This was the most eye-opening, enriching, emotional and adventurous vacation that I've had in my life so far after Tibet. We bought the open-jaw tickets, in from Penang to Siem Reap, out from Phnom Penh. From Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, one can either fly (one-way ticket is USD 71, takes only 30 min), take ferry (provided that the water level is high) or bus (only USD 5, takes 5 hours). In the interest of time, we flew to Phnom Penh instead. You can hire a chauffeur-driven Toyota Camry for USD 20/day to move around anywhere you want in Siem Reap, hiring a car is more prudent than "Tuk Tuk" (motor taxi) if you have 3 or more to share the bill.
Siem Reap is a safer touristic place compared to Phnom Penh. In Siem Reap, we went to the floating village and encountered a storm on the way to Tonle Sap Great Lake on our first day. We saw shacks in devastating poverty, kids running naked, child labours, beggars, shabby houses and dirty water. It was an unpleasant scene and I realised how lucky we are to have taken these things for granted. You can give some money to the kids but watch out that they'll most likely swamp you after you give it to one of them.
Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng, South Gate, Bayon, Ta Prom (the Jungle Temple) are the main highlights in Siem Reap. Bayon and the Jungle Temple are my favourite among all. I managed to take some pictures of Angkor Wat with sunset and rainbow which I was quite happy about. We also traveled out of Siem Reap to Phnom Kulen which took 2 hours up the deep mountain jungle to "One Thousand Lingus", Phreas Thom (Reclining Buddha) and the refreshing Theank Tnank Waterfall, also met a dying man on the road.
After Siem Reap, we flew to Phom Penh, a very "raw" place. We felt unsafe to walk on the streets at night in Phnom Penh, be sure to watch out for pick-pockets. Our friend heard 6 gunshots from the alley of our hotel at night. We wanted to go for massage and the "Tuk Tuk" driver took us to a whorehouse which he probably earned some commission out of it, so we decided to find a "clean" massage parlour on our own which we finally did after a long stroll around the town. We bought the kids some ice-cream, they were very thankful, kissed and hugged us when we left.
There are homeless people sleeping on the streets and kids carrying and selling heavy books with them. Phnom Penh is the city where the Khmer Rouge took place from 1975-79. Visiting Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Cheong Ek Killing Field gave me creeps, disgust and discomfort, I felt sympathy for the victims and their families. The Royal Palace is a total contrast of these horrifying places that you can visit in Phnom Penh.
Overall, I like Siem Reap more than Phnom Penh but I really had a terrific time in Cambodia. It was my best adventure and I wished to go back there again some day. Here are some shots of Cambodia, hope you enjoy viewing them.
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