Day 17

We could definitely not call today a day where time went quickly mainly due to all the waiting we needed to do! When we booked today’s flight to take us to Phnom Penh, we purchased the latest one as it was the cheapest but it also meant we needed to wait all day to take it. Since our hotel’s check out is at 12pm, we spent a lot of time sitting!

We spent the morning in our room, packing up and watching YouTube, before having to leave. We had considered paying for a day room but the hotel is booked out (staff told us it is a diplomat visiting, which seems correct as there is extra security around). We had considered laying by the pool all day but after that became too hot, I went back inside to a side area where I typed up this blog and enjoyed the air conditioning.

For lunch, we walked to the shopping centre across the street to try a local pizzeria. I wasn’t keen on going to a large franchise like Domino’s so we went to a smaller place instead. The shopping centre has been very handy as it also has a convenience store there. I bought a coffee mocha frappe at Café Amazon before heading back to the hotel.

After a while we got tired of waiting at the hotel, and decided to head to the airport early instead. Ted got a Grab to take us there and it ended up we didn’t have to wait too long to check in anyway. Whilst waiting for our flight, we ate at a Coffee Club but there were very limited items on the menu as the airport has only been operating at half capacity, so I just had a croissant and French fries for dinner.

Our flight ended up leaving late due to the late arrival of the aircraft, but it was the same type of aircraft that we had caught previously. I spoke to the crew during the flight and even had a crewfie with them, as per tradition. Our short flight ended up taking a lot longer than expected, mainly due to the aircraft circling at least six times. The captain advised us it was for a VIP arrival which we later found out was the Malaysian Prime Minister.

Getting through the airport was easy since it was a domestic flight, but getting to our hotel was much harder! Since Grab doesn’t have a designated pickup area, we needed to find a quiet place outside the airport where we could order a car. Easier said than done though, as the tuk tuk and taxi drivers here are much more pushy and insistent. Unlike Siem Reap, merely saying “no thanks” once doesn’t quite do the trick. We were getting frustrated as we couldn’t find a good place to stand, so we ended up crossing the busy road to find a side street where we could wait. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long, and our driver took us the half hour ride to our hotel.

Phnom Penh is of course, much busier than Siem Reap but once we left the airport, we could see a real charm to the city. Our hotel though - wow! It is located across the street from the Royal Palace (hence the name “Palace Gate Hotel”) and everything about it looks regal and royal, whether it was the decor, or the portraits of the King and Queen on the walls. Our room is not as large as the last hotel, but the furnishings are more grandiose.

Tomorrow we’re hoping to see a bit of the city, although there doesn’t seem to be as much to see as Siem Reap.もっと詳しく