Where and When: Cambodia, April 2023
0830: Today, we are leaving Siem Reap and heading South to the capital, Phnom Penh. The two cities are about 300km apart and it takes 6 hours to complete the journey by road.
0930: About an hour into the trip, we stop at an ancient bridge, named Spean Preah Toeus. The bridge (no longer in use) is located on an ancient road connecting Angkor Wat to the southern provinces. The bridge is thought is have been built in the 11th or 12th century and is decorated with Cobra motifs which is very common in Angokar temples.
1000: Continue to Phnom Peh. Along the way, we pass many hustling and bustling small towns.
1245: Brief stop for lunch. Although this is a busy road, there are no motorway services, but there is a small food court, shop and toilet facilities.
1445: Arrive at Phnom Penh and our hotel, the Pavilion. The hotel is located in a quiet street, within walking distance to the Royal Palace and the National Museum.
1530 After a brief rest, we head out to explore the surroundings. There are several independent shops nearby, and we also visited Aeon Mall, a very large shopping mall. There are shops of many international clothing and food chains here.
1800: There time for a quick swim before dinner.
As today was a travelling day, there is not much to tell, but I thought I’d take this opportunity to list out a few facts and figures about Cambodia.
- In area, Cambodia is about 181000 sq km, about 75% of the land mass of the UK. The population is 16.5 million.
- History of Cambodia stretches to over 2000 years and is heavily influenced by other South Asian civilisations.
- Angkor Wat period was the golden period of Cambodia history with the powerful Khmer empire encompassing areas from other neighbouring countries of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
- Following 400 years of decline, Cambodia became a French protectorate from 1863 to 1953. Following independence, a period of political and social unrest followed, with Cambodia becoming a Republic in 1970. The problems continued and culminated in the infamous Khmer Rouge taking control from 1975 to 1979. Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979 and overthrew the Khmer Rouge, but for the next 15 years a guerrilla war was waged. Since late 1990s, the country has been recovering.
- English is widely spoken, so is French. It is also not uncommon to hear English sentences with French words interspersed.
- People of Cambodia are very hospitable, and we always found them smiling and helpful.
- Cambodian flag is the only flag in the world to have a building on it – the famous Angkor Wat.
- Currency – Cambodia uses the local currency, Riels and US dollars inter-changeably.
- Food – Cambodian cuisine is close to Thai food. Traditional Cambodian dishes are coconut based and there are many different ways to cook fish.
Diary of a Tourist 