Cambodia- A must See

August 15-19 Siem Reap

When we planned our trip, I told my husband there was no way I was going to Thailand without seeing Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  We have flown half way around the world and to be so close to Cambodia, who knew when I was getting back. He agreed and the plans were made.  We hired a guide for three days and spent all four nights in Siem Reap. In order to enter Cambodia you must have a visa, but as long as you supply customs with a passport picture, they will create one for you upon your arrival in the airport. Customs in Cambodia consists of the developing world practice of getting as many people as possible to work a single task.  Oh, and the workers' children that hung out in customs behind the desk.

We flew from Bangkok to Siem Reap on Bangkok Air. It's a quick flight, and air is about the same amount as far less efficient ways to get there. The airport in Siem Reap is pretty straightforward. You can pick up some last minute gifts there on the way back, but don't expect big selection and be ready to pay multiples of what you would in town.

August 16 

After breakfast, Thy of Thy Angkor Tour picked us up to take us to Angkor Wat. We learned about Thy from friends who had worked with him during their engagement 15 years ago. They still keep in touch and now we understand why; Thy is a terrific guide and person.  On our first day, the first stop was to buy tickets (amazingly, the hundreds of thousands of tickets sold each year are done cash only) and an official guide (since the government wants to create additional jobs for the site).

Our visit was amazing. The kids were blown away by the massive size of the Wat. They were a bit confused by the back and forth between Hindu rule and Buddhist rule, we did our best to explain. We also went to Ta Prohm (think Angelina Jolie and Tomb Raiders)

and visited Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre. The monkeys on the road provided entertainment, with the kids decided that it was among the best parts of the day.

August 17 

Today, Thy took us to a floating village on the Mekong.  What stood out for the kids was the amount of litter before we even got on the boat that took us to the village. We explained that these are poor villages and do not have access to proper sanitation like we do. When our kids saw younger children paddling themselves to school, it helped them understand that life is far less sheltered for these Cambodian kids. We saw a floating market. Learning how families raise crocodiles under their houses for extra food and income impressed upon our kids the resourcefulness and hard work of these families.

After our we asked our guide to take us to a market not frequented by westerners. At the market we had a travel moment I thought no longer existed. Some of the women selling their goods fell in love with my youngest son and insisted that their baby daughter had to see him because he has blond hair (not sure where the blond comes from). The kids got to see that farm chickens are of different size and shape from factory chickens. They got to take in the smells and the sights of this market and enjoy what we lack in the states. We left with two bbq chickens and bag of deep-fried silk worms. We picnicked on amazing chicken and the kids popped silk worms like they were popcorn. Funny that we were at a silk factory. Next per my husbands request we went to War Museum Cambodia. Kids ran around and climbed on tanks and touched guns. My husband and I read about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.  We discussed, briefly, Cambodia's difficult Twentieth Century, and its current rebirth with the kids. 

August 18

Today we went back to back to a different part of Angkor Wat.  We did not need an "official" guide for this area. It was a bit further in the jungle, so for the kids they enjoyed the seclusion. After, we drove an hour to Temple Beng Mealea. Nature has taken back this complex. It's amazing to see the roots taking over the buildings.

The kids just ran around free. There were no restrictions, they had a blast. However, they were a bit more excited about the skinny cows and the chickens.

We stayed all days in Siem Reap at the Mulberry Hotel. Siem Reap is a walkable city, and tuk tuks are easily available (and incredibly cheap).  The Angkor Market is a great place to buy both local goods as well as some of the inevitable (and questionable) purchases such as the ubiquitous elephant pants and tee shirts. Upscale dining is also affordable, so we used the opportunity to try nouvelle Khmer cuisine at the superb The Charney Tree, and traditional fare at The Sugar Palm.