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Saved: September 6th 2022
April 21, 2008
Miranda and the taxi driver from A1 Guesthouse on our way to Aranya.—
April 28th 2008 Bangkok, Aranya, Poipet, Siem Reap, to Angkor Wat Angkor Wat is one of the wonders of the world. Yet, to get there from Bangkok is truly an inglorious ordeal. The worst way to go is to book transport from
Khao San Road which will generally leave you stranded or worse (there are many clever scams). The nefarious Bangkok Airways is very expensive. One popular route is to fly to Phnom Penh and then drive back across Cambodia to Siam Reap . . . and of course there was the Bryan and Miranda route! We believe it is the safest, least expensive way and you get to see 'detail' lost to most tourists
Visa
We got our visa in Bangkok to avoid having to give a "gift" to corrupt border officials.
Taxi
We booked a taxi to the border with the driver we knew from the A-1 Guest House for a very, very low price. The following morning we got up early and traveled through the beautiful countryside in air-conditioned comfort. Our driver would stop to show us points of interest along the way. All too soon our trip
The mountain
Bryan and "our" taxi driver pose in front of the mountain on the way to Aranya. came to an end.
Aranya Prathet
We arrived about 10:30 am in
Aranya Prathet. Our hotel was about two kilometers from the Cambodian border and had been suggested to us by a Canadian friend named Greg. The Market Hotel was surprisingly luxurious with beautiful gardens, clean, well-maintained swimming pool and comfortable, air-conditioned rooms...for $9 (Canadian) per night.
We invited our driver for breakfast at the Hotel's Bar/Dining Room. Miranda loved her cheese omelet, which she said was extraordinarily good. Then the two of us spent the day lounging around the pool. As it turned out, the night life of this town centered around our hotel. (Yet our room was quiet!) The next day we explored the quaint town of Aranya Prathet. The people were extremely pleasant and the market was not touristy. We felt like we were seeing the real Thailand.
Poipet
We arose early the following morning and took a tuk tuk to the
border. We were the only tourists among the crowd of Cambodian and Thai people. Even the
immigration officials were pleasant. With no problems we walked across the border into Cambodia and right up to our accommodation (which was
Market Hotel
Bryan lounges near our room at the Market Hotel in Aranya Pratet. 200 meters away). This luxury hotel was only $15/night.*
The town of Poipet is a place of extremes! Our hotel was on the dividing line. In one direction was incredible
poverty. In the
other direction was extraordinary decadence. Fine dining, high rollers, shows and international wine collections stored in climate-controlled chambers. It had world class cuisine at very, very low prices.
In Poipet we experienced the best and the worst of our trip. Such extreme poverty coexisting with extraordinary decadence was an experience we will not soon forget.
Siem Reap
Because we had booked our taxi in advance, we paid less than half of what most tourists pay. Again we got up early to take the shuttle to the taxi stand. It had rained, and as I walked out the door a young man rudely pushed me. The rainstorm had knocked down a power line which was laying in a large puddle. (It was clearly a live wire and I do believe that this fellow saved my life.)
Our taxi to Siem Reap was a beat-up old vehicle, but our driver was good at avoiding the many potholes as it continued to
rain. We
Mini waterfall
Both of us were impressed with the lovely gardens at the Market Hotel. stopped for a break in order that the driver could fill his tank, as we stretched our legs near the roadside shop. After buying some snacks from a very confident and efficient girl, she and a younger boy offered to tie thin, cord bracelets onto our wrists "for luck". The girl, who was about eight, spoke great English. I went on to ask her some questions about Siem Reap and how far it was, etc., and she told us that we were more than half way. Since it was no longer raining — we had only an hour more of travel.
When we got back to the taxi, I handed the girl a small amount of money. She looked very confused and began to refuse when I explained that it was a "tip". I told her that I appreciated her excellent service and the information she had provided, and was paying her for it. Happy with my explanation, she waved at us until we could see her no longer.
Now that the day was sunny and bright we could enjoy the very green countryside. Soon we were dropped off on the outskirts of Siem Reap. A tuk tuk
All this for $9?
We were not disappointed by the pool and other amenities. took us to our guest house free of charge. There we hired a tuk tuk for our daily transportation. I told our driver that we would use only his vehicle for all our trips and I would pay what seemed fair. No haggling! He agreed. . . (He was always very, very pleased with what we gave him, therefore we must have overpaid.)
Angkor Wat
Very early the next morning the polite, young driver met us outside our room. It was still dark as we hustled into the tuk tuk in order to arrive at Angkor Wat for the sunrise. The cool air was fresh as we drove past trees toward the site of some of the most amazing ruins in the world. Our driver dropped us off in front of the best known facade and we took some
spectacular photos as the sun came up. At one point Miranda stopped and motioned to me to be quiet. Sitting on some stone pillars, unaware that he had an audience was the infamous
Angkor Wat Monkey. Although more people arrived as we walked around the beautifully carved stones, there remained a reverential silence. At one point Miranda
Our introduction to Cambodia
Miranda in front of an old statue pointed out a series of carvings of women. When I asked why their breasts were so shiny, she gave me one of her "looks". The incredible skill and workmanship throughout Angkor Wat was almost overwhelming. As the day progressed, we met a couple who were riding bicycles and had brought a picnic lunch to eat at the site. They preferred a slower, more laid-back way to visit.
At our request, our driver took us to the ruins that had been used in the movie "Laura Croft: Tomb Raider". These rocks were overgrown with roots, trees and plants and had an older, almost primordial feel. It was so confusing that we actually became lost at one point and panicked a bit before finally recognizing the path leading us to our driver. The whole experience was one which we will cherish — although it did get hotter as the day went on.
While in Siem Reap we also discovered a hotel with a restaurant serving some terrific French cuisine. The
Victoria Hotel is worth a visit just to see the decor from an earlier era. We were impressed with the indoor ponds, plants and dark wood. It seemed we had indeed
Uptown Poipet
In the part of Poipet where the casinos were situated, there were some lovely gardens. gone back in time.
Our driver also took us to "downtown" Siem Reap one evening. I had a Guinness at an
Irish Pub and began to talk to the pub's owner, who was from France. We had such a great chat that he ended up buying us a round of drinks. Miranda went off for a walk on her own and promptly got lost, but returned eventually. We found a great restaurant serving local food and again met the young couple who had been cycling around Angkor Wat. They were still upset with their experience coming through the border at Poipet. Since they had not procured a visa in advance, this couple ended up having to make a rather large "donation" at the border crossing. They felt they had been ripped off in a big way. It didn't seem to make them feel any better when I told them that the government pays the border officials starvation wages and they must extort the "rich tourists" in order to survive.
*The Orkiday Angkor Hotel is now called the Orchid.
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MOL
non-member comment
Your cute Trip
Good Day Mr. Bryan Do you remember me? I'm your student for 2 years ago.And I had gratuated for 1 year.Now I'm working at the magazine company . I read you trip already and want to travel like you and your wife. But I don't have the long weekend to plan the travel in anywhere. Your trip 's so funny and your wife so cute . Have a good day in everywhere . Miss my teacher.. :: MOL ::