This entry is long overdue because the internet in Cambodia & Vietnam is absolutely terrible. Even though we only had a short visit to the country, it was so spectacular. I had so much to write about it. We spent 3 days in Siem Reap in Cambodia visiting the temples and experiencing the vibrant culture of the city. Cambodia was an unforgettable place. The air is hot and humid, and poverty can be observed all over the city. We were lucky that our days were sunny and hot and it only rained at night. Since some of the streets are still not paved in Siem Reap (including the street our hotel was located), the rain creates quite a mess of the streets.
Siem Reap This city was a really fun place to spend a couple days. I wish I had more time to explore everything it had to offer. Siem Reap is located in Northern Cambodia, near the border to Thailand. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the food in Cambodia. Their cuisine consists of flavorful meat, fresh vegetables, lots of spices and curries. One of my favorites was beef Luk Lak (sautéed beef with fresh veggies, rice and French fries. Odd combination – but extremely tasty). One night we even had Khmer BBQ (my fav!!!). We got to try exotic meats like snake, crocodile, and frog. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
Angkor Wat The main attraction of Siem Reap is the famous Angkor Wat and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Built in the 12th century, it is the world’s largest religious building. With many temples on site, Angkor Wat is the best-preserved and largest temple. The entire temple is surrounded by a large moat. It is not only stunning from the exterior; the interior is filled with gorgeous detailing displaying many images of dancers and soldiers. There are 7 towers that can be seen from all angles and represent the 7 continents.
The site where Angkor Wat lies exist a plethora of other temples. Some people can spend up to 5 whole days visiting all the other temples in the area. Since we were staying in Siem Reap for a short time we visited another 3 temples in the area. Next, we climbed a mountain to a temple over looking Angkor Wat.
We then visited Wat Ta Prom, a temple that has been destroyed over the years, and is under a 30-year reconstruction project. With different kings over the years believing in different religions (Buddhism & Hinduism), the temple was attempted to be brought down by man. Today, amidst the ruins, the standing walls are covered in trees growing from all directions. This was a very cool site.
The last temple we saw was Angkor Thom, which translates into “Great City”. Fun fact – this is where Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed. This temple was really cool; faces of the Buddha appear everywhere. On the large towers located inside the temple, the face of the Buddha faces all directions to look over all the Khmer people.
Floating Village On our way to the village we stopped at one of the many Lotus ponds where thousands of lotus flowers are in full bloom. It was absolutely beautiful.
To get to the village we took a boat down the Siem Reap River down to the great Tonle Sap Lake. The river is lined with floating huts creating the floating village. The experience was very authentic and eye opening. It’s crazy how so many people live in such poverty. With over 3000 families living in the area, one family shares such a small space. While we were on the boat many children climbed onto our boat from a smaller boat pulling up right next to us asking for money or selling drinks or other small items. It’s hard to say no to the adorable children. Witnessing this village made me really appreciate how fortunate I am.
It’s unbelievable how much we were able to see/do in the short time we spent in Cambodia. We met some amazing people and had some unforgettable experiences. I would have liked to visit Phnom Penh and some of the southern parts of the country. Hopefully one day I will be able to return to this culture-rich nation. Now it’s off to Vietnam.
For the first part of our travels we decided to relax and soak up some sun in some of Thailands most beautiful beaches. Starting off in Bangkok, we went to Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, Koh Samui and finally Koh Phangan. Thailand is a beautiful place with lots of beaches, delicious food, hot sun, and plenty of activities to do. Here are some of the highlights and memorable experiences.
It's been a while since I've updated my blog - so this is a long one :)
Bangkok
Arriving in Bangkok was nothing less than exciting. With a population of 10 million people, the city never sleeps. With the recommendation from a traveler we met in the Philippines, we headed to the well known backpacker district near Kao San Road. This area is famous for the street day/night market, plenty of restaurants and cheap accommodation. The first couple days we spent walking the streets, enjoying some thai food, visiting some temples, and planned our 3 week journey through the gorgeous islands and beaches of southern Thailand.
Some people hate Bangkok - saying it's too busy, everyone is trying to scam money out of you, and it doesn't have much to offer. I actually enjoyed my brief stay. The temples here and very grand, and the food has been great. I even got a mani-pedi for under $10.
Phuket Our bus ride from Bangkok to Phuket was less than pleasant. Our bus left at around 7pm and we didn't get to our hotel in Phuket until around 1pm the next day. The bus ride was far from comfortable, and the bathroom made the whole bus smell awful. After a long bus ride - we all got dropped off in the middle of nowhere at a "bus station" at 5am only to wait 2 hours for another bus to come pick us up. After this we were transfered 2 more times and finally arrived in Patong Beach at 1pm. Thankfully our hotel was gorgeous - I have never slept better in my life.
Relaxation Our first day in Phuket was kind of rainy so we spent the day relaxing by the pool in our hotel. The next day was absolutely gorgeous so we headed to the beach. It was slightly crowded but the sand was nice and the water was clear and calm. The beach was lined with tons of restaurants and bars. Phuket was the perfect way to start our vacation.
Koh Phi Phi
Koh Phi Phi was my favorite of all the beaches we visited. It is a small strip of sand with two bay beaches on each side. In the middle is a cluster of hotels, vendors, restaurants, and bars. The atmosphere was very cool and relaxed. Our hotel, P.P. Nice Beach Resort was perfect. We had our own little hut set right on the beach.
Buckets This was the first place I experienced the famous "buckets" in Thailand. A small mickey, a can of soda and a red bull and mixed together in a bucket. Serious business and ever-so-popular in Thailand. Consume in moderation and it can result in an awesome night. Two too many could result in the night passing by in a blur.
Island Boat Tour One day we took a full day tour by long-tail boat that cruised around the picturesque islands around Koh Phi Phi. We got to experience some fantastic snorkelling, soak up the sun white sand beaches with crisp turquoise water (we even went to the beach where the film "The Beach" was filmed. Beautiful place - but majorly over crowded), and float in a bay with the most enticing blue water. The day was so fantastic. The sun was shining all day and it was simply blissful. I'm sure I'll killed my camera battery that day. Everything was so stunning, I couldn't help but try to capture every moment.
Sea Kayaking After lounging in the sun for hours at the main beach in Phi Phi Arthur and I rented sea kayaks and explored the area finding a remote beach to spend the rest of the day relaxing at. The water at the main beach appears kind of dirty probably due to the massive number of people coming to this beach everyday. The small beach we found with our kayaks was pristine. We even got to see a bunch of monkeys.
Krabi Rainy Days Unfortunately in Krabi we experienced our first spell of bad weather. Rain made an appearance at least once a day. Some days it came in torrential downpours. This kind of put a damper on our time in Krabi. For the most part we lounged by the pool at our hotel, running for cover when the storms came in. One day we had booked a late afternoon/evening boat ride that ended up getting cancelled because of the rough conditions on the water. Of course this was after we showed up, waiting over an hour only to have to cancel the trip. What does one do in a beach town being dominated by rain? Well - you grab a bottle of gin, a deck of cards, and make due with what you've got!
Railay We took advantage of the one nice day we had in Krabi and took a long tail boat to the nearby beach of Railay. The beach here was gorgeous and the resorts to-die-for. Railay was definitely much nicer than any of the beaches in Krabi. We ate lunch from a vendor selling food directly from a boat just anchored at shore. So cool. This is where we first tried the fantastic roasted corn on the cob. mmmmm! Nothing beats eating fresh food while laying on the sand.
Koh Samui
Our hotel in Koh Samui, Lamai Chalets, was located on a quiet part of Lamai beach. We were lucky enough to have an area steps away from the beach and pool to lounge. We had similar weather – bits of rain everyday – as we did in Krabi. We spent most of the time relaxing and reading next to the sound of the ocean.
BBQ If you’ve been reading my blog at all in the past, you’d know I have a new love for Asian-style BBQ. There is just something about the meat, sauce and do-it-yourself BBQ that just tickles my taste buds. The first night we arrived in Koh Samui (after a long day of travel and nothing but snacks along the day) our hotel put on a big BBQ for all the guests at the hotel. It was absolutely fantastic.
Waterfalls We rented a motorbike for 2 days to explore the island. The first day we went on a search for some waterfalls, as we heard there were numerous on the island. We knew there were 2 main ones, but we thought we’d take the road less traveled and find the less touristy falls. After a difficult trek up a mountain on the bike (the hills were so steep I even had to get off the bike a couple times to walk) we were very disappointed with what we found. Small man-made falls. Despite our disappointment, we stumbled across a gorgeous viewpoint looking over the mountain onto the water and beyond.Finally we went to the more well known falls and were extremely pleased. Even though we had to take a 4X4 on an extreme drive to the falls – they we well worth it. We got some awesome pictures, and were able to cool off with a swim in some beautiful fresh water.
Riding Around the Island The second day we had the bike, we drove around the entire island. Along the way we found some beautiful beaches and resorts. Koh Samui is the busiest of all the islands in Southern Thailand. There are tons of hotels and restaurants lining the beaches on this island. At night we ventured to the small “town” of Lamai where bars and shops line the streets.
Koh Phangan
This was probably my second favorite place. Our hotel was not the greatest, but the island was bustling because of the full moon party and the weather was beyond fantastic.
Koh Ma We rented another motorbike for the day to drive to a beach on the north part of the island. We stayed at a hotel called Cozy Bungalows and was located on the south west beach (a little up from Haad Rin – where the full moon party takes place). The drive through the lush forest was spectacular. Koh Ma is a tiny island that is connected to Koh Phangan by a small strip of sand and the beaches nearby are great for swimming and snorkeling because of the abundance of coral so close to the shore. The cool thing about this beach is that there is a small “channel” that you can walk through the corals to get to an area of shallow, calm, clear water to swim. We spent the entire day enjoying the water and scenery. Arthur even bought a snorkel mask and we found some of the coolest fish we have ever seen.
Full Moon Party This is one the most famous party in Thailand and it happens once a month – on the night of the full moon (usually on or around the 15th). Picture thousands of people lining a beach where hundreds of vendors are selling food, buckets, souvenirs, and different music blaring across the entire stretch of Haad Rin beach. People are covered in glow in the dark paint, bright neon colours, and have a bucket in hand. Quite the experience. I’m glad I went to check it out, but as the night progress, it got kind of messy. People often party till the sun comes up. Maybe 5 years ago it would have been the best party of my life. Maybe I’m getting old? Either way I had fun and I’m glad I got to witness one of the most infamous parties.
Ang Thon National Marine Park This day tour was one of the highlights of my entire experience in Thailand. It was kind of pricey – but worth every penny. Pictures don’t even do justice to the beauty of this park made up of tiny islands. Located about 45 minutes away from Koh Phangan (and Koh Samui), the boat took us on a wonderful tropical adventure. We started the day by snorkeling around a small island. After working up an appetite we were served a delicious buffet lunch on the boat of rice, curried vegetables, chicken and papaya salad (very popular Thai dish and one of my personal faves). Next we visited a beach where we climbed up to a cave. When I say climb, I mean scale up the steep mountain with the help of a rope. The cave was less than impressive, but the adventure of climbing up and down the mountain was pretty cool. From here we also got a great view of the beach and bay. Next we got to sea kayak around in the beautiful crystal clear water. After this we visited a lagoon. After climbing up what felt like a thousand stairs, we got a spectacular viewpoint where we could see all the tiny islands of the marine park, and a view of the green waters of the lagoon. This was a perfect end to the perfect day.
I Never Want To Leave! Thailand is so beautiful in so many ways. The beaches are gorgeous, the water is pure bliss to swim in, the people are kind, and the food is to die for. The only bad thing is the transportation. Nothing is on ever on time (it’s probably because they are all on “island time”), but it’s a problem everyone has to deal with. Keep that in mind when traveling from one place to another. Despite this flaw – Thailand is spectacular.
I think my favorite thing about Thailand is the food. Here are my must-eats of Thailand:
1. Banana pancakes – more like crepes, topped with peanut butter or nutella
2. Pad Thai – Obviously! One of Thailand’s most famous dishes
3. Papaya salad
4. Fresh fruit shakes
5. Toasty (from 7-11) – pretty much like a small grilled cheese with ham and cheese
6. Roasted corn on the cob
7. Fried rice – with shrimp
8. Chicken satay
9. Curry
10. Pretty much every kind of fresh fruit
Hopefully some day I will be able to return to Thailand. Every town has it’s own elements that make it special – and some things that are similar are comforting. I have created so many great memories that I will carry with me forever.
The main attraction of Siem Reap is the famous Angkor Wat and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Built in the 12th century, it is the world’s largest religious building. With many temples on site, Angkor Wat is the best-preserved and largest temple. The entire temple is surrounded by a large moat. It is not only stunning from the exterior; the interior is filled with gorgeous detailing displaying many images of dancers and soldiers. There are 7 towers that can be seen from all angles and represent the 7 continents.
The site where Angkor Wat lies exist a plethora of other temples. Some people can spend up to 5 whole days visiting all the other temples in the area. Since we were staying in Siem Reap for a short time we visited another 3 temples in the area. Next, we climbed a mountain to a temple over looking Angkor Wat.
We then visited Wat Ta Prom, a temple that has been destroyed over the years, and is under a 30-year reconstruction project. With different kings over the years believing in different religions (Buddhism & Hinduism), the temple was attempted to be brought down by man. Today, amidst the ruins, the standing walls are covered in trees growing from all directions. This was a very cool site. 
The last temple we saw was Angkor Thom, which translates into “Great City”. Fun fact – this is where Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed. This temple was really cool; faces of the Buddha appear everywhere. On the large towers located inside the temple, the face of the Buddha faces all directions to look over all the Khmer people.
To get to the village we took a boat down the Siem Reap River down to the great Tonle Sap Lake. The river is lined with floating huts creating the floating village. The experience was very authentic and eye opening. It’s crazy how so many people live in such poverty. With over 3000 families living in the area, one family shares such a small space. While we were on the boat many children climbed onto our boat from a smaller boat pulling up right next to us asking for money or selling drinks or other small items. It’s hard to say no to the adorable children. Witnessing this village made me really appreciate how fortunate I am.
