Less than a week ago I returned from my first solo (well, without family) overseas adventure to Cambodia and Singapore. I honestly had the most amazing time! It was my first time visiting Asia and I travelled with my good friend Sarah. Firstly, we spent 2 weeks in Siem Reap where we were volunteering at a school, teaching English to children and adults. Arriving at Siem Reap was very different to the arrival at any other country I have travelled to - your passport and visa are processed by hand, and customs involves one dropping a declaration form into an unmanned box! The ride from the airport was definitely a bit of a shock - tiny shacks are right next to massive 5 star hotels, motos weave in and out of traffic (not always on the right side of the road), and huge tour busses go flying past.
Throughout the week, we taught during the day, using our lunch breaks and evenings to explore the town. I have been to Europe and America before but nothing prepared me for the friendliness foreigners are shown in Cambodia. Although Siem Reap is very tourism-oriented (the majority of restaurants and shops have free wi-fi!), the charm of the town is still present, with miniature Angkor Wats and silk scarves being sold alongside cooking utensils and live fish in the central markets.
Definitely worth a mention is River Garden - a hotel/ restaurant on the riverfront a few minutes out of Siem Reap. We would go here at our lunch breaks, because as long as you pay for food or a drink, you can use their beautiful pool for no extra cost. The sandwiches are amazing, but huge - I would probably share with a friend, even if you are absolutely famished! This place is definitely worth looking up if your hotel doesn't have a pool, as the staff are so friendly and don't treat the walk-ins any different to the hotel guests.
Other fantastic eats for the first week include Blossom and Il Forno. Blossom is a cupcake shop, located near Pub Street. The cupcakes are beautiful (try the Peanut Butter ones), but what I think makes it so special is that it is a Non-Governmant Organisation (NGO) that takes female sex workers and teaches them how to bake. I'd want to support something like this regardless, but the cupcakes just made it that much sweeter! Il Forno was an Italian restaurant that was rumoured to make better Italian than anywhere in the world. While I'm not sure if I'd award it that title, it was definitely the best Italian food I ate on our trip - the Margarita pizza and Spaghetti Bolognese are definitely worth a try!
Tips for Siem Reap
1. Stay in a guesthouse instead of a 5 star hotel. I will do this again next time I go to Siem Reap! The guesthouses tend to be much closer to town, and still have everything you need - wifi, usually a laundry service of some sort, and quite possibly an onsite restaurant. Ours was a 5 minute bike ride out of Siem Reap town, just across the river - about 2 minutes in a tuk tuk. There are also less people at these places, so you actually form relationships with the lovely Khmer staff.
2. $3 massages…need I say more?
3. Be careful with your possessions… and yourself! Although Siem Reap seems like a very safe place (we had no problems when we were there) it still pays to make sure you watch your bag, especially in the market place. When you're on a tuk tuk, it's easy to get too relaxed, but we heard stories of people having their bags stolen as they went by! Stay in a group, and be careful when you're out at night.
Until next time,
Laura
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