Cambodia: The Highlights

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My time in Cambodia started the predictable way. Based in Siem Reap my purpose was to explore the famed temples of Angkor. I was interested, yet not overly excited as I had in my 18 years seen my share or temples. What made Angkor special for me however was not particularly the structures themselves, which were rightfully renowned, but in my opinion over enthusiastically restored. I loved my few days here owing this to the humble exchange of two dollars and a bit of a workout. I hired a bicycle and made my own way through the temples. Rough Guide in hand and iPod in ear I ambled through the more remote corners of area, appreciating the serenity of the experience as a whole.

Siem Reap itself has suffered in abundance of culture through over development. The ritzy resorts outnumber the modest guesthouse here and I did at first wonder if I would find somewhere to stay at all. But as I found would be a trend throughout this country, once I dug a little deeper I did infact find areas with plenty of charm. The shining example of this to me was Pub Street. While not the most Khmer of all places it did play host to some of the nicest restaurants I found in Cambodia.

Next on my itinerary was a flying visit to the capital Phenom Penh. Dropped in its hectic centre I was immediately overwhelmed by its pace. The dirty, makeshift street stalls curtained the streets alive with buses and raucous tuk-tuks. Similarly to Siem Reap however the city did offer some more sedate and aesthetic corners. The riverfront was such a place. Restaurants two or more stories high made a great place to distance yourself from the mania and watch local street soccer game below as the sun sets. On my second day in Phenom Penh I joined a tour out to the infamous Killing Fields. This was the site where thousands of Cambodians and some foreign expats were slaughtered without means during the Khmer Rouge era. It was a sobering experience. After wandering through the bone fragments and strips of cloth for some time I made my way to S21. This was the prison where those accused of conspiring against the revolution were tortured before being put to death at the Killing Fields. It was horrific. Blood stains covered every inch of the floors and black and white photos of bloodied corpses hung about the room. Most shocking perhaps is that this all occurred just more than a decade before I was born, and is from reports repeating itself in Africa now.

The tours and bus rides had begun to take their tole so my visit to Sihanoukville could not have come sooner. Situated on the coast, this extremely Westernised town attracts a number of backpackers for both its beaches and nightlife. I based myself at Serendipity beach, the main area for young budget travellers looking for a good time. Its beach was passable but the restaurant/bars lining its shores added a social atmosphere which gave the place its appeal. Of a night free drink cards were aplenty and before I knew it I’d made friends with half the beach and lost my room key. The recovery by day was a spent by Otres Beach, Serendipity’s more attractive, relaxed neighbour. After a few days of this routine I became restless and a little guilty at the idea that I was seeing and achieving very little. So I made my way to Koh Rong Island. Only a few hours by ferry this unexpected jewel of the Cambodian coastline was the epitome of the tropical island hideaway. It had been inhabited only a few years and at the time of my visit had only a few small guesthouses and ramshackle bungalows on the sand. The island did also have a small dive centre which took scuba junkies to what I’m told were rather average sites. The first night I hired a tent by the water. They threw in a mattress and that was home. It was an ideal way to escape and enjoy the squeaky white sand and turquoise blue. My second and final night I shared a bungalow in a similar location with a friend from Argentina. He spoke very little English so I taught him ’hammock’ and ‘beer’.

With my body recharged I returned to Sihanoukville, spent a night or two socialising and drinking copious amounts of local whiskey, and then left for Kampot. This was a place with a far different feel. A sleepy town by the Mekong, Kampot gets its charisma from the lush forest by which it’s surrounded. Adding to this is the run-down yet distinctly French styled buildings which housed a wealth of bakeries and trendy cafes. I stayed at Bohdi Villa, a quaint guesthouse run by an Australian family positioned slightly out of town along the river. It boasted rooms from outside dorms to floating bungalows and created the perfect environment for one to chill out. I soon slipped into an almost meditative state which I then did my best to shake with a motorbike trip to the seaside village of Kep. I hired the bike with no real idea how to find the place or how I would handle the roads in general. But I did make it and in many ways the journey was more fun than the town itself.

After a quick stopover and return to Phenom Penh my final destination in Cambodia was Kratie. Located up in the North East corner it looms high above the steep banks of a broad section of the Mekong. Famous for its market and as a base for a tour to see the rare freshwater Irrawading dolphins. There are only around 300 left in the wild due to fishing and river pollution. I was the only passenger aboard my small boat propelled mainly by a large paddle. The driver/paddler favouring this modest method of propulsion I assume to avoid scaring the dolphins with an engine. It worked as I was lucky enough to see at least a dozen of the strange snub-nosed dolphins. They bobbed up and down amongst the maze of sand islands but never leapt like those in the ocean. I then ventured further up the river where swam or clung to the rocks more like, in the rapids of Kampi. I spent the afternoon here lying in a hammock which hung from one of the many wooden structures stretching across the gushing water.

I left Kratie the following day aboard yet another karaoke styled ‘VIP’ bus this time headed for Laos. The destination of my next adventure would be Si Phan Don, or 4000 Islands. I knew little about the place other than it was revered by everyone who visited it. What I was certain of was that I was well equipped and enthusiastic as ever to take on the mystifying ‘last frontier’ which is Laos.

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