Most Inspirational Moment
There are two days where you can witness harrowing aspects, which we were warned about in advance, giving individuals the right to choose whether they wanted to be subjected to some confronting sites, but such moments were respectfully presented and form an important part of history that should never be forgotten. We were always given a place to come back to and sit if things felt too much. I would recommend attending and simply returning to the meeting point early if you feel the need to. On the flip side, there are so many glorious highlights. I really enjoyed the various boat trips, especially the sanpan and the small boat tour around the mangroves of the floating village. Angkor Wat is impressive but I found I liked some of the more smaller but equally elaborate ruins that we were able to wander through such as Ta Prohm, and watching the sunset from high on a temple felt so tranquil.
Thoughts on Group Leader
We had three group leaders, Trang (Vietnam), Channa (Cambodia), and Nai (Thailand) and each added great value to the trip in their own way. We felt very informed, safe and cared for under their watch. Trang ensured we stayed safe as we navigated the frenetic streets of Ho Chi Min City and shared her country's cultures so vividly and passionately. Channa had a great sense of humour from day one and kept the energy levels going over some long journeys. She was so thoughtful when it cane to maximising our experience, bringing local snacks and delicacies to try on the bus. Again a wealth of knowledge and a real passion for her country. Her explanations of some of the carved freezes in the old temples added to the interest. Nai was constantly busy behind the scenes adjusting all our transfer and return flight details, as well as sharing info about the palace and Thai culture. His was a more difficult job with two separate minivans to keep across and only one of him. All three did an amazing job and helped make the trip so special.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The trip notes are comprehensive, so do read them. In addition: Pack a lightweight beach towel for Rabbit Island if you don't want to run the gauntlet of covertly 'borrowing' a hotel towel that you then don't want to damage or get too dirty. Ensure you pack enough long trousers / maxi-skirts and sleeves / non-see-through scarves to the elbow for the temples and palaces. It's hot and humid so thin material is best, or simply invest in some elephant pants whilst there! Some places are ok with coverings to just the knee and shoulder, whilst others require to the ankle and elbow. (Angkor Wat and Bankok Royal Palace to name two.) If you intend to do laundry get it in early on the first day of a 2 night hotel otherwise you run the risk of nit getting it back in time. Prices roughly around $1 to $2 per kilo but check in advance. Be prepared to have some items (socks and pants) get mixed with your fellow travellers on return! You won't be able to get Cambodian currency in advance, or take it out with you, but that's ok as you can pay in dollars pretty much everywhere and often get Reil in return as change. Having a small amount of Reil is handy, especially for toilet contributions, but don't let it build up too much during the trip. Have some Thai Bait handy for the border transfer. Thai does not accept dollars as payment in our experience but it's easy to find places to exchange them. If you don't have any Bait with you, our guide stopped at a place just before the border to exchange dollars and it was a good rate. Also Thailand is much more expensive than Vietnam and Cambodia, especially in the airport on the way home so be prepared for that! Cards were easily accepted. Take toilet paper with you wherever you go! It sometimes isn't provided at venues so grab some extra sheets where you can, and don't flush any of it down the loo, use the bins provided.
Suggestions
In addition to the amazing itinerary, we were also able to experience a night at the local Cambodian performers circus, have a Thai massage, see the dragon boat practices and try out a number of beautiful sky-top bars in various locations. Would highly recommend Celeste Revolving Sky Bar in Phnom Peng; more pricey but an amazing location. You'll need a tuktuk there and back, and would recommend having your own Google maps on standby for the return tuktuk journey, as we did need to help our drivers out with the directions! Pub Street in Siem Reap is also worth a visit and is near the night markets. One last thing, if you're afraid of spiders like me, you can stay on the bus at the fried spider stop.
