Christmas in Cambodia

squeakyduck

I'm flying to Cambodia to spend Christmas with my brother and his wife. I'm currently trying to figure out what do do. I'm flying out on the evening of the 17th and flying home on the evening of the 25th.

Currently I've got some ideas:

Siem reap, Ankor Wwat.
Tuol Sleng Genoside Museum, S21 and the killing fields.
Bokor Hill station.

Has anyone been on a trip to cambodia before? How did they find it? Any words of wisdom? Any other places I should hit up?

Any info greatly appreciated!

qambathilodge

Made any progress yet on finding other activities?

IRONSIDE2005

Hey squeakyduck,

Your going to love Cambodia! Phnom Phen is a mix of the wild west but with the twist of old french buildings....(make sure to check out the russian market in Phnom Phen for the best knockoff you will ever see, 3yrs later my TAG watch is still working fine, I think it cost around 14euro...great bargains)

Out of all the the things I saw on my travels, s21/killing fields/Ankor Wwat stuck with me the most. After see the horrors of s21/killing fields its hard to imagine how this happened there given just how friendly the cambodian people are....definitely one of the most friendly countries I have ever been to....in saying that you have to be careful at night....if you are heading out at night try and get to one of the local nightclubs...your treated like your a celebrity in them, great times, and the backpacker ones are...well lets say they are not the safest....I think the one in Phnom Phen was call The heart of darkness....avoid it and head where the locals head.

Tuol Sleng Genoside Museum, S21 and the killing fields can be done in one day...its not the most up lifting day but has to be seen. You will use up a full day heading up to Siem reap and Ankor Wwat can be done in a day or two, make sure to get a tour of it, I make the mistake of not getting the tour until the second day

I didnt head to Bokor Hill station, so I cant help you there, any other info your looking for let me know

JayC5

Hey squeaky,

I was in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh this year, personally I preferred Phnom Penh the most. Not that Siem Reap was a bad experience or anything, I just don't think it's somewhere I'd go twice but I'll definitely hit Phnom Penh again - had great craic there!!

My experience of Siem Reap: the border crossing from Thailand was a NIGHTMARE. Dropped off by our bus at a cafe nowhere near the border where they attempted to scam us for overpriced visas. Had to bail out (had already paid for our bus which was supposed to take us all the way to Siem Reap), jumped in a tuk tuk that brought us to the border eventually. Harassed again at every step by visa scammers and practically followed by some bloke to the other side, finally got the official visa sorted (a lot of pr*cking about, signing things, waiting around, photos, more waiting and filling in some type of health questionnaire - tired, carrying rucksacks in v hot conditions = zero craic). On the other side of the border we jumped in a taxi to Siem Reap for $30 if I remember correctly. Anyways, moral of the story - ignore the visa scammers and keep walking until you can't walk any further. Voila - visa proper and a nice big passport stamp (that's if you're heading from Thailand by th way!)

So, Siem Reap - food was nice, accom was good, got constantly attacked by ants tho, if you wear flip-flops beware!! Some good advice: stay away from KFC, grabbed a quick meal there and it was the vilest thing I've ever eaten. Angkor Wat was a cool experience but I couldn't do more than one day of temple trekking, it all starts to look the same.... There's a tethered balloon ride nearby tho that I'd check out if you get a chance, unfortunately we didn't get a chance to as there was some repairs going on with it the day we were there. Went to a shooting-range that was mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide and emptied a few rounds using an M16, again another interesting experience but not worth the journey or the money either. We took a visit to the landmine museum (you should find details on the net or in a guidebook), found it extremely moving and interesting. It might open your eyes to the extent of US bombing campaigns in the region not long ago and peel back that Hollywood veneer to reveal the many terrorist attrocities that America exacted on vulnerable countries like Cambodia. Protector of world peace my arse..! Nightlife was OK if you like REALLY loud music and table dancing..., there's a street with a few good bars worth checking out in the town centre of Siem Reap (can't remember the name but it's near a bar/restaurant called the Red Piano). Don't bother buying lonely planet guides or anything before you go either, you can pick them up there for $2-3. Do bring mosquito spray (Deet 50% I think is recommended) as couldn't find the stronger variety there, you will be bitten so don't forget this and consider some cream for relief of said bites, christ are they itchy.

Took a motorboat to Phnom Penh across the Tonle Sap lake/river - passed the floating village along the way, was a great experience but bring a book / ipod / food to keep you occupied, especially if it's raining. Also, sitting outside is kinda windy and not something I'd recommend for a 4-5 hour journey, if it's sunny be careful of burning - I was burnt alive but didn't notice as the breeze caused by the boat is very deceiving. So, Phnom Penh seemed quite safe, admittedly there are a few dodgy looking streets after dark so I wouldn't walk around on my own if I were you, probably had more to do with the lack of quality street lighting than anything else tho - if you have to head out alone at night then get a tuk tuk, pretty much anywhere worth going is within $1-2 price range. Food was extremely cheap, and if you enjoy smoking ahem, .. 'herbal cigarettes' well I'm sure you'll find it handy enough near the riverfront - just loiter around a few busy bars and you'll prob be approached. Put it this way - 20 euros would get you sweet F.A. in Ireland, over there it looked like a small satchel's worth Checked out a bar called Sharky's, was pretty cool - especially if you like live music. Another poster mentioned 'Heart of Darkness' club, I've been there and it didn't appear dangerous to me!? There was a shooting in there a number of years ago tho, I'm sure google will throw up some info if you search for it. There's a great club just over the road from Heart of D, it's called Pontoon - reasonably cheap beer, good tunes, spacious place, stays open late and the ladies are a treat (or at least were when I was there..).

Also did the Killing Fields and S21, and yes both can be done in a day - be prepared for the beggars that come at you outside S21, it's a little intimidating if you're caught off guard - think 28 Days Later. Harrowing stuff and I feel for their plight but when you're surrounded by people pulling your clothing and getting p*ssed with you because you won't cough up for Joe and all his friends, well that's a bit annoying! Check out the markets in Phnom Penh also, they're much better than what was on offer in Siem Reap. Not sure what the weather is like at xmas but it was scorching during the summer so check up on the need for sun block, shorts, shades etc. Do a bit of research on your options before you go also, check out wikitravel or travelblog.org for some suggestions on what activities you might be interested in. Have a few ideas in advance so as not to waste time fannying around for the first few days when you get there. Cambodia is amazing and literally blew my mind so make the most of every second you're there.


Things to be aware of:

You'll be hassled at every step by tuk tuk drivers if out walking - learn to smile and say no or you'll never have any peace and end up p*ssing away money for nothing.

Expect to be appraoched by children when in bars / restaurants / out walking, they'll either be begging or trying to sell you books. Don't be harsh or ignorant to them, the level of poverty over there should open your eyes to how lucky you are to live in a country like Ireland, regadless of the political f*ckwits that have sullied our great nation over the past few years. Consider keeping a stash of local money in your pocket to give them (not worth much, a few cents or thereabouts).

You will be bitten and it's gonna itch - get a tube of Hydrocortisone, works wonders to soothe any bites. This can be bought in a local pharmacy and is pretty cheap.

If you're getting clothes drycleaned anywhere be aware that they'll prob tumbledry them for a speedy turnaround - a load of new t-shrits that I'd bought ended up being fit for that little guy in 'Willow' after a stint in one such place. Be warned.



So, in summary -

Phnom Penh: 10/10 - explore and enjoy, def recommended.
Siem Reap: 7/10, a great experience but longjevity is questionable, 3 days is more than enough for a stay. Hope this info is useful to you

Enjoy

Jimoslimos

Mirror pretty much everything said here, but I'll throw another suggestion out.

You don't have much time but the beach at Siankoukiville (sp) is good fun, its no Thailand but worth a trip nonetheless. Little bit less hassle there than the main tourist spots.