If you are planning on traveling to Cambodia or Hong Kong then read these travel articles by Emily Kettle before you go.

Picture right - Traveling through South Cambodia by Minivan and crossing rivers on makeshift rafts.

Getting to the heart of Cambodia

A smile that breaks all language barriers


Cambodia:
My knowledge of Cambodia prior to travelling was limited. I knew it was a poor country and I knew Angelina Jolie had adopted a Cambodian child after filming Tomb Raider there. So that shows my level of superficial ignorance.
It wasn’t until I was on a recent South East Asia trail with my long-term boyfriend that I fully got to know both people and country.

We entered Cambodia at Koh Kong via Hat Lek, Thailand, a rather intimidating border crossing. Barbed wire lined the entry post, armed guards stood on the ready and SARS health warning posters all made for a very unusual welcome.
It would be unfair to pre-judge a country on the stringent bureaucratic processes one has to go through in order to enter so I never make up my mind on a place this quickly. However, on this occasion things went fairly smoothly for us and we were met by a keen, young, English football fan wanting to take us to his guesthouse. We went with this guy since you just have to take the risk sometimes. Besides we needed to get across the Thai Friendship Bridge in his car. Good for me, good for you, as they say! The guesthouse gave us a warm welcome including complementary Bob Marley joint if we so desired. We were informed Marijuana is legal/tolerated in Cambodia unlike neighbouring Thailand.

Koh Kong is a typical border town. It lacks any aesthetic charm and is extremely basic but there is a laid back vibe despite the hustle and bustle of the central market and obvious trade associations with Thailand. Our first hunt around for a drink to quench our thirst did show us however, just how friendly the locals were. We sat and had a drink at an elderly couple’s place and despite the language barrier we shared a basic communication with them in that way that you wonder how you managed to ever actually understand each other. Being our first time in Cambodia we wanted to know how to pronounce the polite greetings and they were more than happy to teach us ‘thank you’ and ‘hello’. I think we both gave each other a laugh too, especially, as we were still not convinced we had mastered the correct pronunciations.

Koh Kong



Late afternoon, we strolled down by the river to see more of the town whilst we were here and were amazed by the amount of ‘hellos’ we received from children as young as 2 years old to grown adults. It was such a warm welcome that you truly felt privileged to be there. Women rode around on their bicycles in their pyjamas (I figure the comfort of loose clothing in the heat plays a part in this) and children played outside without a care in the world.

From Koh Kong we took a mini van to Sihanoukville, a vibrant coastal town.
The journey was extremely interesting with four river crossings on makeshift car ferries that consisted of two boats tied together with planks of wood (See picture above).
Innovative and interesting nonetheless. I had never seen pictures of Cambodian beaches before and I was pleasantly surprised. Long, sweeping white sands with an old English seaside look. Little wooden tables and deck chairs with parasols lined the beach and the shacks selling baguettes remind you of the French influence of Indochina. At night, the beach is tastefully lit with nightlights and fire dancers dotted along the beach make good entertainment. You get the sense that Cambodia is catching up with the hip and trendy southern islands of Thailand. The good thing though with Cambodia is it is still fairly untouched. The only downside of a day on the beach was the hawkers selling anything from fruit to books. It soon materialises that these young sellers, often as young as 6 years old, are hardened to it.
Their tactics include asking your name so they can spot you out the next day and personalise their attack and also plying you with guilt by saying “you promise” if you insinuate you will purchase from them a bit later. Believe you me they hold you to this.

Sihanoukville Beach

We left Sihanoukville after about 6 days to move onto Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. It is very much the heart of the country being home to more than half the country’s inhabitants. First impressions are the sheer volume of traffic. Since the main mode of transport typically involves mopeds, it is not for the faint hearted. There is no traffic system but more a free for all. Traffic moves in both directions on either side of the road so never be amazed to see a moped hurtling towards you on the wrong side of the road. As a pedestrian, the fun really begins!

Phnom Penh is situated on the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest source of food, navigation and water for Cambodia. Unfortunately, we were there in the dry season so levels were low and the riverbanks looked dried out and baked. We found locals use this as a source of entertainment with young lads making the most of it to play a game of football.

As a tourist in Phnom Penh like anywhere in Cambodia you are a magnet for tourist touts. Whether it is for excursions, moped drivers or café/restaurant owners. You are a constant target. This can be trying but with a little patience and understanding you can often work it to your advantage like a reasonable day out with a moped driver who may also double up as a guide for you (depending on their level of English). Our itinerary for Phnom Penh consisted of the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Museum. These were our must-sees whilst there. Anyone who is unfamiliar with Cambodian history, like myself prior to visiting, may not know that for four years starting from 1975, the Pol Pot regime reigned terror on the whole nation.
Thousands were massacred in acts of barbarianism leaving their population halved by the end of the regime.

We teamed up with a couple of moped drivers during our stay and on the day we were going to see the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Museum we got chatting to our drivers over a breakfast coffee. Both were aged between 25 and 34 and had both lost close loved ones; a father, grandmother and two sisters between them. It seemed so wrong making them return to the memorial sites where the brutality of what happened was still so raw.

The site of the Killing Fields is a grim reminder to all. Dug-up mass graves are left to show the sheer scale and volume of bodies slung into one pit. A stupor houses the skulls of all the victims unearthed at the site by age and sex. It is extremely emotional and since I had read the novel “First they killed my Father” by a survivor of the Pol Pot regime it hit even harder. I had an emotional attachment with the girl in the book and could totally empathise with her and her loss. For me it was the first time to get so emotionally involved just being there and witness to the horrors inflicted on this nation. The former school, which was turned into a detention centre for the abuse and torture of its detainees, was even more emotionally powerful. Cells are kept in tact to demonstrate the severity of the conditions inflicted on these prisoners and the hardest thing of all is that all happened not that long ago. Even an average imagination could bring the scene to life and make its holder bear witness.

The Killing Fields



Despite the essential visit to both the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Museum, Phnom Penh does possess a character and charm that fortunately appears to leave the misery and sadness behind. The riverside nightlife is abundant with street café culture and a drink up on the first floor of the Foreign Correspondent’s Club makes for a heavenly sunset drink over the Tonle Sap. It was sitting here one evening I happened to glance out over onto the street and witness a young boy riding an elephant bareback through the street. Something remarkably different yet so fitting.

Beautiful Phnom Penh



From Phnom Penh, the daylong river journey to Siem Reap was arduous but adventurous. You always know that however unpleasant it may be at the time you will look back upon your adventure with great pride. With the waters low it was necessary to change boats from an ample sized one with plenty of air circulating and room to stretch your legs to an extremely small cramped boat that would defy all health and safety regulations in a western society. But when you arrive in Siem Reap it is worth the extra mile.

Siem Reap is notorious for its close proximity to the temples of Angkor Wat.

It is a small town that has boomed with hotels, cafes and tourist traps that go hand in hand with a world heritage site. Despite this, we both actually really liked the town. The fact it is situated on a river always scores highly for me but it is a welcome relief to chill and stroll around in after a day temple touring.

But it will be Angkor that any esteemed traveller will have undoubtedly come to see. As anyone who has made a trip to see a World reknowned site such as the Pyramids in Egypt, Macchu Picchu in Peru, the list goes on, words fail to express that first glimpse. To say it is breathtaking only skims the surface of the emotions I felt. We bought ourselves a three-day pass around the temples, which as an added bonus allowed you also to see sunset at one of the sites before your first stamped day began.

We chose Phnom Bakeng for its acclaimed stunning sunsets and distant view of Angkor Wat itself. At this stage we still hadn’t seen Angkor, as we were saving our first sunrise for her on Day 1. We joined the crowds the first evening to camp out in our chosen spots to get that ultimate sunset picture.

Library at Phnom Bakeng



Phnom meaning hill in the Khmer language is explained in Phnom Bakeng’s temple name since it gracefully sits high above the flat, low, lying Cambodian countryside. There was much tutting and sighing going on, as one tourist would leap up frantically to get their shot in the midst of someone behind them also doing the same. I found it amusing but for this reason I found the site too populated you lost sense of where you were and why. Any brochure or leaflet you pick up in your hotel, guesthouse or in the town will advise which site to see at sunrise or sunset so what we did was swop them around and reorganise it to avoid everyone doing the same itinerary. It worked in our opinion!

Naturally, do not expect Angkor Wat all to yourself. Only in your dreams could that ever be but we did take the old saying ‘the early bird catches the worm’ and got up really early, like 5am to go and be at Angkor for sunrise. This was much to the groans and moans of my sleep-loving boyfriend but it was worth it. We pulled up in our driver’s car in the dark and made our way through the main portals of the exterior walls and walked up the infamous causeway. We were aware we were alone and not another tourist to be seen. It was dark still yet the dawn was gradually breaking behind the austere shadow of Angkor. It’s presence loomed large before us making it look 2D, as if a picture hanging in the sky. An official who appeared out of nowhere stopped us in our tracks and said that we couldn’t enter the temple itself until 6am. Since it was only 5:30am by now we took a seat by one of the pools in the grounds. A woman came over from her stall to offer us a coffee. It was such a surreal moment, sitting there waiting in anticipation for the dawn of day to appear. Around 6am the sun slowly started to rise above the turrets and show the true colours of the stone work. We could see the design in more detail and it soon looked 3D. There was a little water in the pool in front of us so we got an amazing reflection of Angkor in the water. My budding photographer boyfriend revelled in it and was so pleased to have woken up so early to witness this beauty in perfect peace and tranquility.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat



Around 6.30 am we had taken our photos and was leaving our big tour of the Angkor temple itself until Day 3. Our itinerary was taking us around the other sites so we departed Angkor just as the hoards started to arrive. It was comforting also to know we would be back that week to see her in her splendour one more time.

To detail each and every temple would be not only a lengthy process but it has to be said each and every one of them though maybe not as grand as Angkor itself are all very unique and worth seeing. Another favourite of ours, which we saw on our first day was the Bayon. The Bayon is recognised for its four faces representing the four compass points. It has a mystical air about it and though the actual site is partially in ruins it is a must see. Another classic and popular temple with film buffs will be Ta Prohm. It was at this site that Tomb Raider was filmed and tree roots strangle the temple ruins. Full of character and charm.

Ta Phrom



It is exhausting to get up early at the crack of dawn each day but we were so glad we did. The young children who adorn the temples trying to sell their goods are an emotional challenge. They wait on a car or moped to drop off another tourist. They are tough little sellers and on one particular morning at a temple site on a lake known as Srah Shrang I was mobbed by a small group of children of varying ages from as young as two to ten years.
The youngest boy who could have only been two at the most walked around constantly holding his hand up with bracelets in it for sale. I succumbed to buying a few bracelets for a very small price and both my boyfriend and I ended up promising coffee to two different girls so to avoid one of them crying (which they do to perfection) we drank in separate cafes.

The grand finale to our three-day pass was a day at Angkor Wat walking around the perimeter bas-reliefs and climbing its steep stairs to reach the top. I would strongly recommend a guidebook of some kind, as the bas-reliefs are stunning depictions of life at the time and very much a heaven and hell theme. You definitely get more out of the scenes if you have an explanation.

This alone took a good couple of hours but the added advantage of being in the corridors where they are to be found is it is shaded from the soaring heat.

Up in the central top reaches of the temple is a crucifix formation with four pools in each corner. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any water in the pools to cool off but it is here where you can encounter a conversation with a Buddhist Monk or two. They are often found meditating in the grounds of the temples and actively seek conversations with Westerners to improve their language skills. My boyfriend got chatting to one Monk whilst I happened to be talking with an old Cambodian woman and when my boyfriend introduced him to me I made the fatal error of putting out my hand to shake it. A natural instinct of course but for a woman to touch a monk in any way is forbidden, so I felt rather foolish in front of a lot of shocked onlookers!

Monks watching sunset at Phnom Krom



We said goodbye to Angkor Wat, as the sun was slowly setting. We watched in the front of the grounds with interest as the red and orange colours warmed the otherwise cold looking stone. It was a perfect way to finish off a perfect three days.

Our last port of call in Cambodia before heading out through the northern border of Poipet back into Thailand was a two-day and two-night stop off in Battambang. We again had to take a daylong boat journey from Siem Reap to Battambang but half way there the waters were so low that we had to get off the boat and into a mini van. The roads in Cambodia do not lend themselves for comfort so both of us sitting in the rear seat in the sweltering heat were forced to leave our seats bumping our heads every two seconds the whole way. This is another prime example of a journey that is a lot funnier afterwards.

Our guidebook had said Battambang boasted French architectural buildings but admittedly not a lot else. We didn’t go expecting anything spectacular on that premise and true it was not much on first glances. But however, like all towns on first glance they deserve a chance. We as always found the people most welcoming and hospitable. One night we sat at a roadside stall and with an Angkor beer in hand we got chatting to the young girl who worked there. Not speaking any Khmer we used her little English to make light conversation but we have found the Cambodian people to be ever so friendly and ready to practice whatever level of English they have.

On our last afternoon we had watched the most amazing rainstorm hit the town, partially so because we hadn’t seen rain for months. It rained torrentially for a few hours but by early evening when we sat down on the dry riverbed of the Mekong to watch the locals fish in the pools and children play games we could see the most stunning sunset. The clouds were so moody and dramatic that it was a fine image to leave in our minds before departing Cambodia the next day.

For me travelling through Cambodia wasn’t so much about stunning landscapes or top-notch cuisine. It was the people. Knowing that every person you pass on the street will know someone victim to the atrocities of 1975 if not themselves, is very thought provoking. The resilience of a nation that has been pulled down to depths of despair and yet rises above it all with determination and the incredible ability to smile is an exemplary example to all.

One fond memory that I will remember always was the face of a young Cambodian girl I met on the walls outside Angkor Wat. Whilst she was talking to me I noticed she was trying to tie her hair back with a blade of grass and having a red heart shaped hair band in my bag I dug it out and put it in her hair for her to keep. That one simple gesture was worth the look of joy and appreciation on that young girl’s face when she saw what she had been given.

Emily Kettle reporting on her travels through Cambodia.