Cambodia, the land of smiles and beauty

In the latest addition to our blog, Fay Winning recalls a memorable trip to Cambodia…

Cambodia was 6 out of 8 countries on the list of my last 4 months traveling, and even though I loved them all Cambodia was the one i loved the most. It’s hard to believe the torture most of the people went through only 30 years ago due to Pol Pots successful genocide, yet people are very friendly and will all go out your way to make your stay pleasant and the country goes on with a big smile, and tourism is on the rise.

We flew into Siem Reip Cambodia’s second biggest city, home to Ankor and its wonderful temples. There are over 1000 historical temples in Ankor all protected and noticed as a world heritage site making the area one of the wonders of the world. It’s not possible to see all these temples and some are more famous than others, for their history some are famous film locations (Tomb Rider being one) We spent 3 days doing the temples, the heat makes it necessary to start the day before sunrise rises and you will be ready to leave to head back to your hotel (with pool) about midday. There are many ways to explore Ankor we choose the most energetic by using a bike, however in 40 degrees heat and covering about 26 miles one day, i would definitely recommend a guide and a driver. The rest of the day was spent purchasing very cheap items at the local market and very cheap classy food places.

 Next stop was to Phnom Phen Cambodia’s busy vibrant capital city. There are plenty of things to do in this busy city and most people come here to further their knowledge of the countries struggle through the Genocide and the Vietnamese war, starting with the magnificent history museum and the building itself. A must is the Killing fields and the Tuol Sleng prison. You can take a cruise down the Mekong Delta which has amazing views. Again shopping goes without miss in Cambodia and you can pick up very good cheap clothes and souvenirs for next to nothing. Another amazing design is the silver Pagoda, with 9,585 diamonds on a big Buddha and a floor with 5,000 silver tiles.

To finish off we headed to Shinoukville Cambodia’s beach resort for tourists and locals. There are some lovely hotels and trendy bars to enjoy. We spent a week here it was that nice, it’s perfect for those looking to relax by the beach and enjoy some surfing our diving. There are many diving courses available and boat trips. 

Faye