Southeast Asia is hailed as a backpackers' paradise. A place full of tropical beaches, fantastic food, infrastructure that allows for go-with-the-flow travel, and cheaper everything. It sounded perfect for someone like me who's rich on time, but needs to stretch their money. |
| Scootering Cambodian dirt roads. |
On that basis alone, I decided to allocate nearly four months of my year away to exploring Southeast Asia, and crossed my fingers that it would live up to all the hype.
Here, I cover my first month in the region, which included Bangkok, three beachy islands, a handful of coastal towns, sobering historical sites in Cambodia, and the absolutely awesome temple ruins of Angkor Wat. So far, Southeast Asia is everything I hoped it would be, but there've definitely been some surprises both pleasant and unpleasant along the way.
Below you'll find:
- My itinerary for the first month in Southeast Asia;
- Impressions of places stayed in Thailand & Cambodia; and
- The cost of travel in both countries.
Itinerary
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| Actual travel dates Nov. 25, 2019, to Dec. 20, 2019. |
We flew to Bangkok, from Nepal, and then headed down to one of Thailand’s closer islands, Koh Chang. From there, we hopped over to Cambodia to explore some of its quieter islands and coastal towns before heading north to its tourist hot spots. Don't stay in Sihanoukville if possible (I'll explain why below).
A Taste Of Thailand
My time in Thailand was a little brief in the first half of the trip (we circled back a month later). We split our first nine days in the country between the crazy city that is Bangkok and the much more relaxed island of Koh Chang. The former offered nonstop stimulation, while the latter was pure relaxation. It ended up being a nice mix!
My time in Thailand was a little brief in the first half of the trip (we circled back a month later). We split our first nine days in the country between the crazy city that is Bangkok and the much more relaxed island of Koh Chang. The former offered nonstop stimulation, while the latter was pure relaxation. It ended up being a nice mix!
Bangkok Is Foodie Heaven
Thore eagerly awaiting dinner in Chinatown.
Bangkok welcomed us with bright lights and skyscrapers galore. Skywalks with escalators guided pedestrians over busy streets and into megamalls with brands like Tom Ford and Jimmy Choo. It was a stark contrast to Kathmandu's dusty roads. I felt like I'd been catapulted into another century.
We happened to be staying in Chinatown, and taking a walk there was like watching a three-ring circus. There was so much going on that you were never sure where to look. The smell of delicious food and cooking oil hung in the hot air. A crimson glow flooded the street from the dozens of red and yellow Chinese signs. Hoards of pedestrians maneuvered around food stalls and their plastic stools. Tuktuk and taxi drivers honked as people spilled into the road. The occasional blast of cold air from yet another 7-11 broke up the heavy humidity.
Our first goal was to find a decent meal. With India's questionable hygiene standards still fresh in my mind, I thought it best to asked our hostel receptionist if she could recommend street food that was safe for a Western stomach. She stared blankly. A guest checking in filled the silence, "It's really all fine. I've lived here off and on for years and never had a problem." I breathed an audible sigh of relief, headed to the nearest food stall, and, for the price of about €1.50, I got myself a delicious chicken and rice dish. This is my kinda town, I thought.
A dish that I didn't love.
The only downside it turns out was that I had very limited time here, and but one stomach. And after bouncing from stall to stall on night one, and eating some tasty and other less tasty items, I realized that if I wanted to get the best food in the shortest amount of time (and obviously not go tossing things in the trash), I probably should pay someone to guide me to the good stuff.
Pork knuckles: Not a looker, but so good.
After careful review, I booked myself onto a food tour that promised 15 stops. A decision I regret exactly zero percent, despite it being pricey for my backpacking lifestyle. The following evening, I was in gluttonous foodie heaven. Even more so because Thore opted out due to a cold and the price tag, which put me in the fantastic position of not even having to share dishes like the other couples on the tour. With Thanksgiving being just around the corner, I decided to make the evening my own personal celebration (translation: I was committed to eat until uncomfortably full).
I'm glad I came with an appetite, because the menu was extensive (click links for locations):
- Chive dumplings in a spicy chili soy sauce. Simple and delightful flavors.
- Pork knuckles braised in a soy-based sauce with peanuts, and served with a vinegar-based chili sauce and fresh chilis and garlic (image above). It looked kind of off-putting, but honestly one of the best dishes of the night. Really soft meat, and well-balanced tangy and spicy flavors.
- Pennwort juice, a palate-cleansing, health-promoting green juice. Nicer than wheatgrass shots, but definitely on the grassy side of things. Being a green smoothie drinker, I loved it, and nearly bought more to take back.
- Pork satay with a smooth peanut sauce, and a cucumber and rice vinegar salad. Not a new dish for me, so less exciting to eat, but the salad pairing made it shine.
- A chicken glass noodle soup made with Chinese cabbage.
Best Thai green curry of my life.
- A Thai green curry topped with super crispy, thinly sliced, fried Chinese sausage. Again, fried things bringing a dish to the next level.
- An egg noodle soup with pork and bok choy that you season yourself with white vinegar, chili flakes, sugar, and soy sauce. Again a soup, so I wasn't in love, but the balance-it-yourself aspect was really appealing to me as someone who likes things a little more acidic than most people.
- Shrimp dumplings topped with fried garlic. Perfection. So succulent, light, and tangy, but with that sweet caramelized crunch on top. I think fried garlic should maybe be added to more things now (apparently they are only available in the day though, and its reservation-only fine dining evenings FYI).
- Soy sauce flavored soft serve ice cream. This was a little odd at first, but I ended up loving it (think butterscotch instead of sushi).
- Sautéed water spinach (or morning glory as it's called here) loaded with chili and garlic.
- Green mango with a sweet and spicy shrimp-based dip. An acquired taste I think. I felt like I put shrimp sweeTarts in my mouth, but the flavor and texture were so fascinating that I kept taking tiny bites trying to wrap my brain around it.
- Tom Yum Soup, which is made with seafood, mushrooms, lemongrass, chili, and fish sauce.
- Fresh mango juice.
- Mango sticky rice. A must-try while in Thailand.
- Fried Chinese donuts paired with Thai pandan custard. The kind of fried sugary goodness keeps you eating another and another, and another.
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| Thore eagerly awaiting dinner in Chinatown. |
Bangkok welcomed us with bright lights and skyscrapers galore. Skywalks with escalators guided pedestrians over busy streets and into megamalls with brands like Tom Ford and Jimmy Choo. It was a stark contrast to Kathmandu's dusty roads. I felt like I'd been catapulted into another century.
We happened to be staying in Chinatown, and taking a walk there was like watching a three-ring circus. There was so much going on that you were never sure where to look. The smell of delicious food and cooking oil hung in the hot air. A crimson glow flooded the street from the dozens of red and yellow Chinese signs. Hoards of pedestrians maneuvered around food stalls and their plastic stools. Tuktuk and taxi drivers honked as people spilled into the road. The occasional blast of cold air from yet another 7-11 broke up the heavy humidity.
Our first goal was to find a decent meal. With India's questionable hygiene standards still fresh in my mind, I thought it best to asked our hostel receptionist if she could recommend street food that was safe for a Western stomach. She stared blankly. A guest checking in filled the silence, "It's really all fine. I've lived here off and on for years and never had a problem." I breathed an audible sigh of relief, headed to the nearest food stall, and, for the price of about €1.50, I got myself a delicious chicken and rice dish. This is my kinda town, I thought.
 |
| A dish that I didn't love. |
The only downside it turns out was that I had very limited time here, and but one stomach. And after bouncing from stall to stall on night one, and eating some tasty and other less tasty items, I realized that if I wanted to get the best food in the shortest amount of time (and obviously not go tossing things in the trash), I probably should pay someone to guide me to the good stuff.
 |
| Pork knuckles: Not a looker, but so good. |
After careful review, I booked myself onto a food tour that promised 15 stops. A decision I regret exactly zero percent, despite it being pricey for my backpacking lifestyle. The following evening, I was in gluttonous foodie heaven. Even more so because Thore opted out due to a cold and the price tag, which put me in the fantastic position of not even having to share dishes like the other couples on the tour. With Thanksgiving being just around the corner, I decided to make the evening my own personal celebration (translation: I was committed to eat until uncomfortably full).
I'm glad I came with an appetite, because the menu was extensive (click links for locations):
- Chive dumplings in a spicy chili soy sauce. Simple and delightful flavors.
- Pork knuckles braised in a soy-based sauce with peanuts, and served with a vinegar-based chili sauce and fresh chilis and garlic (image above). It looked kind of off-putting, but honestly one of the best dishes of the night. Really soft meat, and well-balanced tangy and spicy flavors.
- Pennwort juice, a palate-cleansing, health-promoting green juice. Nicer than wheatgrass shots, but definitely on the grassy side of things. Being a green smoothie drinker, I loved it, and nearly bought more to take back.
- Pork satay with a smooth peanut sauce, and a cucumber and rice vinegar salad. Not a new dish for me, so less exciting to eat, but the salad pairing made it shine.
- A chicken glass noodle soup made with Chinese cabbage.
 |
| Best Thai green curry of my life. |
- A Thai green curry topped with super crispy, thinly sliced, fried Chinese sausage. Again, fried things bringing a dish to the next level.
- An egg noodle soup with pork and bok choy that you season yourself with white vinegar, chili flakes, sugar, and soy sauce. Again a soup, so I wasn't in love, but the balance-it-yourself aspect was really appealing to me as someone who likes things a little more acidic than most people.
- Shrimp dumplings topped with fried garlic. Perfection. So succulent, light, and tangy, but with that sweet caramelized crunch on top. I think fried garlic should maybe be added to more things now (apparently they are only available in the day though, and its reservation-only fine dining evenings FYI).
- Soy sauce flavored soft serve ice cream. This was a little odd at first, but I ended up loving it (think butterscotch instead of sushi).
 |
- Sautéed water spinach (or morning glory as it's called here) loaded with chili and garlic.
- Green mango with a sweet and spicy shrimp-based dip. An acquired taste I think. I felt like I put shrimp sweeTarts in my mouth, but the flavor and texture were so fascinating that I kept taking tiny bites trying to wrap my brain around it.
- Tom Yum Soup, which is made with seafood, mushrooms, lemongrass, chili, and fish sauce.
- Fresh mango juice.
- Mango sticky rice. A must-try while in Thailand.
- Fried Chinese donuts paired with Thai pandan custard. The kind of fried sugary goodness keeps you eating another and another, and another.
All in all, the food tour made for a very successful night. We spent another evening on a rooftop bar, drinking craft beer and taking in the skyline and the party boats cruising down the river blasting karaoke. Decidedly tame considering the city's reputation as a crazy party town, but I wasn't looking for any adventures inspired by The Hangover Part II, and left feeling we'd made the most of our time in Bangkok.
Koh Chang: A Perfect Place To Do Nothing
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| The view from our hotel restaurant. |
With turquoise water and white sandy beaches, the island was my first, and long-anticipated taste of paradise in our three months on the road. We'd pick it because it was said to be less overrun by tourists than more famous islands further South, but its main drag was already lined with shops all selling the same assortment of crocheted bikini tops and men's singlets with Thai beer labels. Not as charming as I'd hopped, but it was still far from crowded, very clean, and it had a great assortment of accommodations and restaurants.
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| A hard day at the beach. |
It ended up being the perfect place for some rest and relaxation, which was exactly what we needed after the stress of traveling India and the strenuous hiking in Nepal. For our first few nights, we booked a more luxurious hotel (for our standards at least), with its own private beach and an infinity pool, and just bummed around on the beach. A shameless vacation from traveling.
It wasn't long before we were itching to see something new again though, so a few days later we took a scooter to the far end of the island to look at a floating fishing village and search for a cheaper place to crash. We liked the area so much, we decided to stay a few days.
To keep ourselves entertained, we took a sea kayak out and paddled to a deserted beach about an hour away against some pretty strong current. About halfway there, my arms were burning like fire. Somehow we made it there and back though, but both of us were nearing empty by the time we got back. Days later, we learned some Russian tourists actually got stranded kayaking close to where we were (new report here), because of the strong currents. Kind of shocking!
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| Don't be fooled by the calm water, the current was strong and paddling was exhausting. |
Physically drained from kayaking, we decided to try a Thai massage on the beach on our last day (my first massage ever), and I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I wasn't a big fan. Parts were nice, but I was not prepared to have my body pulled into strange directions by a little Thai woman until this or that cracked. Being mildly ticklish also definitely didn't help with the enjoyment factor.
Cambodia: Way More Than Angkor Wat
I knew embarrassingly little about Cambodia before arriving. Tomb Raider had turned me on to Angkor Wat's epic temple complex, but that was about it. This made our nearly three weeks in the country quite an adventure. I loved it there! The places we saw and things we did were so varied, and the cost of travel was very low for the quality of accommodations and food.
My Worst Travel Day & Sihanoukville Explained
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| Sihanoukville's infrastructure has been destroyed by Chinese investment and construction projects. |
Despite having just sung Cambodia's praises, my time in the country got off to a very rough start, so brace yourself for a story.
Corruption and scams were waiting to meet us as we crossed the Thai-Cambodian border. As we sat filling out paperwork at an immigration office in the middle of nowhere in brutal heat, a man began telling everyone the buses to towns were leaving soon and that we needed to get in the "faster" (aka more expensive) visa lane to catch them. Having been forewarned about such tactics, we put on a firm smile on and told them we could wait. A British couple obliged though and paid about €50 more for the "service" than the official visa price. We got our visa about 20 minutes later, but were still charged about €5 more than we should've been. Not a horrible outcome, but it was the type of false interaction that left a sour taste in my mouth.
Right about then I realized how terribly feverish, dizzy, and weak I was feeling. I took some Ibuprofen and tried to focus on getting to Sihanoukville, where we were meant to get a ferry the following day to our true destination, the lovely island of Koh Rong Sanloem.
Once our visa was sorted though, the next unpleasant interaction began. Another man began following us and insisting we take a bus that was not ours. As per our ticket, ours wasn't leaving for hours. Plus, the aforementioned British couple, who were traveling North, were sitting inside this bus. We declined, explaining we were actually heading South. He refused to take no for an answer though, angrily insisting the bus schedule had changed and we had to get on this bus. What followed was a bizarre combination of bullying and manipulation (complete with him trying to grab our bags and shouting at us) until we had in fact gotten on the bus, alongside a handful of other confused and distressed travelers.
A few hours later, the driver kicked us out on a dirt patch hours away from our destination at a point where the road forked and went North. He sped off leaving us in the dust without further instructions, but at least all our luggage. At this point, I felt like hot garbage. It was late afternoon, and I tried not to think about the real possibility that we could be stuck here (wherever here was!) for the night. We had no cell service, and no Cambodian money, but I was too tired to panic.
After maybe 45 minutes of watching cars pass, a bus that was nearly at capacity stopped and let us on. I managed to secure half a seat next to a Chinese woman who begrudgingly moved her trash and very smelly road snacks out of part of the seat for me, but Thore sat on the floor.
Within a half hour, we'd hit heavy traffic at a truck weighing station, turning a three-hour drive into five. The bus was freezing, and the sound system blasted Cambodian pop, which was accompanied by some very low budget music videos on the screen at the front of the bus. I burrowed my head into my knees and tried to block it out. My newfound meditation skills helped, but I must have looked awful, because the Chinese woman who at first was noticeably irritated by my presence felt sorry for me, and decided I needed tiger balm smeared into my temples and scratched (!!) into my neck.
At around 9:00 pm, after 14 hours of travel and only snacks since breakfast, we rolled into Sihanoukville, but relief quickly turned to shock and horror. We'd been warned it was a seedy beach town, but what met us was something entirely different and decidedly worse. It looked like we'd entered an actual war zone. The streets were torn up, ruble and garbage was piled up everywhere, sewage and water pipes leaked onto roads, and smoke from small trash fires seared your nostrils. We witnessed no fewer than three bloody accidents due to the poor road conditions in a total of 30 minutes. At the same time and to our total confusion, there were hundreds of flashy empty casinos and half-finished high rises, and everything was in Chinese. It felt like a nightmare.
I was so ultra done at this point, we decided to forgo the accommodation we'd booked, which was still a 30-minute ride away, and get the closest hotel we could find. In the night, my fever climbed above 40C (yes, I travel with a thermometer), and given the potential for Dengue and Malaria, we decided a trip to a clinic instead of an island was in order the next day.
Despite the city's distressed state, the clinic we went to was OK. Within an hour they'd tested my blood, confirmed it wasn't Dengue, but some stomach illness, and set me up with some meds. Relief.
My doctor, a very focused Russian woman who spoke excellent English, shed a little light on the state of Sihanoukville. Apparently, the town used to be lovely, that's why she'd moved, but in the last two years things changed rapidly. A huge influx of gambling-fueled Chinese investment and frenzied building turned the city into a filthy and dangerous construction site, destroying key infrastructure like roads, waste disposal, and water lines in the process.
The medicine helped, but I needed another day to recover, so we unfortunately stayed another night in Chinese casino-construction land. While there, we learned more and more details from various locals who were angry and saddened by the transformation of their town. Apparently government officials had given the Chinese gambling licenses in hopes that it would pump money into the local economy. It turned out though that the brick-and-mortar casinos were just a way for the Chinese to by-pass a gambling ban at home and open online casinos, leaving little money flowing into Cambodian pockets and the city in disarray from shoddy and unsafe construction projects (see news report for more details).
The roads were in such bad condition that the next day our tuktuk driver couldn't even reach the port on a single street. They were all blocked with bulldozers and ruble. We walked the last blocks to the ferry, and I was VERY happy to be leaving.
Corruption and scams were waiting to meet us as we crossed the Thai-Cambodian border. As we sat filling out paperwork at an immigration office in the middle of nowhere in brutal heat, a man began telling everyone the buses to towns were leaving soon and that we needed to get in the "faster" (aka more expensive) visa lane to catch them. Having been forewarned about such tactics, we put on a firm smile on and told them we could wait. A British couple obliged though and paid about €50 more for the "service" than the official visa price. We got our visa about 20 minutes later, but were still charged about €5 more than we should've been. Not a horrible outcome, but it was the type of false interaction that left a sour taste in my mouth.
Right about then I realized how terribly feverish, dizzy, and weak I was feeling. I took some Ibuprofen and tried to focus on getting to Sihanoukville, where we were meant to get a ferry the following day to our true destination, the lovely island of Koh Rong Sanloem.
Once our visa was sorted though, the next unpleasant interaction began. Another man began following us and insisting we take a bus that was not ours. As per our ticket, ours wasn't leaving for hours. Plus, the aforementioned British couple, who were traveling North, were sitting inside this bus. We declined, explaining we were actually heading South. He refused to take no for an answer though, angrily insisting the bus schedule had changed and we had to get on this bus. What followed was a bizarre combination of bullying and manipulation (complete with him trying to grab our bags and shouting at us) until we had in fact gotten on the bus, alongside a handful of other confused and distressed travelers.
A few hours later, the driver kicked us out on a dirt patch hours away from our destination at a point where the road forked and went North. He sped off leaving us in the dust without further instructions, but at least all our luggage. At this point, I felt like hot garbage. It was late afternoon, and I tried not to think about the real possibility that we could be stuck here (wherever here was!) for the night. We had no cell service, and no Cambodian money, but I was too tired to panic.
After maybe 45 minutes of watching cars pass, a bus that was nearly at capacity stopped and let us on. I managed to secure half a seat next to a Chinese woman who begrudgingly moved her trash and very smelly road snacks out of part of the seat for me, but Thore sat on the floor.
Within a half hour, we'd hit heavy traffic at a truck weighing station, turning a three-hour drive into five. The bus was freezing, and the sound system blasted Cambodian pop, which was accompanied by some very low budget music videos on the screen at the front of the bus. I burrowed my head into my knees and tried to block it out. My newfound meditation skills helped, but I must have looked awful, because the Chinese woman who at first was noticeably irritated by my presence felt sorry for me, and decided I needed tiger balm smeared into my temples and scratched (!!) into my neck.
At around 9:00 pm, after 14 hours of travel and only snacks since breakfast, we rolled into Sihanoukville, but relief quickly turned to shock and horror. We'd been warned it was a seedy beach town, but what met us was something entirely different and decidedly worse. It looked like we'd entered an actual war zone. The streets were torn up, ruble and garbage was piled up everywhere, sewage and water pipes leaked onto roads, and smoke from small trash fires seared your nostrils. We witnessed no fewer than three bloody accidents due to the poor road conditions in a total of 30 minutes. At the same time and to our total confusion, there were hundreds of flashy empty casinos and half-finished high rises, and everything was in Chinese. It felt like a nightmare. 
Despite the city's distressed state, the clinic we went to was OK. Within an hour they'd tested my blood, confirmed it wasn't Dengue, but some stomach illness, and set me up with some meds. Relief.
My doctor, a very focused Russian woman who spoke excellent English, shed a little light on the state of Sihanoukville. Apparently, the town used to be lovely, that's why she'd moved, but in the last two years things changed rapidly. A huge influx of gambling-fueled Chinese investment and frenzied building turned the city into a filthy and dangerous construction site, destroying key infrastructure like roads, waste disposal, and water lines in the process.
The medicine helped, but I needed another day to recover, so we unfortunately stayed another night in Chinese casino-construction land. While there, we learned more and more details from various locals who were angry and saddened by the transformation of their town. Apparently government officials had given the Chinese gambling licenses in hopes that it would pump money into the local economy. It turned out though that the brick-and-mortar casinos were just a way for the Chinese to by-pass a gambling ban at home and open online casinos, leaving little money flowing into Cambodian pockets and the city in disarray from shoddy and unsafe construction projects (see news report for more details).
The roads were in such bad condition that the next day our tuktuk driver couldn't even reach the port on a single street. They were all blocked with bulldozers and ruble. We walked the last blocks to the ferry, and I was VERY happy to be leaving.
Koh Rong Sanloem: A Peaceful Haven
After Sihanoukville, Koh Rong Sanloem was pure bliss. No construction, just the sound of crashing ocean waves--the perfect spot to regain my strength. The island is made up of a few small beach settlements around its edges that are unconnected by roads.
We picked the settlement around M-Pai Bay, which had maybe 10 guesthouses and about as many restaurants along its sandy beach front. It offered a mix of rustic plus creature comforts. Our guesthouse didn't have hot water or aircon, but did have Wifi, and, to my surprise, there was a delicious pizza place with a wood-fired oven. You couldn't find ATMs, but could find cheap beer, hammocks, and beanbag chairs. I stuck to fruit smoothies given my state, but Thore had a few extra beer for me.
There wasn't much to do there, but settle into a comfy chair, stare at the sea, and occasionally get up to find food. We tried snorkeling one day, but winds made the water too choppy for good visibility. It was so strong in fact that a few of the ferries back got cancelled, and we nearly had to extend out stay on the island. Certainly wouldn't have been the worst place to get stuck though.
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| Most establishments were run by expats, but a local (and his daughter) ran this cafe. |
There wasn't much to do there, but settle into a comfy chair, stare at the sea, and occasionally get up to find food. We tried snorkeling one day, but winds made the water too choppy for good visibility. It was so strong in fact that a few of the ferries back got cancelled, and we nearly had to extend out stay on the island. Certainly wouldn't have been the worst place to get stuck though.
Kampot's Riverside Charm & Day Trips
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| A top activity in Kampot is relaxing riverside. |
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| An architectural nod to the town's colonial past. |
What makes this place so attractive? Well for starters, there's something alluringly authentic about it. It's a normal Cambodian town that doesn't seem to have lost its soul to tourism. People are just going about their days, although it does seem to be home to a number of expats who've taken a liking to its agreeable weather, slow pace of life, and beautiful surrounding countryside.
The architecture is also enchanting. Walking around the town's main market, you'll get a glimpse of its French colonial past. While most buildings with colonial flare are weathered, with fading paint and colorful vines creeping over cracked facades, a few have been given a second life as cozy restaurants and homey boutique hotels. This kind of layered history just charms my socks off.
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| Hipster coffee joint decor at its finest. |
What really blew me away though was the town's wide array of affordable, exceptionally delicious, and well-executed cuisines, which are in no small part thanks to the expat community (and their money). In addition to some killer Thai and Khmer (people native to Cambodia) food, we ate fondue from a Swiss gentlemen who imports all his cheese from home, and amazing pasta and pizza at the home restaurant of an Italian man who makes his own sausage. They also had a decent Mexican and Indian place, and a coffee shop that would satisfy Berlin's most hipster espresso lover. When I discovered that a Japanese gentleman also has a sushi restaurant slash microbrewery that makes IPAs that's when I lost it. If they also had a bagel shop (and a gym), that's basically all I'd need for life. At that point, we decided to extend our time in the town so we could continue to eat our hearts out while leisurely exploring the surrounding areas.
One day, we rented a scooters and drove the incredibly well paved and delightfully winding road up to Bokor Mountain (multiple people told us that it's the best road in all of Cambodia). The views were excellent, but the main attraction, a collection of abandoned French colonial buildings that used to be a luxury resort, had been taken down due to Chinese development. A massive casino and hotels are going up now. There's still a nice mini hike and waterfall though.
Another day, we ventured over to a pepper farm. Turns out Kampot is world renowned (at least among gourmets) for its pepper. The quartz in the soil and salt from the sea apparently give it a very special flavor. We were given a free tour of the farm, followed by a pepper tasting. I learned so much! Highly recommend. Ironically the town is also right next to some salt fields, but we didn't manage to squeeze in a visit. Relaxing In Rabbit Island & Kep
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| Rabbit Island is a great place to relax. You arrive in small green boats like the one above. |
Our next stop was the coastal town of Kep and Rabbit Island. We'd heard the island was a perfect place to once again do nothing, and it's 100% true. Other than some very nice snorkeling, there's nothing to do but hang in a hammock, read, and get yourself a cold drink.
Small boats take over groups of passengers a few times a day, and once there you can choose from about eight very similar, very basic beach huts (there's one nicer and pricer accommodation at the end though).
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| Nets kept mosquitos and roaches out. |
Admittedly, I found myself a little uncomfortable there. The island only briefly had power mornings and evenings when they ran loud generators, which meant having a fan going at night to combat the sticky humidity wasn't an option. Our shower turned out to be just a bucket of not too clean rain water, so I never felt especially clean either.
The island is also popular among locals, so once the weekend hit the shore was buzzing with groups having picnics, drinking, blasting Cambodian pop, and singing karaoke. It can be lively or rowdy depending on how you look at it.
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| The market also sells dried shrimp. |
After two island nights, I was ready for a nice shower, so we headed back to the tiny town of Kep. Once a seaside town favored by the French colonial elite, then a favorite spot of wealthy Cambodians in the 1960s, Kep is now just a sleepy coastal town. There isn't too much to see, other than old abandons villas, the town's famous crab market, and a statue celebrating all the crab.
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| Thore making his selection. |
Thore's crazy about crab, so we of course had to head down to the market for dinner one night. There you can buy fresh crabs by the kilo from locals who boil it right in front of you. A lady will wander into the ocean, pull out a basket of crabs, bring it back, and then you can pick your favorites, and haggle for a good price. In the end, we got 1 kilo of crab for about €8, and then sat down on plastic stools and went to town. It was a rather gritty experience though. Rats, roaches, and stray cats scurried around the edges of the wet market floor, so I'd recommending taking your spoils elsewhere to enjoy.
Phnom Penh's A Hard Pill To Swallow
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| A commemorative stupa filled with skulls of those executed. |
In our limited time, we visited the Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields. If I only had time for one, I would pick the first because I found it more of an immersive and informative experience. The auto-recordings and visuals did an extremely good job of storytelling and bringing to life the unthinkable. It was terribly upsetting, but important to see.
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| Almost everyone in Cambodia has a similar story. |
Siem Reap's Seriously Awesome
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| My favorite temple, Ta Prohm, which has unofficially been dubbed the Tomb Raider Temple. |
Siem Reap, most people's first and sometimes only stop in Cambodia, ended up being out last. It was a fantastic note to end on. Angkor, the largest religious complex in world, left us in awe. It contains more than 1,000 temples built between the 9th and 13th centuries by the Khmer people under their god-kings. The remaining structures are just a skeleton of the Khmer Empire's capital city. Our minds were boggled by both the grandeur and exquisite detail of the vast temple complex. I highly recommend watching this documentary if you go see the temples or just want to know more. It does an excellent job of bringing the ancient metropolis and the people who built these structures to life. 
Now, one day obviously wasn't enough to see all the temples, but we hit up almost everything in the "small circuit." My absolute favorite by far was the Ta Prohm Temple, which just happens to also be the one featured in Tomb Raider. I had a feeling it would be, so I made it our first stop of the day, and we got in just before the buses of tourists descended on it. It is otherworldly. The trees and roots growing through walls and enveloping the temple just added yet another element to appreciate. You can marvel both at this incredible feat of mankind and nature's greatness that works on such different time scales. 
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| Bayon Temple is know for its many Buddha faces, which were modeled after a Khmer ruler. |
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| Our hotel was only about €15 a night. |
Spending Breakdown
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| *Costs reduced by traveling as a couple. |
For 26 days of travel in Thailand and Cambodia, I spent roughly €1,100 (excluding about €140 in clinic fees to be reimbursed by my insurance). I broke my spending down by country here though, because Thailand is significantly more expensive than Cambodia.
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| *Costs reduced by traveling as a couple. |
Nine days in Thailand cost me about the same as 17 in Cambodia. Excluding travel costs, daily spending in Thailand was nearly €40 versus €23 in Cambodia. I think this is a testament to the fact that you get such incredibly value for your money while in Cambodia, and also that the Thai bhat has strengthened significantly in recent years.
