5 brutiful days in Siem Reap, Cambodia
I left Hong Kong to spend 5 days in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was wonderful and chaotic and beautiful and uncomfortable and just a little bit heart-breaking. I also realized that while living in Hong Kong is different and challenging, it has become my new ‘normal.’ It took me more than a minute, upon arriving at my homestay in Siem Reap, to remember that I can do hard, scary and uncomfortable things.
The Urban Farmhouse
I had booked a homestay with a local family. It was called the Urban Farmhouse and it was advertised as a ‘rustic guesthouse on the edges of Siem Reap.’ The pictures were delightful and it was incredibly affordable (meaning super, super cheap). Plus I liked the idea of supporting a local family.
A lot of people say that they like rustic places but what they mean is they like the rustic ‘look.’ And the guesthouse did look rustic. BUT it was also rustic in terms of a lizard lived in my room and roosters cockled and doodled outside my bedroom window for hours every morning. One morning, two frogs joined me for breakfast. Another morning, a very large beetle fell out of the tap while I was brushing my teeth. And one night, there was a little mouse scampering around the kitchen. I am not sure who was more terrified, my sweet ‘housemate’ from Japan or the tiny mouse. But my bed was big and comfortable, the hosts were kind and there was a gorgeous outdoor area so overall, I didn’t mind the critters.
Honestly, the most challenging thing was the location. In some parts of the world, there are areas that don’t really have addresses and are hard to find. This was true for the Urban Farmhouse. And it was far enough on the edges that walking anywhere was not an option. The first night, after half an hour of feeling completely overwhelmed, I figured out that tuk tuks were very cheap and would be my mode of transportation for the 5 days.
However, almost every night, the tuk tuk driver would turn to me and say ‘which way’ or ‘turn here?’ In the dark I could never tell and I would say ‘somtos’ – that means sorry – and hope for the best. You see, the streets were not really streets that showed up on google maps so every night I would be a little scared that they would kick me out and I would wander in the dark for hours. It was a silly fear as the Cambodian people are very, very kind and no one kicked me out. A few of the drivers did seem annoyed but they always persevered until we found the farmhouse.
After 5 days in Siem Reap, I can say that Cambodia is incredibly beautiful but also there is so much disparity between most local people and the tourists. Some places in the world are ‘brutiful’ – Cambodia is one of them. They make your heart overflow with awe & wonder and at the same time, your chest tightens with a painful ache. It is one of those places that make me question my travels and intentions, and the effects of tourism, in general. However, the Cambodian people have an incredible spirit and resilience. They are truly welcoming and I loved learning about their history, especially the ways in which they are overcoming it.
APOPO
My primary reason for visiting Siem Reap was to explore Angkor Wat but in fact, my visit to APOPO might have been the highlight of my trip. Land mines were first laid in Cambodia by the North Vietnamese army throughout the Vietnam War. Then Cambodia had a brutal civil war and the Khmer Rouge placed millions of land mines in rural Cambodia, as well as surrounding most of its historical temples. Additionally during the ousting of the Khmer Rouge, both ‘sides’ used more mines, especially in northern Cambodia.
Today the devastating effect on the people, especially in rural areas, are still being felt. For years, much of the country was not farmable, leading to extreme poverty, although families still tried. Consequently, Cambodia has one of the highest rates of amputees in the world. Sadly, there are still 4 to 6 million undetected mines or unexploded devices. However, there has been significant progress and 90% of the land is now cleared. This is due to the Cambodian government, local volunteers and incredible organizations, such as CMAC, Halo Trust and APOPO.
APOPO trains African giant pouched rats to use their powerful sense of smell to detect landmines in the countryside. The HeroRATS, as they are called, are only 1 to 1.5 kg so they do not set off the mines. They are both intelligent and easy to train (and surprisingly cute). Their training begins in Tanzania for 9 months, before travelling ‘first class’ to Cambodia. A HeroRAT can search an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes – a human deminer with a metal detector can take up to 4 days. They are fast, effective and work with their handlers up to 5 hours a day, despite being nocturnal animals.
The HeroRATS also completely changed my views on rodents in general. APOPO has a wonderful visitor center which teaches, not only about the work being done in Cambodia, but also other areas of the world. The staff at the visitor center, as well as the guides, were so passionate and informative. It was educational, interesting and a definite highlight of my 5 days in Siem Reap. And a fun little side note was that one of the HeroRATS working at the center as a ‘demonstrator’ was named Jordan. Of course I had to get some pictures with my daughter’s ‘sister rat.” 😉
Museums
Other highlights of my 5 days in Siem Reap included the Angkor National Museum. I love museums, but especially when they are designed to take you on a historical trip. I am really glad that I went my first day there, as it helped me enjoy my visit to the temples more, loaded with all my new knowledge. It also guided me to another museum, the Killing Fields Genocide Museum. The Killing Fields is located within a monastery and managed by local monks. It was not an uplifting morning but I am glad that I visited. It filled me with both a deep sadness, and much respect for the Khmer people. During the reign of the Khmer Rouge, 1975-1979, over 25% of the population was killed. The country is still recovering. Tourism both helps and hinders, I think.
Phnom Kulen and Tonle Sap
I also did a group day tour, which I normally avoid as I usually prefer exploring at my own pace. However, I very much wanted to visit the Phnom Kulen National Park, about 30 kilometers from Angkor Wat. Phnom Kulen is considered to be a holy mountain in Cambodia. It has special religious significance to both Hindus and Buddhists. And in the National Park is Preah Ang Thom, a 16th-century Buddhist monastery with the country’s largest reclining Buddha. I loved the view from the top of Phnom Kulen and I really enjoyed our picnic at the waterfall. I especially loved my quick dip in the waterfall pool. However, I found Preah Ang Thom really ‘commercialized’ and the tour in general was very “look, take a photo, and on to the next photo op.” Honestly, we were so rushed and stopped at a few places that I barely remember.
The tour also included a boat ride through the famous ‘floating villages’ of Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. It is on all the ‘must see’ lists. Sadly, the lake and its surrounding ecosystems are under increasing pressure from infrastructure development and climate change. I did enjoy seeing the ingenuity of the stilt houses and learning about how local lives shift according to the lake levels and seasons.
However, our guide also took us on a ‘walking tour’ through the actual village and I really hated that part. I try my best to avoid tourist activities that feel exploitative of the local people and this part of the tour felt extremely invasive. I was also appalled at how many people in the group took pictures of children and the insides of peoples’ homes without asking permission. If I sound judgmental, I guess I am, but I am also judging myself harshly for not doing better research about this tour. Something to think about when travelling is to question if the locals are actively participating in, and benefitting from, an educational and cultural exchange. Often they are simply being exploited by a tour company. (Stepping off my soap box now.)
Local food & culture
I also absolutely loved the food and the local Apsara dancers. Luckily, I stumbled upon a Apsara show my first night. In Cambodian culture, the Apsara dance symbolizes spirituality, femininity, and the bond between humanity and the Divine. It was really beautiful and interesting. And of course, visiting the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park was a dream. I will do another blog post about the temples as the archaeological park is so much more than just Angkor Wat.
The link to APOPO is below. I highly recommend checking out their website, even if you have no plans to visit Cambodia. If you are a ‘historical buff’ or ‘ruins nerd’ then you would definitely love Siem Reap. My 5 days there will forever be seared into my memory for so many reasons. Please feel free to comment, ask questions or simply share, if you like. And stay tuned for my next post about some really cool temples and more random thoughts on tourism.
My girl, another amazing adventure shared with your ability to not only see the scenery and places, however, to go into descriptive detail of your experience of your travel by supporting and communicating with the local people. This truly creates the love of traveling and the feelings that we experience while respecting the human beings and critters in the world.
Thanks – the more I travel the more I think I need to change how I travel. I am still learning how to best respect the places I visit.
I know you and I know you respect the places and people with the info you have — you are adaptable as you learn and travel.
It’s a learning process but I always think of the quote “once you know better, do better”
Hi well can’t see what I wrote so will try to recap! First:love the pics can zen in 2. How you state thoughts and feeling all giving me insights. My comments were on the place you stayed. The chickens and roosters reminded me of homeceere those roosters were up and made sure entire area also got up. Although not our windows they would come into porch and one had to be sure they had shoes on lol. How cute Frogs but they are a spirit animal a very good sign. Nix the bug and mouse. Shower looked amazing hope nothing bugged you in there haha. Much love
Yes Frog means Cleansing.
The roosters at your place – I remember the stories –
Oh I didn’t know that about frogs… they came and ate with me twice 🙂 And the shower did have hot water but also that is where the lizard hung out sometimes… Travelling on a budget and staying in homestays has definitely shifted my zone of comfort to be much larger than it used to be.