"Temples, river, cities and seashore" Cambodia by David92382

Five years ago you could only fly here. Fifteen years ago it was very difficult and unsafe to go here. Twenty-five years ago it was impossible to go here. Yet, today Siem Reap and the world famous Angor Wat temples can be easily visited by anyone on a wide range of budgets. On my last visit parts of Siem Reap almost looked like the Las Vegas strip with huge hotels being built or just completed often costing upwards of $200US per night. On the other hand there are numerous budget places where you can get a room with AC and a private bath for less than $10US.

New buildings everywhere.....

Less than 14 years ago when I first visited Phnom Penh it was a shell of a city with little to offer....almost a ghost town. When I first visited in Mar 1992, the UN was just moving in after Vietnam had pulled out. There was no night electricity. There were just shells of buildings everywhere. No tourist hotels or restaurants outside of the Cambodiana on the Mekong. People walking about with hollow non-expressive looks on their faces. Piles of uncollected garbage along the streets. Unpaved side streets. Virtually no cars other than the occasional white UN-marked vehicle.

Today it is a big bustling city with friendly people, ample tourist services, and intersting sites and things to do. The change in the people, the economy, the infrastructure and way of life is absolutely astounding. While some aspects of the city may still seem poor and dirty today to the first-time visitor, believe me.........it has come a long way baby in a short time.

Cruising the Mekong toward Vietnam

The heart and soul of Cambodia revolves around the Mekong......the river that runs through it. Phnom Penh is on the juncture of the Mekong and Tonle Sap.

During the rainy season as the Mekong rises the Tonle Sap reverses flow and begins to fill the giant lake in the west central part of the country. As it does so, it brings in new fish, sediment that provides fertility to the rice fields flooded by the rising lake and changes the appearance of the villages around the lake from stilted homes over dried mud to stilted homes over water. It also greatly improves the ability to take a boat from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh via the lake and river.

From Phnom Penh the river flows South easterly toward Vietnam and offers a fun way to head travel to Vietnam.

• Pros:Friendly. Inexpensive. An adventure. Less travelled. Simple life. Scene of horrific suffering under the Khmer Rouge.
• Cons:Poor roads. Few tourist facilities outside Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sianoukville. Public transport is often crowded, dirty and hot.
• In a nutshell:A relaxed, inexpensive and friendly country famous for ancient ruins and recent atrocities.