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Family Of 5 Vietnam + CambodiaFamily Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
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3 weeks from the South to the North of Vietnam via Siem Reap in Cambodia Read more
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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 3

    Dinner in Siem Reap by Matt

    July 16, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Delicious food- Amok fish, green curry, chicken satay, prawn and vegetable tempura finished off with banana and chocolate spring rolls! The owner was very welcoming and apologetic for the steep stairs, though well worth the climb to the chilled out rooftop 🍻Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 3

    Ta Prohm by Matt

    July 16, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    If a temple is abandoned in the jungle the plants reclaim the site and erode the ancient stone work. At Ta Prohm huge trees have rooted amongst the buildings, becoming part of the temple, constantly changing its shape.

    It's a perfect mix of man-made and nature, the massive trunks and their roots twisting into the walls of the temple. An extremely photographic place, it has also featured in Tomb Raider. I thought it was used in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, but that is a myth. In any case, the area would have been too dangerous in 1984 as there was still a civil war raging after the collapse of the Kymer Rouge.    Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 4

    Palm Sugar by Simi

    July 17, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We all slept in until 825am and dragged ourselves to breakfast as we were due to head off on our day trip at 9am.

    Hotel breakfasts are always a joyful time! What’s not to like? A zillion options, eggs made however you want and everyone just helping themselves! Happy days! The fresh fruit and yoghurt is the highlight for me- some wonderful tropical fruit- watermelon, mangoes, passion fruit, papaya and dragon fruit although sadly I’m not a fan of the latter two! The children seem to always find the sweet treats with each of them having the unusual choice of a doughnut this morning!

    We headed off to a small
    Farming village where we saw rice palm cakes aka Cambodian muffins being made. Actually maybe I shouldn’t say Cambodian… the people from this beautiful country are actually known as Khmer ( pronounced kuh- maya) and their food is Khmer and their country is Kampuchea. The French have named it.. and the English derivation is Cambodia.

    Anyway we were able to see the different stages of how these
    Rice palm cakes were made . Such a labour intensive process so made us appreciate them so much. We bought 4 of them for a dollar to have for lunch later! ( addendum…. Now sampled… a gelatinous type sponge with a sweet dollop of coconut rice inside… pretty good!)

    We went to another stall
    to see the process of the palm sugar being made and sampled some very sweet palm juice and some sour plums. We bought a jar of palm sugar to bring home and use in our curries!    Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 4

    Banteay Sreo by Simi

    July 17, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    This temple is one of our favourites so far. Smaller and quieter—also this was very old yet had lots of its carvings very well restored.

    It was actually built under the reign of two Angkorian kings in the late 10th century. To give this some context, other places we have visited that are around as old as this place are..Borobadur in Central Java ( 9th century) , the main pyramid in Chitchen Itza (10th century) and Notre Dame ( started in 1163 but not completed until early 14th century)!

    In Khmer, Banteay Srei means the citadel of women. But this is a contemporary name deriving from the phonetic pronunciation of Banteay Sri , the auspicious city! This temple is dedicated to Shiva. The main idol was located in the central Sanctuary tower was a linga, the phallic representation of Shiva.    Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 4

    Drinks by Eashan

    July 17, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ 🌧 31 °C

    In Vietnam and Cambodia, we have been treated to incredible food and delicacies but what was even more delicious was the amazing, exotic drinks. Each one was even better than the last and they were gone within 5 seconds. Some of our favourites included a peanut shake which Arushi and I both had. It tasted exactly like peanuts and paired with the cold ice it was to die for. One to the left of the peanut shake was Simi's mango and passion fruit. It was a sweet blend with a clear distinct taste of mango before a fresh passion fruit aftertaste. In the middle was Millen’s chocolate milkshake with very strong chocolate and some cream to top it off. One more to the left was Dad’s Mango Shake which, along with the ice and mango too, got devoured. On the photo with the green drink, there is a mint juice from a restaurant called "try me". The drink was refreshing and cool and had a lovely yet herbal taste which also was all gone very soon which both Millen and I had. We also had lots of coffees and teas in loads of different cafes or restaurants. The most interesting restaurant was a small restaurant with stickers that you could write on and put up on the cafe walls. Those walls were plastered on stickers however the tables and chairs and stairs and windows were also all covered in them with loads of different messages old and new. Arushi, Millen and I were often treated to exotic smoothies while Dad was always opting for a beer with Mum. On the bus we were always supplied with water to keep us going in the heat.Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 4

    Preah Ko -Sacred Bull Temple by Simi

    July 17, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Preah Ko, “the sacred bull”, is one of the oldest monuments in Angkor. The Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva is named after the bull Nandi, the mount of Shiva.

    This one again was lovely and quiet and a sweet, small size. … unless we are getting better at dealing with the 32 degree heat.. we seem to be taking more on board now and learning more facts. Narin our guide is super impressive with his facts, being able to reel off dates, super long names of kings and answer a multitude of questions from the children about how heaven , hell and reincarnation works…all not in his mother tongue!Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 4

    Bakong Temple by Simi

    July 17, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    The structure of Bakong took the shape of a stepped pyramid, popularly identified as a temple mountain of early Khmer temple architecture. The striking similarity of the Bakong and Borobudur temple in Java, going into architectural details such as the gateways and stairs to the upper terraces, suggests strongly that Borobudur was served as the prototype of Bakong.

    Matt and I have been lucky enough to have visited Borobudur.. not sure I could see the resemblance that much though!!

    This temple Was dedicated to Buddha complete with Buddhist flags - a change to the others that all seem to be dedicated to the Trinity of the Hindu Gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. But while Vishnu and Shiva have followers and temples here, Brahma is not worshipped as a major deity for some reason and this is the case in India too i believe.    Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 4

    Ox Carting and Banteay Samre by Simi

    July 17, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We deffo looked like stupid tourists doing this but to be fair we were the only people in this teeny hamlet and there wasn’t another tourist in site! Arushi, Eashan and I quickly and wisely plucked the fatter tyre cart- the fact they were made out of rubber was a big plus. Millen and Matt went down the more authentic model route- wooden wheels! They had cows and we had buffaloes .. so not an ox to be fair.. which led to the debate about what is the difference between these creatures?

    A male cow that has been taught and used as a draught animal is called an ox, also known as a bullock. Castration reduces testosterone and aggression in adult male cattle, making them docile and safer to handle.

    A mature female bovine is referred to as a cow, whereas a mature male bovine that has not been castrated is referred to as a bull. A bull aids in the reproduction of calves and can be used for meat, whereas a cow is herded as livestock and gives birth to calves. The name “bull” is used to describe the males of buffaloes and bovines, while the term “cow” often refers to the females of many big mammalian species. Bulls are perceived as being violent and dangerous, whereas cows are a calmer, more gentle part of the bovine family.

    In comparison to an ox, a buffalo is bigger and has more hair. The male of the mammal cow is called an ox. It lacks an udder and is castrated once it reaches adulthood. Although not castrated, a buffalo is also a man!

    Clear… hope so!😂

    Being outside the main temple circuits, sadly Banteay Samre is often overlooked while it is actually one of the more beautiful sites featuring impressive lintels and holding on to much of the ornate decorative features adorning the vestibules and shrines.

    The name Samre refers to an ethnic group of mountain people, who inhabited the regions at the base of Phnom Kulen and were probably related to the Khmers. No inscription has been found for this temple, but the style of most of the architecture is of the classic art of the middle period similar to Angkor Wat. The monument most likely dates from the same period, or, perhaps, slightly later, although there are additions attributed to the Bayon style!

    This one was like a mini Angkor Wat and both are dedicated to Vishnu the preserver/ protector . There are also images of Laxmi his wife as well as the Garuda - the mount of Vishnu.. the divine Bird.    Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 5

    The Tonlé Sap Lake by Arushi

    July 18, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    This morning we embarked on a boat ride on the biggest freshwater lake in South-East Asia, home of around 150 species of fish - the Tonlé Sap lake.

    As we made our way down the ramp to the lake, a camera was shoved in our faces and a quick snap was taken by an unfamiliar lady who ran between us capturing everyone’s faces in a very peculiar rapid manner. We puzzled this strange behaviour, but soon forgot it as we arrived at the boat.

    The journey started off in a man made area housing many boats, such as for the several tourist trips that take place here. The brown murky water (due to mud from other rivers) seemed unappealing, but is in fact the source of life for these floating villages. As we cruised along, it was evident the hustle of life here, from the waving children playing in the water to the organised floating homes bursting with colour. We passed by many various sights, such as water buffaloes bathing, the construction of a new home being built and even a barbers shop floating on the river!

    After travelling along a channel like part of the lake, it opened out into a wide expanse so large the other side of the lake wasn’t even visible to us. We turned back around stopping off at the restaurant. This restaurant housed several catfish, which darted at the surface of the water, swarming to any food that was dropped in. There was also a crocodile enclosure, containing around 10 crocodiles, lying so still any movement from these huge animals would send shivers down your spine. These mighty creatures were doomed for an unfortunate death, whether it’s becoming an expensive wallet or maybe even a meal. The ominous crocodile skin hanging in the restaurant as decoration, or maybe even a sign of triumph was unsettling and made our stomachs turn at the poor fate of these helpless animals (especially for the vegetarians!)

    As we disembarked from our boat and climbed up the ramp, we were almost immediately greeted with hawkers, brandishing souvenir ‘Angkor Wat’ plates with our faces on! The strange photographer from the beginning was part of a slightly comical and clever money making scheme, which left us very surprised!

    We then all piled back into the van and pulled away from the lively lake and I think we all felt our eyes were opened from this experience, having the rare opportunity to be this close to another way of living. Floating houses neatly positioned with hammocks for bed, no such thing as front doors, restaurants showcasing crocodile skin and a constant flow of fishermen speeding away to earn their living.    Read more

  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Day 5

    Markets by Millen

    July 18, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Narin and Kian dropped us off near the market, but first we had to cross the treacherous road, the tuk tuks, motorbikes and the odd car zoomed past us,
    As I stepped in bright arrays of colours hit me, and whiffs of exotic spices snuck up my nose. As I ambled down the busy aisles the sellers stood lively with huge smiles on their faces, their beckoning calls pleaded for me to buy something. One quick glance at a t shirt and they would have all the sizes and colours of that t-shirt in your hand in a second.
    In the third photo was something I came across at the food stalls, this adorable cat was sleeping in the fruit baskets, the fact that nobody tried to disturb it or touch it makes these countries even more magical.
    Mum with her excellent haggling skills managed to buy three gifts ; one for our home stay hosts which was incense, one for our baby cousin which was a dinosaur jigsaw puzzle and one for ME which was a north face bag.
    A good tip given to us by Niran is to get the price fifty percent less than the original price.
    When we got back Niran and Kian told us that our flight had been delayed by around 3 hours by the cyclone meaning that we got to spend so much more time in the pool but we got to Ha Noi at around one in the morning.    Read more

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