Alot and I mean ALOT! of people thought we were crazy, going to Cambodia, of all places and dragging along with us two toddlers, one baby and three senior citizens! But now that it is over, I am so glad we did it, it was a totally different experience and not one of the run of the mill holidays that's for sure!
7th June, Saturday
We jetted off on a cloudy Saturday afternoon, 7th June. It was a uneventful flight and we touched down in Siem Reap at close to 5pm. Our hotel transport was there to greet us and whisked us away from the swelthering heat straight to the cool confines of the hotel.
The service was great! From the receptionist who ushered us to the lounge sofas and gave us the room details to fill up, to the waitress who bought us cold lemon grass drinks with lemon grass tubes as straws, to the office manager who placed thin cambodian scarfs around our necks as gifts, it was overwhelming!
Our suite rooms were really comfy, with a living and dining area, and big bathtub and separate shower area in the bathroom. Twice the size of a normal hotel room, it was a really deal at only S$130 a night! And the amentities..... even we don't have a 48inch flat screen TV with over 80+ SCV channels to surf through at home! and One more 36 inch in our bedroom! Mal was in SCV surfing heaven. Just when I thought I could pry Mal away from the sports channel at home, he comes to place which offers him over 20 sports channels!
The and living and dining room with Shannon and Mal lounging on the sofa and watching TV on the 48inch flat screen TV!
Our Bedroom with king size bed and cot for Shannon
We opted to stay in the first evening and sat down to the hotel's complimentary Khmer set dinner. I liked the sour pineapple and lemon grass fish soup, really appetising. And I liked the stir fried beef and fish with preserved bean paste which I felt was good too though my mum had a different opinion about it...
8th June, Sunday, 8am
Today morning, after sitting down to a very hearty buffet breakfast of bacon, french toast, eggs done any way you like, teochew porridge, fruits, bread, noodles, and yogurt, we met Dara Ly, our tour guide for the next three days.
Dara, and his sister Ponheary Ly come highly recommended in the Tripadvisor and Fodors forums. We decided on Dara because we had young kids with us and wanted a slow and easy itinerary. Also, the main reason we decided on Dara was because both siblings had been actively helping with the poor village children of Siem Reap, and with the help of a American tourist, started the Ponheary Ly Foundation, which is aimed at getting village children off to school and giving them the much needed education they require to improve their poor living conditions.
We wanted to make this holiday trip a little different, and after reading so much about Cambodia's poor situation, and its people struggling to recover after the Khmer Rouge dictatorship, we thought we could help to make a little of a difference to these children. Hence, the meet up with Dara, and plans to visit one of their schools to meet the kids was on the cards for the second day.
Today morning we visited Angkor Thom, specially Bayon with its 64 faces. The ruins were magnificent and the craving in superb condition. Of course the kids couldn't appreciate the fine art, but it was a good long walk. After a while though, the cravings and the granite and stone just start to blur in front of you, and you get a little bored. But once the photos came out, the stark detail and intricate cravings shine through....
The Entrance to Angkor Thom
Look at the Cravings of the faces!
Group photo with Bayon at the background
After lunch at a restaurant near our hotel, Dara and his driver dropped us off for a rest and picked us up again at 4pm. Our aim was to see the famed Angkor Wat, but unfortunately it started drizzling, so we opted to go into town for abit of walk through the old market, dinner and the night market instead.
Lunch at one of the restaurants
The old market was all right, after seeing a few rows of stalls selling the same things, you mainly get a feel of what's it about, We did leave the place with a few beautiful handbags though.
I suggested Red Piano for dinner after hearing good reviews from the forums, and also the fact that Angelina Jolie dined there when she was in Cambodia filming 'Tomb Raider'. Though the reaction from our parents was doubtful as they looked at the smoking and beer drinking patrons on the ground floor, the second floor was pleasantly breezy and comfortable.
The restaurant serves mainly western cuisine and it was plentiful and good and reasonably priced! I had the Chicken with blue cheese cream sauce and french fries with a side salad and it was really yummy at only USD$7! Mum polished off a huge serving of fish and chips and Dad had his Chicken Cordon Bleu...The kids had a cheesy tomato sauce pasta which they rejected after a few bites in favour of snitching our french fries.
After dinner, Dara dropped us off at the Night market which mainly sold touristy trinkets and we walked about abit before heading back to the hotel for the night.
9th June, Monday
Today morning, we took a 45min ride out to Banteay Srey. The aim was to see the temple ruins of Banteay Srey, and later pay a visit to the Knar school, and lastly the Akri Landmine Museum.
Banteay Srey is a very small but beautifully preserved temple. Also known as the Women's temple, its red stone and intricate craving made it Wendy's favourite of all the temples we visited. It only took us about half an hour to finish the temple visit, but the gorgeous photos Wendy got from there! Really beautiful....
Bantrey Srey with a grouchy Shannon
Lovely photo which Wendy took of the kids
We left Banteay Srey to then visit the Knar School. We saw the kids hard at study and a few mischievous ones sneaking repeated peeks at us. It was a really eye opener, these kids with no shoes, very gruffy school uniforms and flies flying everywhere, trying to study. Dara told us that it only takes USD $12 to send a child to school for one whole year, but most villagers cannot even afford this amount. Though Unicef supplements some food which the school gets, it is hardly enough. Imagine 6 children sharing the smallest can of sardines we can find in the supermarket?!!
Until recently, all the school children studied in a wooden shed with a leaky roof and no walls. With incoming tourist donations to the Ponheary Ly Foundation, they were able to build a single story cement building for the kids. And the kitchen which the cooks churn out simple breakfast of rice and fish? It's two earthen mounds, thats' all.
The Old rickety shed where the kids have had to study in
Their new Classroom building
We looked at the school children and marvelled at how lucky the three kids we had with us were. Here we were debating whether to let Shannon enter into St James next year since she has gotten a place there, or letting her stay at her beloved Faith Montessori, and in a nearby country, kids are struggling to be fed and clothed and to be educated. The chinese saying 'Bu Tong Ren, Bu Tong Ming' really applies here.
The funny thing? The kids were always smiling and laughing. They looked at us with curiosity and some were so eager to pose for Wendy's camera.
Beautiful photo of the Knar School kids
They loved taking photos, courtesy of Wendy's camera
We left the place promising Dara that we would try to gather some donations to forward to them for their upcoming new school year in September.
We went on to visit the Akri Landmine Museum. Akri was a soldier who spent his early part of his life laying landmines for the Khmer Rouge. After the Khmer Rouge ended, he saw the destruction these landmines caused to his people and the helpless landmine victims without hands, legs or eyes. He vowed to help and started digging out as many landmines that he could find. He estimates that he had unearthed at least 50,000 landmines, with thousands left. The landmine museum showcases just some of the landmines and the destruction it has caused to Cambodians. Besides that, it also relies on donations to fund a home for landmine victims just behind the museum.
This place really stuck a chord with me when I read the stories of the landmine victims, most of them children, some without hands, arms, others without legs. It particularly hit home when I saw a photo of a 9 year old landmine victim, a girl with a blinded eye, the same girl I had noticed at the Knar school hard at studying.
We had lunch at the Kmer Resturant. Coincidentally, the Ponheary Foundation was bringing a group of school children to lunch there, courtesy of a Amercian family who was here so we met Ponheary in person, a very warm and friendly lady.
Lunch was really good, we had 6 dishes and it only cost USD$24 with drinks! (Btw, beer is cheaper than soft drinks there!) We had a fried egg and long bean omelette, very similar to the ones we find back home, pork ribs in sweet sour sauce, two different baked potato, beef, pork and cheese casseroles, really yummy, morning glory with small shrimp (which is really 'Kangkong' with 'He bi'), and Cambodian's famous Fish Amok, which is essentially small bits of fish, with chopped vegetables in a green curry gravy.
After lunch, and a rest back at the hotel, we headed to Angkor Wat at 4pm. Hmm, what can I say about this temple ruin? I think after seeing temple after temple, we did get templed out, so it was much of a blur for me since it was HUGE... especially when I had to juggle a 12kg toddler on my arm who refused to get down and walk on her own, and also refused daddy, Popo, OR Gong gong. I was really pooped by the end of the tour.
Pooped Lisa even before we went into Angkor Wat
But after saying this, I have to say the photos we took made it all worth while. Captured with clear skies and breathtaking scenery, the photos really show Angkor Wat in its past glory. It made me proud looking at this photo and saying to myself, 'hey, we did it! We did Angkor Wat and it was worth it!
The Pride n Joy of all my photos
Look at the beautiful clouds and sky! Wendy's Camera...
Stone cravings at Angkor Wat
The two kids taking a break
We ended the day with dinner at a Hongkong cafe with dimsum and surprisingly good fried rice! Dad chatted with the owner for a bit and it turns out he is a Malaysian who started this place about 8 months back. In any case, we satisfied any chinese food carving we had, and Shannon had her favourite Char Siew Bao' even in Cambodia.
10th June, Tuesday
Tuesday morning, and we were treated to a specially mashed potato and cheese casserole for out buffet breakfast. Mal was already commenting he was gonna miss eating all the fatty bacon he could for breakfast!
We went to Ta Phrom today morning. This temple ruin is famous because of the show 'Tomb Raider' and it was one of my favourite. The jungle had taken hold of this temple before restoration started, and because of this, many trees roots started growing along, on top and over the temple stones, creating a really beautiful and unique display of nature and man made creation together.
Tree roots reaching from top to bottom
Group photo
With a bit of time before lunch, we headed to Artisan D'Angkor. This is a school cum workshop where young Cambodians enter into apprenticeship for a number of years to become skilled craftsman in wood, stone and silk weaving. Establishments such as these are crucial to Cambodia as so many of its people were slaughtered during the Khmer Rouge, many of the old skills passed down from generation to generation are almost lost to the young. Here, we saw the apprentices hard at work cravings, sanding and moulding art pieces and displays of Angkor Wat cravings, Buddhist artwork and Cambodian murals.
We opted for lunch at another recommended cafe Blue Pumpkin, but it was a dissapointment for me, After hearing fave reviews about its crossiants which could rival its counterpart from France, well, I can only say, I was not bowled over by it food, atomsphere, crossiants or its ice cream.
To make up for it, Mal and I went in search of the mysterious Mango ice cream.... confused? You see, on our first day out, upon returning back to the hotel, we spied a couple carrying what looked to be a mountain high of mango pieces and ice cream in a big plastic bowl back to the hotel. It looked so yummy, I ask the doorman immediately whether he knew where we could get it. The doorman replied that it was from the cafe just next door... so on this free afternoon, we went on our search. It didn't take us long to find, just 3 doors down, we chanced upon the Puka Puka Cafe, which is located next to a Angkor Cookie Factory! We went in and checked out its cookies which apparantly was started by a Japanese lady living in Angkor Wat. The cookies were lovely and we bought a few boxes back to Singapore.
She also opened Puka Puka Cafe which serves pastries, bread and of course the most yummy concoction of shaved ice, sweet milk, mango syrup, Mango Sorbet and topped with chunky, sweet and juicy Mango pieces, mmmmmmmmm! We relished one and ta-po'd one back for Wendy and Alf....
For our last dinner at Siem Reap, Dara recommended a Khmer-French fusion restaurant in town. We were abit dubious seeing the arty farty exterior, but the dining area was charmingly Khmer so we opted to try it. It turned out to be a good recommendation. We sat on the cushions on the floor and the kids started rolling round in fun.
I tried the duck L'orange which was a bit tough but otherwise very nice. Mal had beef stew which was simply fantastic. The beef melted in the mouth and the taste was superb. As what Mal kept whispering in my ear, 'where else can you get good french food at USD$12???
'Though both my parents had opted for khmer one dish stir-fried chicken with different styles of cooking, it turned out very nicely as well.
Budding Talented Photographer in the Making - Ethan took this pic of Shannon
Sitting on cushions on the floor at the French Fusion restaurant
11th June, Wednesday
Today we are saying goodbye to Siem Reap. We had our last buffet breakfast at the hotel, with Mal mourning the loss of unlimited bacon, and me relishing the yummy pork porridge with salted egg.Since our flight only leaves Siem Reap at 625pm, we were lucky enough to get a late checkout for all the rooms until 4pm, so that was really nice of the hotel. We packed our luggague and with lots of spare time left, decided to bring the kids to use the swimming pool. Shannon and Ethan had fun running around and wading in the shallow end, while Mal teased the two kids with the Helicoptor stunt.
The Hotel swimming pool
Shannon and Ethan playing in the shallows under daddys' watchful eyes
We decided to wander out alongside our hotel and explore the small cafes and resturants just next door for some lunch. We stumbled upon this Korean non spicy hotpot set lunch for four at only USD$20 and decided to give it a go. A standard meal comes with fishcakes, fish rolls, meat balls, vegetables, mushrooms and tofu. The soup base was very yummy and the chilli sauce which accompanied the meal had a tinge of bean paste in it, so it was a great complement to the meal. I enjoyed the food throughly though Mal was not very impressed by the set up.
We then went over to the cookie factory and Puka Puka Cafe next door and had a last Mango fruit sorbet dessert, gonna miss this when we come back to Singapore! I seriously doubt we can find this anywhere here!
We boarded the packed plane home to Singapore in the evening, and it was so full that they had to split us up. In the end I sat with Shannon and mum, while Mal and my dad enjoyed sitting on their own and getting some relaxing time to enjoy in flight service. We touched down at 930pm with a cranky and sleepy Shannon in tow, and rushed home in a cab...
Last Thoughts....
Alot of people, us included had this misconception that since Siem Reap is in Cambodia, it would be really rural, dirty and just plain poor. But that was so very wrong. With its many western cafes, restaurants, and posh hotels, too many to count, Siem Reap looked like Phuket!
Of course, there's no denying the fact that the people are poor, and we did see many begging children and many more hawking tourists sourveniors at the temple sites, but because of Angkor Wat and the thousands of tourists it draws every year, the people of Siem Reap are turning to this to survive. It is a stark contrast when we seeing row after row of english pubs, cafes, and restaurants in town versus the 4year old boy carrying a one year nearly naked baby begging for money at the temple. Yet there is no denying the economic boom that Angkor Wat and its temple ruins have bought to this survivors of the Khmer Rouge.
So to the people who are thinking of visiting, just go, and you will be surprised. But don't forget to stop to help the Cambodians, either through donations or through spending your tourist dollars on the kids selling the trinkets.
