bexxgo.: Bangkok to Siem Reap

Previous Stop: Sydney - flight
Duration: 3 days
Accommodation: G Adventures Hotel
Next Stop: Siem Reap - bus

Before heading out to Asia we were slightly apprehensive about travelling through Cambodia. We were unsure how safe or easy it would be so we decided that for 10 days we would book a tour through G Adventures - Cambodia on a Shoestring (full tour information on website). We met our group at a hotel in Bangkok, it was wonderful to be in a hotel after living in shared hostel rooms for a month. We had a group dinner at a small street food style restaurant which definitely gave us a taste of how cheap these next 7 weeks were going to be.

In the morning after a beautifully undisturbed sleep we met the other 7 people in our group and headed east to Cambodia. We arrived in Siem Reap in the early evening and went to dinner with a family in a local village. The food was delicious and they were very accommodating considering I'm vegetarian. The family were lovely and the girls showed us around as they were perfecting their English. After we had finished dinner we decided to venture out into Siem Reap to the Old Market/Pub Street area. It was such a different kind of atmosphere to anything I had really experienced before and it was great to be amongst the hustle and bustle of the city. At the end of the market there were bring pink chairs and a stage. The pink chairs for massages and the stage for a lady boys show. The foot massage was lovely and the lady boys show was entertaining until it started to turn a little dark which is the point we decided to make our exit.

The next morning we were up early *very early* to catch our bus to Angkor Wat for sunrise. The sunrise gave a beautiful image however the sun didn't rise above the temple for hours after we arrived. It was amazing to see however a massive tourist destination so constantly busy. We headed back for breakfast before coming back out to visit multiple temples within the Angkor Wat complex. The tour guide was lovely and very informative and being in such a small group was excellent. That evening we headed back to the same area we were the night before but visited a couple of bars including the Corner Bar where there was karaoke and after a vodka bucket or two we *kindaaaa* took over.. Queue Cher - Life after Love...

The next morning we spoke to our G Adventures leader, Minea, about New Hope Cambodia. Before she worked for G Adventures she was at New Hope so was more than happy to take us and show us around. It was very eye opening to see and learn about. It would also be somewhere I would definitely volunteer and recommend even to visit.