2 Weeks in Cambodia: The Ultimate Itinerary

When I was a little girl, I read an article about the city of Angkor in a magazine. From that moment on, I knew I had to visit those temples one day, a dream I finally realized a few years ago during the month of November. Despite my need to plan everything in advance, this trip with my friend started off with just a backpack and a rough itinerary. To save on the budget, our flight had a layover in Seoul (a pretty cool detour, actually, since it was long enough to spend a few hours in the city!) before taking us to Phnom Penh, the capital. It was my first time ever setting foot in Asia, so I was definitely in for a culture shock!

Phnom Penh

It was already dark when we arrived, so we haggled for a tuk-tuk to take us to our hotel. That’s when we discovered that the answer "yes, yes" to the question "do you speak English?" is automatic. But not always accurate! After being dropped off at the wrong hotel and driving around for an hour before finding the right one, we were finally ready to recover from our day of travel.

We got up early to head to a market, filled with colorful vegetables and fish that were still alive (except for the ones being killed right in front of your eyes). The change of scenery was immediate. Another ride in a moto-taxi, zigzagging through traffic, brought us to the tourist center near the Royal Palace (which was closed that day). We took the opportunity to visit the Wat Phnom site, a lovely Buddhist temple perched on a hill where you’ll likely spot plenty of macaques. We continued on to the Psar Thmei covered market, the mandatory stop for souvenirs (or maybe some cheap knock-off sunglasses?). After a nice dinner at a local restaurant, we headed back to the hotel for some rest.

On the second day, we walked to the center from our hotel and stopped to see Wat Langka on the way, nothing exceptional, but pretty! We passed by the Independence Monument, and once in the center, we decided to take the tuk-tuk "excursion" to the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Honestly, it’s not exactly a fun visit, but it’s an important one, as the Khmer Rouge genocide that took place in Cambodia and caused the deaths of millions of people is a major part of the country's history. Disturbing and moving, it’s much like the concentration camps in Europe. We then headed back into town to brighten up the rest of the day with the festivities of the Water Festival (Bon Om Touk). In addition to the boat races during the day, we were treated to a superb show once night fell. Illuminated boats paraded along the Tonlé Sap, accompanied by fireworks. We watched it all while joining the crowd of locals, and it was magical!

Siem Reap

The next day was the big departure for Siem Reap… which meant a few hours on a bus. The system is pretty well-organized, with air-conditioned buses and strategic stops. Once we found our accommodation, we explored the town a bit and let ourselves be tempted by a fish spa followed by a back massage. We enjoyed the end of the day with the ongoing Water Festival festivities and went to bed early, because we had to get up in the wee hours to head out and discover the temples!

We left before sunrise to catch the dawn at Angkor Wat. Finally! The main goal of the trip! We visited many temples throughout the day, with our driver taking us to each one and waiting for us. Bayon with its giant stone faces, Baphuon and Phimeanakas with their very steep stairs, the massive wall that forms the Terrace of the Elephants, and the wonderful Ta Prohm, all in ruins with vegetation and giant trees growing right through the stone. We ended the day with a short walk in the forest to find Kbal Spean, a river with a carved stone bed where tons of butterflies will come and land on you!

Battambang

The next day, we headed toward Battambang. It’s a small town where there isn't a ton to do, except hop on the bamboo train! It was pretty fun and interesting to see this system still used by the locals. We made a quick stop at a cement factory (meh) and returned to the village. We spent the night before heading to our next stop.

Pursat (Pouthisat)

We wandered around this village a bit, with its rather unique Sampov Meas Island. I think that’s where all the young people hang out, and if you’re lucky, they’ll let you try the "saiee" game, their version of hacky sack, where the players can be quite impressive! But if we were in Pursat, it was mainly as a starting point to visit a floating village, Kompong Luong. We had rented scooters from our hotel, and they gave us clear directions on how to reach the spot to find a boat and a guide to visit it. Truly very beautiful and interesting!

Phnom Penh

We passed through here again for logistical transport reasons, and we took the opportunity to visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, which were open that day. It was pretty, the gardens were pleasant… but ultimately relatively expensive for what we saw.

Sihanoukville

We wanted the end of our trip to be nice and relaxed. As I often say, traveling is exhausting! We had thought about testing out several beaches, but in the end, we opted for Sihanoukville, on the country's southwest coast. We were quite comfortable in our little cabin, just a few minutes from Serendipity Beach (Ochheuteal Beach). So, we spent the last 4 days there in farniente mode, enjoying the beach, a cocktail in hand, $5 massages, and the spectacle of the little fireworks that might just explode in your face at night. We still took the opportunity to go on a boat trip (doing a bit of snorkeling for those who don't hyperventilate like I do with a mask and snorkel!) and spent the afternoon on the beach at Bamboo Island, which was even prettier than the one in town, and quieter.

Then, too quickly, it was time to return to the capital, just in time to eat a tarantula (that’s what happens when you brag to your colleagues that you’ll do it!); it is, after all, the local specialty! And then, one last tuk-tuk ride to take us to the airport, our heads full of memories…