Anyone been to Cambodia and Angkor Wat?

[Matariki]

my partner and i are planning a trip there...

[babylonsister]

1. I haven't...yet, but you may want to check out Kire's

brother's blog. He may have made it around there. It's a fun blog with lots of pics.

My Brother is Blogging from Laos


He was in Thailand before this and Australia before that. It's very exciting.

http://chucksworldjournal.blogspot.com/

[Kire]

3. I thouight he said he went to Angkor Wat

but he wasn't in Cambodia yet

it's not in Thailand?

I just googled it and I guess not. He's probably going there next because I know he has wanted to see it for a long time.

check out the blog anyway, he's got tons of pictures of Wats there

[Kire]

9. He was just there this week

He blogged about it for three days. Here are the links:

http://chucksworldjournal.blogspot.com/2006/02/chapter-24-day-1.html

http://chucksworldjournal.blogspot.com/2006/02/chapter-24-day-2.html

http://chucksworldjournal.blogspot.com/2006/02/chapter-24-day-3.html

[paulk]

2. yes

I was there last March.

The most awe inspiring place I have ever been.....

[Jean Louise Finch]

4. I've been to Angkor Wat

And it was exhilarating. I can't recommend it enough. I spent three days dashing around temples, watching sunrises and sunsets from ancient ruins, and just generally being completely overwhelmed by how amazing it was. I really, really, really strongly recommend that everyone get there and see it.

Siem Reap (the town the temple complex is close to) is nothing much to write home about, but Phnom Penh is supposed to be great. You can take a boat on the Mekong from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap; I've not had the time to do it yet, but friends have and report that it's just amazing.

[Matariki]

5. what's the country like?

i heard you have to carry cash outside of Phnom Penh, did you find that to be true? is there much crime there? were there snakes in the ruins?

Did you feel like three days were enough in Angkor Wat? Would you have stayed longer? Did you have a guide or know any cambodian?

thanks. can't wait to go.

[paulk]

6. American dollars are the currency of choice in Siam Reap

So, yes, the part about carrying cash outside of Phnom Penh is true. You'll need to stock up on dollars (small bills) before going there.

There very recently was a kidnapping and, I think, murder, of a tourist in Siam Reap - can't find a link, but I remember reading about it. But, that was very out of the ordinary. You'll have much more to worry about in dealing with the traffic there. Crossing the street can be an adventure, with drivers being much less inclined to stop for you than in Thailand, for instance.

The touts are much more aggressive in Cambodia than in Thailand also, so be prepared.

I didn't see any snakes. Doesn't mean they aren't there!

It's best to hire a guide and a car (with AC), at least for the first day. A day trip outside of the park (Ankhor cover over 50 sq. kilometers) is worth it also, IMO. Some of the better ruins are outside of the park.

Be prepared for overwhelming heat and humidity, which combined with the physical exertion of clamboring over endless ruins can be...
taxing. Especially when you're my age! You can hire bicycles to get around the park also.

When are you going? Some months are hotter than others, and there can be flooding in that part of the country during the monsoons.

Be prepared to see a lot of human suffering. Cambodia is very poor. Siam Reap, being a tourist center, attracts many victims of land mines, who make their living by begging.

I was there for three days - I would have liked to stay longer.

[Jean Louise Finch]

7. Dollars indeed

Having small bills makes it easier to do most anything. The heat and humidity is indeed a killer, especially if you hit Angkor anytime in the hottest season (which is fast approaching). During the monsoons would be amazing, as lots of the pools would fill and you'd get a whole sense of the wet tropical majesty of the place. I haven't been during the rains, but if it's anything like Thailand, it just buckets down for a few hours every day -- it's not a full day of relentless downpour.

We had a car with AC the first day, and then a tuk tuk for the other two. We were there in the coolest part of the year, so AC wasn't really necessary. We got up really, really early, hit the temples for the morning (made it for sunrise 2 of 3 days, an epic achievement for a useless morning person comme moi), then headed back to our guesthouse for a rest in the hot afternoon sun, and then went back out in the early evening through sunset. For me, 3 days was enough, as there's not a whole lot to do in Siem Reap apart from Angkor, and I was a bit templed out by the end of it. It's a pretty depressing town, as there is some just incomprehensible poverty. If you go to Phnom Penh first, I think you might be better prepared, especially if you spend some time learning about what has happened to the country in the last few decades.

The biggest temples -- namely Angkor Wat itself -- lose their splendour when you spend the whole time fighting with other tourists and the gaggles of kids selling postcards. Try and spend most of your time in the smaller, quieter ones. We didn't see the ones outside the park, though like paulk said, and I have heard from others, those are some of the best.

I don't speak a word of Khmer and had no troubles communicating and getting around. We didn't have a guide, per se, but we did have a couple of different drivers, who we had hilarious conversations with over lunch and drinks. Learned a few words by the time we left. The kids all in the park are also georgeous, funny and cheerful. They usually speak better English than the adults, and if you can convince them that you're not going to buy ALL of their folded paper flowers, they are super friendly and keen to learn more English (and teach you Khmer).

It's a pretty amazing place. I've never been anywhere like it.

Edited to add: I didn't see any snakes at all -- think it's too hot for them! And I reckon Cambodia is safer than most cities in the US, just be aware of your surroundings and don't leave your bag or camera lying around for easy access. Violent crime is pretty rare, especially amongst foreigners, but being pickpocketed or "relieved" of your stuff is definitely not uncommon.

A couple of great places to stay in Siem Reap: La Noria and the Red Piano. I can vouch for both!

[Matariki]

8. thanks paulk & jean for the info

sounds wonderful. we were going to go this winter, but i'm in the middle of selling my house. guess we'll have to wait to next december as i am a major heat wimp.