Angkor What?

Set aside extra time for the other big sellers, the Bayon and Ta Phrom. The Bayon is impressive with its many faces (either Buddha or King Jayavarman VII - depending on your guide) smiling in all four directions. Ta Phrom is overgrown with spectacular banyan trees - it is a sprawling temple allowing for some serious Indiana Jones-type action.

There are more temples than time may allow, but don't rush either. The beauty is reveling in the lush beauty, studying the remarkable reliefs, and contemplating the wonder of the past.

Quick Tips:

Also take the time to speak to the children that are hawking cold drinks. They will impress you with their language skills and knowledge of the temples - just be sure to give them a little something for their time.

Likewise, get to know other tourists. They will be helpful to give tips on temples they have just seen - what to avoid (scams) and what not to miss. It's a great opportunity to meet some interesting folks, and even share guides/cabs to cut costs.

An obvious (but worth mentioning) safety tip: because of Cambodia's tulmultuous past, active mines still exist around the country, paticularly around the Angor Wat area. It is best to literally stay on the beaten path when visiting.

Best Way To Get Around:

For the faint-hearted, most guest houses and hotels can arrange for a cab and a guided tour. If you prefer getting there on your own steam, bicycle rentals are easily found as well.

The four of us got one room with 4 beds and a private bath - cost was (I think) $7 US per person per night. It is possible to negotiate (longer you stay, the less per night).

Food runs anywhere between $1-6. For $3 I had FABULOUS lemongrass chicken - 3 of us agreed that it was the best meal on the entire trip (even the vegetarian admitted it smelled good.) Also great - the banana lhasi. Part banana, part yogurt, totally delicious - still find myself craving one.

Food and drink tab is kept a composition notebook - simply write down what you want and turn the notebook in. Your tab is tallied at the end of your stay - very convienient - albeit dangerous for those on a budget!

I imagine most guesthouses are the same, but we checked out a few and really liked the atmosphere at Smiley's. Fellow backpackers whom we met down the line shared our feelings. The Ritz it ain't, but no complaints here.

Don't let the appearance of these places intimidate you. It is an opportunity to eat some real food and interact with real Cambodians. While there may be no FDA, most of these places are fine - do what you would normally do: if it sounds suspicious, don't order it. Besides, if you can eat a hotdog from a cart in NY (or any city) you most certainly can handle this.

Upon entering, I was given a little basket with a cotton shirt and pants to change into, but since I was wearing a tank top and shorts the staff told me not to bother. I was then led to a table where a petite woman with cloudy eyes was awaiting me. After greeting her, she placed her hands on my shoulders and worked her way down to get an idea of my body shape and size. She motioned for me to get on the table, placed a white sheet over my body and then proceeded to massage my entire body from over the sheet, from rubbing my scalp to snapping my toes. At one point, she got onto the table (joined by her cat!) and knelt on my back, her tiny knees doing wonders on a back that had been carrying a pack to long. By the end of the hour, both the cat and I were almost asleep.

Although the din of the outside traffic was audible, there was light flute music playing, contributing to an all around relaxing experience. Perhaps not the best massage I've had, but for three dollars, being a philanthropist never felt so decadant.