Apart from that one bad experience when I first arrived in Cambodia, I found the tuk tuk drivers in the country to be honest, friendly and helpful. I don’t know if that was luck, or just that they are, as a rule, honest, friendly and helpful, but I’m going to give a shout out to … Read more
This is Sophal. I didn’t meet him until nearly the end of my week in Chiro Village, but it’s because of him I was there. Although he’s a social worker now, Sophal used to sell books. And he had a friend who also sold books (the books thing isn’t really relevant – I just like … Read more
For six short months of my university career, I was enrolled as a History major. Unfortunately, there were no History papers on offer during that six months, and so, when the second semester rolled around and I changed to a Performing Arts major (which became English by the beginning of second year), I had not … Read more
If I hadn’t already used ‘The Best’ in a recent blog post title, and didn’t worry about overusing the superlatives, I would have called this post ‘The best $10 I have spent so far’. A visit to the Phare Ponleu Selpak Circus School was my primary reason for making the trip to Battambang, and I … Read more
Taking a bus from Siem Reap to Battambang takes about four to six hours on well-sealed roads. Estimates on the duration of the boat trip range from four to 12 hours, with descriptions ranging from enjoyable to torturous. At certain times of the year, the boat gets stuck because the river isn’t high enough for … Read more
No one was more surprised than me when I turned out to be the best cook in Siem Reap. Of course, it was my first night in town and I didn’t really have anything to compare it to, and there was always the small matter of my very skilled teacher. Actually, Savoeun is probably the … Read more
Angkor Wat. Lost civilisations. Sunrise. Temples. Shifting light. Ruins. The beauty and mystery of the place make it a Must See on many travellers’ bucket lists. What the guide books don’t mention though, is that it’s hot, expensive ($40US for a three-day pass), full of hawkers, makes you dirty from climbing around it, full of … Read more
Crossing overland from Aranyaprathet (Thailand) to Poipet (Cambodia) is an arduous task, if you have your wits about you. If you choose to obliviously follow the directions of the various tuk tuk drivers, touts, border officials and con artists, it’s a piece of cake. One very expensive piece of cake. It all begins before you … Read more