BLOG POSTS
THE BEST OF CAMBODIA IN 21 DAYS
From the wonders of Angkor Wat and the horrors of the Killing Fields to the jungle and beach escapism of Koh Rong, Cambodia is a country like no other…
14 THINGS WE LEARNED ABOUT CAMBODIA
What we discovered after a month of travelling in Cambodia, the “kingdom of wonder”
THE KILLING FIELDS OF CAMBODIA
The “tourist attraction” that everyone who visits Cambodia should go and see
3 ALTERNATIVE THINGS TO DO IN CAMBODIA
A haunting hill station, an underwater light show and pedal-powered touring…an alternative Cambodia
WHERE WE’VE STAYED
SIEM REAP
Malika Resort
Malika Resort
Nights
6
Cost
US$30 per night
What that included
Bed & breakfast, air-con, wifi
Rating ****
Friendliness 3 Cleanliness 4 Location 4 Comfort 4 Facilities 5 Food 3 Value for money 4
What we thought
Very clean and comfortable, with a lovely swimming pool – perfect after a day tramping around temples. It’s also in a quiet area, away from the centre of town, which costs $1 in a tuk-tuk (although weirdly it was another $2 to come back).
BATTAMBANG
Ramchang Guest House
Ramchang Guest House
Nights
3
Cost
US$12 per night
What that included
Room only
Rating ***
Friendliness 2 Cleanliness 3 Location 3 Comfort 4 Facilities 4 Food 3 Value for money 4
What we thought
A huge room (surface area and height of the ceiling), with aircon and wifi – this really was incredible value. They even had a swimming pool, although it was surrounded by construction work while we were there. If we had any gripes it was that service was painfully slow, particularly at breakfast.
PHNOM PENH
Vacation Boutique Hotel
Vacation Boutique Hotel
Nights
3
Cost
US$35 per night
What that included
Bed & breakfast, air-con, wifi
Rating ****
Friendliness 4 Cleanliness 5 Location 4 Comfort 5 Facilities 4 Food 3 Value for money 4
What we thought
Lovely boutique hotel, with a great room and location, close to the river. We’d return here without question if we came back to Phnom Penh (although it was fully booked when we tried to re-book for a week or so later). Recommended.
SEN MONOROM
Nature Lodge
Nature Lodge
Nights
4
Cost
US$20 per night
What that included
Room only
Rating ***
Friendliness 2 Cleanliness 3 Location 4 Comfort 3 Facilities 3 Food 2 Value for money 3
What we thought
Very much a back-to-nature set up, with very open bungalows in a rural setting, with lovely views across farmland. However with our mozzie net fully tucked into our bed, we slept soundly enough. The lodge is advertised as a training school for young, local Cambodians who are starting out in the hospitality industry, but we found the atmosphere strangely unwelcoming. The food was just about OK, although we resorted to eating their pizza by the end just to have some strong flavours (and to be fair they were pretty good).
KRATIE
Le Tonle Tourism Training Centre
Le Tonle Tourism Training Centre
Nights
3
Cost
US$10 per night
What that included
Room only, fan, wifi
Rating ****1/2
Friendliness 5 Cleanliness 4 Location 4 Comfort 3 Facilities 3 Food 5 Value for money 5
What we thought
Incredibly good value for money, great food and helpful, friendly staff. As the name suggests it’s a training centre for disadvantaged young locals – and the training certainly shows (particularly when compared to the service we got at the Nature Lodge in Sen Monorom). Highly recommended.
PHNOM PENH
Monsoon Boutique Hotel
Monsoon Boutique Hotel & Spa
Nights
1
Cost
US$38 per night
What that included
Bed & breakfast, air-con, wifi
Rating ***1/2
Friendliness 3 Cleanliness 4 Location 4 Comfort 4 Facilities 4 Food n/a Value for money 3
What we thought
Nice room with balcony overlooking 130th Street (which is actually in the middle of the red-light district!). We just used it as an overnight stop en route to Koh Rong, for which we left early the following morning, so we didn’t get the chance to try the breakfast. Overall the Vacation Boutique Hotel offered better value for money, though.
KOH RONG
Lonely Beach
Lonely Beach
Nights
5
Cost
US$30 per night
What that included
Room only
Rating ***1/2
Friendliness 4 Cleanliness 2 Location 5 Comfort 3 Facilities 2 Food 4 Value for money 3
What we thought
Large bungalow set amidst jungle just off the gorgeous beach. Very back-to-nature feel so mozzie net tucked into the mattress was a must for us! The restaurant-cum-communal area was lovely – and so was the food, particularly the home made pita sandwiches. Highly recommended.
KEP
Khmer Hands
Khmer Hands
Nights
2
Cost
US$22 per night
What that included
Room only, fan, wifi
Rating ****
Friendliness 5 Cleanliness 4 Location 4 Comfort 3 Facilities 3 Food 5 Value for money 4
What we thought
It was an absolute pleasure to stay at this place, owned by American, Chris and his Cambodian wife, Naomi. As a host, Chris has a knack of making you feel like special guests. Meanwhile, the food was just gorgeous – a mixture of local Khmer and American-influenced dishes. Our bungalow was large and clean – although there was plenty of flying bug activity during the night as the front is fairly open to the elements. Chris also trains young locals in hospitality and handicraft skills, too. High recommended.
KAMPOT
GreenHouse
GreenHouse
Nights
2
Cost
US$25 per night
What that included
Room only, fan, wifi
Rating ***1/2
Friendliness 3 Cleanliness 3 Location 4 Comfort 3 Facilities 4 Food 4 Value for money 3
What we thought
Lovely, quiet location beside the river, with access to scooters and kayaks for exploring further afield. It should have been great, yet we found it a little soulless compared to the fantastic Khmer Hands down the road in Kep. Still worth staying overall – and the Chef’s Gallette for breakfast was just awesome!
IMAGES OF CAMBODIA
ANGKOR WAT
Probably the most visited temple complex on Earth. Which means that viewing it at sunrise is an experience shared with plenty of other camera-wielding pilgrims. But you simply can’t visit Cambodia without paying homage to this amazing structure.
THE BAYON
With its dozens of smiling faces carved out of rock, overlooking the 12th-century temple we actually preferred this to Angkor Wat itself.
BENG MEALEA
Situated 40km east of the main Angkor complex, Beng Mealea has been overrun by the surrounding jungle. But its combination of ancient temples, twisted tree roots and mounds of stone rubble is a fascinating sight to see.
KEP
Famed for its seafood, particularly its crab, the south coast town of Kep shows just how proud it is with this statue which sits just off the main promenade.
KOH RONG
While some parts of the island are becoming more and more developed, there are still areas virtually untouched. Such as the gorgeous stretches of coastline along the north, close to Lonely Beach.
BOKOR HILL
Hiring a scooter to ride up to Bokor Hill Station is a great alternative way to spend a morning from Kampot. The now disused Old French Palace at the top is the main draw, but we also found this lovely old colonial villa on the way back down.
Read more at 3 alternative things to do in Cambodia.
CHOEUNG EK
Nothing quite prepares you for the emotional assault to be experienced at Choeung Ek. This fence surrounds a burial site for over 100 women, children and babies savagely murdered by the Khmer Rouge. Upsetting in the extreme but an essential visit for anyone wishing to understand the Cambodian psyche.
Read more at The Killing Fields of Cambodia.
HUMAN SKULLS
Probably an image that’s become synonymous with Cambodia ever since the Killing Fields were discovered. Choeung Ek’s memorial pagoda houses hundreds of human skulls displayed inside multi-storey glass cases.
Read more at The Killing Fields of Cambodia.
MORE ON CAMBODIA
The official site for tourism in Cambodia
Background reading on the Killing Fields of Cambodia
Excellent resource for Cambodia and the rest of SE Asia
The indispensable guide for budget travellers