Vietnam & Cambodia Chapter 5

swedeshouse
Mar 8
8 min read

Siem Reap, Cambodia and Angkor Wat

Up at 6:45 after a terrible night of sleep thanks to a sore throat that decided to show up uninvited. Apparently even halfway around the world your immune system still knows how to ruin a good night.

We headed down to breakfast which, like everything at this hotel, was included with the room. The spread was impressive but we went local with a traditional Cambodian soup along with fruit and yogurt. While visiting with our server we mentioned the sore throat and within about thirty seconds she returned with lemon ginger tea with honey and then a bowl of Cambodian rice porridge (think pho’s cousin). Once again there was more food than we could possibly finish.

A quick stop back to the room to grab our gear and we met our guide and driver in the lobby at 8:30 for another day of temples.

First stop was Bayon Temple (ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន). It is one of those places that is nearly impossible to describe properly. Photographs don’t quite do it justice and words certainly fall short. The massive stone towers with carved faces staring in every direction make you feel like you’ve stepped into some ancient lost civilization movie set.

Angkor Wat (https://maps.app.goo.gl/WVRAPKKyLww9hBHG9)

Bayon Temple (https://maps.app.goo.gl/4UHMcwVihz9aNYtMA)

Ta Prohm Temple (https://maps.app.goo.gl/WwgMbY27jfuvtDDr7)

From there we drove to Ta Prohm Temple, another place that absolutely defies explanation. This is the temple where the jungle has essentially decided it wants the property back. Giant tree roots wrap themselves around the ancient stone structures like something straight out of an Indiana Jones film.

While wandering through the ruins we ran into some familiar faces from our cruise. First Peter, Rodney, Paula and Jon along with our previous guide Mr. Lee. Then a few minutes later we ran into Paula again along with Denise, David and his wife Barbara. Apparently Angkor Wat doubles as a reunion venue.

Lunch and One Last Stop

Lunch was at a roadside restaurant called Ptes Borann Restaurant (ភោជនីយដ្ឋាន ផ្ទះបុរាណ).

(https://maps.app.goo.gl/mxsBAQrrJfESxBeW6)

As part of our booking the restaurant had a fixed menu ready to go.

The meal included:

Fresh spring rolls

Soup

Two different meat dishes with rice

Fresh fruit dessert

About halfway through lunch Paula, Denise, David and Barbara showed up and joined us for a bit of catching up before everyone scattered back to their own tours.

After lunch we made one final stop at a Cambodian cottage industry market called Cambodian Cottage Industries (ឧស្សាហកម្មកប្បាសកម្ពុជា). They specialize in lotus silk products, bronze work, wood carvings, rugs, purses, jewelry and various other handcrafted items. Lots of really neat stuff but nothing quite jumped out at us.

We said goodbye to our guide Phearen, as from this point forward we would only see our driver for the evening activity and tomorrow’s airport shuttle.

Pool Time and Massages (Rough Life)

Back at the hotel it was time for some much-needed R&R at our private pool before our 5:00 pm complimentary massage.

I opted for the one-hour deep tissue, while Pam went with the aromatherapy massage.

Another fantastic hour of relaxation.

Have I mentioned this hotel is amazing? (https://maps.app.goo.gl/VXu6vNja5CVbGiNE9)

Phare – The Cambodian Circus

At 7:20 our driver picked us up for the evening’s entertainment.

The show was Phare, The Cambodian Circus.

Picture a small circus tent with bench seating, live music, incredible acrobatics and nonstop action. It was funny, energetic and incredibly entertaining. Not your typical circus with animals — just extremely talented performers telling stories through acrobatics and theater. (https://maps.app.goo.gl/VXu6vNja5CVbGiNE9)

We grabbed a couple souvenirs from the gift shop before meeting our driver and heading back to the hotel.

A late dinner with a couple Angkor beers and some visiting with the waiter wrapped up the evening before heading off to bed.

Despite the stupid sore throat, I actually managed a pretty good night’s sleep.

The Last Day in Siem Reap

We woke up just before 8:00, grabbed a shower and headed down to breakfast.

There we ran into some more of our cruise friends — Greg, Diana and the Canadians Jano and Lesy. We visited for a few minutes before saying our goodbyes.

Back to the room for a quick pack as the hotel needed our room for guests arriving later that day. However they offered us a transitional room until we left for the airport at 5:00 pm.

At 10:00 am we had another massage scheduled.

Yes… another one.

This time we both went with the deep tissue using grapefruit detox oil. It was incredible.

Afterward we were served post-massage tea and Cherry escorted us to our temporary room, telling us we could stay there as long as needed.

She even offered to send us home with some of the tea so we could remember our time at the hotel.

The transitional room was fantastic — patio doors opening right out to one of the smaller pools near the dining room.

Have I mentioned how wonderful this hotel is?

Last Minute Shopping

We took a tuk-tuk ride into town to the Made in Cambodia Market for some last minute shopping. (https://maps.app.goo.gl/tSF7BEs2tcWqhwLL7)

Jewelry, bags, a painted monkey mask (don’t ask)… and it was hot as hell.

Our tuk-tuk driver then gave us a quick nickel tour of Siem Reap so we could see just how much of the city we didn’t get to explore before heading back to the hotel for what I will call:

The Great Repackaging of the Loot.

Miraculously we managed to stuff everything into our roll-aboards and backpacks. No idea how. A few mostly empty liquids like sunscreen and shaving cream were sacrificed for the cause.

The Most Expensive Meal at the Hotel

For lunch we decided to try the hotel’s western menu.

Pam ordered a club sandwich and fries, and I went with a cheeseburger and fries.

Both were excellent.

The most expensive item on the entire menu?

$16.

Goodbye to an Amazing Hotel

We relaxed, showered and changed in our transit room as the clock slowly ticked down toward the end of the trip and the beginning of the long journey home.

One upside: because of crossing the international date line, I had effectively set things up so our 30th wedding anniversary would last about 36 hours.

At 4:45 pm we headed down to the lobby.

Right on cue, I opened the door and a staff member appeared to take our bags. In the lobby we said goodbye to PM Chris as he walked past with new guests arriving at what we jokingly called the “White Lotus”.

Did I mention Christian's history, google says:

Christian de Boer has extensive experience in the hospitality business in Cambodia. Energetic, ambitious, and passionate about his work with the local community, Chrisitan wanted to build “a hotel that cares for the people around it”. He founded the Made in Cambodia Market, with the sole goal of supporting the Made-in-Cambodia Market and spearheaded the “Refill not Landfill” initiative fighting the pollution of the environment by one-use plastic bottles. As the managing director of Jaya House River Park, he tells us about his vision, the best of Cambodia, and how to fight the use of uses 4.6 million single-use plastic water bottles a month by the tourism industry.

The front office staff asked us to sit while they whisked our bags away to the driver who had already arrived.

They reviewed our bill, which included only:

Tips for meals and spa visits

Our lunch today

Dinner the previous night

Grand total: dirt cheap...

Tips were already included in the price of everything, so anything we gave had been extra. Considering the level of service we experienced, it was worth every penny.

I handed the front office staff another tip as I was so impressed with the hospitality.

From the owner to the guy sweeping the garden paths, every single person treated us like royalty.

Ten stars.

The Easiest Airport Experience Ever

Our driver joked about taking us to one more temple as we made our final drive through Siem Reap to the brand new airport. (https://maps.app.goo.gl/hKezkxfNBumvJtrA9)

The airport is massive, located in the middle of nowhere, and when we arrived there were exactly three cars at the curb.

Our driver unloaded the bags, thanked us, and asked if he could take a souvenir photo with us. Then he showed us a video he had taken of us inside the circus the night before.

A nice unexpected moment.

Inside the airport:

Check-in line: none

Immigration line: none

Security line: none

I’m not kidding.

Within minutes I was sitting in the lounge with an Angkor beer wondering why flying can’t always be this easy.

No crowds.

No traffic.

No lines.

No angry passengers.

A dream.

At 20:10 we were buckled in for takeoff to Hanoi, Vietnam.

The Long Journey Home

The connection in Hanoi was a bit more chaotic.

Security screening turned into a bit of a circus when the woman in front of us appeared to have packed everything she owned into the pockets of the three coats she was wearing. The screening officer finally lost patience and shoved her bin into the X-ray machine while items started falling everywhere.

Total train wreck.

We eventually made it through and boarded our flight to Incheon, South Korea.

The flight was fine except for the very tiny guy next to me who somehow managed to sit like he was nine feet tall with his knees spread out and stealing the armrest.

Buddy… I’m the center seat.

I get the armrest.

Also please stop leaning on me while you sleep. I am not your pillow.

Incheon Reality Check

Landing in Incheon brought us back to reality.

The airport was huge, crowded and required about a five-mile walk from gate to immigration to baggage claim. Outside it was 28 degrees and I was still dressed for Cambodia in shorts and a polo.

Finally cooling off.

At baggage claim there were dozens of enormous boxes coming off the carousel. No idea how the plane even got off the ground with all that cargo.

The Airport Hotel Strategy

Since we had 13 hours before our next flight, we grabbed the shuttle to Hotel Nest for a day room.

The shuttle stop was chaos but eventually we got a room so we could sleep.

Best decision ever.

We managed about six hours of sleep, showered, changed into warmer clothes, forced the bags to zip shut again and headed back to the airport.

Lounge Life and the Final Leg

Check-in was smooth and my Platinum status got us both into the Korean Air lounge near the gate.

After wandering duty-free we bought another roll-aboard suitcase (shocking, I know) and Pam replaced a pair of sandals which were generously donated to a local charity somewhere along the way.

Inside the lounge we grabbed food and drinks while reorganizing our carry-ons.

Lesson learned:

Never pack a suitcase more than half full on departure.

Using laundry services on our last few trips — Africa, Switzerland and now Vietnam/Cambodia — makes a massive difference.

Also note to self: cotton clothing in tropical heat is a terrible idea.

Seattle and the Home Stretch

About ten hours later we landed in Seattle.

Thanks to exiting quickly we were first to baggage claim… where we then waited an hour for our bags.

During that time several other international flights arrived and the place became packed.

Global Entry was down due to government funding issues, but fortunately the immigration line moved quickly and we were through in about 20 minutes.

After a quick inspection of our duty-free items we rechecked the bags and headed for the final leg to Salt Lake City.

Final Thoughts