Phnom Penh, temples and the Royal Palace, boat races,
Go to the Tuol Sleng Museum (the former prison, also known as S21 or Genocide Museum) where they show the documentary the Killing Fields at 10.00. Very sad and depressing to see what happened during the Khmer Rouge regime, but important to remember this kind of horror so it will never be repeated again… out of the 20000 prisoners that were in Tuol Sleng only 7 survived… After the museum, go with a tuktuk to Choeung Ek, better known as the Killing Fields. The ride back on the pothole riddles road will give you at least a bit of a giggle, just some comic relief after seeing the Fields. Good food in Phnom Penh: Friends restaurant for great tapas, it is some sort of hotel school, so the waiting staff are all students, Frizz restaurant on the river (you can also book cooking classes here), Indian restaurant at Kouang Kak Lake all you can eat for $2. Also a bar named The Drunken Frog in that area. Khmer Kitchen good food, and cool ambiance, very relaxed. First Friday of the month fun at Elsewhere, a bar / ‘discotheque’.
Battambang for boat trip to Siem Reap, nice food at Smokin’ Pot. Boat trip across Tonle Sap lake about 6 hours, very nice with several villages on the lake.
Siem Reap, organize a tuktuk driver for the day, to drive you around Angkor Wat (the famous one), Angkor Thom (another complex with Bayon Temple with all the faces and Ta Phrom (with all the trees overgrowing it) and Preah Khan) and other temples in Siem Reap. Go and see Angkor Wat at sunrise as well. Pre Rup for sunset, and see Angkor Wat on the horizon. You can even do a hot air balloon flight in the area. Don’t tell all other tourists, but organize a tuk tuk driver to take you to Beng Mea Lea, about 60 km away (usually cheaper if you say he can take you to a few souvenir shops, with no need to buy anything, they get a commission or a petrol voucher from the shop), not many tourists go here, and you’ll feel even more like Tomb Raider. Banteay Srei on the way as well. At Beng Mealea some (older) locals will love to help you around. For just $1 you have somebody showing you around, making sure you see everything and are able to get around the complex. Because, believe me, you won’t guess that the route through it would send you through windows, over the collapsed roofs, across narrow walls and around again. Land mine museum, apparently still between 5 and 6 million landmines in Cambodia. No worries, not in the tourist areas, but in the border area between Cambodia and Thailand. Very impressive to see, museum was started by somebody who used to lay mines, and later cleared mine areas. He wants tourists to be aware of this problem, and hopefully donate to help get rid of all the mines. Temple Bar for cheap drinks, great food and desserts at The Blue Pumpkin. Khmer Kitchen also great, sweet potato with vegetables.
Kratie, Irriwady dolphins, fresh water dolphins in the Mekong river, boat to Koh Trong in the middle of the river. Good vegetarian restaurant, (veggie burger!), and delicious brownie at Red Sun Falling. Star Guest house.
Mondulkiri, Sen Monorom, beautiful grassy landscapes, very different than other parts of Southeast Asia. PichKiri Guesthouse, very friendly lady. A 2 day motorbike (with driver) jungle trekking, lots of waterfalls, homestay (huge straw house, everything happens in one space, cooking, sleeping, and piggies, doggies, kitties etc walking around in it too, washing outside at a river, beautiful clear night sky, see the Milky Way), organize via Long Vibol Guesthouse
Eat and drink: Kratie: veggie burger, brownie at Red Sun Falling.
Amok, sort of curry, but then thicker and often served in a coconut, very good
