Thailand and Cambodia 2005 Travelogue
Photos - Links - Travel Home

CAMBODIA CONT...No Problems when entering through the airport at Siem Reap. We had arranged our stay in advance at Peace of Angkor GH. They had a driver waiting for us outside the airport. Wow has Siem Reap changed since 2002. There is so much construction going on. Mostly expensive hotels along the airport road route. All the growth is most likely to spoil some of the charm Siem Reap has to offer. The Peace of Angkor was a great place. Upon arrival we met Sopath. He greeted us with a huge smile. He was a sweetheart throughout our stay. We arranged drivers for the sunset that night and tomorrow around the ruins. We had a few hours to spare so we walked to the main town area.

The walk took about 15 minutes. Not so bad. Walked around an covered flea market type area for a while then ate at the Dead Fish Tower restaurant. Good food, under $5US, crocodile pit onsite, good fruit shakes. After lunch we hailed a tuk tuk back to the GH. Our drivers were waiting to take us to sunset. I rode on the back of a motobike and mom and theresa were in a tuk tuk. We arrived at Phnom Bahkeng sp? for the sunset after received our Angkor passes for the next 3 days. $40US may be up to $43 by now. Have a passsport pic ready for faster service. Mom and Theresa were a little put off about the climb to the top of the hill. It wasn't easy or safe but they climbed up to the top like troopers. We walked around the ruins at the top and took some nice photos. Headed back to the GH for the night.

Next day we used the same drivers around the ruins. My driver was a real pain in the arse. He was very pushy about money and what to do the next dew days. He even tried to charge me $20 for 1 day in the local area! I just laughed and told him I knew the prices so don't try to fool me. He came down to $8. I of course stopped using him after that first day. I worked a deal with my moms tuk tuk driver for all 3 of us for the next few days. He was a great driver. So nice and funny. We had a good time with him. He took us anywhere we wanted to go without hassle. Even drove for us at night around town.

We ate intown that night at City Cafe which was pretty good. We sat upstairs overlooking the street below. A great traditional Khmer band was playing downstairs.

Next day was ruins again. A little further out we visited Bantey Srei and Bantey Samre which I really enjoyed. We skipped Beng Mealea as I had already been there and I figured there was enough for mom to see closer by. Spent time at Angkor again today.

We saw a traditional dance show this evening with buffet dinner at Angkor Modial, thought it was pretty good. All kind of dishes, a few soups, desserts, dumplings, curry puffs, satay. I think it cost $12US per person.

More ruins the next day of course hitting Angkor again. Over the past few days we have visited the East Gate of Angkor Thom, Elephant Terrace, Phimeanakas (Royal Palace), Ta Phrom, Bayon, Baphuon, Terrace of the Leper King, Prasats Suor Prat, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, Ta Keo, Banteay Prei, Krol Ko, and a few others I don't remember the names of. We even spent a little time at the Mine Museum. What a great cause. Take the time to read the articles and stories posted around the site. They are very informative. Make sure you buy something before you leave for the cause. Some very beautiful and different styles of scarves, purses, tshirts, trinkets etc... Some victims of landmines live at the museum. You will see them around the place so feel free to strike up conversation with them. They also have dvd's and videos for sale that tell about the crisis of landmines in Cambodia.
Our tuk tuk had a hard time of the road where the landmine museum lies. Lots of deep potholes full of water and mud. It seemed to me that the last time I visited here we came to it from the north. This time we approached from the south and it was way different. We passed through a community a ways back off the main road. The area really seemd to have brothels all around. Kareoke signs all over. Lots of one room walled squares attached to others in a row. All with flimsy doors. Women hanging out in front of the rooms. Some locked with a single padlock from the outside. Lots of people just hanging around. Anyway the Mine Museum is free to enter but remember to give a little cash cause it is a great cause.

We ate intown our last night at Red Piano. I had a traditional Khmer dish with fish which was good and spicy. Prices were around $5us per dish. Our waitress never brought one of our appetizers and tried to charge it on our bill. There was a bit of confusion over it all which was not cool. Probably will not go back because of it. There are plenty of other places in town to eat at. Used the internet downstairs after dinner for a few minutes to catch up. Prices have come down since 2002 for internet use here. That is a good thing. I paid almost $4/hour last time I was here. Now it was about $1.

Chiang Mai - Flew out from Siem Reap the next morning to Bangkok. Had a short layover there then boarded a flight to Chiang Mai. Bangkok Airways is great. They have the coolest little snack area in their waiting areas. One even had Sticky Rice which tasted incredible. Coffee and juice was also provided. The plane stoped for about 15 minutes in Sukhothai then proceded to Chiang Mai. No problems at the airport. We again had prearranged booking at Lai Thai so there was a driver waiting to take us to the hotel. The Lai Thai GH was okay. Clean enough but not spotless. Pretty old and a bit dingy. Cost was about $15US per night for single/double. TV, HW ensuite shower, AC. They have a pool and a restaurant. They also have massage and motobike rental onsite. You can walk to the night bazaar from there which was exactly what we did that night.

Loads of vendors lining the side streets all around the official Night Bazaar bldg. Most of the items I have seen all over Thailand. Some treats were some interesting tapestries which looked Indian or Pakastani. Good eats along the streets such as Roti or Satay. I saw some cool shoes but they seemed a bit pricey for me. The shoes seemed cheaper in Bangkok. T shirts were everywhere. The indoor area of the official Night Bazaar housed more permanent stalls. Antiques, art, clothing, paintings and more, Across the street in the center of the plaza lies a pretty good food area. You purchase coupons from the booth then use them at the food counters. Everything from Indian to Japanese. Squid to pad thai. Fruit shakes and sodas for the quenching. Easy on the pocket as well.

The next morning we were up early for a short day tour outside Chaing Mai and to a few Hill Tribes. First off was the Orchard and Butterfly Farm. Not really me, but I think my Mom and Theresa enjoyed it. Next we went to where they make paper out of Elephant Dung. It was a short stop and to the point when taking us through the short process. A quick look in the gift shop then onward we go. We drove for about an hour toward  Chiang Dao. We stopped along the way to see a small Karen (Padung) tribe.

The Padung wear ring coils around their necks and legs. We heard different explanations for this. One being in case of tiger attack. You see the tigers always go for the neck thus the coils will protect the person wearing it. Another having to do with bad luck and being born on a full moon. If this happens the coils are worn. Not sure which if any are correct. Anyway, the village was very small like only 12 huts or so. A few open walled huts for selling items to the tourists that come through. Most of the Padung are still on the Burmese border near Mae Hong Son. Still fighting with the Burmese armies. These few were refugees. It almost seemed as though they were brought there for the tourism. Never know for sure. I bought a few items and snapped only 3 photos. I really felt weird taking pictures of them. They are beautiful people with old traditions and I felt as if i was intruding in their home.

Next was Chiang Dao cave. I have seen quite a few caves and cave temples around Southeast Asia. This one was ok. Nice fish pond outside and an old stupa on the premises. Inside was lit pretty well. Some statues and a sleeping Buddha are housed inside. There was a low entry fee that helps pay for the electric bill from the lights inside. After visiting we walked around the Wat nearby then across the way for lunch. Our driver was already eating. Our lunch was prepaid with the tour. Turned out to be quite nice. Steamed rice, an excellent simple broth soup with a few greens, vegetable dish and a meat dish. It was all excellent. After eateing I walked over to an older lady who was preparing a local dish near the front of the restaurant. I asked the driver what she was making. He walked over and listed the ingredients which included salted small crabs, dried shrimp, chilies, greens (i forget which ones), she crsuhed it all using a large mortar and pestle. Added some dark colored sauce from a bottle then mixed it all up. I tried a little and WOW was it spicy. I could never see eating a whole mouthfull.

Next we headed up in elevation to visit a Lisu and Hmong village. I really did not enjoy this part. They were trying to sell to us hardcore. Following us everywhere like a mob. We stopped at a final village (I forget the name sorry) which turned out to be great. Theresa found a beautiful hat for her grandchild. When she heard the price she bought two. The village was way laid back and we were never bothered. It was kind of weird just wandering around. A voice spoke from inside one of the houses "hello", Theresa replied "How are you", the young voice called out "I am just Fine Thank You." It was great. We walked around the rest of the village which was fairly large. That was the last stop for the day. The ride back to Chiang Mai was beautiful.

That night we ate at a restaurant near the hotel. It was ok. I had a pizza, not so exciting I know.

The next day we walked all over the Old City area. So many Wats and we saw them all. There were quite a few tourist stalkers around some of them. They love to strike up conversation that leads to driving you somewhere or being your guide. Never a good thing for the most part. The Wats are beautiful and i think a must see when in Chaing Mai. On the way back to the hotel we noticed a huge market begining to set up all up and down the road. The Sunday Market was beginning. We browsed a bit on the way back buying a few items. After dinner we headed back when it was in full swing.

The Sunday Market is great. I saw so many items I hadn't seen elsewhere in Thailand. The prices were excellent as well. There was great food tucked away in the side areas along the main road. Cheap and delicious. It started at the main East Gate to the Old City and ran all down the roan leading inside the gate. Blocked off to traffic there are deals to be had. I saw the biggest cube of Chinese Black Jelly I have ever seen that night. Some intriquite tapestries, traditional instruments, clothing, purses, massages, pillowcases, great hand embroidered shirts, fishermans pants, jewelry, stones, antiques, coins, hill tribe clothing and much more.

Sukhothai - The next day we caught a cheap flight to Sukhothai on Bangkok Airways. $30 per person. The airport is really neat in Sukhothai. Open aired and extremely small. Bangkok airways is the only airline flying in and they also own the airport. It is beautifully decorated and landscaped. Very tropical in feel. We had to pay like $5us to get to the hotel in Sukhothai city. There are no taxis hanging out so unless you have prior arrangements the shuttle is the only option. About 30-40 minute drive to town. We stayed at Pailyn Hotel which was fairly close to the ruins and a little outside of the town center. Nice pool area and 2 restaurants, clean room with great view of the mountains out the window. We booked at the airport in Chiang Mai paying around $35 per night. Not so bad for a triple.

When we arrived they offered us the hotel driver for visiting the ruins. I inquired about a tuktuk and soon found the term samlaw or songthaw is more widely used. We were told 700B for the day. Almost $20 but split between 3 people it wasn't so bad. We said ok for the next morning at 9am.

We ate lunch for 90B in the hotel. It was awesome. Some of the best curry with noodles I have had in a while. Many meat and vegetable dishes along with noodle soups and rice dishes. Very good.

The next day we took off in out songthaw for the suin site. We bought a pass for 150B which allowed us to enter all the sites. This was handy as we didn't have to hop out of the truck at each checkpoint to pay a fee. We just showed them the pass. The ruins here are very different from others that I have visited. The Buddhas here are immense and everywhere. Seemed like every site we visited had a giant Buddha somewhere around. Some were almost towering in size. The grounds in the park area are well maintained with a lake for additional beauty. After we visited the inside area we spent some time at the museum. There were loads of interesting things here and i highly advise it if you enjoy relics and antiques.

Lunch was next just outside the park at a little roadside place. I had a sandwich with chicken which was ok. After lunch we headed for the sites outside the main park area. These were some of my favorites. At one particular site we had to hike up the side of a hill to the top. Again a huge Buddha towered at the top. Nice views from there as well. Another had the largest seated Buddha I have ever seen. You can climb around the side of it, under the arms, there are stairs leading up and around the whole thing. Take a close look at the hand turned palm up. It really shows the scale of it all.

Overall Sukhothai was a nice place to visit for ruin lovers. I felt my mom and Theresa would be comparing everything ruin wise to Angkor now. It is hard not to. Once you have seen Angkor everything else compares. I feel Sukhothai shows a good part of Thailands past and is a nice excursion.

We ate in the hotel restaurant that evening, another buffet then went to use the internet in town. Paid the front desk for a RT to town. While using the internet my mom piped up "look at the elephant outside." Sure enough there was a young elephant being led down the street. Such a cute sight.

Ayuthaya - We took a bus the next day down to Ayuthaya. The ride was pretty good with a stop for lunch. I have to say the best beef noodle soup with a piece of chicken thrown in was a real treat. Roadside food can be the best. The bus dropped us off on the side of the highway outside Ayuthaya. We had to cross the street and wait for a local bus to arrive. The bus assistant helped us all get our luggage on the bus then we headed to town. I wasn't sure where to get off but when we passed the WiangFa hotel I got my bearings. The bus proceded a few blocks away then stopped on a congested wside street. We hailed a tuktuk truck to take us to the hotel and loaded our bags and us into the back of the tuktuk. A few minutes later we pulled up the the hotel. It is a familiar place as I stayed here last year. I inspected their triple room which was small but feasible. I paid for 1 night then we all loaded into the room. We hung in the garden area for a while then walked all over town getting to the Night Market for dinner.

The night market was smaller than I expected. The food was excellent and cheap. We had 1/2 roasted chicked hacked into squares, chicken breaded on a stick, squid grilled, and fried chicken with garlic. It was a great meal and a couple of very well mannered stray dogs got our leftovers. We took the long way back to the hotel, not by choice, then hit the sack early.

The next day we went off with our tuktuk driver from the day before to see the ruins. We paid 700B for the day after talking him down from 1000B. We made stops at most of the places I had been before with a few new ones thrown in. This was my thrid time to Ayuthaya. For lunch our driver took us to a restaurant along the river. The food was good but a bit pricey for what it was. i will say that Ayuthaya lacks a variety of places to eat. Besides the night market or a random outside eating area there are not many choices. While walking toward the river we stumbled across a GH with a new restaurant. We decided to try it, Right on the river it was nice. The food was $3-5US and tastey. The portions were on the small side.

The next day we just walked around Ayuthaya. We headed toward the bus road and went inside the small department store for a while. We went through the markets across the street as well. Had lunch at the pizza company which was ok. For dessert we headed to swensens. I love their ice cream and coffee drinks. Walking back to the hotel I though that this would most likely be my last visit to Ayuthaya.

The Weing Fa hotel is a quaint place. Small rooms with fridge, tv, hw showers and ac. A nice garden area for relaxing as well as seating outside the rooms. Good for watching afternoon rain showers. They serve a small menu for breakfast in the morning. Internet can be had in the office for about $1us per hour. Our triple room was 600B per night. I think the single was 450-500B. Friendly staff and quiet.

We caught a bus to Bangkok at 6:30pm that night. I think it cost 90B for the 1 1/2 hour trip. Not too much to see out the window. Some rice fields it was mostly highway. Closer to Bangkok the scenery changed to more urban. We passed through many suburban areas. Malls with bowling and movies, office depot, swensens and lots of lights. We passed some of the largest billboards I have ever seen. We took the bus to the Chatachuk bus station then got in the taxi mater line. On the way we were quoted 600B by a driver. I laughed and continued toward the legit meter line. Had a little trouble fitting all the bags and the 3 of us into the taxis. We tried 2 until we found a fit. Our driver was a real nutcase like no other. He couldn't drive at all. Came close to impact several times and I usually don't get weirded out by drivers but this was for real. He was talking to himself as well. He was young in age and never looked back or even said hello. Didn't help with the bags either. I was glad when we arrived at the airport.

We were search wanded upon entering then checked the board for our info. We could start getting boarding passes in 2 hours. The time passed quickly. We encountered a real jerk in the line. I had to open my mouth at him. He just looked at me in disbelief that I was saying anything. A real whiner. We got the boarding passes and exited Thailand officially at immigration. The quick stamp out and we were on our way.

Overall it was a great trip. Even though most of involved repeat visits I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Photos - Links - Home

All Pages & Pics © kchee.com 2002-2007