Siem Reap to Singapore

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We woke up to another beautiful, sunny day and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. I met with Bonseuth to thank him for all of his help and hospitality and to discuss future business together. We got a kick out of the Christmas carols playing over the loudspeakers in the lobby and dining room - especially “White Christmas” with a sunny 75 degrees F outside.

Our tuk-tuk driver, Mr. Samut, was waiting outside for us to say goodbye, as our driver whisked us off to the airport.

Check-in was smooth and the terminal very modern. I was even able to get USD out of the ATM, since that is the currency used in Cambodia. Only change less than $1.00 USD is handled in Cambodian Rials since the exchange rate is 4,200 to the dollar. The terminal had a Dairy Queen, Dufry Duty Free Shop, a florist, bookshop, Artisans d’Angkor shop (with same prices as shop in town) and a Riazza coffee shop where I purchased a large cappuccino for less than $2.50 USD - a real bargain for airport pricing.
They must have paid for the new terminal with the hefty $25.00 USD per person departure tax

We were surprised to learn our flight to Singapore made a stop in Da Nang, Vietnam. In flying over Da Nang, we saw a fairly built up city. We had to remain on the plane for the 40 minute stop over and then continued on to Singapore.

We cleared immigration, baggage and customs quickly and met our pre-arranged driver. A quick 20 minute drive brought us to the Pan Pacific Hotel where our baggage was waiting for us. We were impressed with the massive white marble lobby that contained a 37 floor pyramid shaped atrium. Check-in went smoothly and the glass elevators that overlooked the city, whisked us up smoothly 28 floors. We each had a corner balcony panoramic room with fantastic views of the harbor, city and river.

We took a little time to settle in and then Helen and I explored one of the two malls connected to the hotel - the Marina Square Mall. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas and we were amazed that it was open until 11:00 PM and very crowded on Christmas night. While most Singapore citizens are not Christian, they still celebrate the season by having dinner with family and friends and exchange gifts. Most people had the next day off from work, due to the past British governance that celebrates Boxing Day on December 26th.

We met the boys and headed downstairs to the Paulaner Brewery Restaurant for our Christmas dinner. We suffered a bit of sticker shock with a ½ liter of beer costing $8.00 USD and a bratwurst plate costing $15.00 USD. There is also a 22% GST and service charge tacked onto the prices. The restaurant was nice, service and food were good, but cost more than what we paid for 3 dinners in Cambodia. Oh well, the cost of progress I guess.

After dinner, we checked out the other adjacent mall at Suntec City and walked the entire length to Carrefour’s Supermarket. We got 4 large bottles of Tiger beer and a bottle of diet coke for about $13.00 USD. We carted it back to our room to put in the mini fridge bar, so we could enjoy drinks on our scenic balcony. Just wish the weather was a bit cooler. It was an oppressively hot and humid 88 degrees F.

Turned in for a great night’s sleep on our beautiful, comfy king size bed.

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Photos

Me and Mr. Samut
Our faithful tuk-tuk driver