maastrichtmouse

Greetings from stormy Cambodia; I’m Maastrichtmouse and this is my first trip report. I’m afraid I can’t provide much excitement, but I thought I would try my hand at writing a report.

This report comes to you from my apartment in Phnom Penh as your correspondent refuses to move out from under the air conditioning for at least the next hour as the weather outside definitely constitutes hot. I am in Phnom Penh for a variety of reasons, all of which important and none of which sufficient on their own. But a trip of 6 weeks beginning early in the year has turned into a 4 month internship. I still wonder how this happened, there is a magic in this city and this country that enraptures you and makes you fall like a love-sick teenager.

The primary reason for coming in the first place, however, is an internship. I won’t reveal where but I work for an NGO focussing on providing legal aid to the ECCC as well as other civil parties and improving judicial processes. When my boss asked me to stay here a little longer than planned, it was on the condition that I could take a few days holiday and go and explore a little of the Kingdom of Wonders. When I first arrived in the country I left pretty much straight away to Sihanoukville to catch the ferry to Koh Rong Samloen. This beautiful tropical paradise was a wonderful introduction to the country and a great opportunity to catch up with my old university chums who are also interning in Phnom Penh. But this is not the subject of the trip report; it features no plane travel so a little out of scope!

This is all to say that I had not yet visited enough of the Kingdom to satisfy my wanderlust. So, I sat down and booked myself a four day jaunt to Siem Reap and to Angkor Wat – the majestic temples built over the course of thousands of years.

[IMG]IMG_1781 by Alex Hunns, on FlickrIMG_1781 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
The adventure began on 9th May at 6am. My housemates have transport and they were kind enough to offer me a ride to the airport. We had a quick breakfast of the usual rice and pork and jumped in the tuc tuc to head to the airport. The road to the airport is fairly notorious for traffic, and even the roads past Steung Meanchey to the airport road can cause even the most patient of people to break down sobbing. I’m not usually one for leaving plenty of time for flights, and I hold a number of world records for running from the train or the car to the gate with only minimal casualties left in my wake. However despite the tremendous temptation fate must have felt to interfere with me, on this run we encountered no traffic and the journey to the airport only took 25 minutes.

The check in area at Phnom Penh airport is small, and the tendency for Asian travellers to bring an inordinate numbers of bags with them, could lead to chaos. On this occasion – even with flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore imminent – the area was free flowing. The provision of only basic facilities is reflective of the fact a large new terminal is being constructed next door. The plans look interesting and will give the airport a good upgrade. At the moment, there are the usual outlets; overpriced coffee from Blue Pumpkin and Costa and Burger King. Perhaps living here has ruined me as I now baulk at the thought of paying more than 1000riel ($0.25) for an iced coffee, a price not available in the airport. I take a pew and wait for check-in to open.

Flight 5B901 was the order of the day. Cambodia Angkor Airlines had a monopoly on the internal air market in Cambodia until recently which made domestic air travel unattractive. Deregulation has seen two airlines join the fray; Bayon and Bassaka. Bayon operates a fleet of ATR72s to Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and crucially directly between Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. A return flight often matches the price of a return on the more comfortable buses, but with the bonus of removing the need to take a ride on Death Highway for 9 hours. On this occasion, though, Bassaka offered more attractive flight times and so I booked myself on. Bassaka operated its maiden flight on 1st December 2014 between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and has since introduced a second daily return and an international flight to Macau to target Chinese gamblers travelling to Cambodia.
[IMG]IMG_1810 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1808 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1807 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]

Check-in opens around 08.20 for a 09.20 departure. I walk up to the desk and as I am HBO check-in is completed in approximately 30 seconds. Luggage policy does not appear to be an issue. The gentleman at the desk next to me had four bags and nobody appeared to bat an eyelid. Each ticket gives 20kg allowance, with no clear idea on hand baggage rules. In Europe my bag would not meet specification but nobody here queried. A smiling lady hands me my boarding pass and explains how to get to domestic departures. Impressions so far: professional staff immaculately presented and an efficient process.

I trundle off to domestic departures, a unit fully inside the terminal building.

Security is over and done within 30 seconds. A quick scan of my bag and my pockets emptied concludes the process. The domestic departures area is very basic. There is a shop offering clothes and other trinkets and a coffee bar. Seating is in the form of metal chairs in row. With only 2 other people in the lounge finding a seat with a view is not hard. As the domestic terminal is an isolated bubble within the international area, a direct window view is not possible, only a second hand window view. Nonetheless, a pleasant 30 minutes is passed watching the planes. The flight at the gate on the other side of the window in international is an Air Asia flight to KL. Credit must be given to Air Asia and their turn around procedure: an A320 arrived, unloaded, loaded passengers and a huge number of parcels as well as baggage and departed within 20 minutes. A very impressive showing considering the flight looked to be full both inbound and outbound. A Thai Airways, China Southern, Bayon, Silk Air and two Air Asia flights provide enough entertainment through the window to not notice the time. Before I know it we are called to board. We pass the Japanese water garden and walk to the waiting bus. Despite there being two empty domestic gates we are bussed to a stand at the other end of the international terminal. There are around 40 of us on the flight so the process is easy. Sadly the transit from the bus to the plane involves the taking of a tremendous amount of selfies by my fellow passengers. The A320 is well presented, with a large Kingdom of Wonders advert printed on the side and the logo clear. The plane certainly looks new; I understand they are leased from a casino company in China. It seems a strange arrangement, but ours is not to reason why.
At the top of the stairs we are greeted by two smiling and impeccably presented cabin crew who guide you to your seat. I’m allocated an aisle seat, but given <50% occupancy I slide over to the window. The all-female cabin crew are utterly professional and unfailingly polite and smiling. The American captain introduces himself and brings news of a 30 minute flight time and smooth sailing anticipated. The safety demonstration – complete with bows beginning and end – is a little hard to understand at times but we get the idea. We push back early and are up and away without delay. There is now time to take a look round the plane a little more. I don’t know if Bassaka have refreshed the interior but the result is very pleasant. The seat width is the most generous I have seen; some European business class seats pale compared to this. The legroom is ample (I’m slightly above average height and weight) and the reclining pitch is good. A drinks service of water and juice is offered 10 minutes after take-off. With barely enough time to drink my apple juice we are on approach to Siem Reap. We touch down 10 minutes early at what must be one of the best airports I have visited. We roll straight to the gate dead in front of domestic arrivals. Disembarking (and mandatory selfies by the Asian passengers) we wander past the garden between the apron and the terminal, open the door and enter Siem Reap. The smoothest arrival process I have experienced, full marks to Siem Reap airport. The terminal building is a wonderful design in pagoda style, with toilet facilities that exceed anything I have experienced in Europe and is 30 times nicer than my facilities in my apartment.


Sadly my guest house transfer has not arrived. My phone has died, but the very kind (and very bored) security guard allows me use of her phone and very quickly I am given profuse apologies and asked to take a taxi and they will reimburse me for costs. A tuc tuc to the guest house costs $5. I could easily negotiate for less but I’m not paying. Off we trundle into one of the most wonderful areas of Cambodia. The Guest House is wonderful, a lush garden and obligatory large wooden Buddha outside welcomes you into an imposing lobby. My room is available even though I am three hours early. I have pushed the boat out and booked a double room with AC for $20 per night. It’s very expensive for Cambodia but I need a break, work has been tough. I rest in the AC for a while and catch up on the world. After a little rest I head up to the roof top pool and bar and work a little on the laptop in the sunshine. My peace is interrupted rudely by an enormous storm 2 hours later. I retreat downstairs and work some more and wait for the rain to pass. In the calm after the storm I take a stroll into the city. Phnom Penh is not a good representation of Cambodia. There is rampant corruption and sadly greed pervades the society. This is not to say there is not magic, the city has after all managed to keep me there for several months without me really consciously deciding. But Siem Reap is gentle, well designed and the people friendly. Perhaps I am used to regularly doing battle with Phnom Penh traffic but the road situation is much easier with even some logic and common sense in manoeuvres. I walk through the town; see the markets and the colonial buildings as dusk falls. A quick wander round the night market and the tranquil waters and I am ready to find some food and rest before my tour of the temples the next day. I grab some BBQ and then I realise how over-priced Phnom Penh is. A plate of food in Siem Reap costs $1.75 on average, with the same in Phnom Penh costing closer to $2.50. A few beers and I’m ready to turn in. I walk back to the Guest House via the mini-mart to stock up food and water for the next day.


[IMG]IMG_1848 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1839 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1820 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1813 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
The following morning I leave the Guest House in the tour van to pick up the other customers and away to the temple. The tour guide spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable. The van was well maintained with good AC – important with temperatures hitting 37 degrees. My new travel companions are utterly charming and we bond immediately. We are a mix; three Chinese girls studying in Singapore, two Australians on a late in life gap year, a Malaysian engineer working in Singapore, two Brazilian tourists and a chap from good old Blighty. If you happen to visit, it is definitely worth buying a three day pass. This costs $40 as opposed to a day pass of $20, so cost-neutral for two days and a saving for three days. Even if you intend on staying only two days the unpredictable speed of the queue for the ticket it’s usually worth buying your tickets when you have the chance, especially as the 3 day pass queue is usually much shorter.

For those who have not visited the temples I apologise that I will not do them justice with words, so I will allows some pictures to talk. For those who have visited I apologise for boring your rigid. Built over hundreds of years the 400 square km park provides untold beauty and mysticism and intrigue. Entry is typically through the bridge to Angkor Wat. The path is literally the pathway to heaven as originally built, leading to heaven on earth at the temple. I’ve visited two ‘wonders of the world’ (sadly not from the official list, but still to me wonders; and this is my third. During my time working in Jordan I was fortunate enough to visit Petra and spend a few days camping in Wadi Rum, both of which were truly moving experiences bordering on the spiritual, particularly in the deafening silence and sheer beauty of Wadi Rum. Each site inside the park at Angkor Wat has its own joy, energy and almost trepidation. Out of the jungle, amid the noise of the monkeys, the birds and the insects emerges a bold statement of man’s folly. The jungle is attempting to reclaim what was once it’s, which while beautiful is damaging the temples and is being rectified by work funded by the Japanese and the Germans. It is telling of western man’s attitude to nature that our buildings in the west seek to dominate over nature, we slash and burn and build our temples to an economic god with little reflection on what was before. Even the stunning and cathartic cathedrals in Europe seek to bypass this world’s reality in creating an image of god and heaven to allow us to lose ourselves in but are still gifts and boasts of ourselves than a gift to the gods. Therefore when we see such phenomenal structures – the pinnacle of man’s ingenuity and understanding – we expect humanity to be there. We expect hubble and buble we expect life, we expect what comforts us in modern life’s narrative to be present, we expect the familiarity and more to the point we expect the noise. The reason there are many day-time only tours in Wadi Rum is because the silence can deafen and terrify some who visit. It forces one to negotiate with one’s own mind and conscience to be allowed to function, particularly in the very darkness of night. Sitting in a remote corner of the temple by oneself, holding one’s breath one can finally appreciate the deliberate statement of silence made by the temples. The walk through the jungle to an orchestra beginning to swell; the tempo is rising, the key has changed, staccato notes are raising the pulse is racing as one is aware of noise coming from all around, from the ground and from the trees like the brass and the strings working together with the bass drum. Closer and closer, one can almost feel the temple about to emerge through the thickets as one feels the crescendo of the piece coming as the story is being told by the instruments, unleashing the notes on the audience revealing the emotion of the composer through the airwaves, it feels like stumbling through a jungle pursued by a beast existing only in one’s imagination heading to a mental oasis. A crumbled statue comes into view, we are almost there, the pitch has risen and then: stop.
We demand and expect of our temples at home noise and energy, the rising crescendo. In Angkor Wat, the buildings proffer only deafening silence as the jungle is silenced and the rocks mourn with a solemn and deafening silence, as though viewing a snapshot of a long forgotten age.
The clearing arrives, expecting a key change to a reassuring major key and the happy ending, but instead the orchestra is instantly silent. The temple stands bold and silent, the ingenuity of man contrasted with his folly. I cannot do justice to the story of the temples, the tales of the gods, of war of empires, of Indian kings and local wisdom. I advise you to visit and ask many of the historians one can find around the park. Alternatively the write up in Lonely Planet is pretty good. Exiting the park after viewing sunset from the top of the hill I have never been more grateful to see a seat in an air conditioned minibus. It’s back to the guest house for a shower and a beer. Email addresses and numbers are exchanged with our tour members and plans are made for a quiet dinner and a few drinks later on in the evening after the obligatory foot massage to rest my aching bones.
[IMG]IMG_1962 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1958 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1955 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]IMG_1952 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1948 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
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[IMG]IMG_1938 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
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[IMG]IMG_1919 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
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[IMG]IMG_1914 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
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[IMG]IMG_1897 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
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[IMG]IMG_1891 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1886 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
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[IMG]IMG_1870 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1868 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
Unfortunately my new found friendships result in a good amount of late night BBQ on Khmer Pub Street (not the one in the guide book!) and plenty of $1 pitchers of beer. I’m not a night time person and am functionally useless after 10pm. However a wonderful time is had by all, so no complaints about the evening are made. Well, no complaints at night. There were several complaints from my terminally hungover body the next morning when the alarm went off at 04.40 for sun rise of Angkor Wat. My new Malaysian friend and I agree to meet and see the sun rise over Angkor Wat temple on our final day before he visits Sihanoukville and I return to Phnom Penh. We jump in a tuc tuc and head off. We arrive on the dot of 05.30 and walk to the reflecting pool and wait for the sun. There is an electric sense of anticipation among the gathered crowd as though waiting to catch glimpse of an honoured guest. Even the monkeys climb down from the trees and sit among us. The sun turns a beautiful red and the sun makes her appearance, turning Angkor Wat’s towers into a brutal statement against the sky. As the sun rises further it bathes the libraries in glorious light, as well as making shadows dance in black and white on Angkor Wat as a picture appears in the reflecting pool. As soon as the sun is on her way, it’s time to head back to the guest house, eat some hangover busting food, pack and head to the airport.
Before I know it, it’s time to head to the airport and bid a fond farewell to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. My tuc tuc to the airport gets me there in plenty of time and I have an hour to kill in the lounge watching the departures to Hong Kong, Singapore, Guangzhou and KL. The plane arrives; another perfectly turned out A320 to ferry us back to Phnom Penh. It’s another quick boarding procedure with smiling, friendly professional crew. We push back on time and away we go. Pretty much immediately we hit bad turbulence. It is the beginning of the rainy season and tropical storms are becoming the norm. The turbulence is enough to lift you out the seat even with a seat belt on, but we are soon above the worst. Another drinks service is offered before we begin our descent back through the bumpy clouds. We land on time and disembark. The women in front of me is struggling down the stairs in stiletto heels and two cabin bags, it is not until I offer help do I realize the source of her problem is the game of solitaire she is playing on her phone as she walks. Exit is via a bus back to domestic arrivals, past the outdoor baggage carousel and water garden into the madding crowd and away.
A quick shower at home, a bit of lunch and it’s back to the office.
[IMG]IMG_1968 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1970 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1979 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1987 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1989 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1991 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_2016 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_2021 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
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[IMG]IMG_2065 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_2069 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_2077 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
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[IMG]IMG_2098 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_2110 by Alex Hunns, on Flickr[/IMG]
There are more photos to come when the internet connection stops being ridiculous.

Thanks for reading.

MM

offerendum

Nice report! Siem Reap is something I like to do soon!

maastrichtmouse

Thanks offerendum.

It's a beautiful place and I think captures the heart of Cambodia. I really recommend it to you!

halfcape

Thank you for your well written report and very nice photos. I am looking forward to the rest of the photos. Thanks again.

adampenrith

Siem Reap is an amazing destination.

The Temples (of which there are many) are incredible.

Try and allow at least 3 days maybe more if you want to relax by the pool as well.

The food offerings in Pub Street at night are a great. The whole place has a great vibe.

I started out in Phenom Penh, went via car to Battamabang to visit with a friend who works there, then the long boat trip up the river with the locals and backpackers. Not the most comfortable way to travel, but really interesting and varied sights to be seen along the way

Siem Reap airport is a joy to depart from.

maastrichtmouse

Thank you all for the feedback and comments.

Siem Reap is beautiful and you are right you need three or four days.

I can guarantee in the hot season (which is now) a full day of templing will require half a day rest. It is exhausting to walk so much in the heat.

Travelling by car is an interesting way to see the country. I have travelled by car around the country for various reasons, but decided for the sake of time I would fly up for my holiday. The bus can take 8 hours and the road at this time of year is not safe, as the rains are beginning in the provinces, though we are still in the pre-monsoon heat here in Phnom Penh.

I would recommend you also take a tour out to some of the distant temples and waterfalls. It's well worth the time. Often the tour will have fewer participants so you can take a nap on the way back.

maastrichtmouse

The boat is a really good option in the wet season. At the moment, you will see very little and the river will be dry. It's beautiful when the paddy fields are flooded and jungle is lush.

When in Siem Reap, take a look at the markets and pub street, but you can save a lot of money by heading to Khmer pub street, on the road to Angkor Wat. Food costs around $1.70 per plate, and a large pitcher of beer costs 5800 Riel ($1.40 or so). We had a feast with nearly a dozen plates of food and I lost count of the number of pitchers, and we paid about $5 per head. Speaking a little Khmer helps, but they are used to Barang.

aks120

Brilliant thanks for sharing!

aks120

maastrichtmouse

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FindAWay

Great first TR! And, thank you for posting the whole TR (other than additional pictures...which maybe a link to an on-line album would work best?) at once! ^

It brought back wonderful memories of my own trip to Cambodia last year!

Osmo

Many thanks! Im suppose to be planning our trip so your photos are inspiring me to start planning.

maastrichtmouse

Thanks findaway and osmo! Gratifying feedback!

I have a couple of other reports I've been toying with writing, but perhaps when I have more time.

I'll sort out some photos when the internet is more reliable. Our power supply is very patchy at the moment.

If you need a little help osmo I may be able to provide recommendations.

Annalisa12

Thank you for posting your trip report. I enjoyed the humour and fully understand why you are writing it in your air conditioning!

Loved the pictures.

Great job!

maastrichtmouse

Thank you Annalisa for your feedback! Very gratifying and I'm glad people enjoy the humour as well.

Thanks all for the feedback, very glad I took the time to write it.

We are just waiting for the season to break now and the rains to come; the locals know it is coming, and watch the sky in a brooding anticipation. Another good indicator are the ants in our kitchen who are going crazy building forward defensive positions. But in the meantime the heat is intense, and unless it's the pool or very well air conditioned, I'm not going until after 7pm when the temperature becomes a lot more bearable!

Bluebirdie

Great report and wonderful pictures. Glad to see Angkor Wat as grand as I visited many years ago. Your post brought back fun memories. Thanks for sharing!