And to put this in context, when youre at The Killing Fields, youre seeing a memorial stupa that is basically filled with skulls and other bones from the victims, hundreds of victims. But we want to talk about we did this as a land trip, and it was interesting to see how different the three countries are. A word about the craft centre. I had seen that before so that doesnt make my highlight real, it doesnt make anybody elses. Todays episode of Amateur Traveler is going to be a little different because were going to be talking about the recent Amateur Traveler trip that we went to Cambodia. Its three kilometers by three kilometers and it includes within it the Bayon temple, which is a famous-looking temple with all the faces on it. And as always, thanks so much for listening.
Erin: Yeah. The little kids that peddled their wares to foreigners, they could speak English actually pretty well for kids, and they were really interested in Ashton. Chris: There was a lot of standing around, waiting for that sunrise. Erin: tarantulasyeah, he just went for it. But even in Pennsylvania, for example, you meet Cambodians and every one of them was affected by it. We had two days to visit the temples at Angkor Wat. Sarah: It did come back after it had a chance to cool down a little bit. I felt like I was immersed, and if I let my imagination go on methere was definitely a visceral discomfort. Chris: And in general, Id say we ate well on this trip for very little money. Also, I havent been but some guidebooks are hawking Island / beach getaways on the south of Cambodia. In fact, you can see that particular trip that we did by going to AmateurTraveler.com/Cambodia-trip. So its been in the works for years. But then I thought wed be done with it. Kampucheas government built irrigation systems throughout the country in great detail. And just how naive that is, of course. You cross the border and pretty much immediately everything was different. Rob: So surprise. Cambodia is a popular destination for tourists due to its beautiful temples, such as Angkor Wat. Eight years ago, I went to Chile because I was interested in what happened in the 70s and the 80s there. And you really appreciate the resilience, what they had to overcome. For tours and attractions, the price displayed is usually the lowest available per person adult price. But just to see theyre such beautiful people and so sweet. Erin: Well, when we rented the most motorcycle, we tried to run with Rob and Ashton and me and we did not fit because were big Americans.
And what kind of warning would you give? Cambodias capital, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Kampot, and Battambang were the best places to visit for tourism infrastructure. What was the biggest surprise? Chris: It did come back. We visited the killing fields of Cambodia and the Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh as we tried to understand Cambodias recent tragic history. Cambodia has a history of small crimes, such as bag snatching, that occur at night and in areas that are not well lit. Chris: And then for the last words, Im going to turn it over to Erin and Rob. 2021 Plantation in La Union. Erin: It was fun, yeah. Chriss Photos of Cambodia A lot of the interactions we had with locals, the interactions we had with the tour guide, and meeting real people, just instead of being shuttled around, really talking to people. Erin: No, it opened at 6:00. Chris: And then to wrap up this part of the discussion, I want to get back to Brian because remember, this is the reason that he came. I like getting kind of in the grit of the local scene, and we definitely get that on these trips. Taxes, fees not included for deals content. We had a wonderful cruise on the river in Phnom Penh, a dinner cruise, looking at the sunset. Chris: I have a video thats going up of our cyclo tour and its just interesting to see the chaos that is weaving around us as various tuk-tuks, and motorbikes, and cars and pedestrians and such are all going by as we are. 782. TripAdvisor, the travel planning and booking site, today announced the winners of its Travellers Choice awards for Landmarks in Asia and the world. I was definitely more interested in getting to know the people and hearing their stories than see an Angkor Wat. And you were the one who said to me, Give it up, Brian. I dont understand how anyone could think that way. In fact, if you want to book the trip from there, I will actually get credit for it, so that would be terrific. Chris: And we also stopped to see a silk-making production on the way up. 12,729.
Thats a definite warning. That was the most surreal experience for me. And so we ran in and while everyone was still outside. Dont wear dress shoes. I guess another warning would be remember that youre still in a communist country or in a dictatorship there. If it tastes okay, go with it. Some other people reacted similarly to these sort of dining experiences. right click here to download (iTunes version with pictures), Amateur Traveler Cambodia Trip We did an overland tour of Cambodia starting in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, traveling to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang in Cambodia and then ending in Thailand. Chris: Well, even before we get to the city, now youre in a four-lane highway with trucks and a variety of crops instead of just going past rice field, after rice field, after rice field, after rice field. When I had it, it was served in leaves so I ate it that way. Chris: I had been warned so much about that especially in Vietnam that it was actually easier than I was expecting. The horn is always honking. Chris: I dont think theres a lot more to say after that. And then went on to Thailand the next day where most of us did a couple of the days in Thailand. And this is what Dalia had to say about that experience. I think I was the next one who went, Okay, I get the idea.. But when you went to the genocide museum, the Tuol Sleng, I actually felt a very visceral discomfort when I was there. Our partners (airlines, travel providers, and booking agents) who list airfare, tours, and travel packages on Tripadvisor are required to include all fees and surcharges in their listed prices. And it was really fun because you would see them and smile at them and theyd all wave back at you. It was when we had a blowout on the tire. Motorcycle thieves dont discriminate, so if you are dragged off a moto in order to get their reward, you may be put at risk. Its the first time Ive been on an Intrepid trip where we didnt, but we did because of our guide who was involved in this. Constructed using red sandstone and white marble, the fort blends Rajput and Hindu style of architecture and a mixture of Hindu and Muslim style of ornamentation. Really well done episode, I like how everyone got edited in with comments. We sampled amok and fresh mango smoothies but also nibbled (some of us) on tarantulas and rats. Chris: And didnt even know it was open to go in, honestly. How much does it cost to live t Cost of Living in Cambodia? But this is really one way to get a window into the psyche, I think, of the people there. 1,065. And a cyclo is like a bicycle rickshaw where you sit in front, and someone sits behind you on a bicycle. Between the gloves and the socks and the masks and the hats, mean they really fought the sun really hard. Dalia: I was one of the lucky ones that brought some cash with me.
And you hear about babies being killed and women. I think I was a little surprised, Angkor Wat, especially when we came in the first time and we came in kind of the back way and didnt pass all the vendors and such. Brian: Okay. Discover this historic landmark and more through a Fushimi Inari and sake brewery tour tour prices start from $162 per person. Budget at least $40 per day for Cambodia For a cheap, simple backpackers experience, we recommend budgeting at least $40 per day. Rob: Another thing that we really loved and other people may have mentioned this is mangoes were in season, and the mango smoothies were awesome. The landmark clinched the number one spot in Asia as well, with Indias Taj Mahal and Thailands Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) coming in second and third respectively in the region. He put it this way: Roger: I dont think I was ready for how depressing it was. And then we drove up towards Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat. This was a trip done with Intrepid Travel, their Cambodian Traveller tour. Brian: Dont wear nice shoes. Chris: I thought it was good that we saw that one last, too, because it made it stand out more. MEDIUM is the highest risk category. Chris: And then you were right. Visited by over 100,000 people daily for worship, Harmandir Sahib, informally known as Golden Temple, is one of the most revered spiritual sites of Sikhism. Chris: The other thing we should say is we came at the end of the dry season. And at roughly, what, 75 cents, a buck a piece, whatever they were, those were fantastic. Today the Amateur Traveler talks about majestic temples, floating villages, rickshaw tours and eating all sorts of strange things as we talk about the recent Amateur Traveler trip to Cambodia. Dalia: What surprised me, Ive never been to Asia before so a lot of it was eye-opening on many fronts, as I said before. We're delighted that you and your friends had such a positive experience of Cambodia. Two-wheel tractor (Iron Buffalo) He ate crickets and. Erin: Yeah. So that was a big surprise for me. Feeding or giving money to the beggars is not a good idea. When they were eating more of like a mammal like a rat, or a snake, they were chewier and there was more meat, and they said it tasted much better. This years awards recognised 759 landmarks across 67 countries and eight regions across the globe. But I think you were not a tough customer, lets just say that. Furthermore, Tripadvisor LLC makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. But yeah, with no incident and no horns. ' And she turned to me and she said one word, she said, Europe.. It was a little bit stressing. But I laid down in one of those hammocks, and it wasnt particularly beautiful there. And so they wanted to race our son in this running race. It wasnt like it was an easy trip, although I thought it was a good trip. So the parents had all the kids line up and we passed out their little baguette, and they were all so cute. Angkor Wat All of my pictures are online, and there will be a link to those in the show notes. Standing tall at 110 meters atop of a hill, the Shwedagon Pagoda is a majestic, gilded stupa encrusted with thousands of diamonds. The bigger surprise, how courteous people were despite the crazy traffic. It was fun. And she was like, Well, feel my skin. So she rolled up her sleeves, and indeed we touched her skin, its a lot cooler than our skin. It certainly is a fascinating country. We possibly have just completely scared you away from the Amateur Traveler trips, but if we havent, go to AmateurTraveler.com/trips to join the private Facebook community where we, in fact, will be voting soon on where to go next. The 955 decision by Sihanouk to pursue a political career is abdication. Chris: I was sorry I missed that outing because one of the things we try and emphasize on Amateur Traveler is connecting with the cultures, and that that can be sometimes a much more rewarding experience, even then seeing something amazing like and Angkor Wat. I knew that that would be hard. I wasnt going to do that. Rob: And we went and sat by Chanta on the bench, and he told us the story about his grandfather getting killed by the Khmer Rouge. It was upsetting to everybody. Nothing to add to the itinerary, just that backpackers should know you can go to Cambodia by air or land from Thailand, Vietnam, or Laos, and when I went Laos and Vietnam needed special permits, but Cambodia and Thailand were Visa on arrival for USA Passport holders. Dug by hand or simple tools by local fighters during the Vietnam War, the Cu Chi tunnels remain as a reminder of the countrys past. Dalia: That was, I have to say, the first highlight. Its was just like, Oh, huh, rats.. Rob: We played it by ear with him. You came down with heatstroke one day. Welcome to the Amateur Traveler. So it was really, really interesting. Brian: Im interested in history.
Chris: When I got home and I told my wife these stories, she did not feel left out that she had not been there, even though we were having a good time. And also its a country, and I like to see as many countries as possible. Examples include the Federal September 11th Security Fee, international departure and arrival taxes and fees, federal excise tax, and other service, handling and miscellaneous fees and surcharges.
