| E Verbeeck |
05 February 2003 |
Stayed at Pavillon Indochine - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Cambodia is impressive both for its 'glorious' past reflected in the magnificent Angkor temples and for the painful past which is still presents in the street scenes. Trips to the temples can easily be made in the hotel once you arrive. Staying in Pavillon Indochine, we didn't feel the need to explore other restaurants. 'Le Mekong' served the most delicious South-East Asian dishes.
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| P Woodcock |
01 February 2003 |
Stayed at Angkor Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Siem Reap is very small and does not offer a lot in itself for tourists. Angkor Wat and the other temples are quite breathtaking and are certainly worth visiting. Tourism is really just beginning here so now is the time to go! We were looked after by Mittapheap travels who provided an excellent guide Mr. Nov Sophoat. He could not do enough for us and I would thoroughly recommend him to any traveller.
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| P Woodcock |
01 February 2003 |
Stayed at Angkor Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Siem Reap itself has little to offer but the temples are breathtaking - particularly Angkor Wat itself. Now is the time to visit Cambodia before tourism itself destroys the splendour and beauty of the sites.
We were well looked after by Mittapheap Travels and would certainly recommend the guide we had - Mr.Nov Sophoat. He was enthusiastically passionate about his country and went well beyond his commitment to us as a guide. He had us up at 4:30 to see dawn rise over Angkor Wat and then insisted that we saw the sunset!
A boat trip on lake Tonle is a must although I have to say that some of the the scenes of abject poverty were quite distressing. I never thought it possible to keep pigs and goats on a small houseboat but believe me it is! It was a joy to be able to talk to the children of Cambodia - education is deemed to be of great value here and the children loved to practise their English. Please take some biros with you on your travels as these were greatly appreciated as were the toothbrushes from the hotels!
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| S Lee |
31 January 2003 |
Stayed at Pavillon Indochine - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Siem Reap is unforgettable. Stunning temples, wonderful people, delicious food (Amok is a must) and great shopping too! Next time we'll try the funny motorbike drawn carriages and elephant rides. Were happy with hiring a car this time. The beggar children and landmine victims are a shock. Rather more expensive than we thought it would be with the airport taxes and visas. We got caught out on the way back. Didn't realise you had to pay US$20 to get out as well! Best holiday I've had in ages.
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| E Loritsch |
30 January 2003 |
Stayed at Angkor Diamond Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Restaurant at the hotel was very good. Also enjoyed the show and buffet at the Chao Phra. Very helpful, honest driver made the exploration of the ruins easy and pleasant.
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| P Woodcock |
29 January 2003 |
Stayed at Cambodiana Hotel - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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Phnom Penh itself did not have a lot to offer as a tourist attraction. We visited the prison which housed prisoners during the regime of the Khmer Rouge and also one of the killing fields. Both were sombre places to visit and we were asked why the rest of the world just watched it happen. Mittapheap Tours organised our transports and visits for us and I can thoroughly recommend them.
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| J Mccullough |
15 January 2003 |
Stayed at Tai Seng Hotel - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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Phnom Penh is not very interesting, but it is nice to run along the river in the morning and eat there in the evening. The Riverhouse restaurant is excellent. I drove to Koh Kong enroute back to Thailand. The road was OK and it was fun to take four ferry rides (100 baht each) and see part of Cambodia where the Thai baht is more useful than dollars. Otto's was a great restaurant in Koh Kong.
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| F Armand |
13 January 2003 |
Stayed at Angkor Village Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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We travelled independently and did not book a tour. Recommended restaurant: Chez Soheap in front of the Angkor Wat entrance. If trying to avoid tour buses: skip sunrise and sunset hotspots. Spend lunch time visiting the most popular temples. Hire a car and driver to visit off-the-beaten-track temples: Beng Malea and Kbal Spean.
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| B Adel |
08 January 2003 |
Stayed at Angkor Century Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Siem Reap is an amazing place! The temples are well worth the visit price. The 3-day ticket gives you the option to visit all of the temples over several days. We visited some in the morning, relaxed and cooled off midday at the hotel and visited more temples in the afternoons. A boat trip on Tonle Sap was also eye-opening.
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| A Richter |
08 January 2003 |
Stayed at Angkor Century Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Angkor Wat may be the most amazing place I have ever visited - truly a once in a lifetime experience. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys history and culture. I visited in early January, when the weather was perfect (dry and not too hot).
Contrary to what seems to have been the case before, small children no longer work as tour guides at individual temple sites, so you should either invest in a good tour book (I used "Ancient Angkor" by Freeman and Jacques), or arrange for a guide separately. Regarding souvenirs, the selection at the temple sites are rather limited - the Old Market offers much more.
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Traveller's Tales: Things to do in Cambodia
