Cambodia Village Homestay, Countryside Bike Rides & On the Road to Phnom Penh (Part 3)
Once our touring of Siem Reap came to an end, I found myself still craving further adventure in this vibrant city awash with French colonial architecture, galleries, lakes, rivers and the friendliest of locals, but sadly it was time to hit the road to our next stop of Bantaey Chhmar village and temple complex. Our digs for the night would be in a local village homestay, something which I least was looking forward to and my main reason of wanting to stay in the comfortable, soothing confines of Siem Reap.
Those who know me well, know of my massive fear of getting close with nature and the alien creatures which come to life in the dark of the night, but NOW was the time to step out of my comfort zone. The temple of Banteay Chhmar is a place of exceptional atmosphere which gets very few visitors. Its crumbling ruins seem sadly forgotten even though they form one of the great temple complexes from the Angkorian era. As expected, our village accommodation was basic but was assured fully functioning.
After our temple tour, we strolled back through the village to our accommodation to change in to suitable clothing and apply plenty of mozzie spray before our BBQ dinner set within the temple ruins, whilst listening to the strumming of instruments from local musicians. Dinner consisted of a stir fry of vegetables, BBQ fish and, dare I say water snakes! Being the cowardly person that I am, I passed on the grilled snake but happily tucked in to the fish, vegetables and steamed rice, which again tasted moreish and thankfully washed down with a very strong Gin & Tonic to calm my jitters.
As the night drew in, our energetic guide Pierre announced very enthusiastically that we had an evening to relax making my heart sink even further, as this meant extra bonus hours to my assumed night of horror.
I moved hesitantly during our 10-minute stroll back to the village and after fretting and procrastinating on a benched table outside with my roomies, I finally gave in at 10.15pm and entered my room of doom. I lay for hours like a stiffened corpse, securely sealed within the confines of my mozzie net listening for any sudden sounds of those alien creatures of the night, but the next thing I knew it was daybreak, and awoke to the sound of a lip sync battle of neighbouring cockerels. Yay, I’d made it without a glimpse of any scuttling creatures and must admit, after pushing myself way beyond my normal comfort zone boundaries, this was such a fantastic experience getting down with the locals and would certainly do it all again in a heartbeat.
Battambang bike rides, hand pulled noodles and on to the buzzing streets of Phnom Penh
We hit the road again to our next destination of Battambang for a quick overnight stay before our early morning 30k cycle ride deep in to the beautiful, lush countryside. On this exhilarating tour, we cycled through the peaceful villages and at every turn, were greeted with many beaming smiles and the warm welcome of ‘hello’ as we were introduced to local farmers and villagers. This well organised authentic ½ day bike tour (approx. 4 hours and easy going), highlights the diversity of Cambodian culture and the complexity of its history, economy and local society, is suited to all and one which I cannot rate highly enough.
After our bicycle ride, we made way for an early lunch stop at Lan Chov Khorko Miteanh of hand-pulled noodle and handmade dumplings which sell for approx. 70p a dish. I’m an avid fan of a similar well known place in South London, but this guy nicknamed ‘Noodle Guy’, firmly pipped them to the post. Don’t be put off by the grimy, ramshackle shop front or interior, as the food is amazingly fresh and appetisingly tasty.
We arrived in Phnom Penh in the early evening for a swift check in to our hotel La Rose Suites, which boasts a prime location in the heart of the city. My ground floor room was enormous with adjoining kitchen/diner fully equipped with washing machine, fridge freezer and would easily accommodate for a family of three/four with plenty of extra space thrown in.
Cambodians love their BBQs, so after a quick shower and scramble through my suitcase, we headed to Sovanna II for a feast of various meats and national dishes with our destination specialist and his team. It was a mouth-watering meal on a mammoth scale, so I found myself slipping into a trance like state before our mains had arrived. Fortunately, my room in La Rose sat opposite the restaurant, so the walk home was short and very slow.
Walking Tour of Phnom Penh & IRoha Hotel visit
The following morning, we took a walking tour to the leafy suburb of Boeun Keng Kang, then on to Wat Lanka, one of the oldest pagodas in Phnom Penh, then to a local community which with the help of a couple of French expats, who have turned this part of the city into an cool village with incredible street art, local bistros, funky bars and boutique shops. I loved this part of the city as it has a similar vibe to many of my favourite haunts in London, but there was not enough time to spend here as we made way towards the monumental Royal Palace and gardens.
Next up we headed to the lovely IRoha Garden Hotel, which is roughly a 10 mins tuk tuk ride (approx. $3 US Dollars) from the main hub of Phnom Penh. This cute little boutique retreat offers a small selection of double and family rooms, all designed with a fresh, minimalist look with prices starting from as little as £50 per night. The hotel is set in a gorgeous, peaceful garden accompanied with a good-sized pool. We stopped for a spot of lunch which was beautifully presented and more importantly, delicious.
Genocide Museum & Eclipse Bar
Our visit to IRoha was followed by a visit to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and although harrowing, I feel it is so important to try and understand more about the Cambodian people and the dreadful atrocities which they suffered under the evil rule of Pol Pot from 1975 – 1979 which resulted in a quarter of the population perishing. Our mood was sombre as we drove back to the hotel for a quick freshen up before heading out for our final farewell of Phnom Penh. Our host felt it important to lift our spirits so arranged a visit to the Eclipse Sky Roof Bar which offers fantastic panoramic views of the city twinkling in the night.
I’d always assumed apart from the Royal Palace, there wasn't much else happening in Phnom Penh but I can now confirm it’s a buzzing city full of wide tree-lined streets, French colonial buildings, bars, restaurants, street art and blend of interesting people. I loved its energy and feel a great future lays ahead, as more hotels and businesses start to head its way.
