Angkor Wat. Wat an Amazing Place!

The 5 hour bus ride to Siem Reap was quite the adventure. We were assigned to two seats towards the front but since the bus was empty in the back we switched seats to sprawl out and recoup much needed sleep. After 2 hours into Cambodia’s quite scenic and story-telling countryside we stopped in a little town.

In this town, I was feeling a bit thirsty so I thought maybe I’d try to drink some fresh coconut juice. After asking the guy on the side of the road to go ahead and prepare my coconut, I reached into my pocket and realized I left the money in the bus. While I was walking towards the bus, and while he hacking away at the coconut, HIS BLADE came flying at me and I ran for my life. Well it didn’t make it nearly that close to me but it shook me up a bit because if I were standing in front of him I would’ve been cut. So I went back into the bus and never came out.

At this bus stop we also decided to pick up the village people (and, they definitely were not the YMCA [or NAVY] singing type). I didn’t think the long line of locals with boxes and boxes of belongings would come on the bus, but it all sure did. It was a true local experience riding in the back of the bus with all of Cambodia. Oh the memories and scents to remember…. I think they liked my singing though.

When we arrived into Siem Reap Bus Station hoards of Tuk-Tuks and guesthouse pushers bum-rushed’ our bus to get business. For a second I stepped back and thought, “hey this is really cool”. We got on our Tuk-Tuk included in our bus fare and headed straight to our hotel, Shinta Mani.

Shinta Mani

In Siem Reap there are many nice hotels to stay at and actually quaint guesthouses for around $5/night. Instead of staying at a guesthouse (like we normally would) we supported a socially conscious hotel called the Shinta Mani.

The Shinta Mani is an interesting concept marrying together a really nice hotel with an opportunity for less-fortunate orphans. The staff, which comes from different backgrounds of orphans to HIV-positive, receives training, and other opportunities they normally wouldn’t. The hotel is part of an effort to help educate and bring change. The actual hotel property is pretty nice and our complimentary breakfast in the restaurant was deliciously more than expected. Asia in every sense is always a service that is more than expected. It is times like these where going back to United States’ watered down coffees, rude service, and just expensive prices feels like a nightmare when I awake from this dream… oh Asia… or atleast oh Southeast Asia

Amazing Angkor Wat

The next morning we hired a Tuk-Tuk to see Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat, if you haven’t heard, is one of the world’s 7 man-made wonders. It is AMAZING in every sense of the word. It IS one of those places you must see before you die… for real. It is just an intriguing and stunning country in itself, really. Having been to most of the ruins, cathedrals, museums in Europe, Angkor Wat definitely sets itself apart. It is just one genormous’ ruin so large that many of the ruins haven’t been pieced together or uncovered as they are still lost in the jungles.

I was really inspired to visit not because “Lara Croft’s Tomb Raider” was filmed at this location or that perhaps visiting Cambodia may have changed Angelina Jolie’s life, but because of National Geographic’s documentary of Angkor Wat. In the documentary, the reporters flew over the vicinity of Angkor in hot air balloons to see parts that have not yet been recovered. The documentary also introduced me to the history of how Angkor was once, at its time, a magnificent empire that was abandoned to the jungle when it grew out of control. The documentary, in addition to talking to those that have been, was just enough for me to make this man made wonder of the world one of my destinations.

For any westerners coming to Bangkok, it is almost mandatory that you go to Angkor Wat for atleast 3 full days. If you go, I do have to pass on the warning… it isn’t cheap. We paid about $40 per person for a 3-day pass, which allowed us to see all the temples from about 4 am for sunrise and 6 pm for sunset. Our favorite Tuk-Tuk driver ever charged us about $10 per day and there are many options for where to stay.

Siem Reap, the town where you stay in while touring Angkor Wat, is actually a nice place to walk around and enjoy the day. The trees, the people, the relaxed feel on the water made us want to stay longer than we planned. We learned about the increase of tourism and the problems that come along with its popularity after speaking with a jaded ex-pat local. Apparently, like all things in life… it is not what it was and is getting more commercialized everyday; I’d say for the better. While touring Angkor Wat, there were Korean and Japanese tourists in the masses and hardly many Western tourists. These huge bus loads of people equates to huge income for the company that owns and operates Angkor Wat, which I began to wonder…

Getting To Know Angkor

After speaking with a Cambodian local in a camera shop, I asked my 20 questions I had on the tip of my tongue. One of those questions was of course, who owns Angkor Wat and where does that money go? Apparently, a company separate but appointed by the government (and probably has links) owns the massive ruins. I wonder how much of that money gets invested into making Siem Reap and improving the surrounding areas. I wonder where that money really goes, perhaps it’s a corrupt group of people related to the government?

This Cambodian local also briefed us on the current situation in Cambodia and provided great information. He also told us that child pornography and illegal sexual acts with children with Western travelers does take place. Since his occupation was to develop film he had come across a Westerner’s camera containing photos of him engaging in sexual acts with children. He found the photos too disturbing to describe but he eventually turned the man into the police. Sometimes you hear about these things but don’t realize it is happening. Aparrently there really are sick tourists who come to Cambodia to shoot animals with AK47’s and rape little kids.

The Food

Aside from the problems of Cambodia, the food in Cambodia was absolutely delicious, maybe because it reminded me of Filipino food. Amongst the many distinctive flavors we tested, my favorites were the Khmer Curry, which was a blend of coconut milk, curry, vegetables and chicken. Another favorite dish was the Cambodian Fish Soup, which included fish and vegetables in a clear broth. Both dishes were so good we couldn’t resist eating the same dishes the following days.

Overall Siem Reap, the ruins of Angkor Wat, the people, the food, the learning experience from a short visit are worth ever penny. Angkor Wat is one of those places I absolutely highly recommend seeing, a must.

Trip Wrap-Up

Incidental Money Spent
3 Day Pass - $40/person
Everything - $1
Postcards - $1
Coca-Cola - $1
Bus Ride - $9
Tuk-Tuk Rides - $10/day

Highlights
The Tuk-Tuks
Fun Cambodian Kids
Siem Reap Is Relaxing

Recommend Websites..
Shinta Mani

Siem Reap Recommendations

Shinta Mani | www.shintamani.com
Shinta Mani offers a really nice place to stay while in Siem Reap. The breakfast was absolutely delicious and the hotel was nicely designed and very classy. We decided to stay here not just because it’s a nice place, but because the hotel helps the community. See Shinta Mani’s website for more information.

Shinta Mani

Photo Collection of Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Into Siem Reap

The Angkor Collection

Heaven and Hell

The Gates of Angkor & Banyon

Jungle Fever

The Locals

Angkor In The Early Morning

Angkor Sunsets

Siem Reap At Night