Udora couple Lindsay, Jeff Bolingbroke set out to explore the globe in 120 days
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Udora couple Lindsay and Jeff Bolingbroke spent one week exploring the sights of Cambodia. Join our uReport team by submitting your news photo to newsroom@durhamregion.com. Your photo may be selected to appear in our print editions and on our websites, durhamregion.com and northumberlandnews.com. February 16, 2016.
Uxbridge Times Journal
By Durham Newsroom
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia is most well-known for its UNESCO World Heritage Site, Angkor Wat, an ancient temple complex. Although that is initially what drew us to Cambodia, it didn’t take us long to see that the Asian country has much more to offer.
Our journey began in the city of Siem Reap, at the Angkor Heritage Boutique Hotel. The nicest accommodations we have stayed in yet, and for the lowest cost. Cambodia is a great spot for budget travellers and offers a wide range of accommodation styles.
Siem Reap truly comes alive at night. Pub Street is home to some great nightlife and tantalizing restaurants. Just around the corner from Pub Street is the Angkor Night Market, which is a great spot for handcrafted goods and $1 massages. There is also several unique Khmer dining experiences to be found around Siem Reap, such as Tangram Gardens, where your waiter picks you up from your hotel in a tuk tuk and you enjoy an evening dining under a private gazebo amongst a lush tropical garden. The city has something for everyone.
Our day at Angkor Wat was fascinating. As the largest religious site in the world, many people spend days exploring every detail of the 162-hectare complex, however with only one day, we carefully chose which temples to visit. Although Angkor Wat was breathtaking, what we enjoyed even more was the Bayon temple, with its many smiling faces carved into the crumbling stone.
After three days in Siem Reap we travelled to the capital city of Phnom Penh. We stayed at another beautiful hotel, on a backpacker’s budget, and enjoyed lounging by our rooftop pool for a few days.
There are a number of sparkling temples to see in Phnom Penh, but none as lavish as The Grand Palace. We also wandered through the bustling Old Market and the busy streets, taking in the sounds and smells and getting wrapped up in the chaos of it all.
We pondered a long while before making the decision to visit the Cheung Ek Genocide Centre, just outside of Phnom Penh, on our final day in Cambodia. Although it was a heart-wrenching day, we are glad we went and learned about the treacherous history of the country during the rule of Pol Pot and his communist regime, The Khmer Rouge.
At the airport, waiting for our flight out of Cambodia, Jeff and I came to consensus that the most attractive aspect of the country is its people. Their kind nature and generous spirit was infectious and we left the country better people as a result of having spent a week in their presence.
Read about our past adventures at acoupleof20something.com or follow us on Instagram @acoupleof20something
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