Neither Chris nor I had ever been to Cambodia, and so we didn’t really know what to expect. However, on landing at the Siem Reap airport, we both noted how well-kept the airport was. It looked and felt like a smaller airport in the US, and everything was super efficient. Passport control was a breeze and our bikes arrived to baggage claim in short order. It was good!
The hotel had arranged that a taxi driver pick us up with a minivan to transport our bikes to the hotel. As we rode to the hotel, we both remarked how clean the streets were compared to Vietnam. The traffic was also more orderly, and it seemed like there were more cars than scooters. Welcome to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Our hotel is lovely and we had booked the Honeymoon Suite, which was amusing. We booked it since it had an outdoor bathtub and seemed nice, but didn’t know how far they would go on that theme. Flower petals and leaves spelled out Happy Honeymoon on the bed and towels were wrapped as intertwined swans. The giant tub was filled with water covered by flower petals. We felt like middle-aged (old?) imposters. 😉 But it was all fun.
We needed something to eat, and so we walked into the night and found the restaurant recommended by our host. The downtown was lively. A dozen tuk-tuk drivers asked us if we wanted a ride, but it was a nice night so we walked. It was a 10 minute walk. This is a tourist town for sure, but not over the top. Everyone seems to speak English. Later we learned that over 80% of Cambodians speak English so that makes our communication easier. Dinner was great and prices are inexpensive.
The next day, we put together bikes on the front porch of the hotel, enjoyed the pool and met some other people at the hotel while eating lunch.
That evening, our new friends and us went to a restaurant just a few doors down from the hotel and a more modern take on Cambodian food. Dinner was amazing! We need to come back here. Food was so good we didn’t even remember to take pictures of it.
There is a ton of stuff to see around Siem Reap, and so we extended our hotel reservation to 6 days. Our first ride, we visited a temple called Banteay Srei, dedicated to the goddess Shiva. It’s carved out of pink sandstone, and very intricately carved. Pictures do not begin to show the awe of these sites, but maybe they will remind us of the main points which we experienced.
After Banteay Srei, we rode another 9 miles to a trailhead leading to a waterfall called Kbal Spean where other carvings decorate a stream bed. Amazing to think these carvings are 800 years old and in such good condition!
Our second ride was to go to Angkor Wat, the largest and most famous of the temples around Siem Reap, as well as others along what is called the Small Circuit route. We hired a guide to take us around Angkor Wat, which was super helpful to start to be able to understand the iconography and history of these temples.
Next we went to Angkor Thom, which is known for it’s many faces carved in the stone.
Ta Prohm was our next destination, and I confess it’s hard to keep them all straight. Each is so amazing, but it’s impossible to remember all the finer details of each.
When the French first came to Cambodia in 1860, they began the process of finding and restoring these amazing temples. About 400 years of neglect had allowed nature to grow over, in and through temples, and this has been left as was in many places. Columns and walls were on the ground and the French reassembled using the best ways they knew at the time, removing trees and roots in many cases to restore the temples, however leaving many trees remaining. They are almost as amazing as the temples themselves. I think this temple was used for the movie Tomb Raider.
From there, we headed back to our hotel, arriving at sunset. Dinner was another exploration of Cambodian food, this time in another place recommended by a guest here.
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