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Nairo2Rio - Around The World
  • Martin Hammerschmidt

Nairo2Rio - Around The World

Solo backpacking the world, visiting 6 continents and 20+ countries over the next 16 months Read more
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  • Trip start
    October 14, 2023
    Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    The Adventure Begins - 14 October 2023

    October 14, 2023 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    The moment of truth has finally arrived. Years of dreaming about travelling the world, months of planning and too many goodbyes over the last 1.5 months to amazing people and London, the city I called home for 9 years.

    As I sit here writing this, reality of what I am about to do - 16 months of travelling across 6 continents - really has not sunk in yet. It still feels weird and quite distant at the moment - more like a normal holiday. I am very excited of what lies ahead of me, but at the same time a bit like "what the fuck am I doing here" and "will this mess up my life?" I know it won't, but it still feels this way, at least for now.

    I am wondering at what point the mindset really shifts to "hey, I am actually doing this crazy travel thing". Let's see.

    Anyway, for now, I am off to Nairobi to start my trip with a a 4-week safari around Lake Victoria. After a brief layover in, I kid you not - London - the first 'real' stop is Nairobi, Kenya.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler
    1

    Nairobi - TikTok Capital Of The World

    October 15, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Nairobi on a Sunday is filled with so much life. Lots of groups of young people dancing on the streets, pavements and parks to record TikTok performances with sometimes the same dress code. I even took part in one ;-)

    Spending half a day exploring the city, its fascinating but short history (only exists since 1899 and basically built around a railway station) and interesting bits of architecture makes for a fun little city trip.

    It has lots of activities including animals (giraffe park, elephant orphanage, and even a national park - the only capital in the world that has one), but I skipped those for now, as tomorrow I am starting my 4 week safari with Absolute Africa around Lake Victoria.    Read more

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    2

    The Safari Starts - A First Glimps

    October 16, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ 🌩️ 25 °C

    Today, the Safari officially starts. I use Absolute Africa as the tour operator and the tour called “Simba Sounds” will last 38/29 days and runs around Lake Victoria from Nairobi to Nairobi.

    The first stop today was the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi. It was a great opportunity to get a first glimpse of the majestic animal and we could feed them with a little snack - only a little one, as they were officially on a diet.

    I have also met the group today and it looks as if it will be quite a fun and great safari. Most fellow travellers in the group opted for the 77 day tour that after my tour finishes continues on all the way down to Cape Town.

    In short, all systems GO before we head into the Masai country tomorrow.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    A Night With The Masai

    October 17, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    This afternoon/evening, we spent the night at a Masai camp ground, incl a camp fire and learned about their culture, way of life, food/medicine, progress, use of technology, etc. I did not expect it to be as informative, fascinating and, frankly, inspiring. A few interesting customs/traditions:

    - The Masai do not name their children until they are 2 years old. Only given nick names until then
    - As the Masai do not keep records, the exact age of a person is not known, instead they are asked "which age group do you belong to"? (age groups are in 10 years, i.e. 15-25, 25-35, etc.
    - Women cannot be with their husbands for 2 years after giving birth
    - Men can have multiple wives
    - The men pay a dowry, typically in the form of cattle
    - The Masai eat only cow and sheep/goat meet (no chicken, no fish)
    - The boys go through 3 distinct stages: children/youth, warriorship (from age 14-16) and eldership
    - The dead are not burried, but laid out in the desert, facing west towards the sunset and will be eaten by Hyenas
    - Masai use 3 weapons: Spear, sword and bow & arrow
    - Greeting children respectfully is by touching their heads
    - Christian missionaries tried to convert them. The Masai are happy when the missionaries bring stuff and then go to church, but once they leave, the churches are empty and even used as shelter for cattle

    Most importantly, however, is the progress (or lack thereof). Female Genital Mutilation is still widespread and the norm, so is arranged marriages with no regard for the girl's/man's age (a 12 year old girl can be married to a 70 year old man). Helen, a Masai woman, is trying to change those customs for the better, but it is an uphill battle.

    I hope she achieves that. Culture must progress if human beings are being harmed, no matter the customs, At least in my view.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler
    12

    Exploring The Masai Mara (Part 1)

    October 19, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Today was a full day in the Masai Mara after an evening game drive yesterday. For three of us in the group, the day started very early at 4.45am, as we were going for a Hot Air Ballon ride over the Mara followed by a champagne breakfast. Afterwards, we headed back on 4x4 for a full 9 hours of game driving. But first things first:

    The Hot Air Ballon Ride: Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so the sunrise was difficult to see. However, we were not disappointed with game viewing from high and low up. We saw lions (from a distance), a hippo, herds of zebras, impalas and topees. The highlight, though, was a short hunt of a warthog by a hyena (the warthog could escape).

    Champagne breakfast: On the way to the champagne breakfast, we stopped to watch a lion have a little snack eating what was left of a buffalo. The set-up of the breakfast was in the middle of the Masai Mara in the wild and finished off a brilliant morning.

    Afterwards, it was off to a 9-hour game drive, where we saw pretty much all of the animals (i.e. lions, cheetahs, elephants, rhino, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, zebras, all sorts of antelopes, warthogs, wildebeests, etc).

    The hunt for the elusive leopard - the last of the big five that I have not seen on my first safari 8 years ago - continues, however. Bloody animal!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler
    11

    Exploring The Masai Mara (Part 2)

    October 20, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Today, we said goodbye to the Masai Mara, but not before going on a final game drive - and what a game drive it was.

    After not having seen the leopard on my safari 8 years ago, we finally saw it. It was only brief as it was running through the bushes, but we were up close to it. It was a bit of a mission, as it was a very shy one and very difficult to spot.

    In addition, the morning's game drive was spectacular as we saw a pride of lion (male, female, cubs) up close after a successful hunt and a female cheetah chilling with cubs, too. So all three big cats on one morning.

    So finally, my mission of spotting the famous Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant) has finally been completed.

    Also sneakily crossed the border to Tanzania for a few minutes.

    Thank you Masai Mara, you were absolutely spectacular!    Read more

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    Hell's Gate National Park

    October 21, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Yesterday we arrived at Lake Naivasha and after a short, but somewhat disappointing Hippo cruise, it was off to Hell's Gate National Park - the inspiration of Lion King, which was partly filmed here.

    6 of us hired bikes and we cycled 10km each way through the park, which was a nice change of scenery, after having spent lots of time sitting on the truck or 4x4 during the game drives. On the way, we saw some wildlife, such as zebras, a herd of buffaloes, monkeys, and giraffes.

    Once we arrived at the Rangers' station, we hired a guide and then explored the park for 1.5h and went to the Lion King movie location where Mufasa was thrown into the gorge by Scar. Tomb Raider was also partly filmed here.    Read more

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    Lake Nakuru - A Special Safari Encounter

    October 23, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    For the next two nights we set up camp at Lake Nakuru, which is still on the Maasai land.
    After an afternoon of recharging our batteries, it was off for a, what would turn out to be an absolutely spectacular, full day game drive in the Nakuru National Park.

    It started off with a bang, as after spotting some rhinos, we drove straight to a leopard sighting. When we arrived, it was still resting on a branch for a short while, before jumping down and continue resting in the grass after taking a short stroll. So, two leopard sighting within a few days, after spotting none on my previous 3.5 week safari 8 years ago.

    Anyway, post some more wildlife spotting, we got up very close to a giraffe and zebras (less shy than in the Mara), before relaxing by a lodge pool for a bit.

    Lastly, the highlight of the trip: we saw a lion very up close making its way on top of a tree branch - Lions in Nakuru do climb on trees, so no place to hide. It was a special moment being up and close with the majestic animal! The highlight of the trip so far.    Read more

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    Jinja - A Fight For Survival

    October 28, 2023 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Three days ago, we made our first border crossing, leaving Kenya and heading into Uganda - the pearl of Africa. Our first stop was the action town of Jinja, which sits right at the source of the Nile and Lake Victoria.

    The thing to do here is water sports on the Nile and I decided to try white water tandem kayaking on grade IV and V rapids. Some in our group did rafting, but I never did white water kayaking, and so thought, yeap, let's try something new. It was one hell of a ride.

    At the start, the guide asks how we should tackle the rapids (easy, medium and hardcore) and of course, we went full on, which a chance of flipping over at 95%. The first few rapids were already challenging, but the kayak did not flip. Then came a grade V rapid, called "A Bad Place" (every rapid has a name).

    Finding ourselves in the middle of the rapid after making a solid start, we flipped upside down with the guide and me under water. We received a safety briefing before, but when flipping in a grade V rapid, survival instintict kicked in first. The guide was supposed to flip the kayak back up, but my position did not allow him to do just that. After being under water for what felt like an eternity (it was in fact 'just' about 15 seconds), my brain started to go through the safety process of how to get out of a kayak via the 'ejection handle' that we were taught before. Once I felt it, I immediately pulled it. By the time I was out of the kayak and floating above water with fresh air in my lungs, I was surrounded by 5-6 safety kayaks that would have flipped our kayak back up or gotten us out of there within the next few seconds. I guess the key learning is, do not panic, stay rational, go through the process step-by-step and you'll be fine. Easier said than done in a grade V rapid.

    After that little adventure, there was still a few grade IV rapid, called 'Vengence', to tackle and we went again full on straight through the middle - not flipping this time!
    What a crazy, adrenaline-fuelled, fun, and great experience - what do again in a heartbeat.

    Anyway, the following day, we explored the local village for a bit and ended our three days in Jinja with a sunset booze cruise on the Nile river, before falling asleep in our tents to the sound of the African rain.    Read more

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    Lake Mburo - A Pleasant Change of Plans

    October 31, 2023 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Initially, the tour was scheduled to stop in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.
    However, few days ago, a terrorist attack killed three people in the park, which is why alternative arrangements were made and we headed to Lake Mburo instead. On the way, we also made a pit stop at the Equator.

    The following afternoon, we hopped on 4x4s and headed into the Lake Mburo National Park for yet another interesting game drive. It was the only park so far, that we could step out of the vehicle and have a short walk among a tower of giraffs (that what you call a group of giraffs), spotting bushbacks, pumbas (i.e. warthogs), impalas, etc. Our driver/tour guide was talking non-stop, but was quite funny, giving the giraffs names like Jenny and imitating their noises. Afterwards, it was off to a boat safari on the lake, where we saw loads of hippos, a few crocodiles and countless beautiful birds.

    In short, it was yet another fantastic safari day in a national park.

    Next stop, Kisoro, home of volcanos, mountain gorillas and a landscape that I would never associated with Uganda.    Read more

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    1

    Kisoro - An Adventurous Climb

    November 3, 2023 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Our final stop in Uganda brought us to Kisoro, a town close to the Congolese and Rwandan border and the gateway to two activities: seeing the mountain gorillas and climbing volcanos.

    As seeing the mountain gorillas came with an exorbitant price tag ($750!) and it was not a must-see for me for that price, a couple of group members decided to skip the gorillas and go hiking instead.

    On the first day, we hired an excellent guide, Didas, and planned to go for a casual 3h stroll through local villages (loads of kids!) to the nearby lake. However, Didas was so enthusiastic that we ended up going for a 6h hike incl two rather steep view points. It was worth it, though, with incredible views over the wide lake, the nearby villages dotted all over lush green hills and the spectacular volcanos.

    The next day, it was time to summit a volcano - Mount Sabino that is >3600m a.s.I. At the summit three borders converge - Uganda, Rwanda and Kongo. The way up there was a true adventure, but, in hindsight, borderline dangerous. The path through the rainforest was wet and dreadful and at one point it just turned into a personal challenge to conquer instead of a fun hike.

    The final summit push was essentially a vertical climb up, with only wet and slippery wooden steps to pull oneself up. In the rain, with a cold wind, limited visibility and no safety ropes - something that would 100% forbidden in the Western world. The feelings ranged from "Why the fuck am I doing this, this is ridiculous to "alright, I am already here, so let's get this shit over with".

    Anyway, the majority of the group (4/5) made it up, I ate a Bounty in Congo and all of us got back down safely with a certificate of accomplishment waiting for us. And another adventure story to tell.    Read more

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    Rwanda - Too Short, Wanting To Return

    November 6, 2023 in Rwanda ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    It was time to visit the third country on this trip and our travel plan led us to Rwanda - the country of a thousand hills. Similar to Kisoro, the drive to the Rwandan border and through its countless hills was spectacular, but what was most striking, was how clean the country is. No trash, no litter on the streets or pavements. Rwanda has banned the use of plastic bags, so that is a big plus.

    After a few days of relaxing in Red Rocks and spending the afternoon lounging at a nearby lodge or having a few drinks in the pub, it was time to drive to Kigali, the capital. There, we visted, what i wanted to see/understand since I saw the movie 'Hotel Rwanda' - the Kigali Genocide Memorial/Museum. It provided an insightful, shocking and devastating account of the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994.

    The genocide was triggered by the downing of a plane with the Hutu leader on it and was the shocking result of decades of propaganda and surpression of the Tutsi minority.

    Within the span of 100 days, the Hutu tribe tortured and murdered over 1 million people of the Tutsi minority in the most brutal ways possible - machetes, hammers, sticks, brute force, etc. Over 2 million people fled the country in that time. Basically, a country of roughly 8 million people lost almost 40% of its population with less than 3 months.

    By now, the country and its people have forgiven (or so at least it seems) - a remarkable feat - and Rwandan now live peacefully next to each other with the Hutu and Tutsi classification eliminated and forbidden.

    With such sad, devastating and horrific insights, we headed out to have some dinner before it was time to say goodbye to Rwanda and hello Tanzania. However, Rwanda and especially its clean and buzzing capital, Kigali, certainly makes me want to come back and explore the country more properly. It feels it has a lot more to offer than I have seen.    Read more

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    Balili - A Spectacular, But Wet Stopover

    November 9, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    The fourth and last country of my Africa leg brought me to Tanzania - not an entirely new country for me, as I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2019.

    Anyway, the little town of Balili was basically just a stopover on the way to the Serengeti National Park, but once we arrived at the campsite, the sun was shining in full force and four of us decided to climb the nearby hill for a sunset view over Lake Victoria.

    Little did we know that the sunset became less relevant once we reached the top, because a literal wall of rain was heading our way. The clouds formed a truly spectacular shape and we knew once we made it up that we were about to get absolutely drenched, as we had no chance of making it back to camp in time.

    Luckily, there was an abandoned hotel (leaking...) at the top where we could seek shelter after spending a few minutes at the top and admiring the inevitable. The rain came down hard with bright lightning all over the sky.

    Once the worst of the rainstorm passed, we made it back to camp - still getting wet, though. However, the sight of the clouds and the rain storm, while watching the sunset at the same time, was well worth the hike.    Read more

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    Celebrating My 33. BDay In The Serengeti

    November 11, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    After almost 4 weeks overlanding, we finally headed into the Serengeti National Park, which is over 14,000 square kilometers big. Together with the Ngorongoro Crater that we are going to visit tomorrow, the Serengeti was one of the big items I wanted to see on this trip - and it would not disappoint.

    The park and the sheer amount of animals (especially wildebeests and zebras) were stunning. So was the landscape. When we drove into the park, it was all green, hilly with lots of trees - not quite what I imagined. After all, Serengeti means 'endless plains'

    Once we arrived at camp - it was already dark - we quickly set up the tents and before we knew it, we were watched by hyenas and one elephant even marched right through our campsite. The next day, the 11th November and my 33. birthday, we woke up early for a morning game drive.

    Let's put it this way, I could not ask for a better game viewing. We saw prides of lions lounging in the plains - yes, we found the endless plains today -, a cheetah, baby elephants, herds over herds of zebras and wildebeests. What set the Serengeti apart from, for example, the Masai Maara in my opinion, was the sheer amount of animals. From a viewpoint, we could see lines over lines of animals - simply amazing.

    This game drive, we did not in 4x4, but in our yellow overland truck, which allowed us to sit a bit higher, which helped to spot some animals.

    After a whole morning of incredible game viewing, we then set out for a long afternoon drive to arrive at the campsite on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater, where I was surprised with a birthday cake, a birthday card and some birthday tunes. All in all, I can say that I will never forget my 33rd birthday - game driving through the Serengeti and chilling with some lions and other wild and beautiful animals. Simply magical!    Read more

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    Ngorongoro Crater - A Last Game Drive

    November 12, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    The last stop of my Africa leg was the green Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania - just a mere 100km away from the Serengeti. The crater is the result of a strong volcanic activity 2-3 millions years ago and its ash is mainly responsible for the endless plains in the Serengeti.

    Anyway, since the crater is so small, the chance of wildlife spotting is incredibly high, something that we could witness ourselves. We started early in the morning, as usual, with 4x4 driving down into the crater from our campsite. Within 10 minutes in the park, we saw a pride of lions, buffalos, loads of Thomson Gazelle and so on. The scenery itself is already spectacular - i mean, driving within an erupted volcano with a large lake in the middle - and then adding wildlife to it makes this the most picturesque game drive over the last four weeks. During the 4h game drive, we saw tons of more lions close by, hippos, zebras, wildebeest, and so on… a really perfect end to game viewing.

    In the evening, we all headed to our campsite bar for some last drinks, heart-felt goodbyes and promises to see each other again. It was also pouring down and I cannot wait to go to Bangkok and actually have a proper roof, warm shower, decent water pressure, reliable Wifi, delicious food, etc.

    It truly has been a great adventure.    Read more

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    3

    Goodbye Africa - It Was Magical

    November 13, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    My 4-week safari trip around Lake Victoria has come to an end. It is with a crying and smiling eye that I say goodbye to newfound friends, an amazing continent and all the wild animals.

    I can wholeheartedly say that I managed to get everything out of this overland tour that I wanted and then some more:

    1) Managed to finally spot the leopard and thus completed seeing the Big Five
    2) Saw an incredible amount of animals with the highlight being some playful lions 2 meters away from our 4x4
    3) Visited the three most renowned national parks in East Africa (Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater) and other hidden gems (Lake Nakuru, Lake Mburo)
    4) First time kayaked and did Grade V rapids - nearly died, but that story is for another time
    5) Got an interesting, even if devastating insight into the causes, effects and aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda - something I wanted to see since I watched Hotel Rwanda many years ago
    6) Had an amazing time with my fellow travellers on the truck and made friends along the way - even if those looooong drives on the truck kinda suck
    7) Saw four different countries (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania)

    To make a long story short: amazing memories to last a lifetime, great new friends to be seen again and finally saw all the Big Five (gotcha you leopard!) and Ugly Five and invented the Sexy Five (Giraffe, Thomson Gazelle, Cheetah, Flamingo and Zebra).

    Goodbye Africa for now. I will see you later. Asia, here I come.    Read more

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    Hello Thailand - Exploring Bangkok

    Nov 15–21, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    After the relatively calm and quiet atmosphere during safari, it was time to travel to my second continent on this trip, Asia, and to a jungle of a different type - Bangkok.

    What a change of scenery it was. I arrived on Wednesday afternoon and in the evening a group of us went out to Khoa San Road. In a nutshell, it was complete chaos, busy like Oxford Street on Christmas and music pumping out of the loudspeakers everywhere - it was a great evening.

    The following few days were spent exploring Bangkok by day, eating street food whenever possible, and partying the night away in various entertainment/nightlife areas.

    The day activities included, firstly, to go on a little city walk and explore some of the countless and amazing temples that Bangkok had to offer, learning about the Buddhist culture/religion and finishing it off with a sunset view at the Golden Mount. The next day, we jumped on a longtail boat tour through Bangkok’s canals and ending it at the very impressive and stunning temple of Wat Arun. On the third day it was off to the Chatuchak weekend market and its 15,000 stalls.

    During the night, Bangkok certainly does not sleep and going out is a must to see another side of the city. After Khoa San Road on the first night, we went to Soi Cowboy (the redlight district) to check out the vibe there and see various non-PC shows (sorry mom and dad!) - before heading back to Khoa San with 9 people in a 4-seater taxi (saving on the completely wrong things). Lastly, we also checked out Chinatown by night, had some delicious, and freaky spicy food before spending the rest of the night at a rooftop bar and a local bar where tarot cards were part of the drinks - I picked 'The Fool', which apparently means embracing new beginnings and taking a leap of faith… ah well.    Read more

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    Hello Cambodia - Cool Days In Battambang

    Nov 21–24, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    After the busy days sightseeing and nights partying away, the next stop on my trip brought me to my 6th country - Cambodia. More specifically, Battambang, the second biggest city in the country, but an oasis of peace.

    Indeed, Battambang is not on the list of many travelers, but it most definitely should be. Its authenticity, off-the-beaten-path and fascinating things to do and see make it an absolutely worthwhile stop. I had two full days here.

    On the first day, I took the old bamboo train (more like a flat piece of wood on wheels) through lush rice fields, then went up to visit a killing cave that was used in Cambodian's genocide in the 1970s (more on that in Phnom Penh), some temples on top of a mountain that allowed for magnificent views over the countryside and lastly - the highlight of the day - watching 6.5 millions bats flying out of a cave within 15 minutes at sunset - simply incredible.

    The second day, me and a few other travelers hopped on a tuk tuk and explored the countryside. We first had some 'Bamboo Sticky Rice' (basically sweet-ish rice that is cooked for three hours in a bamboo stick, really nice actually) before learning how rice paper for spring rolls are made and then tasted some rice wine with a cobra in the bottle (30%, but with a bang). We also did a stop at the Battambang killing fields and learned about the horrific ways the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed over 3m people (again, more on that in Phnom Penh). Lastly, we went to a 11th century temple before going back to the hostel.

    In the evening, we had a stroll through the city center and along the river (no other tourist there!) before watching a really funny kids/teenage circus show.

    All in all, Battambang looks what original Cambodia is like. Not many tourists (they all are watching the bats), an authentic feel and simply a great city to explore. One more observation, so far, the people are incredibly nice and friendly. Even more so vs Thailand.

    Long story short - a fantastic start to Cambodia.    Read more

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    Living On Water - The Floating Villages

    November 24, 2023 in Cambodia

    From Battambang, I headed to Siem Reap, the home of the famous Angkor Wat temple complex. Instead of the 3-4h bus, me and a few travel buddies I made in Battambang decided to take the 6-8h boat ride on the Sangker River that feeds into Cambodia's biggest lake.

    While admittedly a bit uncomfortable, the boat ride was fantastic, as it is the same boat that the local people take to get to their floating villages. During the ride, we stopped at multiple grocery stores, a restaurant, dropped people and vegetables off, and generally got a glimpse into what life on a river must be like.

    The insights were certainly interesting, but also left one wondering what sort of future the kids that grow up here really have. After all, the houses are just simple shacks, obvious employment opportunities that go beyond typical village tasks look rare and a playground is a bit difficult to come by.

    With all that in mind, however, it is remarkable how villages can function without roads, without land masses to connect houses and how literally everything is done by boat.

    Definitely an experience not to be missed, even if it might leave more questions than answers.    Read more

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    Something Unique - Fishing With Locals

    November 25, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    The day we arrived in Siem Reap, we met some locals during a pub crawl who invited us to go fishing the next day - so we went. It was an incredible experience that I assume hardly any traveler in Siem Reap gets to experience, as it was not a tour, nothing that can be booked and nothing that is advertised. He was just asking us if we wanna come along for the ride.

    So the next day we set off at 3.30pm, took a TukTuk to Prin Sok's (one of the locals) house, packed up his kids, fishing nets and a few of his friends along the way and drove to a nearby pond. Prin and his friends unpacked the nets, and started throwing them in the water with some good luck. By the end, we had enough fish to feed all 7 of us (+ 2 kids).

    While the fish were caught, we helped to set up the BBQ, which was nothing more than using sticks and stones from the nearby plants with charcoal on the ground. Simple, but yeah, it worked beautifully. Prin even bought some air-dried and chili-flavoured snake that we also put on the improvised BBQ - it tasted quite nice (imagine what snake taste like, this is exactly how it tastes - not very helpful, but it is the best explanation i got). The fish was delicious, too, as we seasoned it with some chilli salt and ate it with our hands straight from the BBQ. Big lotus leaves served as plates.

    We also ate the lotus seeds, dry instant noodles as a snack (quite nice actually, it really works when flavoured) and drank - I do not know how much - rice wine. We talked about life in Cambodia, Khmer Rouge, history, fishing, food, and had lots of laughter and banter (the rice wine helped, haha).

    Afterwards, we all hoped back onto either the TukTuk or the scooters, bought some beef and went to one of the guy's home, who prepared some delicious deep-fried beef-mince-cashfew-chilli-peanut mix - something he makes and that is not on restaurants' menus.

    When I was back in my hostel, I thought about the day and how simple, but with a smile on their faces, Cambodians live. Definitely a unique experience with incredible insight into the Cambodian way of life that I never expected to gain.    Read more

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    Exploring The Famous Angkor Wat

    November 27, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    After spending a few days in Siem Reap, it was time to explore the huge temple complex with the temple of Angkor Wat as its most famous highlight.

    6 of us hired a TukTuk driver/guide for 2 days of exploring. The first day, we opted for the sunset tour, which entails 5-6 temples in the so-called big circle (Angkor Wat itself was the next day). First of all, 6 people in a TukTuk is a challenge, esp in 30 degrees, but it worked. The guide even supplied us with water and cold towels.

    Anyway, the big circle was the perfect start into the world of Angkor Wat's temple complex, as the temples are generally a lot less busy and sometimes we even had some temples almost to ourselves. We learned a lot from the guide about the history of Cambodian's Golden Age (9th-12th century), how diamonds were used to light up parts of the temples, the way kings displayed their power, the end of Cambodia's glory, how stories were told by impressive stone carvings into the side of temples and just to get a general sense of what life could have been like back then. Unfortunately, we could not quite get to the sunset point, so opted for a little hill at one of the old entry gates instead - which still kinda worked.

    The next day, we woke up super early (3.30am) to watch the sunrise over the famous Angkor Wat temple. We were indeed the first ones in the park, but since the sun does not rise before 5.30am it was a painful wait. The reflection of Angkor Wat in the opposite pond while the sun rose, made up for it, though. Afterwards, we went inside the temple and explored the various levels, heard about the multiple wars and how Hinduism and Buddism sometimes co-existed and sometimes were at odds in the country.

    After that, 2 people in our group had to catch a bus and 2 other people gave up due to tiredness, which left me and Andrea, who I had met on the bus from Bangkok to Battambang and been travelling since. Over the next 4h we visted three more temples, one almost more impressive than the other. The two notable ones were Ta Prohm and Bayon. Ta Prohm is famous for its setting in the first Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie and for trees growing over the temple - an impressive sight indeed. Bayon is known for its rich decoration and over 50 little temple tops.

    Post visiting the Bayon temple, we were very exhausted, but super happy and fascinated by what we have seen over the last two days. Memories that will most certainly last a lifetime.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    The Water Festival - A Big 3-Day Party

    November 28, 2023 in Cambodia

    I was lucky. During my stay in Siem Reap, it was Cambodia's annual Water Festival, (Bom Om Touk), which marks the end of the rainy season and the victory over the Champa Kingdom in a boat battle on the Tonle Sap Lake (see floating villages post) in 1181.

    Anyway, the Water Festival runs over three days and is filled with all sorts of water-based activities, starting from countless boat races on the river to cycling above water, over-water boxing, and a big foam party every evening that is supplemented by additional water coming from a fire truck's hose.

    And one thing I have to say: the Cambodians can party! The music starts early in the morning and lasts until midnight for three days straight and the dance floor is always packed (kids midday/afternoon and teenagers/adults in the evening).

    A few travel buddies from the hostel, two locals that I met the day earlier and I opted to check out the boat races and walked through the streets that were lined with activities, street food stalls, colourful flags and kids having their fun with the water. In the evening, we went to Vanna's bar - the Cambodian I met the day before - before visiting a drag show at a local bar.

    The next evening, I opted to buy a flower candle and float it on the river for good wishes, before Vanna and I watched the midnight fireworks together.

    It was a really great experience to be in Siem Reap during the water festival - even if that meant the city was really busy. Never seen so many scooters. On my last day in Siem Reap, the festival was over and the city rather quite... a nice change in atmosphere and a more realistic picture of what Siem Reap is like 95% of the time.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler
    1

    Off The Beaten Path - Eastern Cambodia

    Nov 30–Dec 5, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    For the next few days, Andrea and I left the tourist spots behind us and instead traveled into the remote areas of Eastern Cambodia. We had little idea how to plan, book or organise trips, as not much information was available online - a sign that tourism has yet to make its way to this part of the country.

    Anyway, once we got off the bus, we quickly found accommodation and booked a tour that brought us into the gem mine area, a lake, waterfalls and a hill to watch the sunset from. In particular the gem mine area was eye-opening, as the miners dig their holes (up to 12 meters deep) with sticks, shovels and some makeshift mechanical threat to get the dirt out. It is some dirty, tiresome and dangerous work (no safety rope or anything when going down) and apparently they only earn $1.25-2.5 per day on average (obv more if they find a big stone). After the mine area, we relaxed by a lake for a short while before finishing the day watching a beautiful sunset over green and rural Cambodia.

    The next two days were the main reason, we traveled east. We booked an overnight jungle trek with a homestay. While the trek itself was largely okay (interesting bits were river crossings, improvised bridges and some cool waterfalls), the guides we had and the homestay was what was so fascinating - on top of a perfect opportunity for star-gazing and sleeping in a hammock.

    Not just to see and learn about the daily life of the people who live here, but the interactions with them were incredible - for example, our guide used to be a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge and his stories about being forced out of their homes into the jungle, having nothing/little to eat and shooting everyone that passes a particular road on the way to Saigon was shocking, but provided an insight into what people here had to go through during the Khmer Rouge. We also met a local who was very proud to have met Gordon Ramsey and showed him how to make a traditional Bunong (local tribe) wedding meal.

    On the last day, we headed to Kratie, to see one of the six last remaining species of river dolphins during sunset. These Irrawaddy dolphins are some funny-looking creatures and provided the perfect end to our little adventure into eastern Cambodia.

    To sum it up, it is the people we met and talked to that made this little detour so valuable to me - it provided a glimpse into the country that many other travelers do not get.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Phnom Penh - Cambodia’s Very Dark Past

    December 7, 2023 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    My next stop was the capital, Phnom Penh, with the main purpose to learn more about Cambodia's dark days during the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975-1979, in which 1.5m-2m people - almost 25% of the population - were killed by the regime.

    Khmer Rouge’s ideology was to create a communist agricultural system, in which everyone that was not a farmer or handyman or useful to the regime's goal (i.e. artists, intellectuals, teachers, or anyone just wearing glasses, etc) was tortured and murdered. In particular torture was a popular method during this genocide and even kids and babies were not sparred from the sick ideology.

    Anyway, in Phnom Penh, I visited two places that are infamous for what the Khmer Rouge did - the S21 prison and the Killing Fields.

    The tour started with a visit to the S21 prison, a former school, which was repurposed to torture people into confessing (a lot did not even know why they were imprisoned) under the harshest circumstances (not making a noise during torture or it continues, prevention of prisoners committing suicide so that they can be tortured even more, etc). Those that confess (or do not) were then brought to the nearby killing fields for execution. S21 had a total of between 14,000 to 17,000 prisoners, of which only 12 survived!

    Some of the methods were just unbelievably inhumane (cutting holes in multiple prisoners hands and put a rope through them to prevent escape/suicide or cutting their throats with a bamboo as bullets were too expensive).

    The by far most shocking and horrifying method I saw, however, was how innocent babies and children were killed. At the Killing Fields there is a tree from which now lots of colourful bracelets hang - the killing tree, where babies and small children were taken by their legs, swung with their heads smashing against the tree - I mean, how can human-beings do anything like that. How sick!

    It is difficult to put into words the feelings I had during those visits, but they are important - however uncomfortable they are.

    Horrible things like this should never be forgotten in history and always remembered as a stark warning to future generations - unfortunately, things do repeat as I have seen in Rwanda's genocide that came 20 years after Cambodia's. That should be enough of genocides for this trip, I hope!

    After such an emotional half day, it was time to process everything and have a quiet day at the hostel before heading to the beautiful island of Koh Rong the next day for some chill and relax time.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler
    1
    1

    Koh Rong (Sanloem) - Island Life

    Dec 8–15, 2023 in Cambodia

    After pretty busy three weeks in Cambodia (Battambang, Angkor Wat, jungle trekking, dolphin watching, genocide memorial), it was finally time to slow things down and enjoy some island life.

    The islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem are a perfect location for it - apparently Cambodia's answer to Thailand's beautiful beaches.

    I visited Koh Rong first as it has the (in)famous Nestival on Saturdays - basically a big beach party that starts with drinking games at 3pm and runs until deep into the night. It was good fun, but probably not really my scene in terms of the music. After Nestival I spent a few days lazing on the beach and soaking up the sun before it was time to change islands to Koh Rong Sanloem, which is much more chilled out.

    And that is what I did. Waking up, going to a makeshift gym (weights are actual stones), reading, doing some life admin, sun lounging and tanning was on the agenda. Beach BBQs at night, where you can choose the fish, crab or prawn that you want BBQ'd also added a nice touch.

    On the last day of the island, it was time to get a bit more 'active' and I signed up for a boat trip that included snorkeling in the clear water, fishing (we caught five small fish), watching the sunset and having a small BBQ on the boat.

    However, the highlight was jumping into the water when it was dark (bit scary to be honest), turning off the ship's lights and swimming with glowing planktons in the water. When moving, the planktons start glowing and it genuinely felt like Christmas under water, while, when looking up, you had a clear view of the stars. It felt really magical and was a perfect end to my week on the two islands.    Read more

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