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