One Month in Cambodia

09.03.2018 — 09.04.2018

We started our trip in Siem Reap and stayed there for a week. The first two days we visited the Angkor Archaeological Park and enjoyed the week in AngkorHUB co-working space, Getting Things Done. We traveled to Kep, because the stories of Sihanoukville didn’t sound appealing to us. We didn’t want to get into touristic crowds and Kep was advertised as:

Its impressive range of boutique hotels squarely targets a more cultured beach crowd than the party-happy guesthouses of Sihanoukville and the islands. (LonelyPlanet).

We found nothing impressive or cultured in Kep, so we moved on after a week. You can read more about Siem Reap and Kep in the detailed articles:

• 1 week in Siem Reap
• 1 week in Kep

After Kep we wanted to leave Cambodia, as it was a bit of a let-down. So we went to Phnom Penh for 6 days to apply for a Thai Visa. After printing, copying, getting our photographs taken and booking flights and hotels for 2 months in Thailand, the Visa application was not received by the Embassy official, as apparently “an Indian can not apply for a Thai visa in Cambodia”. So we spent another half a day on re-scheduling the flights and cancelling the hotel bookings. We then decided to spend the rest of the time in Cambodia and fly to Thailand for 14 days with the Visa on Arrival, as cancelling flights would have been too expensive, but re-scheduling was free. Again, we went with the recommendations of famous travel sites and spent 7 hours in a cramped minibus to arrive in Ban Lung. We expected to go for one day hikes in the jungle and visit the nearby sights, except things weren’t really that close and most advertised tours were 3 day trips, starting on Monday (not over the weekend). This wasn’t an option for us, so instead we focused on work, again.

For the whole time in Cambodia, we didn’t go diving, and thanks for a broken charger, I couldn’t use my drone either to take aerial footage.

Besides a fun time in Siem Reap, Cambodia was a disappointment. I don’t know if it’s just the season or that we’re not really here only for exploration & backpacking, but as nomads. Without the work schedule, this might have been a more interesting trip, hopping from place to place and taking all the tours. The country just wasn’t for us and we’re looking forward to leave on Monday.

Luxury VIP Minibus

For the way back from Ban Lung to Phnom Penh we got the real “luxury” VIP Minibus from virakbuntham.com, which was great compared to getting there. The bus was cheaper and much more comfortable than what the Phnom Penh hotel booked for us and we felt completely ripped off paying $20 per person while everyone else on the bus chipped in for gas money and that’s it.