A short story about a large pig

Along with around 500 other tourists, there we were standing our ground at the pond in front of Angkor Wat getting ready for the glorious sunrise.  

We had been up very early to get to Angkor Wat and had secured a great spot to watch the emerging sunrise.  Notwithstanding the crowds, it was a silent and peaceful experience......until.

To our right there was quite a commotion as the crowd heaved and moved as if some swamp creature was emerging from the pond.  The movement quickly came to us, and the crowd separated to reveal a very large pink pig snuffling around and bowling a couple of people over in the process.

We quickly danced away from the pig, and as it made our way past us a resourceful Chinese tourist launched a karate kick to its flank while another swung her handbag in to action.  The pig made a temporary retreat to assess the situation and plan its next move.

Not to be outdone, the pig returned and made a bee line for a nice muddy spot on the edge of the pond.  Pig and tourist having established some appropriate demarcation now settled in to enjoy the spectacular sunrise.

Unfortunately we didn't get our spot back and our view was not as good as pre-pig.  I am not sure if it was some random act by the pig or it was working  in concert with a band of Chinese tourists who improved their spot?  Perhaps the pig was simply a sunrise enthusiast? 

The mystery of the pig remains, we enjoyed the sunrise and the Angkor Wat experience.  I don't think you will find the pig on Trip Advisor - keep an eye out for it if you are at Angkor Wat at sunrise!

The pig!

Top 5 travel highlights in Cambodia

With 12 days travel split between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, and a lot of experiences packed in it was a difficult task to come up with 5 highlights.  I hope you find this list of value, and to note consistent with this blog, I have focused on experiences that are fit for families travelling in Cambodia.

#5 Ta Prohm

The temple made famous by Tombraider is a mystical delight of Khmer architecture, twists, turns, vines and trees.  Get there at 7:30 AM and enjoy this mystical temple.

#4 Urbanforage 

Expat Australian Sonya Duck leads an awesome tour of night markets and much more in Phnom Penh.  Get the insiders view and experience an interesting and exceedingly tasty side of Phnom Penh

http://urbanforage.co/

#3 Engaging with the Cambodian people

Not one experience, but multiple.  For all of the hardship they have been through, the Cambodian people are engaging, optimistic and decent.  Whenever you can take a minute to talk to a local, they are really interested in foreigners and love sharing stories about family.

As a predominantly Buddhist nation they believe in Karma - they will give to you, so giving back, sharing a smile or a kind gesture is just a small way of engaging, showing respect and a great part of your holiday in Cambodia.

#2 Tonle Sap Floating villages

Like  being in another world.  We did this impromptu with no expectations and it delivered in spades. Combine your tour of the floating villages with the sunset on Tonle Sap lake for a magical and truly fascinating side of Cambodian life.

#1 Angkor Wat Sunrise

If you do one thing in Cambodia, get up early for the Angkor Wat sunrise.  You won't be alone, but there is a reason for that it is one of the great travel experiences our world has to offer.  Followed straight up with a tour of Angkor Wat you will be in Temple heaven.  Fascinating, scenic and magical.

In and around Phnom Penh

We found Phnom Penh to be an interesting and vibrant city to visit for a few days.  Plenty to do in terms of culture, history, some great eating and local tours.  I would definitely recommend travelling there with kids, particularly if you are staying somewhere with a good pool for the required cooling off!

Markets

There are some great markets in Phnom Penh, our favorite was the Central Market which has a great combination of local food, every type of replica you would ever need and many different clothing options.

The Phnom Penh night markets are also worth visiting.  Focused more so on the tourist dollar there are some local products and handicrafts you might find interesting, along with live music and nearby are some really good local restaurants

The Russian markets are certainly interesting and worth a visit.  A real labyrinth of narrow aisles with everything you would expect, and what appeared to be some decent craft options.  We had a bit of market fatigue, so we didn't stay long.  Very close to the Russian markets on Street 155 are some export shops.  Here you will find seconds (not replicas) of various well known brands.  There is a lot of outsourced clothing manufacturing in Cambodia now, so maybe a chance to pick up some bargains.

One great experience was a part of a night tour where we visited the Kandal markets.  The Kandal markets are genuine local markets and worth a look.  Across the road from the Samsung shop is a guy selling the best pork ribs I have ever had!  Seriously, if this guy was in New York he would feature in an episode of Seinfeld.

The Killing Fields and S21

As difficult and incomprehensible as it is, engaging in Cambodia's tragic recent history is a part of the travel experience.  There are reminders everywhere of the impact of the Pol Pot regime and associated history, and a visit to the killing fields is a sobering and important thing to do on your travels.

We were travelling with our boys, and debated about the appropriateness of them going there.  My recommendation would be to not take kids under 12 and make sure you have an open conversation about what they are going to see ahead of the trip.  The nature of the experience at the killing fields is very reflective, and to that end the kids engaged in the experience and it fostered numerous conversations about the experience.

Following the killing fields we visited  the Genocide museum.  This is a very heavy experience, and not something I would recommend for kids under 14.  I sat out with my kids after a couple of rooms as it was too confronting.  My wife continued with the tour and found it hard work, but an important thing to do.

Royal Palace and surrounds

The Royal Palace and surrounding royal palace gardens are a real treat and a must do while you are in Phnom Penh.  A real hub of activity, you will see local people enjoying a picnic in the park, playing soccer or trying the street food.  The Royal Palace itself is quite remarkable, and a spectacular and peaceful place to visit.  They are strict with dress code and etiquette, so make sure you read up on this before you go.  

Near to the Royal Palace, you have the National Museum and a number of spectacular pagodas. The Royal Palace and surrounds are a must do whilst in Phnom Penh.

Near the Royal Palace

Bike Tour

We connected again with our good friends at Grasshopper tours for the Islands of the Mekong half day bike tour. Similar to our experience in Siem Reap, it was a well organised tour with knowledgeable and engaging guides.  If you want to see some of the countryside and engage in some experiences with local markets, silk weaving and a crocodile farm then get on this tour or another that takes your fancy.  A great thing to do with the kids.

Urban Forage

A highlight of our trip was the evening market and BBQ tour with Urban Forage.  Run by Australian expat Sonya Duck, this tour was a real surprise packet of local culture, markets and fantastic food! Sonya is a great host and we ate some brilliant (and interesting) food, and enjoyed the company of the other people on the tour.  The kids enjoyed it, so it's family friendly as well.  

Sony, Mr Smiley and our boys enjoying the Urban Forage tour

Siem Reap restaurants

One thing you will love about Cambodia is the Food.  Khmer cuisine has it's own flavors and traditions, not overly spicy with some traditional dishes that you must try.  One of our favorites was anything with Kampot pepper sauce!  A must try.  If your travelling with kids, you will find the food to their liking - noodle and rice dishes are always a favorite.

There are numerous eating options in Siem Reap, and courtesy of our hectic schedule we had a few meals at the hotel, so our experience was by no means expansive, but here are three restaurants we enjoyed.

Green House

Just across the road from the Sokha Angkor resort we had lunch here and it did not disappoint.  A family run affair with an extensive western and Khmer menu.  We all tried Khmer food, and the standout was the Khmer beef soup - my taste buds are tingling as  I write this!

A Little Khmer Cafe

One of many eating options near the old market.  We dropped in here after a fun but exhausting bike tour with Grasshopper adventures and were well and truly hungry.  Everything was good, and the stir fried morning glory with beef was very tasty.  Great value.

Cafe Indochine

A step up in the fanciness stakes, but still very reasonable prices and the food was A grade. Beautiful old building and courtyard seating out the front.  This was our last dinner in Siem Reap and we could not recommend this highly enough.

Cafe Indochine

Floating Village on Tonle Sap lake

As you are planning your itinerary for Siem Reap, make time for the floating villages of Kompong Phluk.  It is the closest thing to another world that I have seen, and is a must see!



We organised this trip on the fly with our knowledgeable Tuk Tuk driver, who directed us to Kompong Phluk ahead of other options on Tonle Sap lake.

It is about a 40 minute ride out of Siem Reap to the departure point where you need to find the ticket office and pay $US20 per person for what turned out to be a 3 hour tour.  For this we got our own long boat, driver and our Tuk Tuk driver joined us our own personal tour guide and all round good guy!

It takes about 30 minutes to get the Village, and it is simply breathtaking with a whole community living on stilted houses, kids jumping in to the lake, fishing, floating gardens...the list goes on.  Our next stop was the only road in town, which is underwater for 7 month of the year.  This was like nothing I have ever seen - a dirt road surrounded by stilted houses, with the whole community going about their business as you walked around.  I felt a little like an intruder, but we were assured it was OK and the locals don't mind particularly if you engage, smile and show some courtesy.

Our next surprise was a floating garden tour on small canoes.  You get dropped off to do this and it is $US5 per person.  We were paddled around by some local women, and it is a serene experience.  If you get the chance make sure you do this.

If we thought this trip could not get any better it did, courtesy of a short trip on to the lake proper to see the sunset.  Magical!




The trip back to our Tuk Tuk, and make sure you tip your boat driver some $US.

In and around Siem Reap

Siem Reap is a tourist hub, and an enjoyable city to spend some time in.  There is plenty of bustle but it's also laid back and characterised by the warm and welcoming nature of the Cambodian people.

As luck would have it, our time in Siem Reap coincided with the annual Water festival, a major public holiday period for the Cambodian people with markets, picnics by the river and the spectacular sight of the boat races down the Mekong.

Here are some things we enjoyed in and around Siem Reap

Guided bike tour

We spent a morning on a guided bike tour with Grasshopper adventures.  This was a great way to see the country side up close and our tour included local markets, a crocodile farm, pagoda and local cafe.  This was really enjoyable and I would thoroughly recommend this if you have kids 10 years of age or older.

The bikes were good, the tour was well organised and we had attentive and knowledgeable tour guides.



Local Markets

There are some interesting markets in Siem Reap, including the Old Market and the Night Market. These are definitely worth checking out, and if your after some cheap or replica clothing then you are in the right place.  There is a hustle and bustle to the old market and still acts as a market for locals with some great sights and sounds.

There is also a small and upscale market behind the Hard Rock Cafe that sells and showcases some quality Cambodian products.  We got some wonderful handcrafted products from Kroma House, one of the vendors in the market.

War Museum

Cambodia's sad and tragic past and the impact of the Pol Pot regime is a sobering part of the travel experience.  One of these experiences is to visit the War Museum Cambodia, which is an outdoor museum displaying various armaments and history relevant to the war and regime.

The real experience here is to have one of the museum guides show you around.  We found this a heartfelt and insightful experience.  Our guide was in his mid 30's and was able to relay his experience and that of his family's.  The Cambodian people are optimistic and honest, and our guide was able to relay history and a story that you could not get otherwise.

We would recommend this, and it's appropriate to pay a small fee of a few dollars or more to your guide at the end.

Walking by the river

It is picturesque and interesting to walk along the riverfront.  Start at the Royal Gardens and stroll along until you get to the old markets. There are also a number of interesting streets to get sidetracked in and plenty of places to stop for a cold drink.

Part of the travel experience is to walk and explore, and whilst not a classic city, Siem Reap has plenty to offer if you just want to explore

Angkor Temples

Ta Prohm

We have spent 6 days in Siem Reap, and have made sure we have spent a good chunk of our time at the main attractions - the temples of Angkor.

I won't try and describe their grandeur, as they truly have to be experienced.  Suffice to say they are more than you can imagine.  What you don't comprehend until you get to Siem Reap is the scale and diversity of the temples.  The headline is of course Angkor Wat, but this is only one of the many temples and monuments you can visit.  If you are interested in the temples, my advice would be to spend an extra day or two to enjoy the diversity and history.

We visited the temples in three different blocks of time. This allowed us to manage temple fatigue (it can be hot work!), and travelling with kids it allowed us to get some down time and explore Siem Reap.

Before you visit to the temples, you have to buy a pass. You have a variety of options - we brought a 3 day pass, which allowed us to visit temples over any 3 days in a 7 day period.

If your not a part of an organised tour group, the best option to get around is via Tuk Tuk.  We organised this from our hotel, and found our driver to be incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.  We paid around $20 for a fair chunk of the day.

Baksei Chamrong

Our first effort at Temples on our first evening in Siem Reap.  This is the recommended temple for the sunset, and unfortunately a miss for us.  Not because it's not spectacular, but because only 300 people are allowed on the temple at one time.  I think we got our timing wrong with a public holiday and a Saturday evening.  Put this on your list, but make sure you are there at 3:30.

Angkor Wat Sunrise

If you do one thing in Siem Reap, do this.  It is spectacular, and followed by time to explore Angkor Wat before it gets too hot.  It was an early start at 4:30 from our hotel, but simply breathtaking.

It can be competitive for a great sunrise snap given the popularity, so get your spot and hold your ground!  Noting that when we were there, the natural order of things was disturbed by a large pig that came for a drink, and to see what morsels it may claim.

The dress code is strict, and in particular women need to cover shoulders with a a longer shirt, or wrap.  This is particularly the case with the royal temple in the centre of Angkor Wat.  You have to line up for the royal temple, so consider heading in earlier to avoid the line!

Enjoy Angkor Wat and the surrounds, it is spectacular.

Angkor Wat Sunrise

Bayon temple and Angkor Thom

We made a good call at Angkor Thom by paying for one of the official tour guides at the Bayon temple.  You can do this at all of the main temples, and is worth doing at least once because of the history and insight you can't otherwise get. This included an understanding of the machinations between various Hindu and Buddhist times of rule, wars, alliances and the sheer magnitude of what was required to build the temples.  

I think Angkor Thom and the Bayon temple is a must see.  If I had any advice it would be to visit earlier in the day - we were there from 10AM and it was hot and over run with other tourists.

Ta Prohm

We got to Ta Prohm at opening time (7:30 AM), and this is something I would recommend.  Ta Prohm, made more recently famous by the Tombraider movie is a special experience.  Vines, and tree trunks intersecting and growing through the temple, which has numerous nooks and crannies to explore and a delight around every corner.  Brilliant!

Prah Kahn

The main temple is set out in a series of corridors, and allows for some great photos.  Didn't grab me as much as the other temples, but if anything the bridge to the temple is worth the visit.

Banteay Srei

The mini Angkor Wat is quite spectacular and worth the visit if you have time.  Banteay Srei is a further 40 minutes from Angkor Thom, so it's a bit of a hike.  Its a much smaller temple and doesn't take a lot of time to visit.  There are a number of local market shops and a visitors centre in the complex, so you can cool down with a drink and as we did purchased some local craft work!

Overall, we found the temples to be a fantastic experience.  My advice is to get to them early to avoid the heat and tourist flocks and if you had time for only two it would be Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm, with the Bayon temple a very close third!

Ta Prohm

Plans for Siem Reap

One day until we head off, and we have a number of things we want to experience in Siem Reap in addition to the mandatory temples.  This includes the floating villages, markets, cooking classes and bike tours.  We have planned our itinerary to allow for a bit of down time as well, and the opportunity to soak in the local culture.

There are a lot of great resources and websites to plan your trip, one I have really enjoyed is

www.wanderluststorytellers.com.au

We are going a bit upmarket in Siem Reap and got a great deal at the Sokha Angkor Resort.  Stay tuned for reviews on our experience and insights on this and other accommodation options in Siem Reap.

Setting out

Our family has a passion for travelling, new experiences and taking in culture.  It has always been a dream of ours to travel to Cambodia and we are heading off in a few days, starting out in Siem Reap, where we are incredibly excited about visiting the temples of Angkor.

In particular, this blog will have a family focus - sharing our experience with you and providing some insights and ideas on what it is like to travel with two boys in Cambodia!