Blogs from Cambodia, Asia

Today was the day for the sad stuff. The 2 sites on the agenda were S21 and Choeung Ek. For those that don't know about these places, S21 was a prison the Khmer Rouge used to interrogate their prisoners. Once they had the information they wanted, the prisoner was shipped off to Choeung Ek, the killing fields. So yeah, content warning S21 started its life as a highschool. In that capacity I imagine it was quite a lovely school. Three large 3 storey buildings surrounding beautiful green quads. But as Pol Pot disposed of all the schools. While he was educated in Paris, it was a privilege he wanted denied to most of his countrymen. Its not surprising really, he recruited his army from the rural areas. Young uneducated, disenfranchised youth. They were poor and they ... read more

Today started out much better than yesterday. Its amazing what a good night sleep will do. I had arranged to meet up with my civicly minded Tuk tuk driver. Mr Vy (pronounced V) agreed to be my driver for the day, which is a whole lot easier than haggling with various tuk tuk drivers all day. We started our tour at the royal palace. A strange thing about Cambodia is the 2 currencies. Even in this government building the entry fee was in USD. I asked if I could pay in reils which was OK. But they definitly don't trust their own currency. I don't know if it's because reils aren't worth much, or because Pol Pot blew up the central bank and they didn't have a currency for a long time, but US$ are definitly ... read more

The other night at a group dinner, a friend asked about the best place I have ever been. Here is my answer. The tumbled, jungle-clad ruins of Angkor Thom are intensely atmospheric and have long lured travelers. The sprawling complex of temples, gates and monuments, decorated with carvings, was built between the 9th and 14th centuries, when the Khmer civilization was at the height of its power. The largest and most famous temple of them all is the breathtaking Angkor Wat – watching the sunrise as its striking silhouette is mirrored in the still waters of the reflection pool is the ultimate experience. The beautiful Bayon Temple, evocative jungle-strangled Ta Prohm and pink-sandstone Banteay Srei are other must-sees. I have made the trek to Cambodia and Angkor Wat three times. Ta Prohm is my favorite. We ... read more

The AmaDara stopped in Phnom Penh - a very modern city with construction everywhere! It bears witness as to how far Vietnam has recovered since the war. Phnom Penh is home to many ex-pats from Australia, England, Europe and North America due to the low cost of living here. Lots of modern high rise condos are doting the 4 river intersection (the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers merge and split into the Basak and Mekong Rivers flowing south) that converges in this capital city! Home to the Parliament and the Royal Palace, there is so much to see and do here! We started with a visit to Wat Phnom Historical Site which is where the city gained its name. A wealthy woman (Lady Penh) in 1372, build a buddhist temple and a Pagoda on a man-made ... read more

We arrived in Siem Reap after a thoroughly enjoyable time at Hoi An/Da Nang, Vietnam. Getting here was a bit frustrating, a long flight that took us to Bangkok with long waits at both airports. The best part of the day was arriving late at our hotel, Viroth's Villa in Siem Reap, a 4 star hotel but only $100 CAN a night! It was recommended by home exchange friends (Ed and his lovely wife) that we met online during our previous Asia trip that was cut short by Covid. The breakfasts by the pool was gourmet! You won't regret a stay at this wonderful hotel - the service from all areas was exceptional. We loved getting bug sprayed every time we left the hotel by the front desk staff! What a treat! They arranged all of ... read more