Siem Reap, the step off point to Angkor is 291km by road to Phnom Penh and has so many temples you could stay here for the week. It is a pretty city with lovely flowering gardens and arched bridges across the Siem Reap River.
So the challenge is how many temples can you see in three days? After a boat jarring five hour journey up the Tonle Sap River and a seven a.m. departure, ear plugs are highly recommended for the trip as the only entertainment is a screen showing a vcd , watched by reading the subtitles.
For the brave there is the roof of the vessel, but bring a jumper as the boat travels with speed and the winds are strong. The cost of the trip is USD$25.00. For much of the way the Tonle Sap is so wide that you can not see it’s banks or any of the river activity you expect in these reaches.
As you reach the Chong Neas fishing village, the river comes alive with people waving to us from their houses on stilts and passing by our boat in their small open fishing boats. The smell of small fish cooking for lunch is strong and my nose doesn’t like it.
An alternative is the bus, and the Mekong Express for USD$10.00 provides a very pleasant trip, on newly reconstructed roads with pastries and bottled water taking also about five hours. A roadside stop gives you the opportunity to buy crickets from women selling basketfuls.
[tags]Cambodia, family holiday, travel guide[/tags]