South East Asia has to be the premier world traveling region. A big call? For sure, but consider what genuinely world class offerings it can provide:
- World class beaches and coastal areas – think of THAT beach in Ko Phi Phi and HaLong Bay, one of the Natural Wonders of the World
- World class food – think Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and the genuine fusion into the mix with the large established Indian and Chinese communities
- World class ancient sites and history – think of the temples of the “8th Wonder of the World” of Angkor Wat, and the breathtaking site of the pagodas stretching across the plain in Bagan
- World class cities and party locations – think of Singapore as the city of the future and the Full Moon Parties on Ko Pha-Ngan
And all this in a place that is super safe, outrageously friendly, easy and cheap to travel in. A must for any keen traveler and the below itinerary will give you the highlights – enjoy!
Angkor Wat is one of the most recognisable ancient sites in the world and the surrounding area is said to be the greatest concentration of architectural riches anywhere – as one would expect, its a fantastic place to visit. The problem is though, as with all such world-famous sites, how to enjoy it without having the commercialised tourist machine spoil the experience. You’re looking for that feeling of wonder and adventure as you explore from one ancient temple being torn apart by the roots of giant jungle trees to the next, not trying to jump in between mega-phone wielding Chinese tour groups and trying to be original in your latest reason for why you don’t want a local Cambodian man to sell you a plastic statue
Whilst for the main temples, such as Angkor Wat itself, the crowds are largely unavoidable, the best way to avoid the crowds is to hire some bikes and cycle around the cycling circuit(s). The roads are great, the distance is flat and easily manageable at 17km – 26km and you find yourself very quickly getting away from the crowds. You can also largely make up your own route for large parts of it depending on how you’re feeling. In fact, our favourite part of the trip was heading in the “wrong” direction and finding many of the less well-known temples largely to ourselves
Angkor Wat is awesome, it’s even better cycling it
A truly sobering experience and a must for any visit to Cambodia (even though a very brief review). The horrors of what went on here during the Khmer Rouge’s control from 1975-79 are something that we all should be made aware of. In addition to visiting the Killing Fields themselves, I also recommend the Genocide Museum and either reading First they Killed my Father, or watching the Killing Fields movie. Simple recommendations, but really added to my experience and understanding
