Blogs from Battambang, North, Cambodia, Asia - page 14

Nach der Hauptstadt Phnom Penh und der Touristenhochburg Siem Reap mit ihrem Nachtleben wirkt Battambang wie ein verschlafenes Provinzkaff. Dabei ist der ca. 150.000 Einwohner zählende Ort immerhin die zweitgrößte Stadt des Landes. Das sieht man ihr aber keineswegs an. Die Anzahl der Touristen hält sich in Grenzen, ebenso die der Touristenrestaurants. Gästehäuser und Hotels gibt es aber dennoch genug und wie üblich wurden alle Barangs (westliche Ausländer) beim Aussteigen aus dem Bus von einer Horde Tuk-Tuk-Fahrer mit Hotelprospekten überfallen. Diese bieten einen kostenlosen Transport zum Hotel ihrer Wahl an. Nachdem ich mich etwas umgesehen hatte, nahm ich dann das Angebot eines Moto-Fahrers an, mich kostenlos zu einem Gästehaus zu bringen. Es lag in einer ungepflasterten Seitenstraße und ich hätte es wahrscheinlich ohne ihn nicht gefunden. Die Zimmer waren spartanisch eingerich... read more

After 11 hours on a bus through rice fields, villages and towns (change of bus at Phnom Penh), we jumped on a tuk tuk straight to a hotel in serious need of showers, food and a stretch. Battambang, and the hotel (Royal Hotel no less!), had a great feel to it - very relaxed, sleepy town obviously making the most of tourism with lots of visitors wandering around. We went for a wee walk that night, at about 9pm, but everything was shut...excepting a textile shop for some reason! We reckoned we were going to enjoy this, and the area did not disappoint. The next day we hired two motorbikes with drivers/guides for one of the best days so far. The guides (from an outfit based outside the hotel) spoke excellent English, were really friendly and ... read more

In our post last week, we told you that we had a bus ticket for the 3/4 of our next trip to Sen Monorom, far East of Cambodia... After that stop at 130km away from our destination, we planed to catch a mini-bus. This mini-bus left our station 2 hours earlier than our bus... Not synchronized at all... So when we arrived at 1pm, people in the station told us, we had 2 options: either sleep in the village and wait for the mini-bus next day at 11am or wait at the corner of the road for a pick-up that goes there, Inch'allah !!! So we spent 2 very funny hours with a family who was selling grilled-bananas and cold-drinks along the road... Of course, we were the only Westerners around and let's say that after ... read more

Leaving Phnom Penh I arrived at the bus station with 40 minutes to spare. Thinking I would grab a coffee or something I made to leave and was instantly admonished and told to "stay in your seat, bus come very soon." The bus didn't some very soon, it came at 11:20 (due at 10) and every time I made to move I was firmly told to stay put. Not quite sure why as other people came and went and then returned from whence they'd been, but not I. Maybe word of my navigational prowess had reached them and they were loath to lose me? Anyway, bus arrived and for one horrid monemt I thought I was going to have to sit on a small plastic stool in the ailse (think very small child stool and you ... read more

Dismounting from the boat at the dock in Phnom Penh we were met by a jostling crowd of hawkers, hotel reps and moto, tuk tuk and taxi drivers. We had a hotel organised and the address, but they are not that helpful in Cambodia where street numbering seems utterly random. Perhaps this nation is psychologically secretive now and does not want an address to give away where they are. With our hotel being 1, but sandwiched by 27 and 324 we had no option but to take a taxi. More than anywhere else we have been Cambodia appears to operate a parallel economy. Locals pay and deal in Riel, tourists in dollars, and inevitably just about everything costs at least a dollar. It is hard to resent it though as these people have evidently been through ... read more