Having booked a 15 day trek across Cambodia, we knew that we would be doing a lot of hiking in the heat. We wanted to end our visit to Cambodia with a relaxing time on a beach. We did a lot of online research to find a good spot. We’re not really into just sitting on the beach but we did want something beautiful, a place to rest and swim after our hiking adventure.
When we traveled to Cambodia, the main reason was to embark on a 15 day trek that would show us much of the country.
In their online itinerary of Cambodia Cycling offered, as part of their guided trek, the option of a home stay. Staying with a local family really appealed to us as a wonderful way to learn about real life and to meet people.
During our visit to Cambodia, of course we went to Angkor Wat. Our time in Siem Riep and visiting Tonlé Sap, the largest lake in SE Asia, was amazing. We are also learning many fascinating things here.
Cambodia’s religion is mostly Buddhist but with its own strong blend of with Hinduism. Cambodians seem to celebrate everything: Chinese New Year, their own and a few others… Smart. This country needs all the celebrating it can get.
Walking. Perhaps there is no better way to see your surroundings and get to know the locals than when you walk. When we planned our trip to Cambodia, we wanted to see Angkor Wat, Siem Riep, and we wanted to hike.
We came across a website for Cambodia Cycling & Trekking. That appealed to us. The company replied promptly and was very willing to tweak and answer questions. They offered a 15 day trek that included accommodations and luggage transport. The detailed itinerary included things like “Day 3: Siem Reap to Kratie. Breakfast at the hotel, visit Kompong Kdei Bridge, transfer to Santuk Mountain, climb to hilltop pagoda, transfer to Kratie.” What we didn’t realize until we were actually there, is that the ‘transfers’ that day amounted to driving 400 KM. Each day listed the walking distance, ranging from 3 to 17 KM but also included driving to many different regions of the country.
I wrote a book, My School in the Rain Forest, about unusual schools around the world. My favourite was a floating school in Cambodia. But I had never been there in person. Then I included Cambodia in my book Birthdays Around The World, sharing information about birthday traditions that kind Cambodians helped me to gather. But, until now, I still had not visited Cambodia itself.
