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Siem Reap/Angkor Wat - Cambodia March 2012

Discussion in '☋ Photo Board ☋' started by OnMyWay, Mar 26, 2012.

  1. OnMyWay

    OnMyWay DI Senior Member

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    So after 3 fantastic nights in Sihanoukville we booked the bus to Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia. The 10 our bus ride goes through PhnomPenh and transfer buses to Siem Reap for $17 per person. Bus ride was uneventful and easy but it's a 13 hour ride, not 10. 710am bus from Sihanoukville to PP was 4.5 hours and in good shape. Bus from PP to Siem Reap took the remainder of the trip and wasn' tin as good of shape. Aircon was a bit warm and some seats in the bus completely broken. A bit of horn blowing and we arrive in SR at 830PM.


    I arranged Angkor Pearl hotel and they provided pickup at the bus station. (more like a dirt lot). With 6 of us, they sent 2 tuktuk's and all was uneventful even though our bust was 2 hours later than the time I had told Angkor Pearl. 15 minutes to the hotel and check in time. Smooth, good service and really a nice room with coffee/tea maker and refrigerator. Internet was good as was the friendly staff. Restaurant was so-so and a bit stuffy and hot. Breakfast buffet (included in the room) was marginal. $30 got a nice Aspara Suite for the Princess and I

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    The reason for going to Siem reap was to have a good tour of Angkor Wat which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Constructed between 800 and 1200 ad, this was an amazing scene! I had been to Angkor Wat once before and only saw one small section for about 2 hours. So, this was a good chance to really explore and we did, for two days! 1 Day passes are $20 and 3 day passes are $40. We bought the 3 day pass and after 2 days were physically exhausted and had seen enough. I'll explain more on that shortly.



    First, the best way to get around SR is by TukTuk. Yeah, sure, we could have gone by air-conditioned car but it's boring, sterile, windows rolled up, and far less engaging that in a tuktuk feeling the breeze and taking in the sites. TukTuks are comfortable and we really loved it. $20 a day is the going rate. I booked a driver in advance off the Internet based on some glowing reviews. He was great and we didn't have a single issue. He had a cooler each day full of bottled water and took us wherever we wanted and offered suggestions as well. His name is Savuth and I found him on angkortuktuk.net There's tuktuk's all over siem reap and there's really no need to book one in advance. But, I was drawn into the reviews for this guys service and have no regrets.



    Princess and I spent 2 days climbing massive stairs in some enormous heat to do photography and see this place. It's grounds are massive - one temple, in the same grounds, was 35km away. We saw it as well. Did I mention stairs??




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  2. OP
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    OnMyWay

    OnMyWay DI Senior Member

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    [​IMG]



    The buildings are so massive it's very very hard to gauge the scale here until you really see it in person. It just can't be explained.




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    Did you recognize those scenes from the movie Tomb Raider???
     
  3. OP
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    OnMyWay

    OnMyWay DI Senior Member

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    a bit of the detail carved into the stone walls of these:




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    Siem Reap itself is a clean and nice city with a river running though it. A few random shots




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    OnMyWay

    OnMyWay DI Senior Member

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    There are also tours offered up the Tonle Sap River where fishing villages have sprung up and generations of people live on the river




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    the dinner ends with a perfect sunset and ride back to Siem Reap


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  5. OP
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    OnMyWay

    OnMyWay DI Senior Member

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    If you should find yourself in Siem Reap, head straight to Viva restaurant and indulge in Mexican food. It was good!!!



    $1 Beef taco


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    .50 cents for two 12' fresh flour tortillas and fresh salsa


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    Well, that's about enough for Cambodia from me until next time. There's loads more photos, from all over Cambodia, if you're interested on my storage page at



    Next up,.our group heads off to Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Look for that adventure soon as it starts with a train ride.....



    Cheers,

    Mark

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    OnMyWay

    OnMyWay DI Senior Member

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    It's not possible to load each individual photo on this report so for those interested in seeing more of them please have a look here
    Cambodia - a set on Flickr
     
  7. expatron

    expatron DI Forum Patron

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    Incredible shots! And great info. Thanks again.
    Ron
     
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    OnMyWay

    OnMyWay DI Senior Member

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    Thanks Ron! Glad to know they are enjoyed....

    As I get free time, i'll get the info together for the thailand segment of this trip. :-)

    Cheers,
    Mark
     
  9. jmoranfun123

    jmoranfun123 DI Member

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    great pictures... thanks for all the info...
     
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