Anna Our adventure in Vietnam came to an end and it was time to hop on the plane to the beautiful Kingdom of Cambodia! Our first stop in Cambodia was Phnom Penh, where my boyfriend booked a way too fancy hotel for us. We arrived at the hotel with our backpacks and sweaty faces and when we walked inside it was insane. Such a beautiful hotel, the lobby was filled with magnificent statues and there was even a pool on the roof. It wasn’t cheap for backpackers but for European prices, this was still super cheap! Our room even had two queen size beds, it was crazy! We decided to enjoy our space and take one bed each.
What we didn’t know about our stay in Phnom Penh was that we were there during Bon Om Touk, also known as the Cambodian water festival. It marks the end of the moonsoon season. So there were many activities all through the city center and every night at 18:00 there was a firework show. From our rooftop we had one of the best views of the fireworks! So every night when the clock striked 6, we were at the rooftop to admire the beautiful fireworks.
Before we arrived in Cambodia, we didn’t really know anything about the country or its history. So we decided to delve into the history of Cambodia, which is why we decided to visit the killing fields and the S21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. We booked a guide for the day, who was a very upbeat and lovely man. He drove us around Phnom Penh and showed us very beautiful sights. Then, we went on to the S21 museum, which was horrifying. It is a horrendous reminder of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime. The building used to be a school and as we walked there, I got chills. Afterwards, our guide took us to the killing fields, where we took an audio tour. We walked around the site where so many people and even baby’s were murdered.. It was a very emotionally draining day. I think it was necessary to visit the sites and remember the horrific things that happened in Cambodia but a day like that takes an emotional toll on you. When I talked to my mum that evening, she asked me how my day was. I didn’t really know how to answer as I couldn’t really say that I had a nice day because I didn’t. So we rest a bit by the pool at the end of the day, went for dinner and called it a night. One thing we liked less about Phnom Penh was the fact that on every corner there is someone who will try to scam you. Even when you visit tourist sites, you must stay alert! We bought tickets for a tourist site in the city and the change we got back from the cashier was fake money..
After a few days in Phnon Penh, it was time to travel to Kampot! My boyfriend booked a wonderful boat lodge where we would celebrate my birthday. It was one of the most beautiful accommodations we’ve stayed at. We had an amazing view of the river, the lodge was gorgeous and you could dine at their cute little terrace at the waterside. We had a great weekend there! We kayaked the green cathedral, where we only encountered 3 other people so it felt very serene. It seemed like we were the only ones there, which was pretty cool! My boyfriend even went out of his way to get me a birthday cake, he cycled an hour into town to get it for me. It was a marvelous cake and it tasted amazing! In the evening we had a romantic dinner at the waterside and it was fantastic birthday. No better place to be turning 25! However, I was a little bit stressed because they predicted that a typhoon would come our way. Apparently the typhoon had been following us, hitting all the places we had just left. They predicted that the typhoon would hit Kampot on my birthday.. So, that was a little bit stressful. But in the end, we had nothing but blue skies on my birthday. So I felt very blessed. We had a wonderful time! Now it was time to head to our most idyllic locations of the trip. Stay tuned.
