Siem Reap, Cambodia

 

Bou Savy Guesthouse has a lot to offer weary travelers. It has a great location - just down the street from National Road 6, but in a garden setting. It has a restaurant with good servers and food. It also has great, cheap, clean rooms, with satellite TV and freshly changed linens. The staff speak passable English, with a few who are very skilled.

 

When I first arrived at Bou Savy, they greeted me kindly and then told me they had overbooked and sent me off to another guesthouse down the road. Although I didn't appreciate the oversight after hours of traveling, at least they had made arrangements for my stay. I returned to Bou Savy a few nights later and was very happy that I hung in there. My $5 room was large and sparkling clean. There was a large shower area, a comfy, large bed waiting for me. The TV also had a lot of satellite English channels (a welcome sight for me because I live in Japan). In the morning, breakfast was included in the rate. Breakfast included coffee or tea, toast with butter and jelly, fresh fruit (pineapple and bananas) and an egg dish, which were all delicious. Bou Savy even has a small collection of magazines and books on offer.

The guesthouse also offered to arrange plane and bus tickets. They were able to get me a bus ticket to Bangkok for $12. In total, my bill for 5 nights (including breakfast) and my ticket to Bangkok ran about $40. That kind of value is hard to find anywhere in the world.

If you're looking for a budget guesthouse with great staff, a cozy environment and many amenities (excluding hot water, unfortunately) then book a reservation at Bou Savy through hostelworld.com. Just don't forget to leave a large tip for the hard-working staff!

Maybe there aren't that many people who would fly to Cambodia only to dine on Mexican food. I'm one of them. Why? Because I live in Japan, where Mexican food is practically unheard of and my cravings all go unanswered. I was so happy to find this place and even happier to find that the food was excellent and reasonably priced!

Viva has a friendly interior with an extensive patio portion looking towards the bazaar. The waiters and waitresses are very competent and friendly. There are many vegetarian selections including quesadillas, enchiladas and others. Viva has all the Mexican staples, from chips and salsa to tacos, soups, Mexican rice, and enchiladas. The only thing that seemed to be lacking was sopapillas or deep-fried ice cream (although standard ice cream was on offer).

In addition to the extensive food menu, Viva also serves bucket margaritas. Delish! The service is quick and the food is wonderful. The proportions are not too large and not too small. There are also a few newspapers and magazines in English for single travelers to peruse. It is located near the central market. From most hostels and hotels, it is possible to walk here. If you're starved for Mexican then Viva is the place to be!

The Singing Tree Cafe and Community Center is located in a leafy garden area across the river from the main market area of Siem Reap. The Community Center was founded by an Australian who wished to help the local street kids of Siem Reap. Now it's possible to grab a bite to eat at their garden cafe or watch a movie in the second floor of the house.

At the cafe, there are mostly vegetarian offers, including sandwiches, bakery items and smoothies. The food is decent; the portions are somewhat small but at least the center assures you that the waitstaff are making a good wage. The garden atmosphere is very relaxing and is in its own, enclosed space - unlike most restaurants whose patios spill onto the busy streets. After a tiring morning of visiting the sights, this is a great place to relax, away from the bustle of traffic.

The Singing Tree also gives you the option to watch movies in a breezy room on the 2nd floor of the main building. There is a very large selection of DVDs and each movie costs $2. They set up the large-screen TV for you and you can have a seat on one of the many yoga cushions. I recommend watching a movie relevant to Cambodia's history, such as the sad documentary 'S-21' about the Tueol Slang prison and Killing Fields. It's a great way to give money to charity and see an English-language movie with your friends.

The Singing Tree also offers various classes and other services, such as a weekly yoga class. Inquire at the center for more details. There is also a small gift shop selling items for charities and NGOs. So if you're tired of the bustle of downtown Siem Reap and would like to relax in a comforting setting then head over to the Singing Tree.

Cambodia is quite famous for its silk and you can have a chance to see the whole process at the silk farm located about 30 minutes west of Siem Reap. It is a farm and vocational school for Cambodians. Artisans D'Angkor is a state-run organization that promotes fair trade and sustainable development for the Cambodian people. By training workers for skilled professions, these people are able to provide for their families and promote their own culture through art.

The ride there is bumpy and dusty so bring a scarf to cover your face. Most tuk-tuk drivers know the way to the farm; there are also signs along the way.

On arrival, you have the option of taking a free tour around the farm. They will show you the whole process of weaving, from growing mulberry trees, the worm process, spinning, dyeing, and weaving. This small tour is great for children; they'll love seeing the worms and then meeting the people who spend their hours weaving the fine thread. Photos are allowed, and a tip for the guide at the end of the tour is appreciated.

At the end of the tour you will have the option of looking over all the completed silk pieces at the gift shop. The weavings certainly don't come cheap but you will understand why after taking the tour (1 meter can take over a day)! They have a fine selection of pillowcases, bags, scarves, placemats, cloth and some clothes. All prices are fixed. Buying here is reassuring to know that your money will go towards the employees there and not a sweatshop owner. The prices are reasonable for breaktaking works from skilled workers.

If you have some interest in crafts then the silk farm is definitely worth a trip! You can visit the website of Artisans D'Angkor and find out more about them at http://www.artisansdangkor.com/index.php?menu=1

Cheap souvenirs are readily available throughout Cambodia, but where is your money going? Are you inadvertently supporting a sweatshop or just making the very rich even richer? If you want to know where your money is going and who it is benefiting then there are non-profit shops that have great things available at a decent price.

I highly recommend going to Made In Cambodia, which is a branch of Rehab Craft. Rehab Craft is non-profit, non-religious, and non-governmental. It is a project of the New Zealand's Overseas Development Assistance Program. They pay their employees a fair wage and give medical and other benefits. They also have training and literacy. The items are made by disabled Cambodians, who were usually harmed landmines or polio.

Made In Cambodia sells silks, decorative items, some bath items and some kitchen items (like tea or spices). They also have souvenir T-shirts, wooden craft items, and some other products. It is not a large store but the products are of great quality and reasonably priced. It is located near the central market, in the area lined with shops for tourists. Previously, Made in Cambodia went by the name of Rehab Craft and you may find this name on old guides. If you are interested in shopping with a conscience and benefiting disabled Cambodians then please check this store out!

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a sobering reminder from the not-so-distant past of what can go incredibly wrong. Tuol Sleng used to be a high school but was transformed into a place of torture and death during the terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge. Thousands of people were brought here to be interrogated (tortured) by Khmer Rouge. Most were later taken to the nearby killing fields to put be put to death.

You will probably cry here. You'll probably get very upset and angry. To think that a high school is the setting for such evil is almost mind-destroying. You can still see some of the torture devices and traces of blood. There are photographs of the people taken here by the Khmer Rouge set up in the school rooms. You'll learn that many of the people who were tortured and killed were just children, or wives of men suspected of causing trouble for the regime. Also, many of the guards and torturers were just children themselves. It's disarming to gaze into the straight, blank faces of those who would be tortured and killed for no reason. But I believe this experience is necessary so that we won't make these mistakes again and so we can work towards a better, peaceful future.

The museum is supposed to be closed during lunch but when I was inside during the lunch period I wasn't asked to leave. So be sure to buy your ticket in the morning or afternoon. There's a lot to explore inside the school so give yourself over an hour. Photographs are allowed but they ask you to keep your voices to a minimum.

The exhibits are labeled well in English. Still, if you can read about the background of this depressing period then I highly recommend it. The museum also offers a documentary video but it is not shown often (ask at the front desk for the specific times). They also offer you the choice of a paid guide but I felt it was best to experience this sad place on my own. Just be prepared to be overwhelmed with emotion.

Those with children, you should be warned that there are graphic depictions of torture and death. If you choose to take your child or children there, make sure they are well-prepared for the sights they will encounter.

So, you want to try out authentic Khmer food without paying a $15 price tag? It's easy - just venture off the normal tourist path and have a seat with the locals.

It's easy to find a place to eat with the locals when you walk around town a bit. The best restaurants will be crowded with people. There are many kinds of food on offer near the bazaar. First, pick the dishes you want (since you don't speak Khmer then just point, they'll understand). There is always rice, some fish soups and meat dishes. I recommend picking the fullest pot because it won't have been sitting out long. Then, take your food and take a seat at a large table, elbow to elbow with Cambodians. There are spoons, forks, and sometimes chopsticks in the middle of the table.

Next, try and eat all of your food without making too many faces. Since they probably won't speak enough English for you to ask the ingredients, try to prepare your taste buds for some new, unique tastes. Vegetarians, the only thing that is definitely meat-free is the rice, unfortunately.

When you're all done you can pay (or you may want to pay beforehand in order to avoid any confusion). For rice and another dish it will probably cost less than 1,500 riel (40 cents). What a deal! The staff with clear your dishes.

For light breakfast, there's some bakeries scattered around the city. There's often a large bin of fresh baguettes (delicious!) and different treats available - a legacy of the French. This food is also cheap, as a danish may cost 1,000 riel and a baguette around 500. So go out there and find the authentic places and dig in!