Journey

We organised this through the hostel over the road from us because our hostel was useless. We were picked up from our hostel on a mini bus which then took us to the bus office. From here, we got on to the bus where we were provided with a bottle of water. The bus was old and the air con was poor. We travelled with Phnom Penh travel who were not great but we're not horrifically bad- welcome to asian bus travel! The stops we made were at horrible cafes, more flies than food with toilets that would turn your stomach. Also, as the journey went on we were picking more and more people to the extent that there was a man sat in the aisle. Apparently, this is common occurrence across buses in Asia. 

Once we finally arrived we were running over an hour late. Our complimentary hostel tuk tuk was nowhere to be seen...So picture the scene; two girls alone with their MASSIVE backpacks and the taxi men swarm over trying to 'help' us. In the end, we managed to use one of the bus company employee's phones to call them and they sent someone. Apparently they were not actually offering the service because of Khymer New Year however because they never told us this, how were we supposed to know!?

Killing Fields

This is a must see whilst you are in Phnom Penh. However, be aware that the day is quite heavy and the topics discussed are heart breaking. 

The Killing Fields or Choeung Ek is the mass grave site as a result of the horrific genocide of many Cambodians by the hands of the Khymer Rouge. 

I would recommend getting a tuk tuk for the day so that you can go to the fields and other main attractions. It's a cheap way to get around and means that you don't have to worry about transport throughout the day. The road there is quite bumpy and dusty so take a scarf to cover your mouth...be that sort of tourist for the day. Believe me, I never thought I would be but that or coughing and spluttering-I know which one I would rather be. 

Do not pay for a guide for the day. It is a waste of money. You can get an audio description for $6 which will tell you all about the Killing Fields, the Kymer Rouge and more. I listened to a tour guide for one of the stops and they didn't even share half the information the guide did. Plus, you get to hear real life stories from people that experienced what went on in Cambodia at that time.

The tour itself is heavy. Although some of the structures have been torn down now. You can imagine what it was like. There are mass grave sites that have now been made in to huts. Visitors have left bracelets and money for those who were lost. I warn you, you will still see clothing, bones and teeth on the ground of the fields. 

The structure in the middle of the site is the final destination on the tour. The building is beautiful and it was built to give the victims somewhere to finally rest. Their bones have been polished and analysed and they are now displayed within the structure. The sheer amount of skulls is numbing. 

There is a mini museum here which has interesting exhibitions and also a film to watch about the fields.

Dress conservatively as a sign of respect. As an establishment, they ask you to do this although some people have a disregard for this. This is especially important if you wish to go in to the building at the end. 

Despite this being a heavy day, I can only recommend the visit. It is well worth $6. 

Genocide Museum

The Genocide Museum or as it was called, S21. Similarities can be taken from this to the concentration camps in Nazi Germany. Individuals would be arrested and taken here whilst they were tortured in to confessing to crimes they did not commit or acts against the Khymer around. Often if a close family member was accused it was very likely that the family would end up dead too. It became the stop before the Killing Fields.

Now, the site of terror has been made in to a museum. This is again $6 to get in to. Although interesting, I think improvements do need to be made in the museum especially the first section. One aspect that was shocking is when you saw the cells of the prisoners. 

I thought the museum itself was alright, imorovements are needed though. However, it opens your eyes to see how badly the Cambodian people suffered. 

If you do only have time for one of the attractions, do the Killing Fields hands down. I would recommend going earlier in the day to avoid the sun and take lots of water! I knew I sound like a nagging mother but you won't regret it!

-Is it awkward that we look like Michael Jackson...maybe. 

Love Imogen xoxo

Phnom Penh Hostel Review

LOVELY JUBBLY VILLA

Facilities 

Wifi here was alright; It would go from being really bad and really good. However, it is still free so you can't complain too much! 

Security here is okay. It is not difficult to get in to the hostel but you do need a key to get in. There is a locker available for you but you can also see in to it, so I would not store valuables on show. You don't need your own lock for these lockers though. 

The swimming pool was nice, although the photos on hostel world are very deceiving! It is quite small and the surrounding area is small aswell; there is only two sun loungers. However, it is a great chiller for when you have come back from a full day. I would recommend always trying to get hostels with pools in Cambodia because the heat there is insane. 

Showers and Toilets 

We were in an ensuite and the toilet and shower were seperate and even had a seperate mirror and taps. I much prefer it this way because it's an easier way to cut down on queuing etc. The shower itself was powerful and there were plenty of hooks to hang clothes, towel etc. 

Value for Money 

This was quite cheap for a hostel especially with a pool. It had really good reviews on hostel world. Although, they will charge you slightly more for the bus and for food here. 

Staff

The staff here are alright. Due to the establishment being more of a hotel rather than a hostel there isn't the personal touch we have recently experienced. Plus, there was a language barrier which made booking excursions, ordering food and sorting transport more difficult. I found that there was always too many staff around doing nothing. 

Breakfast 

They do not include breakfast in the price of the room which was disappointing but we managed to find some bargains in the local supermarkets so this was not an issue. 

Dorms 

The dorms were spacious but very cold due to the air con. Every bed is provided with a plug which makes everything so much easier. All in all, not a bad room at all.

Location

The location was okay but we had been warned by several people both travellers and Cambodians that as a city Phnom Penh is not safe and that muggings happen frequently therefore we didn't really explore the city as we would have done previously. 

OVERALL, the hostel was alright but it just lacked personality. However, for two nights it did the job!

Love Imogen xoxo

Journey 

We took a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap. It was relatively cheap and took us through both borders. I would not recommend trying to do it by two seperate buses because you do not really know when you will arrive through borders and do not want to risk missing your connection. Plus who knows what you will encounter on the infamous Scambodian border. More of this later...

So we arrived at Mochit 2 and exchanged our tickets for actual tickets. Note, that if you are in the Bangkok area, come and book it at the bus station but if not, online is fine. Once we were on the bus we were presented with orange juice and pastries. Once we were near the border, we stopped and a travel agent got on with forms for your visas. Do not accept this offer, it's a scam. I mean you will get your visa but you will pay a lot more. Whilst the other passengers deliberated about the prospect of getting this random man to get their visa, we were all given some lunch; pork curry and rice. 

The scamming does not stop there I am afraid... The Cambodian officials will then ask for your $30 and a fee in baht. Refuse to pay the baht, they will shout and probably make you wait but they will give in after a minute. Have the correct amount of dollars aswell, it's easier. You then have to go to another office down the road to get stamped in. It's a lengthy process and it explains why many choose to fly.

Angkor Wat Tour 

If you come to Siem Reap and don't do the Angkor Wat tour, I am not really sure what you are doing here! The tour can vary depending on how you plan on doing it but it consists of several Buddhist temples. 

You can do this via bicycle which most hostels let you rent although when I traveled (April-wow I really am behhind with these posts) the temperature was not lower than 30 degrees Celsius, so take this in to consideration. The next option is organising a tuk tuk yourself. This is easily done just be careful to agree a set price for all the sights you want to see. 

The guesthouse we were staying out actually organised tuk tuk tours so for $10 you can visit all the temples and the driver waits for you at each one. We were under the impression that our driver would be our guide, however this was not the case. 

Please remember if you do pay for tours, this often does not include the entry price. Entry prices are $20 for a day and you can also get passes for 3 or 7 days. These do not have to be consecutive. 

I would recommend going early because in the mid day sun you will die doing this. Many, swear by sunrise however due to the recent early starts we could not bring ourselves to do it. We were at our first temple by around 8:30 though.

Bring plenty of water and snacks because you are going to need it. This trip is not for the faint hearted. You need strength and stamina, there are a lot of steps and all the blazing sun. Furthermore, if you have knee issues, some temples may just not be a go-er for you because it will put too much pressure on them. 

I would recommend the order in which we did visit the monuments. This is because Angkor Wat is not particularly strenuous so eases you in. As you go on, you find them getting steadily harder before returning to the less heavy going temples. Plus, if you do have a fear of heights, do not go in the largest tour at Angkor Wat because it will be your worst nightmare. 

What to wear? 

You should dress conservatively. Although, this is a tourist attraction it is still first and foremost a Buddhist temple. Many people don't and you can either be refused entry or made to wear a shame robe. 

Please enjoy my snaps of the day...

Angkor Wat 

Angkor Thom 

Takeo 

Ta Prohm 

Banteay Kdei 

999 BBQ Restaurant 

We were here every night! There is a good selection of Cambodian rice and noodle dishes. I really recommend the cashew nut dishes! Staff are attentive and the food is cheap. It's popular with locals aswell so you know you are getting decent food here!

What we missed: 

Siem Reap Pub Crawl

We missed this because it's only Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and we came over the weekend. I have only heard good things about this place so if you are in the area, take a break and have some fun!

  

-Loving life in the back of a tuk tuk!

Love Imogen xoxo