Kouk Tnaot

Since we were not allowed to continue the cruise due to the Asian Summit, we left the ship a day earlier than planned and traveled by bus to Siem Reap. Leaving Phnom Penh we passed many new "mega" housing developments, most financed by Chinese investors. It's hard to imagine that there are enough Cambodians who can afford to buy or rent these properties.
In the countryside, we passed rice paddies and villages with rice drying in front of f many homes.
We made a pit stop in a village that specializes in fried crickets, worms and lots of dried fruits. If you were brave enough you could also have a live tarantula crawling up your arm.
We visited a small family run silk farm in Kampong Thom, where we learned about silk production and had a delicious lunch.
I think we were all very pleased to check in to our roomy, comfortable hotel rooms, quite an upgrade from the cramped cabins on the ship. Dinner was at a restaurant run by an organization that offers culinary training to poor youth from all around Cambodia.Read more