From Temples, Tuk Tuks and Tourists! - Siem Reap

17/10 - 19/10

After some great days in Vietnam, it was time to change countries - our choice was the neighboring country of Cambodia! For that, we had to go back to Hanoi, spend a night there, and take a direct flight to Siem Reap the next afternoon. We arrived in Cambodia late at night, went through the immigration procedure, and took a private tuk-tuk sent by our hotel to the accommodation.

On the day after our arrival in Siem Reap, we took a 'free day' - no excursions, no activities, no further travel. Instead, we took care of mundane things like doing laundry (it's amazing how much joy a bag of fresh clothes can bring me), shopping for small items (I haven't had open shoes since Ha Long), and organizing our future travel route. Even though we have only been on the road for 11 days, it already feels much longer and therefore more intense - a little break from the break was really nice! :)

About 8 km outside of Siem Reap stands the most famous and largest temple complex in the world - Angkor Wat. We didn't want to miss this religious monument, so we booked a 'Sunrise Tour' for the next day. At 4:40 am, our personal tuk-tuk driver took us there: we checked the tickets, drove to the entrance, and went to the recommended photo spot. The early waking up was an extreme challenge for us, of course, we couldn't go to bed earlier, and Luki had somehow strained his neck the day before and was handicapped accordingly. 

When we arrived at the area, we walked to the photo spot with countless other tourists - it was naive of me to think that not many people would go through the trouble of getting up early. Far from it: hundreds of other people were there, either to photograph or just to experience the sunrise. So it wasn't easy to find a spot where the view of Angkor Wat wasn't obscured by dozens of people. But we found a place and I started taking photos. Thanks to the photography courses I took before the trip and valuable tips from my friend Manuel, I was able to take some satisfying photos.







After the sunrise spectacle, our tuk-tuk driver took us to some of the other temple ruins on the site. It wasn't easy to take photos without having other people in them! :)









Around 11:00 am, we gave up after some sightseeing tours - it was just too hot, we were too tired, and there were too many other tourists for our taste. After a much-needed power nap at lunchtime, we treated ourselves to a one-hour massage (I also got a pedicure) in the afternoon and ended the already very long day with a delicious dinner.

Siem Reap is a small, incredibly touristy city. If people don't come here for the temple complex, then it's to party for very little money (hereby a recommendation for all party seekers)! The place to be is the so-called 'Pub Street.' Naively, we imagined the locations to be similar to the British original. However, the bars try to outdo each other with loud electronic music - 'Club Street' would be a more fitting name. Additionally, there are mobile bar carts operated by locals around the Pub Street, enticing tourists with drink offers. Besides Western cuisine, there are also typical attractions like snake or spider on a skewer.

Angkor Wat itself is described in many travel reports and guides as a magical, spiritual, and calming place. Unfortunately, we couldn't have that experience even during the current low season, as there were simply way too many other people (especially huge Chinese tour groups) there. The buildings and temples are mighty and impressive, that's for sure! Nevertheless, we come to a rather sobering conclusion: 'Seen one, seen them all.' Luki realized that he is more excited about landscapes than architecture, and for my part, I expected more from this destination as well, although I am very impressed by the friendliness of the Cambodians!



Although this trip didn't quite meet our expectations, we also learned something here: we feel much more comfortable in quieter and less frequented areas and will try to avoid obvious tourist hotspots in the future.

Hasta pronto!

E&L

>> Next stop: Sihanoukville <<