Cambodia has hovered near the top of the travel wish list for a long time and we took the opportunity for a 10 day break over Christmas.
The little mellow yellow travel fellow was first in the suitcase!
3 of our 4 flights were in this twin prop style plane :o
Fortunately we made it! First stop: Phnom Penh.
The National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh is packed with archaeological treasures with highlights throughout Cambodia's history. We highly recommend the audio guide to get the most out of a visit here.
Statue of Naga sheltering Buddha
Next stop was the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (or temple).
Not quite as impressive as the Royal Palace in Bangkok but still worth a visit.
Very good advice!!
Creepy crawlies of all shapes and sizes.
Seen on the streets of Phnom Penh and also available in many restaurants.
We opted for a more traditional style lunch at Friends!
Friends is one of the TREE Alliance restaurants found in main cities throughout Cambodia and Laos. TREE restaurants are social businesses that train and equip young people (especially vulnerable young people) with the skills they need to secure employment and provide a better future for themselves. We ate at Friends and Romdeng in Phnom Penh, wow, amazing food and service! We encourage support of this wonderful initiative!
First tuk tuk ride in Siem Riep!
On our first afternoon in Siem Riep we visited the Angkor National Museum, home to a wealth of Angkorian artefacts across the time of the Khmer Empire. We found a visit here (and the National Museum in Phnom Penh) so helpful in understanding some of the history behind the temples, the different styles, and the meaning of some of the temple symbols and carvings before visiting the temples of Angkor. We highly recommend a visit here to prepare before setting out for the temples!
After a full day an ice cold passion fruit mojito was definitely in order!
And then it was temple time!
Please do not enter the temples AT closing time!!
Marph getting his temple on
Justin doing his fave thing at Ta Prohm
Apsaras, the celestial dancers
Carving of a hermit
Are you templed out yet?
No? Good, a lot more coming soon!
A very relaxing French dinner in a cosy street in Siem Reap complete with good French wine.
Ecole du Bayon is another great project to uplift the people of the Angkor area.
We enjoyed a great French pastry breakfast at the pastry school in Siem Reap.
Also a shout out to Daughters of Cambodia in Phnom Penh (changing lives of victims of trafficking in Cambodia) and Seeing Hands (massage by blind masseuses throughout Cambodia).
There seem to many of these great initiatives around the country. We encourage you to look them up and support them in the great work they do.
And then it was island time.
View from our rustic wooden bungalow on Koh Rong Samleom!
Sunset on the island.
BBQ dinner on the beach with paper lanterns!
The whole grilled red snapper with lemongrass and other secret delights is a must.
The name says it all.
Brunch view on Lazy Beach!
Keeping things real on Lazy Beach, a competitive game of Traffic Oi (Saigon card game).
Marph the foodie!
We enjoyed many local and international/Western foods in Cambodia.
Highly recommend Friends and all the TREE Alliance restaurants!
And the Daughters of Cambodia cafe in Phnom Penh.
Springs rolls always a must!
We enjoyed many fried and fresh varieties along the way.
Beef and pomelo salad.
Green mango salad.
Chicken with cashew nuts (and sometimes mango) and fresh ginger tea.
Continental breakfast at Bayon Pastry School.
Christmas pudding!!
We had to go all the way to a tropical island to find something that feels a little like traditional Western Christmas!
After all that food it was time for a siesta!
See you soon for the next instalment of our time in Cambodia!
x
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