note: pardon me if the grammar messed up (^^)v
at 3-3.30pm we departed from ho chi minh, and arrive in phnom penh at 10 pm. we're then taken by minivan to other bus agent (i think) and get on sleeper bus. it's my first time to ride sleeper bus and it's quite awesome. in order to keep the bus clean, we're told to take off our footwear and given a plastic bag to keep the footwear. the seats (or beds) are spacious enough for us (for Asian like me), and there are blankets too. i'm bringing my neck pillow, so it's more comfortable, i got enough sleep.
bus departed from pnom penh at 11pm, and thanks God we arrive at siem reap faster than scheduled. it's 5.30-6.00am and the sun does not rise yet!!
i'm really happy because it was actually what i wish to happen: depart from ho chi minh at noon/afternoon and arrive at siem reap before sunrise. btw/fyi, siem reap & jakarta have a same time (GMT+7)
at 3-3.30pm we departed from ho chi minh, and arrive in phnom penh at 10 pm. we're then taken by minivan to other bus agent (i think) and get on sleeper bus. it's my first time to ride sleeper bus and it's quite awesome. in order to keep the bus clean, we're told to take off our footwear and given a plastic bag to keep the footwear. the seats (or beds) are spacious enough for us (for Asian like me), and there are blankets too. i'm bringing my neck pillow, so it's more comfortable, i got enough sleep.
sleeper bus
our beds at below equally to the bus floor
bus departed from pnom penh at 11pm, and thanks God we arrive at siem reap faster than scheduled. it's 5.30-6.00am and the sun does not rise yet!!
i'm really happy because it was actually what i wish to happen: depart from ho chi minh at noon/afternoon and arrive at siem reap before sunrise. btw/fyi, siem reap & jakarta have a same time (GMT+7)
we are in hurry (in order to see sunrise) to get tuktuk for our transport to angkor archaeological park (angkor complex), and actually we rent tuktuk for a day until 9pm, don't forget to bargain with tuktuk driver. ;)
for a day tour to angkor complex, from 6am to 3 pm, the price for tuktuk is $20. we rent the tuktuk to accompany us to everywhere in siem reap until 9pm, and the driver asked $30, but we agreed at $27. it's quite cheap because we share cost with 4 people (though the seat enough for 6 people, we have 4 big backpacks). we don't have to bring backpacks while walking around angkor complex, our backpacks are safe with tuktuk driver.
our first stop of course angkor wat, to see sunrise. before we're go to explore angkor wat, tuktuk driver (i forgot his name) ask when we'll be finished exploring angkor wat. he's waiting outside the temple (at parking lot), so it will be easier to make a pact if he know the time. we'll ride tuktuk from one temple to another temple. we asked back at him, how long usually people exploring angkor wat, and he said about 2-3 hours. I surprised, though i know it's a big temple, i didn't expect to spend 2 hours or more in one temple. but we actually did spend 2 hours, and i think we're not really explore every corner of the temple. now i understand why there are tickets available for one day visit, three days visit/one week, and seven days visit/one month.
sunrise angkor wat at 7am
get a good-luck-bracelet prayed by monk
where am i? what i'm doing here?
we meet again with gama, shanty, vita. it's a fate :D
we're give up at noon as we're tired, 1-2 temple(s) after angkor wat, and go directly to ta prohm, where tomb raider was filmed. ta prohm have characteristic that a big tree growing within/above the temple, it's a bit spooky if you walk alone.
before entering ta prohm, let's eat lunch first. we use US dolar as currency, and cambodia riel if the transaction below $1.
we finish our angkor trip and go to guesthouse we already booked. we stop by at bus agent named nattakan to book 4 seats from siem reap to bangkok for tomorrow. the tuktuk driver say that we can't book nattakan bus for tomorrow (already full) and offer another bus to us, but we already knew this may happen. we've been searched/read about this: don't trust locals and get the information yourself at nattakan bus agent. fortunately he didn't force his opinion, and still drive us to nattakan bus agent.
nattakan bus is an official bus managed by 2 governments (thailand & cambodia), this bus allowed to cross border meanwhile the other buses are not. we don't want be bothered bringing our big backpacks while lined up at immigration office and/or while walk across border, so we choose nattakan bus. the other options are bus, taxi, or rent a car from siem reap to poi pet (cambodia border), walk across border to aranyaprathet (thailand border), then take a bus or train to bangkok. those options maybe cheaper and may have flexible time, because we pay $28/person for nattakan bus which depart from siem reap only in the morning (8am & 9am).
we arrive at guesthouse around 2.30pm, and tell tuktuk driver to pick-up us again at 4.30pm, while we don't really know where to go next. the driver suggest to go to floating village to see sunset, but there is entrance ticket ($20) and i once read that we'll have to buy something that the villager sell, in order to help the village development (more/less), the problem is the prices are expensive.
inside guesthouse, we ask gama, shanty, vita, but they also didn't know tourist attractions except angkor and night market. hahaha
tuktuk coming on time at guesthouse, and the driver suggest another place to visit. after short discussion, we agreed to go to cambodian cultural village.
cambodian cultural village have an entrance ticket $15, we're planning to visit until it closed. there are wax museum which show cambodian culture, miniature house/palace, and shows at certain hours shown in certain places.
the shows are great, especially the last show at big theater, finished 8pm. we still have one destination: night market. we bargain with tuktuk driver again to extend (accompany us) until 10pm, and offer to pay $32, he agreed. you may wondering why we offer to pay $5 for 1 hour without asking first the driver's opinion about his price. the answer as simple as it easier to divide $32 ($8/person). *i wonder myself actually
before entering ta prohm, let's eat lunch first. we use US dolar as currency, and cambodia riel if the transaction below $1.
tree vs temple
can you find buddha face?
let's walk together
we finish our angkor trip and go to guesthouse we already booked. we stop by at bus agent named nattakan to book 4 seats from siem reap to bangkok for tomorrow. the tuktuk driver say that we can't book nattakan bus for tomorrow (already full) and offer another bus to us, but we already knew this may happen. we've been searched/read about this: don't trust locals and get the information yourself at nattakan bus agent. fortunately he didn't force his opinion, and still drive us to nattakan bus agent.
nattakan bus is an official bus managed by 2 governments (thailand & cambodia), this bus allowed to cross border meanwhile the other buses are not. we don't want be bothered bringing our big backpacks while lined up at immigration office and/or while walk across border, so we choose nattakan bus. the other options are bus, taxi, or rent a car from siem reap to poi pet (cambodia border), walk across border to aranyaprathet (thailand border), then take a bus or train to bangkok. those options maybe cheaper and may have flexible time, because we pay $28/person for nattakan bus which depart from siem reap only in the morning (8am & 9am).
we arrive at guesthouse around 2.30pm, and tell tuktuk driver to pick-up us again at 4.30pm, while we don't really know where to go next. the driver suggest to go to floating village to see sunset, but there is entrance ticket ($20) and i once read that we'll have to buy something that the villager sell, in order to help the village development (more/less), the problem is the prices are expensive.
inside guesthouse, we ask gama, shanty, vita, but they also didn't know tourist attractions except angkor and night market. hahaha
tuktuk coming on time at guesthouse, and the driver suggest another place to visit. after short discussion, we agreed to go to cambodian cultural village.
cambodian cultural village have an entrance ticket $15, we're planning to visit until it closed. there are wax museum which show cambodian culture, miniature house/palace, and shows at certain hours shown in certain places.
at wax museum
miniature
"choosing fiance" at kroeng village
drumming show at new theater
the greatest King Jayavarman 7, Kingdom of Wonder
shown at big theater
buy something as souvenir at siem reap night market
dinner at muslim restaurant close to our guesthouse (it's 11pm!!)
the dinner including farewell because gama-shanty-vita will depart to bangkok with bus 8 am, while our bus at 9 am. and we'll stay in bangkok until going home, while they have a flight to chiang rai.
goodbye gama, shanty, vita! it's great to have new friends. maybe we'll travel together again later.
No comments:
Post a Comment