Today was a travel day, but not the stressful, airport-hopping kind – more the “watch the world go by” variety. We woke up early in Phnom Penh, packed up (again!), and set off for our overland transfer to Siem Reap. At just 8 Euros a head, it was a no-brainer compared to flying. Sure, the trip takes about six hours, but if you add in the time to get to the airport, check in, and wait for your flight, you don’t really save much time by flying – and you definitely miss out on the adventure.
One of the best parts of going overland? You actually see Cambodia. Not just from 30,000 feet, but up close and personal. The road winds through tiny villages and larger towns, past endless fields of rice paddies and flat, dry landscapes. Funny enough, the scenery – especially the eucalyptus trees dotted along the roadside – reminded me of rural Australia. Who would have thought?
About halfway, we stopped at a roadside roadhouse for lunch. These places are always a bit of a gamble, but today’s gamble paid off. I had an amazing ginger chicken dish – the kind of meal you’d never find in an airport food court. Honestly, it’s the sort of food experience you’d miss entirely if you’d flown.
Rolling into Siem Reap around 2:30 pm, we checked into our hotel (which thankfully had icy air-con and super comfy-looking pillows). As soon as we dropped our bags, we got to work sorting out our plans for tomorrow: the big Angkor Wat day! Turns out, our friendly tuk-tuk driver who brought us to the hotel was keen to show us around. His price matched what we’d researched, his English was spot on, and he seemed genuinely enthusiastic – so we locked him in for an 8 am start.
Now, after a long day of travel, there’s only one thing on our minds: sleep. Those pillows are calling our names, and I have a feeling they’re going to deliver a very solid night’s rest. Tomorrow, Angkor Wat awaits!
Stay tuned for temple tales and tuk-tuk adventures…
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