As with most of my decisions when I am travelling, my journey from Cambodia to Vietnam was booked just one day in advance. You can reach Vietnam from Cambodia through various border crossings. Many choose to leave from Phnom Penh, and get into Hoh Chi Minh City (HCMC). I did eventually want to get to HCMC, but after some extensive research (The Lonely Planet), and...
Whilst in Sihanoukville getting my visa for Vietnam, I had to toss-up between getting a ferry to the beautiful islands of Koh Rong, or heading further towards the Vietnamese border, and stopping in Kampot. It had rained for two days solid on the islands, and so I decided to move on, which would have allowed me to have a full three weeks in Vietnam, a good decision in...
One thing I like to try and do, prior to visiting a new country, is read up on its history. To find out where it has come from, and what its people have gone through. Cambodia, as a country hasn’t had it easy. It has been through 4 wars. It is one of the poorest countries in the World, with many of its people living on less than $2 per day. It also has a high...
Battambang (pronounced Battambong by locals), not to be confused with the British cake Battenberg (yes, I constantly have food on my mind!) is located three hours South of the travellers hub of Siem Reap, however the bus will take much longer to reach the city, as is often the case in South East Asia. It is often an unexplored area, and many people skip through it in...
What is the first thing that comes to mind, when you think of a Circus? Monkey’s on bicycles? Elephants juggling? A Lion jumping through a burning hoop, guided by a ringmaster? I guess that is a stereotypical view of a Circus yes, and one which I do not endorse. The use of animals in Circus acts, or any human activity is wrong, and cruel. However...
The magnificent Temples of Angkor Wat, appear to rise out of nowhere in Siem Reap. You go from a typical Cambodian city, to the area where the Temples are and it has a completely different feel. The rustic Khmer ruins are what attracts many people to Cambodia in the first place. So much so that it is the only place people seem to go. The typical visitor to Siem...
As a country, Cambodia doesn’t have it easy. It is in the top percent of the poorest countries in the World, many people live on just $2 per day. They have a high incidence of sex and human trafficking, and between 1975 and 1979 the whole country was virtually wiped out during the Khmer Rouge rule, leaving effectively a peasant society, where those left had...
Over the past four months, I’ve completed a number of arduous bus rides, which have varied in comfort, length and safety. From the border of Laos, my bus was packed full, with people crammed on plastic stools down the centre, it had a cracked windscreen, and the roads were awful. However, it was to get a whole lot worse. After staying at the super cute Le Tonle...
I don’t normally write about the places, that I stay as I travel. Primarily as I think opinions vary greatly. What is good for one, could be a nightmare for another. Since travelling on a budget around South East Asia, I feel my standards have lowered significantly. Air conditioning is now a luxury for me. However, sometimes I end up spending a little more for...
Over the past few months of travelling, I’ve done many overland border crossings; which have been trouble free. You get to the border, get ‘stamped out’ of one country, then walk to the next, hand in a form and passport, a fee (sometimes), get a stamp and away you go. The overland border crossings into Cambodia, are often not that simple...