It was a week into my time at Siem Reap when we were all sitting around the hostel bar, and the topic Angkor Wat came up. I mean of course it did, how could it not, after all we were sitting 20km away from the ancient temples, drinking Angkor Wat beer. It was then that I realized I had been in Siem Reap a full week without seeing what has been dubbed the 8th wonder of the world, Angkor Wat. My fellow travellers couldn't believe it, for sure I was bluffing, but I wasn't. At that point the question arose, what did I do for a week in Siem Reap?
Experience a comfortable life + affordable rates and plans
Experience a comfortable life + affordable rates and plans
The simple of it would be that I hung out with the nicest people I've ever met, Cambodians! However, the nicest Cambodians are found in the country side and the villages. These people truly are genuine, they value their quality of life more then trying to get rich quick. Rich obviously being a loosely used term here, as most Cambodians make around a $1000 a year. The ones that haven't decided to move to the city, still make it by farming their own food and trading it amongst the village people. Working by sunrise, and drinking rice wine by day, and early to bed at night. One of my best days in Cambodia was when I took a trip out to a village and visited with true Cambodian's for the day. Cooking fish and beef on an open fire, next to a fresh water reservoir where the locals fish and take fresh afternoon dips to cool off! Furthermore they showed us their farm, their techniques, their home and introduced us to their family, making us all feel extremely blessed.
The town of Siem Reap is also the perfect place to be at anytime of day. With the french influence here, there's always a coffee shop, or a baguette for 25 cents near by. Bustling bars line every street here, not just on pub street! The locals are always keen for a game of pool or snooker at one of the many snooker halls, or on one of the many bars if your lucky enough to score a table. Or why not grab an ice cream cone from Swensens' ice cream (the best in town) and head out on a river stroll towards where the locals play beach volleyball. The fast paced game, of the highly talented locals will keep you on your toes, or maybe you even want to join in and play on one of the many courts available. Looking for more sporting opportunities, well Siem Reap is also home to Cambodia's only climbing gym. Not quite your pace? Maybe try heading back across the river towards "Common Ground" an American owned coffee shop with a good cause. The prices are a little hefty, but with every $1000 of profit they're able to build a house in a new city located in Khan Dang Kao. Cambodia's poorest area where 1500+ families are living in extreme poverty, visit buildacity.org for more info! It's a $1.50 for an ice coffee, a buck for a small bottle of water or more than I care to admit paying, $2 for a large bottle of water. I went for the molten lava cake, a rich chocolate dish topped with whip cream, that ran me a well worth it $2.
Still not your pace? Then I'm sure 50 cent draft at one of the many pubs on pub street will do you well! Bustling bars line every street here, more then just on pub street! The locals are always keen for a game of pool or snooker at one of the many snooker halls, or at one of the bars if your lucky enough to score a table. Some places serve 50 cent draft through all hours of the night, but most backpackers tend to head towards the famous "Angkor What" bar, the bar that started it all back in 1998. Here you can meet countless other like minded travellers, eager to tell their stories and hear yours. It's no longer 1998 anymore, nowadays there's plenty more late night bars for you to check out as well. Temple bar is across the street, and is the place to go for a late night meal, since their kitchen never closes. Down the street is X bar, an Australian ran rooftop bar with a half pipe at the top! Yes! A half pipe, even if you don't have your own board (since I'm yet to meet someone who travels Asia with a skateboard) you can rent one for 5 bucks and they'll throw in a pint with it! More options include Tuk Tuk bar, Laundry bar, Mezze bar, Miss Wongs bar and what ever special one you find on your own!
Siem Reap is much more than just a party town of buckets and music. In fact for a week of my stay the music was shut off and I never once was left wishing it was on. A music less pub street lost its vibe quickly, so we looked elsewhere to entertain us. Whether that be, the locals taking a group of us out and showing us there favourite spots or spontaneous decisions to go mini-golfing at 9:30pm a good time was always found! Some nights were nothing more than a beautiful sunset at lesser know locations like Phnom Krom or Wat Atwea and then early to bed. If over crowded tourist attractions aren't your thing, then these temples will be for you! Maybe not as impressive, but seemingly as good when there's no crowd!
Tee, the owner of the mini-golf course, was another genuine local of Siem Reap, who arranges a pick up service for his mini-golf, as it's on the south out skirts of town. Unfortunately for Tee, he owed me three beers before are group even left the hostel, after a few games of pool. Once at mini golf, a hole-in-one, won you a free beer and between the five of us we managed to get two hole-in-ones which made six free beers out him. Since Tee wanted a rematch, but this time at snooker, he took us out to a local snooker hall on the way home from mini-golf where I managed to keep my streak up and beat him once more. The group of six of us shot many games of snooker and drank a few more beers for only eight bucks in are own private a/c room. Tee then dropped us off at Temple bar for a late night eat to cure are hunger before it was time to go in. We talked over pizza, a little in awe about how nice the locals here can be, and of course about the mini golf course itself, a fun challenging course in which we all shot over sixty in just fourteen holes!
More options of things to do include the West Baray, the largest land man made baray in Angkor, offers stunning views for a peaceful day away from the crowd. Siem Reap is also home to a military shooting range (30km out of town) where you can shoot nearly any gun you can think of, or even shoot a rocket launcher... into a cow if that's your kind of thing, though it will run you around $400! It used to be possible to throw a grenade, but unfortunately for safety reason the military has banned this. Fifty kilometres north of Angkor Wat also offers some beautiful waterfalls worth checking out, and just east of the city is a wildlife sanctuary, and south there is a floating village. Furthermore, hot air balloons and helicopter rides are also all available at flash packer prices. When you're bored of all that and you're lucky enough to stay somewhere with a pool, its time to relax! If not just head to Downtown Siem Reap hostel and use theirs for two bucks, but maybe you want to grab Swensens ice cream on the way!
This article is part of my new website http://www.Capturingendlesstravel.com here you can find more travel articles, my photo portfolio and a photo blog of my travels. Let me know what you think!
When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09164422611/09173373687.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dylan_T_Wyer
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment