Time to relax in Cambodia

I can confirm that the aim of the first part of my summer holiday was achieved - to relax. I had a good two weeks in Cambodia taking in Phnom Penh once again, as well as the coastal areas of Sihnaoukville, Kampot, and Kep and then made my way back to Saigon via the Mekong Delta.

I think I got to know Cambodia a little better - at times it felt like a wild frontier and the differences to Vietnam were stark. It seems to be poorer, runs at a much slower pace, is far less regulated, has much more rubbish on the streets, and is hotter than Saigon at this time of year!!

In Phnom Penh I really enjoyed doing a self-guided Architecture walking tour Architecture info- the range of French villas, Khmer buildings, 1960's apartments, and Art Deco buildings was fascinating. Such a shame most are in a state of disrepair. Another highlight was watching the people enjoy a Sunday evening in one of the main squares - dancing, playing soccer, walking, eating and just generally enjoying each others company.

I then head to Otres Beach at Sihanoukville. This was a lovely spot, but it literally rained for the entire two days that I was there. And, I don't mean drizzle - it was full on downpours and electrical storms. However, this didn't really worry me as my plan was to do very little anyway. It just sat and read and watched the ocean and the waves of rain from inside the beach side cafe instead of on a lounge.



Kampot was the next stop, and this an interesting little riverside town adjacent to a National Park. I was amazed by the number of westerners living here and running business. It would be great to renovate one of the beautiful old buildings, but I think I would go stir crazy after a while! I did a tuk-tuk tour of the countryside and enjoyed the smiles of the people in their very basic homes and visiting one of the famous pepper plantations. Watching the parade of fishing boats on the river was also a daily ritual.

I then moved on to the even more sleepy hillside town of Kep. This town is famous for its fresh crab, but I gave them a miss on the advice of the locals; they are so small now, because of the over-fishing, that it is just not worth the hard work of getting to the meat! I did, however, enjoy listening to the birds and watching the squirrels whilst chilling in the hammock on my balcony and walking around the National Park with the views of the bay.
It was tough!

The final section of the trip was in Vietnam and consisted of a memorable 6 hour local bus trip from Ha Tien, at the border to Can Tho. Unfortunately, there was no air conditioning and very little padding in the seats, so the stop-start routine became very wearing. You can imagine how  much I appreciated the air-conditioned hotel room and warm shower on my arrival. But, it was nice to get back to the buzz of Vietnam and the familiarity of the food and the way of life.

Overall, it was a great trip exploring more of the area on my doorstep and a chance to relax and unwind.

More photos of Cambodia