Cambodian Return, Siem Riep & The Temples of Angkor Wat (Anchor Smooth Pilsner)

 

The Popular Guesthouse had been recommended to us by our good friends Clay and Lisa and turned out to be a great place with friendly staff and a nice oasis where we could have breakfast.  Everything pretty much happened as we had been informed and whilst enjoying breakfast on our first morning in Siem Riep we organised our Tuk-Tuk tour of the Temples for $15. Our driver Sung who worked out of the guesthouse arranged to pick us up at the hotel for sunset at 4pm that day. 

Popular by name, popular by nature

This left us with the day to explore Siem Riep a charming town with old French shops and tree lined boulevards set on a gentle winding river. It has a hint of the rural past set beside the new glitzy future and is Cambodia's main attraction. We came across the central market and soon realised that  Siem Riep was much more developed than we expected. The streets were lined with nice restaurants, boutique shops and the famous ‘Pub Street’ which opens all hours.  It has definitely been hit with tourism where it is said one and a half million people visit each year.

The streets of Siem Riep lined with trendy shops, cafes and restaurants

Central Market

The town is built on a river

The famous 'Pub Street' is right up my street

At 4pm we headed out from Siem Riep the life support system for the Temples stopping to collect our $20 one day pass along with hundreds of other tourists.  You can get passes for up to a week.  We felt that one day would be enough and a Tuk-Tuk was the best way to see the most in one day.  If you have more time cycling looked like a good option but it very hot and it left you open to the elements. 

Tuk-Tuk man Son racing us towards Sunset

Photos done, our 1 day Angkor Wat passes

Angkor Wat is only 6 Km north of town and opposite the entrance we climbed a hill to the sunset viewing point.  Here you could climb up the steep old ruin to find a good spot amongst the crowds to take in the amazing surrounding views and of course sunset. On this night there wasn’t a spectacular sunset but it was still amazing to be there and see the end to a day.  We stayed until the very end just in case something magical happened to the sky.  

Joining the crowds to climb sunset hill

Views on our way up out over the Angkor jungle

Pretty popular then?

Everybody in position...

Maybe not a perfect sunset but great sky...

Our favourite token orange robed Buddhist Monk's make a celebrity appearance!

Sunset Wat!

Happy but waiting until the very end for something miraculous to happen!!!

Having to be up the next day for sunrise it was an early night but it gave us time to meander around the lively streets and sample one of the delicious Cambodian BBQs on the roadside.  It was a nice atmosphere but once again we hit by the poverty in Cambodia and the vast numbers of children out working on the streets in such a potentially dangerous environment.  There are a number of NGO’s in Siem Riep but the problem is so huge. We love Cambodia but we find it very emotional, maybe because we have learnt more by being here for so long volunteering, but the numbers of children you see out working is just heartbreaking. 

We are BBQ lovers

Great Skewers $2...

Bustling Siem Riep at Night (Our Canon not great in the dark)

Unbelievably we were excited as the alarm sounded at 4am because it was time to head out for sunrise over Angkor Wat the 8th Wonder of the World and spend the day touring the Temples or Wat’s.  The streets were hectic in the morning as we joined the tourism convoy in our Tuk-Tuk.  Our first stop was Angkor Wat where we waited by the water to see the reflection of Angkor Wat as the sun rose.  Again not a spectacular sunrise but amazing to be there as the day started and a good time to start looking around Angkor Wat as it was still cool.  As you would expect it was very busy, one thing that did surprise us, as it would continue to all day, was the amount of hassle from sellers inside the Temples. We do expect a lot outside tourist attractions but we were surprised at the amount of sellers inside the Temples. Not a moment’s peace whilst trying to explore the amazing Temples. Buying a scarf at this point was the last thing on our mind. 

Heading out for Sunrise, beautiful

Running with the crowds into Angkor Wat

We made it & still dark. Waiting for the orange glow to rise for the start of a new day

No orange glow. It just became daytime. Amazing all the same. EXSUSE ME! but I don't want to buy anything just at this present moment...

The Token Postcard Shot

With deciding on only one day at Angkor Wat we managed to see all of the main temples which included Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Terrace of Elephants, Victory Gate, Giant Buddha, Bayon, Baphuon, Phnom Bakheng and Ta Prohm which is the famous temple used in the film Tomb Raider.  Below is our Wat day. Apologies because I couldn't even begin to tell you which is which... 

The roads linking Angkor Wat sites 

He's looking at you kid



Terrace of Elephants



Giant Buddha

They don't tell you that climbing some of the temples is like rock climbing...

& that you have to climb down again. I would prefere to absail

Lara Croft-Tomb Raider

The end of our Angkor Wat tour

Our day at the Temples of Angkor Wat was amazing and definitely a must see when planning a trip to South East Asia.  We had finished our tour by midday, it started at 5am and may not seem like long but for us it was a perfect amount of time although we can see why people spend longer here. Kate’s favourite was the Bayon where there were hundreds of faces carved into the stone staring out across the landscape in all directions.  Mine was Ta Prohm which was fascinating and looks like the trees are hugging and squeezing the Temples. It was amazing how nature defeats obstacles to grow, fabulous day. 

Kate at her favourite Wat-Bayon

My favourite Ta Prohm with trees climbing walls

This left our final night to take in some more of Siem Riep. We enjoyed another great BBQ which included a Traditional Cambodian Dance Show. We also visited the Angkor Night Market which was amazing.  We couldn’t leave town without going for a beer on ‘Pub Street’ at Angkor What? Bar.  We couldn’t resist seeing what the fuss was about after seeing hundreds of travellers wearing the t shirt.  We realised that you get a free t shirt if you buy enough buckets, but tonight was not going to be another one of those nights.

More fab BBQ while taking in a Traditional Cambodian Dance Show

The Angkor Night Market

An amazing atmospheric market for shopping till you drop. If you have money of course!

Angkor What? (Bar) Do you see what they did there!

Pub Street & The Temple Club. They're all at it with this naming malarky

ANCHOR SMOOTH, PILSNER STYLE, CAMBODIA, 5%ABV

An Anchor at Angkor What?

Anchor Beer is pronounced ‘AnSHor’ and it is brewed by The Cambodian Brewery in Phnom Penh under licence from Asian Pacific Breweries Ltd. With being owned by the Singaporean beer giant this beer has been popular for years with huge marketing campaigns, promotions and a competitive market price making it available to all.

Brewed locally it has a crisp, slightly watered-down taste that makes it best served cold. It hasn’t got a strong aroma, but it does have a healthy dose of hops to keep it interesting, without a heavy aftertaste. Anchor leaves the palate with a gentle refreshed feel and it is smooth like it says on the tin. The tin being quite unattractive. Another standard lager in Asia and with this beer I would go with a bottle or can over draught. Draught in most Cambodian establishments just tastes pretty awful.

Anchor Smooth-330ml Can

http://www.apb.com.sg/anchor-beer.html

That’s a wrap for Siem Riep where we had a cultural couple of days taking in the sights. Never wanting to be negative about our travels but Siem Riep is the most intense place we had ever been for Tuk-Tuk drivers, including India and that’s saying something. It is just non-stop every step, inch or foot that you take.  I understand they have to make a living but trying to sell you hard drugs if you don’t want a Tuk-Tuk starts to wear you down.  Even if we spoke in Khmer and said no thanks they would follow you asking you over and over again not taking, no for an answer and then switching to drugs.  It is a huge problem that I think needs to be sorted out or maybe I just look that way inclined with my new crazy traveller hairstyle.

These guys are everywhere, waiting on the prowl. We are usually running (Not really) so this was a wide lense recon shot

It was time to head to the Cambodian Capital of Phnom Penh the following afternoon with our bus tickets all booked and paid for at Popular.