Cambodia Highlights

Apologies for the several week-long blog hiatus. The thing about being on a tour is that you’re on the go 24/7. In February I spent the best part of two/three weeks or so travelling around Cambodia and Vietnam, seeing incredible things, having amazing experiences, and of course enjoying plenty of hilarious nights out with the coolest bunch of people I’m lucky enough to have met. Having been away from home over six weeks now, I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone.

(At the time of writing this) I was relaxing in the fourth country of my travels – Laos – and having been horrifically sick for 24 hours, actually managed to get some down time to write. One overnight trip to the local hospital, 10 hours of IV fluid and antibiotics later, and I was on the mend.

Cambodia literally feels like a lifetime ago now, but still stands out as one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever been. Despite its brutal history, the people there are the kindest, most welcoming you’d ever wish to meet, the food is delicious, and there’s so much to see and do.

Other than Angkor Wat - a place so special it deserved its own blog post – some of my highlights included an incredible homecooked meal at Mr Raj’s house, going on a (hungover) boat trip, snorkelling and then relaxing on Bamboo island in Sihanoukville, and of course the tough but fascinating visit to the killing fields and s21 museum, where we met a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime - an incredibly brave and sweet man. On top of that, we watched a local kickboxing match which was streamed live on tv, and enjoyed cocktails in one of Phnom Penh’s many rooftop bars.

Below are some of my highlights from exploring Cambodia. A week certainly isn’t long enough! If I'd have had more time I'd have loved to have visited Koh Rong, which looks like paradise, and maybe a little of Kampot too.

Bracelets for children killed at the Cambodian Killing Fields. Very hard to swallow.

A delicious homecooked meal just outside Phnom Penh at Mr Raj's house

Chilling on Bamboo Island, just off Sihanoukville in Cambodia. Remains to be one of my favourite beaches this trip so far.

Another shot of the chilled Bamboo island, Cambodia.

Tasty street food at the Cambodian/Vietnam border!! (No, I did not try it)

Casual wild monkeys hanging around the temples near Angkor Wat. Not as cute as they look!

And of course we had to sample some culture of a different kind...the madness of a night out in Siem Reap's Pub Street. Temple Bar was a highlight :)