We arrived in Cambodia with a list of places to visit and grand plans for exploration. However we fast realised that we would have to make some snappy decisions and get selective with the amount of time we had.
Our first stop was Phnom Penh (the Capital), and knowing that we would have to re-visit this place a few times to catch buses, we spent just a couple of nights here to start with. One thing is for sure - Cambodia is a country of contrasts. The glittering extravagance of the Royal Palace and Pagodas sit precociously next to wooden huts that are barely big enough to house a family but jostle for space to provide a home to an extended family and their many businesses. The saffron robed monks wonder the streets appealing for alms, while street children frantically try to sell anything they can to fund their next meal. To top it off, the hustle and bustle of the lively Phnom Penh is bordered by the tranquil memorial 'the killing fields', where the bones and rags of the people murdered here still emerge from the ground after every rainfall to serve as a somber reminder of the atrocities that happened here not so long ago.
Leaving ourselves just enough time to take all this in and reflect on our findings, we headed for the coast. Rumour had it that the islands off the coast of Sihanoukville were something unmissable, and from the moment we stepped off the boat onto Koh Rong Island we knew they weren't lying! This really was a little slice of paradise - clear blue waters, white sand and a private beach all of our own! We made ourselves at home in a Rustic bamboo hut on the beach and enjoyed three days of eating, reading, eating, swimming, eating, sleeping and of course eating! It may have rained for a large portion of the time, but this gave us even more excuse to do nothing! And before we knew it we were back on our way to Phnom Penh for the next leg of our trip.
This time we were Siem Reap bound, on a cultural mission to explore some old ruins in that neck of the woods that are apparently quite famous! Keen to make it an unforgettable experience, we were up at 4:30 the next morning to watch the sun rise. It was cloudy! So sun rise was more of a dimmer switch affair, but hey! It is amazing how much you can get into a day when you have an early start and we certainly made the most of our time! The temples are really quite incredible and I don't think we truly appreciated them until we had left them behind us. In one particular temple we received a crash course in Buddhism as we were thrust towards a Buddha armed with incense whilst a lady chanted some prays for us. Before we knew it we emerged from the other side, branded with woolen bracelets, and waved goodbye to by the grinning gold teeth of the lady responsible. We wonder how many other tourists fell into this trap - of course we had to make a small donation to ensure we had a 'good day'!
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, we were back on a bus heading to Ban Lung, Ratanakiri Province. This part of Cambodia is meant to be more off the tourist track, and the state of the roads supported this! Our 10 hour journey fast turned into a 15 hour epic adventure, including a nice long stop (2 1/2 hours) at the side of a dusty road whilst the driver/mechanic bashed about with stuff in the engine . To make matters worse, this was the first time we had travelled without snacks - an error we won't be making twice as breakfast was at about 6 and 'lunch' not until 4! We finally made it to Ban Lung and set up camp at the Tree Top Lodge - another beautiful setting to while away a few days. Other than a picturesque lake and some quaint waterfalls, this place doesn't have a lot going for it, which is what makes it so perfect. Everywhere we went we were greeted by cheery faces and children would run out into the road just to say hello and show off their english! This place has a genuine charm to it and is yet to succumb to the clutches of tourism! What a great way to draw our time in Cambodia to an end!
