Cambodia - first stop Siem Reap

After spending a couple of fairly unpleasant days in Bangkok, we flew on to our next country. As we approached from the sky what struck us most was how flat the land was. There was very little hassle on arrival - an unusual surprise for Southeast Asia! The taxi driver was friendly and helpful, the hotel staff were welcoming and helpful - everyone smiles...what a breath of fresh air!
It was mid afternoon but feeling excited to be there we decided to waste no time in getting out to explore the country. We booked onto an hour's quad biking at sunset in the paddy fields. Both having quad biked many times before we were disappointed to be told not to go too fast. However once you started this wasn't an issue as the scenery was much too important to miss at high speeds! A fantastic trip as each pair had our own guide so it felt very much like a private tour. We ambled through small rural villages and as in India, we once again felt like celebrities as children came running out of their houses, smiling, waving and shouting hello. We stopped in the paddy fields , as locals worked around us, to watch the sunset. A magical welcome to what was already turning out to be an amazing country.

Stopped in a a village

Working hard!

Sunset in the paddy fields

Angkor Wat and the rest of the ruins of Angkor beckoned the next day. Once again we rose early in order to leave at 5am to be there at sunrise. It was pitch black when we arrived at Angkor Wat with hundreds of other tourists streaming into the complex. Most of these congregated around the lake but we found a quieter spot a bit further away and waited. It wasn't a perfect sunrise but the atmosphere was eerie as the light emerged behind the temple silhouette and the birds started singing as if on cue.

Angkor Wat at sunrise

We hung around and got a coffee at one of the stalls and by the time we went to explore the temple the rest of the tourists seemed to have disappeared. A bit sad we thought that they had only come for the photo. We didn't mind though as it meant it was quiet in the temple as we wandered around.
A couple of hours later we found our tuk tuk driver waiting for us and we moved onto the rest of the Angkor complex. As we approached the South gate and drove through the bustle you could have been transported back in time as monks wandered past and lumbering elephants plodded through the gates.
We spent the next couple of hours walking around and climbing the ruins amongst the trees. It was a very peaceful morning exploring The Bayon and the terrace of the elephants, etc.



 The last stop on the circuit was Ta Prohm which you might recognise from Indiana Jones films and Tomb Raider. This was a true Indiana Jones experience as tree roots grow up around the tumbling stones. A whole 7 hour day of sightseeing completed by lunchtime and very much worth it.

Siem Reap itself is a lovely place to stay with a heavy French influence. Lovely restaurants and cafes to watch the usual Asian sights go by!