I leave Cambodia feeling sad. I don’t feel sad to leave, but rather I am infused with a profound sadness from what I saw over the past ten days. I have much the same feeling as I did after living in Guatemala: the scars of recent history’s horrors are still bleeding through this country. And how could they not be?

Here are seven elements that will likely strike a tourist to Cambodia:

The intense and persistent begging. From dust-caked children hawking bracelets to wrinkled, stooped grandmothers, to landmine victims who pull the stumps of their bodies along the ground with their one arm, wherever you sit they will find you: on the beach, inside a restaurant, walking around the street, waiting for a bus… Their eyes are haunting, and even when you shake your head four, five, six times, they will stay there, pushing their wares or hands further in front of your plate of food.

Packed Moped in Cambodia

An emotional barrier between tourists and Cambodians that takes real work to surmount. Because of the gaping socioeconomic disparity and of the contrasting histories, there are layers of mistrust between tourists and Cambodians. The tourist, perhaps, thinks that anyone who talks with him is trying to sell something or beg for money and often fears being mistaken for a “sex-pat.” The Cambodian, perhaps, sees the tourist as taking advantage of his country’s resources and services, and cruelly flaunting first world wealth.

Painful visuals. In Phnom Penh, especially, soot and grime coat the surfaces. The colors of the tattered awnings are faded and dull. The air is thick with exhaust and human misery lurks behind every corner. Everywhere in Cambodia, tuk-tuk and moto drivers will chase you, pushing a ride. Many travelers remarked they felt sensory overload. Ultimately, however, it’s far easier to be the rich tourist constantly saying “no” than the tuk-tuk driver who has to fight for his one dollar fare day in and day out, isn’t it.

The whole family on one moped – with four giant bags. One of the most difficult visuals for me to accept was the tiny babies perched on top of speeding mopeds. This is so dangerous, it is unbelievable. My bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh actually hit a moped and didn’t even stop to see if the driver survived. A friend’s bus passed three road accidents, one with a casualty.

Love of Angkor Wat. The temple’s face and name graces the beer, the hotels, the restaurant names, the t-shirts– everything. What a grand history! And yet, how many countries have one defining symbol?

A growing tourist industry. Though not as packed as Thailand by far, Cambodia boasts its growing share of tourists from around the world. The tourist infrastructure in the major locations (Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville) is quite good, boasting numerous economical and quality bus, hotel, and tour options. That said, we still spotted a sewage drain running into the sea we were all swimming in…

The music videos played on long distances buses are – wow. Apparently the hot sexy look for men is a chubby face with long, wispy bangs combed to the side and a mini-mullet of long hair in back. Apparently the plot of every single music video is: Show field of grass; show man walking after beautiful woman in field of grass and watch her reject him; show either: a) man winning woman and embracing in field of grass, or, b) man getting beaten up by woman’s other lover in field of grass, then getting rained on.

And now for some positives! Perhaps you can tell, my experience in Cambodia was excellent but also… intense. On some happy notes, Cambodian smiles positively glow, Cambodian food is mm mm yum, Cambodian entrepreneurial spirit evident in the street is energizing, and Cambodia has come so, so, so far in re-building after the horror it lived through. It’s an ever-evolving country, and it will be fascinating to see what the next few years will bring.

Lillie taught for six years in the Boston Public School System. Now she’s traveling the world. You can follow all of her travels on her Around the World blog.

At 4:30 a.m., my cell phone alarm exploded me awake in my ridiculous supply attic room.

Was a torrential lightning storm going to foil my plans like yesterday morning? There are no windows in my supply attic room, so I padlocked the door and barefooted down to the second floor to peer out the grated balcony. Clear! Dark! This meant ten minutes to throw on clothes and meet Sopheak at his tuk-tuk downstairs. Woo hoo!

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

We hit the road fast, joining a parade of tuk-tuks, bicycles, minibuses, and maxi-buses, all headed for the same glorious destination: Angkor Wat, the biggest temple in the world, at sunrise.

Twenty minutes later, we squealed into the packed, muddy parking area as the first glimmers of sun wavered though. “Run that way!” Sopheak urged in his soft, sweet voice, pointing to the beautiful line of humanity streaming through the gate. “I meet you at the big tree there in two hours!”

Through the giant stone gates I ran, clutching my camera, and easing past Japanese tourists of all ages. A massive stone walkway rolled out beyond the gates, and at the end, the most delicious peaks of architecture pointed up to the dawn sky: Angkor Wat! It’s you! Hello! You’re gorgeous!!

At first, I got confused and ran right in the looming temple itself, but soon realized that the inside the pitch black masterpiece was a dumb location to watch the sunrise. Out again I sprinted and made straight for the hundreds of enraptured people clustered by the side of the lily-pad kissed lake.

For the next hour and a half, we were awe-struck paparazzi. Each inch more of sun brought fresh gasps of delight and sparkles of flashbulbs. “Ooh yes, that angle there,” you could almost hear the Japanese grandfather cooing as he adjusted his giant tripod. “Stunning, honey, stunning– now just a little more in the light so I can see that graceful curve…” Everyone passed around their cameras to everyone else to take different permutations with and by strangers. Everyone became less strangers and more family, united in the cause of timeless, centuries-old wonder.

Cambodian children and adults milled around the crowd, selling coffee, water and books. I snapped a photo of a man wearing an Angkor Beer shirt in front of Angkor Wat itself and chuckled. Indeed, one can see from the fact that Cambodians name and shape everything from their beer to their border gate like Angkor Wat that the temple is the absolute pride and joy of their country. The Lonely Plant Guide emphasizes that it was to this heavenly, distant past, that Cambodians clung when Pol Pot was massacring their countrymen and women.

After the sun was fully glowing above the temple, we all began to flow inside. One can basically climb over and up nearly any part of Cambodian temples and often I would look up in shock to find a tourist way out on an overhang.

The inside of Angkor Wat is breathtaking, boasting ornate carvings on every surface, painstaking sculpture work, and columns, halls, stairs, and turrets to make Cinderella drool.

And yet– that wasn’t even the end. From 7:30 a.m. until one in the afternoon, Sopheak took me and my English lady friends to about fourteen other temples in the “small circuit” of the hundred temple complex. Tomorrow we go back for the “Big Circuit”, and the day after to the far-off sections. WOW.

Truly, Angkor Wat deserves its title as the Eighth Wonder of the World!

Lillie taught for six years in the Boston Public School System. Now she’s traveling the world. You can follow all of her travels on her Around the World blog.

I took my summer vacation early this year – I just couldn’t wait to take advantage of the amazing prices. This travel guide was compiled after I spent a whirlwind week in Vietnam and Cambodia.  The visit to provincial Hanoi, then some time in the strikingly more modern city of Ho Chi Minh and finishing off with a final stop to relax and explore in Siem Reap was the perfect combination.

Here are some quick tips if you are planning to visit either country…..

Getting Around

Don't Expect to Hear This Guy on the Radio

• Walking can be a bit intimidating with all of the motorbikes. If you wait for a break in the action you’ll be on the corner for hours.  Step off and walk briskly across the street, the drivers will navigate their way around you
• In Siem Reap you’ll be using Tuks.  For less than $10 per day you can have a driver who will wait for you at every destination.

Currency

• U.S. dollars worked just as well and in many cases were preferred by vendors. If you go to your bank before your trip or once you get to these countries, ask for new bills as crisp currency is preferred.
• If you need to change a travelers check at a bank, be prepared to stand in a long line.  The systems are still very paper-based so each transaction is lengthy – it’s actually pretty fascinating to observe.

Shopping

• Try all clothing on before purchasing. The fits are very different from our Western sizes
• The Night Market in Siem Reap was too touristy for my taste. It houses a movie theater and an “Island Bar,” with many vendors selling tourist souvenirs rather than local goods. A better bet for an authentic experience is The Old Market. The vendors here are more open to negotiations, so you can usually get a better price and this area is home to the old colonial buildings for a better atmosphere.
• The negotiations, especially in Cambodia, were a lot of fun and it’s easy to arrive at a price that makes both parties happy

Don’t forget to schedule some time for some spa treatments.  If you’re feeling adventurous, go for a Thai massage.  At 20% or less compared to the cost of services in the US, why wouldn’t you?

Kristen Celko

VP of Marketing and E-Commerce

Hanoi Traffic Photo Credit: wakxy on Flickr