than authentic cultural experience.

Coming up next: Railay Beach, Krabi.

kja

I'm just now reading this report and am sorry that you and Sam had to deal with illness during your time in Siem Reap. The time you had before he began feeling poorly sounds wonderful; I particularly enjoyed your description of the blessing you received.