Our morning started early, with a luggage pull at 6:30 am before a quick breakfast and disembarkation. It was time to say goodbye to the Mekong Delta and head to Siem Reap. Our crew was one of the best we’ve experienced; their warmth, hospitality, and genuine spirits will remain part of our fond memories of this trip. The food and drinks aboard were great as well; I plan to replicate the addictive fresh ginger iced “tea” (there was no actual tea in it) that Karen and I consumed daily, and Mark will miss the Pho from the daily breakfast buffet.
Our transfer to Siem Reap was a five-hour charter bus ride, something both of us missed in the details of our trip’s itinerary! That said, it ended up being a comfortable, easy ride through the Cambodian countryside. We had two rest stops, one of which can only be described as Cambodia’s version of a mini-Buc’ees!
The only downside of the bus ride was its timing with the Georgia-Texas football game, which kicked off right around the start of our drive (Saturday night in Texas, Sunday morning in Cambodia). Due to spotty cell reception and reduced-speed data, we couldn’t stream the game with any success. Zack was kind enough to text us a play-by-play for any significant action. After my Dawgs brought down Texas, we celebrated with a loud Go Dawgs on the bus!
After arriving in Siem Reap, we enjoyed a group lunch at The Street 27. Afterward, we checked into the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort, our hotel for the next three nights, and promptly jumped on tuk-tuks for a quick tour.
The floral displays in our hotel were spectacular, especially the large pots filled with floating lotus blossoms.
Our first stop was at the Royal Independence Gardens, where we walked around the grounds. It’s actually a beautiful park enjoyed by locals. It has a long section of trees filled with bats that we could see and hear. It also contains a Buddhist shrine, a pagoda, many locals selling their crafts, as well as a French colonial royal residence that is said to be the place where King Sihanouk met with one of his generals to plot Cambodia’s independence from France in the 1950s.
We walked through Pub Street, a long street filled with bars, clubs, and restaurants and lit up by neon signs and colorful lights zig-zagging their way above the street.
We ended with a quick tour of Angkor Artisans, a workshop of sandstone, lacquer, and silk artisans.
Dinner was on our own, and we found a highly-rated restaurant with such a great purpose. Haven hires vulnerable young adults from shelters and impoverished rural areas and teaches them life skills, plus technical food and kitchen skills, to hold jobs and become self-sufficient. The outdoor garden setting was serene and lovely, the wait staff were warm and attentive, and the food was outstanding. Mark had the Hot Basil Beef, and I had the Fish Filet with Green Mango. This was by far one of our favorite meals of the entire trip. If you ever find yourself in Siem Reap, you owe it to yourself to plan a meal at this gem of a restaurant.
Monday begins the famous Angkor temple tours.
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