Tuesday, May 19, 2009

travel: siem reap

couple weeks ago, we got off out lazy asses and visited siem reap. seemed really sussed that neither of us has visited their national monument after living here for a while. (btw i love cambodian holidays! there are just so many public holidays it makes travel so convenient..) we hopped onto a plane and arrived in siem reap 35 mins later!

lucked out and found la maison d'angkor from the internet with rave reviews, its a really cozy and private boutique villa-style accommodation, a tad bit further away from the city center. but it was nice and quiet and the pool was amazing, just what we needed from dusty sweaty trips from the temples! (did i mentioned inexpensive too?) we spend many indulgent afternoons basking in the sun. also got lazy with planning tranfers and peripherals so we booked a package deal with massage, dinner for two, airport transfers, tuktuk drivers all thrown in and was pleasantly met at the airport by this dude!



love it! this dude knows who's boss. :)

some avid travellers and history buffs recommend at least a 3-day trip in the ancient temples but we wanted a more relaxed trip so we followed our lonely planet and poked our noses around a few classic temples. just a taste of the temples but every bit as magnificent as described and definitely one of the must-dos in life. prayed for a big storm before we visited so there is more water, less gunk in the reflection but it was not meant to be.



the second morning, we hauled ourselves at an ungodly hour of 5am to try and catch the sunrise.. only to realize that the camera lens had condensation from the super cold AC in our room.. *bah*



so we sat around the pond and enjoyed a peaceful morning trooping around the temples. turns out this is the best time to visit the temples because tour groups head back to their hotels for breakfast and a nap so the entire compounds is quiet and serene. the temperature is also cooler at this time of the day so we packed in heaps! felt like we just finished a long day of hard work and famished at 9 freakin am!! how odd that felt!! thats like the time i usually roll out of bed!!


all our lovely snacks, all-american brunch menu (mmm... comfort food) and cocktails from le central cafe. reminded me a little of cafes in old towne in VA with huge windows, an open concept and a generous view of passerbys, only this time round, its dusty rodeo tuktuk drivers trying to give you a ride...

for our 'g'bye siem reap' dinner, we asked for recommendations and were driven to viroth's! they had excellent khmer dishes toned down for tourist tastes buds! no pictures because we wolfed down our delicious bites and forgot.. still, amazingly delicious (i loved the basil chicken and fresh honey crepes).  and the ambience was excellent. minimalistic resort like feel with tables set along ponds and lush greenery. so natural we were showered in berries that fell from the tree above!

i am still tingling with happiness when i think of this little getaway from my getaway. it was such a grand plan to hop onto a plane so spontaneously, see something so wonderful and squeeze in little treats in between the week! ah! bliss! :)

5 comments:

  1. I was just there a month ago!
    Amazing amazing place.
    But really really hot though...
    BoON

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  2. i know! you should have seen my face towards the end of the day. it was SUPER black cos daniel kept taking his own sweet time with his pikkies..
    i was hiding in every possible shady area! haha...
    p.s. i still have tan lines from my slippers!! so cool right?

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  3. thanks babe! :) its my swimming pool dress i love it cos its so forgiving on bulging tummies..

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  4. love siem reap! n the mr/mrs zhing sign is too funny

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