Postcards From Britt

Siem Reap would have to be my favourite place to visit in Cambodia. From the ancient temples to the lively nightlife of Pub Street.  The streets are lined with Romorks (tuk tuk) and the locals are so friendly and welcoming.  Sadly, you do notice that there are not many old people over the age of 50. That generation was affected during the Pol Pot regime, which killed over 3 million people during that time. 

We stayed at a hotel called Casa Angkor. The hotel was nothing fancy, but it was quaint with a refreshing swimming pool and very friendly staff.  The hotel was centrally located. Only a 5 minute walk along the river to the Royal Gardens and a 15 minute walk in the opposite direction, to Pub Street.

Royal Independence Gardens

Once we checked in to our hotel, we walked 5 minutes down the street to the Royal Independence Gardens.  Here we visited the Preah Ang Chek Preah Ang Chom pagoda, where locals were playing drums while  others were offering gifts to Buddha, creating a calming ambience.  Male monks were blessing locals with holy water, which is believed to purify and bring positive energy to the recipient. I was blessed by a Bhuddist nun (known as bhikkhuni), who tied a red braided string around my wrist whilst chanting a Bhuddist prayer. Unfortunately, I could not understand what she said as I do not speak the language, however it did feel like a special moment. My guide later told me that the red braided string symbolises the removal of unfavourable thoughts from your life and offers good luck, health and protection.

There were a lot of children in the park, who were sadly begging for money. And as hard as it was to say no, our guide had pre-warned us not to give them money as the majority of the children are hired by adults to collect money for them. Rather it is encouraged to buy souvenirs from the adults in the park to support income in the correct way. 

As we walked back to the hotel along the river, we passed streets lined with Romork after Romork (aka Tuk Tuk). These Romorks are very different to the ones in Thailand.  They are a motorbike that tows a two wheeled carriage. You almost feel as though you are going to tip if you go around a corner too quickly! 

Angkor Temples

The temples of Angkor are what draws tourists to Siem Reap. There are thousands of temples in the area known as Angkor. The archaeological site is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Most travellers visit the area to witness the majestic Angkor Wat, and they may choose to bypass the other temples because they believe, once you have seen one temple, you have seen them all. But I recommend you visit as many temples and ruins in the area as you can. They all differ in their architectural style and their purpose. From the smiling faces of Bayon, to the red walls of Banteay Srei and the jungles at Ta Prohm, each temple offers something very different and unique.

Read more: Wonders of Angkor: Exploring Cambodia’s Lost Empire

Cambodian Cultural Village (now known as Angkor Green Park)

We spent the afternoon at the Cambodian Cultural Village. We explored the different villages that are set up to represent the different cultural groups of the area. We witnessed a mock Khmer wedding ceremony and enjoyed watching a traditional Cambodian dance. There were miniature replicas of important landmarks of Cambodia and a small section where we found some cheeky gibbons that tried to swipe my camera!

Now I do love learning about the local culture, but I have to say the highlight of this day was the ‘ghost house!’ Ever since this experience I have never entered another haunted house since!!! It has ruined me!! 

It was a very hot day so we decided to enter the ghost house to cool off.  It was in a dark cave and at first we were unsure about heading into the darkness. We turned our phone torches on and saw some terrifying statues representing death.  As we slowly made our way through the cave, all of a sudden, music came on very loudly and people screaming in the background. Lights started flashing and large dark objects were moving in the darkness. We freaked out and started running to the next room.  As we passed through the curtain, dividing the rooms, someone grabbed Emma’s leg and we heard a sword being dragged along the ground behind us! Although we knew it was fake, our senses were in overdrive. It was so frightening, I just screamed and ran ahead to find a way out. I saw some stairs with light at the top so I ran towards the light, only to find it was a dead end with a Bhudda statue at the top. The door was locked and we couldn’t get out. We were freaking out, not wanting to go back down into the darkness where the noise was coming from. Once we gained the courage to venture back into the darkness, we agreed to hold onto each and walked so slowly, arm in arm!  But as soon as I heard the sound of the sword being dragged on the cement and a chainsaw, I turned around to a dark figure approaching us. No way was I going to walk slowly out of this cave! I let go of Emma, and ran off screaming with my arms swinging in al around me so nothing could get me! Yes, I left Emma behind! When we reached the light, I turned around to see Emma exit the cave and right behind her was the black masked figure, as he slammed the door shut. We were crying in hysterics! We honestly thought this is a basic ghost house and that there would be nothing to it! Yet it was the most frightening experience I’ve ever had and now I will never enter another haunted house again!

Pub Street

That evening we all met in the lobby and our guide, Hai, took us for dinner on Pub Street. Pub Street is definitely the place to be. It is a walking street only and there were so many bars and restaurants. It offered a fun and lively energy, with music seeping out of the bars as you walk past and it is lit up with floating lanterns above the thoroughfare. 

We went to a restaurant called ‘The corner.’ The restaurant played live music while we ate and tried the local food.  I tried a traditional Khmer (Khmer pronounced Kah-my) dish called Chicken Amok. Yum!!! It was a creamy chicken with rice, and if you are like me and do not like spice then this is the dish for you. For entrees, Emma and I shared another local dish, which was a chicken and banana flower salad.  I was not sure what to expect with this dish but it was surprisingly light and tasty!

After dinner we ventured down a narrow street opposite Pub Street to a bar called Yolo.  The music was great and the bar had a Cuban vibe to it. The staff were so friendly and chatty!  We sat on tables outside on the street playing Jenga and trying the local beer, Angkor and Cambodian Draft (my favourite). Usually the beer would cost $1 USD, but it was happy hour so the cost of the beer was only 75c. While we enjoyed our drinks, a local approached us to sell some clothes, which I purchased a pair of baggy pants and two tops for $8 USD. Honestly, Cambodia is so cheap to travel to! I purchased a 2 litre bottle of water for 75c and our Romork back to the hotel only cost $3.