Cambodia : Siem Reap Here We Come!

Where are you spending Tet?  Everyone gets asked this question prior to Tet  (Tet is Vietnam's Lunar New Year celebration and longest holiday). We haven't planned anything... Staying at home is a good option.  After all, we're quite conscious about the budget (especially now when we don't know where-to next) and Christmas in the Philippines isn't quite wallet-friendly.  But...

Cambodia is in our must-visit list.  We figured it's cheapest to visit it from Ho Chi Minh City. January's not too hot. Also, better to see the Angkor temples before we get too old to do  lot of walking  (stiff limbs every now and then tells me that "that" might come sooner than expected  hahaha)

So, Siem Reap,  here we come!

I spent a Saturday (and a few more nights) researching where to stay,  places to visit, things to do. I'm trying to ensure we'll all enjoy the holiday,  while keeping to the budget. 

Besides the temples,  there doesn't seem much else that's different - that is, if one is from Southeast Asia where rice paddies, water buffaloes and wet markets are part of normal life. So, we'll just take it slow, explore the small city, and relish family bonding time. (We've learned not to pack too much activities on family holidays - I've done that in the past and ended up needing another holiday from the holiday!)

I booked Frangipani Villa hotel,  newer vs. many other guest houses, and figured it would have better facilities. As $44 per room per night with breakfast included,  the price is reasonable (their reservation system sucks). We chose Mekong Express limousine bus,  it has better reviews vs. other bus companies in terms of service and safety. We chose the 7am bus; a friend told us they took a sleeper bus but spent half of the night at the border until the Immigration desks opened in the morning. My ever helpful angel helped us get good seats  (in front of the bus to avoid any unpleasant smell that might come from the toilet at the back). A roundtrip ticket was $44 pax. Next was to book a tour (or a tour guide) so we can appreciate the history behind temples, else they would just be a pile of rocks. At $60 for all of us,  it's better value to book a tour guide and transpo, plus we"ll have flexibility in the schedule. Hopefully, he will be able to help us feel the soul of the Angkor ruins. We also prepared US dollar bills in smaller denominations, especially $1.

The 12-hour bus trip (one way) is pretty daunting. I've been conditioning the kids mentally for the long hours on the bus.  Besides the usual stuff to be packed, gotta prepare for the bus ride. On the list are bottled water, fried rice, sandwiches, cookies, chips n nuts (sounds like a picnic?), neck pillows and fully charged iStuffs to manage the boredom.

My working hours this week has been even longer than usual (twice, I was the last person to leave the office).  Project deadlines are tight and we want to get as much done before the break.

Can't wait to go!  Truly, the expectation of the journey is as exciting as the journey itself.