Planning A Vacation? We Make A Case For Cambodia

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If we’re being honest, we like to plan {or not plan} our own holidays. However, some times there are some trips, some dream destinations, that you just don’t want to mess up. That dream destination for us was Cambodia. So we decided to call in experts and got Cox & Kings to plan our holiday—from the travel and activities to the daily itinerary—and it worked out so well we were able to visit three countries, enjoy mouth shatteringly good cuisines and fill two camera’s with photographs.

Day One

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam on the first evening, where we met our Cox & Kings Chief Experience Officer {or CEO, if you will}. After a quick chat, we decided to explore bits of the city. Ideally, visiting French colonial buildings in District 1 would have been the plan, but we decided to head back after a snack and meet the rest of the group.

Day Two

A road trip was waiting for us when we awoke on day two. The plan was to head to the Mekong Delta, where the river empties into the South China Sea. The ride from the city to the delta was roughly two hours, which we used to catch up on some sleep.

At the delta, we boarded a small boat and set off on a cruise down the narrow canals of the river. The group stopped several times to meet the locals and enjoy some regional snacks. We had some chewy coconut candy {we think} along with some rice cakes. Nothing, however, beat that view of the landscape while we were cruising in the delta.

Day Three

This was the day we finally crossed into Cambodia. We grabbed a local bus {quite an experience, yet oddly like home} to MocBai, the international border gate between Vietnam and Cambodia. An impressive gate-like structure awaited us at the border while we had our passports checked.

From the Cambodian side, we took another local bus, this time to the capital Phnom Penh, where we enjoyed a thorough cycling tour of the city. The group passed through stunning colonial buildings, the post office, Van’s restaurant, past the imposing Royal Palace and the National Museum. There really isn’t a better way to see the city.

Day Four

The fourth day was dedicated to Phnom Penh. We took guided tours of Choeung Ek {the famous Killing Fields} and the Tuol Sleng Museum, both sites that focus on the atrocities of the Cambodian genocide. After the tours we had some time to ourselves, but we decided to take up the optional activity; visiting Royal Palace.

The palace is a complex of buildings with various sub-sections, and ended up being a lot of walking. It’s a fantastic photo opportunity, so definitely carry your camera {and lots of drinking water}. The stand out was the Silver Pagoda; something we had been looking forward to seeing since we arrived.

Day Five

The big day; reaching Angkor Wat. Taking a private car, we drove the seven hours through the gorgeous countryside from the capital to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, we saved our energy for the adventures ahead and spent the rest of the day reading, relaxing and drinking lots of tea.

Day Six

First thing we did upon waking up in Siem Reap was to take an extensive tour with a local expert through the huge grounds of Angkor Wat. We spent most of our time photographing temples with zeal, staring at animals and gorging on snacks.

We ended the long day with a traditional meal in one of the nearby villages.

Day Seven

The first half of the day was spent finishing off all the areas of Angkor Wat we were still desperate to see, after which we decided it was time to explore Siem Reap. We had some free time off on the itinerary, so we went into downtown Siem Reap and were fascinated by the traditional shanties side-by-side with the modern restaurants and hotels.

After trying some more of local Cambodian wine {that packed quite a punch}, we called it a day and headed back.

Day Eight

This was the day our Cambodian experience ended. Our ride from Siem Reap to the Thai-Cambodian border was two hours. The border was chaotic, with so many people and very little help. Luckily for us our, CEO was able to streamline the process and we didn’t spend too long in the lines.

A four-hour drive and we were in Bangkok. The entire group decided to go out to feast and drink, and boy, did we do just that.

Day Nine

Our CEO offered to find us post-tour accommodations {is there anything this guy can’t do?!} but sadly, we had commitments to head back home, and we flew out of Bangkok on the ninth day of our extremely rewarding Cambodia expidition.