Actually, I can’t remember now (no thanks for my stupider-than-gold fish memory) whether we bought the tickets to the temples before or after the Lake. I believe it was after.
In any case, a one day pass would cost you USD$20, 3 days pass is USD$40 and a week’s pass is USD$60. How long and how much you want to see and do really depends on one’s self perseverance I suppose. Some get templed out after only 3 hours, some can still go ooh and aah even after a week. I personally think a three day pass is just about right. There’s 100 plus (I think) of temples and at least what? 7-10 of the “main” ones – I am using “main” very loosely as well.
Angkor Wat is part of the Angkor Archaeological Park – a group of ancient temples grouped together-gether built as early as 12th century. How cool is that? Paul told us that there are two types of temples – one governed by kings that were Hindu-inclined and the other is the ones governed by the Buddhist kings. Each belief creates a different, but no less beautiful creation with intricate and mystery (mystery because we were daft enough not to engage a personal tour guide) stories on their walls.
So yeah, lesson no 1. Don’t scrimp on a personal tour guide. Or at least, get a good guide book so that you’d be able to know their rich history. Each wall, corner and planks has their own stories to tell.
Before I begin to sound like a crap travel book and/or website, let’s get on shall we?
Oh hang on.
That was supposed to be lesson no. 3.
Lessons no 1 and 2 are:
1. If you engage in tuk-tuk or taxi driver, tell SPECIFICALLY what you want to do. Do not pay upfront because some taxi/tuk-tuk drivers get lazy after being paid (this was what I learnt from the thorn-tree forums). Bargain on price and confirm early during your trip on price and itinerary. Some drivers would bring you all the tourist traps where they get paid commission to bring us there. The stuff in these places are easily 50% (if not more) than what is offered at other places – for e.g. the Night Markets.
2. Alamak lupa.
*Goes off to make coffee* Stupid gold fish memory.
Wokay I think I remember what it is now.
2. Hmm. OK. OH okay, I remember for shure now. If you do have the cash to spare, try not to just buy the USD$20 pass to the park anyway. One day is definitely not enough.
OK I’ve said that one haven’t I? I am really beginning to sound like a crap travel book. The kind that goes on and on like your old Uncle reminiscing about how bad things were but how happy everyone is despite only wearing old newspapers and raffia strings for shoes and having to walk 320km to do their do-do.
OK OK what about this?
For a 3 and 7 day passes, you’ll need a passport photo. If you do not remember to bring any, don’t fret; because their ticket booth counters are equipped with cameras so they can snap your oily, tired faces (and naturally your hair looks like Simba on a rampage) instantly to put on your passes. So you’re good.
For guide books – if you can’t be arsed to buy any from here, you can always get it in Siem Reap. There are a couple of 2nd hand bookstores on Pub Street alone so you can get it there. The Cambodian kid peddlers also sell these books around the temple area so you’d be able to buy from them too. Remember to bargain. El Sunshine’s brother bought his for USD$15 because he didn’t. I did and got mine for USD$8. My mom would have been proud of me. I never thought I had it in me, man.
Haha I’ve digressed so far I might as well tell you what I bought at Sunway Pyramid last night.
Toiletries, JCo Donuts (love), Hot & Aus Women’s Weekly mags and berus gigi Ayah.
Snap.
OK SO.
After the Lake trip we were bundled in Paul’s taxi then brought to buy the 3-day pass. Paul drove us in to just have a look-see at Angkor Wat. We were brought to the entrance of the majestic temple.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat – its wall, as mentioned before is covered by carvings. Angkor Wat consists of three levels with a central tower. The lower level carvings depict the stories and characters of Hindu mythology – this is where a personal guide helps tremendously. We eavesdropped some of their explanation, but it seems rude to hang on too long with them and also, I’m deaf most of the times so I can’t make out what was it the personal guides were saying anyway.
We took pictures at the main entrance and then Paul took us to an illegal entrance – we had to pay the guards USD$1 as no cars are allowed inside that area.
Lessons no 4, always be prepared to make pay-outs to guards/officers or be prepared to walk a long way in. Paul parked before a (new) temple where there were kids learning English. We walked around for abit, entered Angkor Wat from their side entrance, and took more photos.
When we were heading back, an Australian tourist was teaching the kids at the temple some children song. It slipped my mind now, naturally, but it was the type of song that sticks to your mind and irritate you for the rest of the week because it wont go away.
Oh, I knew he was Australian because before he left, he thought the kids to chant “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!” heh heh.
We then told Paul that we would like to take an air balloon ride please. It’s what ALL of us wanted to do and initially, he tried to dissuade us. We insisted and he took us there.
We paid USD$15 each for a hot air balloon ride. This is the cost for foreigners. If you can pass as a Cambodian and speak the language, you’ll probably get in cheaper but don’t bother pushing your luck heh heh.
The hot air balloon didn’t travel as I thought it would. There went my plan to actually get lost in an actual Cambodian jungle and discovering a lost relic. Fame and fortune is still not within my grasp. Bummer.
It did, however, go upwards, xx feet up and we can have an aerial view of Angkor Wat. It was nothing short of magnificent. I loved, loved, loved it.
My mother, the perpetual ego-buster:
“Belon tu tak senget sebelah ke bila kau naik?”
Rest assured my fellow earthlings, it did not :-P.
The balloon itself is huge – almost as big as my master bedroom and it goes upwards and powered by uh, some mechanism (a pulley system?). I don’t know man, I’m not Snots who would actually know how the balloon works down to the last dot of the formula and probably even make one herself when she gets home.
Me? I failed my SPM chemistry and nearly well flunked my physics too. I do not understand what’s the bloody purpose of knocking the two trolleys together to count their whatevershmacallit.
And JCo Donuts? Mmmm, lovely. Glazed ones made me glazed-eyed. And oh, Brits is preggers again. Does she ever stop? Put a cork (not cock haw haw) in it already!
Anyway.
After about 15-20 minutes of taking pictures of Angkor Wat and of ourselves in the balloon, they let us down. Hehe. I mean literally lah.
By then it was nearly sunset and in retrospect, we should have just waited for sunset to go up the balloon (it was only about half an hour away je pun) and the view would probably be awesome-r.
Paul bundled us off again in his cab and drove us to this souvenier centre. It is a lone building which sells everything and anything from embroidered handbags to jade to Buddha’s replicas to perfume. If you look hard enough you’d probably find the bride too* :-P.
It was super expensive and as such, we did not buy anything. However, the shop was cool and it was rather pleasant to amble around in the air-conditioned place after a hot day so that was a bit of alright.
The toilet was clean too. That’s the thing I noticed about Siem Reap/Cambodia. ALL their public toilets are super clean. And they used water too so none of that used loo roll stuffing up the toilet hole. They use water but the floors aren’t splashing wet like what we have here *euw*.
Why can’t we have clean toilets in Malaysia? Why can’t we be in Guiness Book of Records for the “most cleanest and dry public toilets in the world”? I rather have that then have the largest pizza and/or biggest flag sewn by most people records.
Suckers.
Anyway, after the super expensive souvenier shop, we told Paul we want to head home. Paul was rather disappointed that we did not purchase anything, not even a semblance of a keychain. Too bad, you’re dealing with serious cheapskates here, man.
Paul dropped us back at our guesthouse and told us to be ready by 5am tomorrow morning because he’s taking us to Angkor Wat during sunrise. We came back only to find the small shop in front of our place was hosting a birthday party for their 16 year old girl. It was a pretty big deal I believe because there birthday girl and friends were ALL dressed to the nines. I’m talking about serious ball-room type dresses. Or bad 80s dressed with puffed sleeves and satin frock types dresses.
Big hair too. It was noisy and fun, everyone was seated, food was served, there was a three-tier cake as well. I thought it was a wedding until told otherwise by Va Chiey. Occasionally I saw the birthday girl whooped and screeched upon seeing her friends arriving to the party. That was also my first time sampling Cambodian pop music.
We rested for a bit then freshened up to go have our dinner. We heard of Blue Pumpkin Café and it had received soooo many recommendations from everyone that we thought to try them out. Blue Pumpkin was at the nearby Old Market Square – a mere 5 minutes away only.
I guess I was very pleased that we chose Angkor Voyage because it was a mere 5 minutes to the markets etc. Any further, I wouldda bitched about having to walk till kingdom come. We ambled through the Pub St, drinking the scene and walked in and out of the shops – generally doing the very touristy things. We arrived at Blue Pumpkin and promptly ordered our food. Some of us ordered pasta and I ordered an uncharacteristic vegan sandwich. I hardly take veggies to start with. I hate veggies that are served in shops because they’re mostly overcooked and more limp that a dead man’s dick.
But Blue Pumpkin veggie samwich was bees knees yo. It’s so sedap, I nearly want to lick my plate clean. What am I saying? I probably DID lick the plate clean. We also had desserts – I think we had ice cream and we were transported to the highest heavens and came back. We gushed some more and made promises to go to Blue Pumpkin again for dinner tomorrow.
Oh, Blue Pumpkin is this very chic and modern café off Pub Street. It has free wifi. Ground floor are mostly the food where you can buy off the counter some tables and chairs, up the stairs you’d have a landing with cosy cushions and low tables to stretch your legs and further up still are where the rest hang. The interior is mostly white and their seating is these plush sofas that were so huge, you can double it as a bed. Bliss.
We walked back at about near to midnight. I had the grand idea to have a reflexology. I decided to walk in this massage place right smack infront of our Guesthouse. For USD$20, I got an hour and plus of reflexology which I thought was rather good. Unfortunately, they closed by 12 so had closed all lights except some dimmed ones in the massage room. I only had reflexology so they attend to me outside in the “living room”. With no lights and definitely no fan, I was very uncomfortable. Fortunately, she kneads well and was very polite. Didn’t yabber too much which was what I wanted.
I freaked when I saw that they closed the gates – I thought they had locked me out. I managed to open their front gates and slipped in. Their workers are all asleep on a mattress on a floor at the reception area.
I slipped into the room, showered and had a very restful slumber.
Next: Angkor at Sunrise, Bayon and Some others.
So yeah, lesson no 1. Don’t scrimp on a personal tour guide. Or at least, get a good guide book so that you’d be able to know their rich history. Each wall, corner and planks has their own stories to tell.
Before I begin to sound like a crap travel book and/or website, let’s get on shall we?
Oh hang on.
That was supposed to be lesson no. 3.
Lessons no 1 and 2 are:
1. If you engage in tuk-tuk or taxi driver, tell SPECIFICALLY what you want to do. Do not pay upfront because some taxi/tuk-tuk drivers get lazy after being paid (this was what I learnt from the thorn-tree forums). Bargain on price and confirm early during your trip on price and itinerary. Some drivers would bring you all the tourist traps where they get paid commission to bring us there. The stuff in these places are easily 50% (if not more) than what is offered at other places – for e.g. the Night Markets.
2. Alamak lupa.
*Goes off to make coffee* Stupid gold fish memory.
Wokay I think I remember what it is now.
2. Hmm. OK. OH okay, I remember for shure now. If you do have the cash to spare, try not to just buy the USD$20 pass to the park anyway. One day is definitely not enough.
OK I’ve said that one haven’t I? I am really beginning to sound like a crap travel book. The kind that goes on and on like your old Uncle reminiscing about how bad things were but how happy everyone is despite only wearing old newspapers and raffia strings for shoes and having to walk 320km to do their do-do.
OK OK what about this?
For a 3 and 7 day passes, you’ll need a passport photo. If you do not remember to bring any, don’t fret; because their ticket booth counters are equipped with cameras so they can snap your oily, tired faces (and naturally your hair looks like Simba on a rampage) instantly to put on your passes. So you’re good.
For guide books – if you can’t be arsed to buy any from here, you can always get it in Siem Reap. There are a couple of 2nd hand bookstores on Pub Street alone so you can get it there. The Cambodian kid peddlers also sell these books around the temple area so you’d be able to buy from them too. Remember to bargain. El Sunshine’s brother bought his for USD$15 because he didn’t. I did and got mine for USD$8. My mom would have been proud of me. I never thought I had it in me, man.
Haha I’ve digressed so far I might as well tell you what I bought at Sunway Pyramid last night.
Toiletries, JCo Donuts (love), Hot & Aus Women’s Weekly mags and berus gigi Ayah.
Snap.
OK SO.
After the Lake trip we were bundled in Paul’s taxi then brought to buy the 3-day pass. Paul drove us in to just have a look-see at Angkor Wat. We were brought to the entrance of the majestic temple.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat – its wall, as mentioned before is covered by carvings. Angkor Wat consists of three levels with a central tower. The lower level carvings depict the stories and characters of Hindu mythology – this is where a personal guide helps tremendously. We eavesdropped some of their explanation, but it seems rude to hang on too long with them and also, I’m deaf most of the times so I can’t make out what was it the personal guides were saying anyway.
We took pictures at the main entrance and then Paul took us to an illegal entrance – we had to pay the guards USD$1 as no cars are allowed inside that area.
Lessons no 4, always be prepared to make pay-outs to guards/officers or be prepared to walk a long way in. Paul parked before a (new) temple where there were kids learning English. We walked around for abit, entered Angkor Wat from their side entrance, and took more photos.
When we were heading back, an Australian tourist was teaching the kids at the temple some children song. It slipped my mind now, naturally, but it was the type of song that sticks to your mind and irritate you for the rest of the week because it wont go away.
Oh, I knew he was Australian because before he left, he thought the kids to chant “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!” heh heh.
We then told Paul that we would like to take an air balloon ride please. It’s what ALL of us wanted to do and initially, he tried to dissuade us. We insisted and he took us there.
We paid USD$15 each for a hot air balloon ride. This is the cost for foreigners. If you can pass as a Cambodian and speak the language, you’ll probably get in cheaper but don’t bother pushing your luck heh heh.
The hot air balloon didn’t travel as I thought it would. There went my plan to actually get lost in an actual Cambodian jungle and discovering a lost relic. Fame and fortune is still not within my grasp. Bummer.
It did, however, go upwards, xx feet up and we can have an aerial view of Angkor Wat. It was nothing short of magnificent. I loved, loved, loved it.
My mother, the perpetual ego-buster:
“Belon tu tak senget sebelah ke bila kau naik?”
Rest assured my fellow earthlings, it did not :-P.
The balloon itself is huge – almost as big as my master bedroom and it goes upwards and powered by uh, some mechanism (a pulley system?). I don’t know man, I’m not Snots who would actually know how the balloon works down to the last dot of the formula and probably even make one herself when she gets home.
Me? I failed my SPM chemistry and nearly well flunked my physics too. I do not understand what’s the bloody purpose of knocking the two trolleys together to count their whatevershmacallit.
And JCo Donuts? Mmmm, lovely. Glazed ones made me glazed-eyed. And oh, Brits is preggers again. Does she ever stop? Put a cork (not cock haw haw) in it already!
Anyway.
After about 15-20 minutes of taking pictures of Angkor Wat and of ourselves in the balloon, they let us down. Hehe. I mean literally lah.
By then it was nearly sunset and in retrospect, we should have just waited for sunset to go up the balloon (it was only about half an hour away je pun) and the view would probably be awesome-r.
Paul bundled us off again in his cab and drove us to this souvenier centre. It is a lone building which sells everything and anything from embroidered handbags to jade to Buddha’s replicas to perfume. If you look hard enough you’d probably find the bride too* :-P.
It was super expensive and as such, we did not buy anything. However, the shop was cool and it was rather pleasant to amble around in the air-conditioned place after a hot day so that was a bit of alright.
The toilet was clean too. That’s the thing I noticed about Siem Reap/Cambodia. ALL their public toilets are super clean. And they used water too so none of that used loo roll stuffing up the toilet hole. They use water but the floors aren’t splashing wet like what we have here *euw*.
Why can’t we have clean toilets in Malaysia? Why can’t we be in Guiness Book of Records for the “most cleanest and dry public toilets in the world”? I rather have that then have the largest pizza and/or biggest flag sewn by most people records.
Suckers.
Anyway, after the super expensive souvenier shop, we told Paul we want to head home. Paul was rather disappointed that we did not purchase anything, not even a semblance of a keychain. Too bad, you’re dealing with serious cheapskates here, man.
Paul dropped us back at our guesthouse and told us to be ready by 5am tomorrow morning because he’s taking us to Angkor Wat during sunrise. We came back only to find the small shop in front of our place was hosting a birthday party for their 16 year old girl. It was a pretty big deal I believe because there birthday girl and friends were ALL dressed to the nines. I’m talking about serious ball-room type dresses. Or bad 80s dressed with puffed sleeves and satin frock types dresses.
Big hair too. It was noisy and fun, everyone was seated, food was served, there was a three-tier cake as well. I thought it was a wedding until told otherwise by Va Chiey. Occasionally I saw the birthday girl whooped and screeched upon seeing her friends arriving to the party. That was also my first time sampling Cambodian pop music.
We rested for a bit then freshened up to go have our dinner. We heard of Blue Pumpkin Café and it had received soooo many recommendations from everyone that we thought to try them out. Blue Pumpkin was at the nearby Old Market Square – a mere 5 minutes away only.
I guess I was very pleased that we chose Angkor Voyage because it was a mere 5 minutes to the markets etc. Any further, I wouldda bitched about having to walk till kingdom come. We ambled through the Pub St, drinking the scene and walked in and out of the shops – generally doing the very touristy things. We arrived at Blue Pumpkin and promptly ordered our food. Some of us ordered pasta and I ordered an uncharacteristic vegan sandwich. I hardly take veggies to start with. I hate veggies that are served in shops because they’re mostly overcooked and more limp that a dead man’s dick.
But Blue Pumpkin veggie samwich was bees knees yo. It’s so sedap, I nearly want to lick my plate clean. What am I saying? I probably DID lick the plate clean. We also had desserts – I think we had ice cream and we were transported to the highest heavens and came back. We gushed some more and made promises to go to Blue Pumpkin again for dinner tomorrow.
Oh, Blue Pumpkin is this very chic and modern café off Pub Street. It has free wifi. Ground floor are mostly the food where you can buy off the counter some tables and chairs, up the stairs you’d have a landing with cosy cushions and low tables to stretch your legs and further up still are where the rest hang. The interior is mostly white and their seating is these plush sofas that were so huge, you can double it as a bed. Bliss.
We walked back at about near to midnight. I had the grand idea to have a reflexology. I decided to walk in this massage place right smack infront of our Guesthouse. For USD$20, I got an hour and plus of reflexology which I thought was rather good. Unfortunately, they closed by 12 so had closed all lights except some dimmed ones in the massage room. I only had reflexology so they attend to me outside in the “living room”. With no lights and definitely no fan, I was very uncomfortable. Fortunately, she kneads well and was very polite. Didn’t yabber too much which was what I wanted.
I freaked when I saw that they closed the gates – I thought they had locked me out. I managed to open their front gates and slipped in. Their workers are all asleep on a mattress on a floor at the reception area.
I slipped into the room, showered and had a very restful slumber.
Next: Angkor at Sunrise, Bayon and Some others.
NOTE: * I was told once, that the group “Everything but The Girl” hailed from Hull. They took their name after this shop who sold all wedding paraphernalia – everything, but the girl/bride. When I studied there, I never did find the shop :-(.
Note No 2: I am trying to put up some photos but Blogspot is being pissy again *hmrph*
When we got there we were welcomed by kids and youths alike. They crowded the taxi and started to shove a camera and other cheap souvenirs to our faces. One actually ran to capture my photo. Woo. I felt like a million dollars and/or a superstar (Supasta!! – OK who remembered that movie? Hehehe).
Terus cancel mau beli itu pisang occay.
Boat People. School. Church. In that order.