I expected Gary Glitter type men with very young prostitutes, armed body guards on buses, tourists being mugged or held hostage at the border crossings.
See I'm not selling it to you, and I wasn't convinced either....
Until I went....
On the bus journey into the country from Saigon (HCMC), my palms were sweating... but it went surprisingly smoothly. We had a pleasant local ride in, we were even given food, drink AND hot towels (good for the old palms!)
Looking out the window into the capital, Phnom Penh, there were lots of golden temples, a large palace and lots of greenery. This place had a majesty to it, a lot of history both good and bad. Which country doesn't? Unfortunately this country had some very horrible things happen that only ended just over a decade ago. I guess the past comes back to haunt you, but here the country is still trying to get over it's.
Three Main Towns to Visit in Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Tourists come here to see the eery Killing Fields, the Genocide Museum, the school where the torture took place under the old regime, the Khmer Rogue. The one day we had in Phnom Penh, I ended up going into the Phnom Penh Post and then headed to the palace, so we didn't get chance to see the rest. From what I've heard though, it's tragic and it's brutal - it's also surreal and hard to get your head round; you detach yourself from it. You still see bones and skulls untouched in the mass graves. Not for the faint hearted. This is history at it's rawest.
Sihanoukville
A much needed break from the horrific Killing Fields. It has a beach, a few clubs - the place had potential, but while we were there it closed early and only one bar and one club was open!
There are also nice restuarants here, it's cheap and it's friendly.
There is poverty lurking everywhere. Children with lost limbs will disturb you on the beach begging.
Siem Reap
If you like seeing ancient buildings, then add Angkor Wat (City Temple) to your list. The Pyramids of Giza are impressive and these temples hold their own against them. Built in the early 12th century, they started off as places of worship for the Hindu faith, but were eventually updated so that they had a Buddhist feel to them. To say they are beautiful is an understatement.
They are breathtaking.
Bayon is the site with the huge stone faces carved onto the walls, there's the famous Tomb Raider and Angkor Wat that sits grandly on the river, to name a few.
However, a little secret... I couldn't really appreciate this until after I'd looked through my pics. Stupidly we'd decided the night before to go for ONE drink down Pub Street. The bus crew, who we'd travelled with for over a month through Vietnam, were heading to Bangkok and we were diverting to Phuket (to avoid the Red Shirts and riots in Bangkok), so it was our final goodbye. FIVE pitchers later... yep you guessed it, we spent the only day we had in Angkor Wat, in the 40 degree heat, with a serious hang over!! And I may have, just may have, thrown up a few times in a plastic bag I'd brought with me to the temple when I first got there. I am so sorry and so ashamed! The history junkie that I am, I should have been relishing in these ancient monuments and all their glory... but instead I was sleeping off my hang over in a hammock ten feet away, with Lynsey - who was feeling just as ropey - taking snaps on my camera for me! I did walk around a few sites - don't get me wrong. I will definitely have to go back one day, and make sure I don't drink the night before!
So to sum up, Cambodia is brimming with culture, it's full of life, has a very diverse history from glorious ancient sites to mass genocide graves. It's one of the few places in Asia I've been that you get to witness the horrors of the regime but also marvel at how beautiful it is. The ghosts are still very much there. It's really worth going to see. If you want to see something real, and feel you've really learnt the truth about the place.... then this is definitely the place to go.
Hand on heart I recommend it.
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