16th May 2015

After a decadent late start at 7:15 am, quite the departure from the usual early mornings, we found ourselves among the first at breakfast. The workers of Vietnam, already out in the fields, would no doubt be astounded by such leisurely Western habits!

Once breakfast was done, our main task for the day was to pack for our afternoon flight to Siem Reap. With that sorted, we headed back to the beach, this time walking in the opposite direction from our earlier stroll. After half an hour of wading in the surf, we reached a group of small, basket-style fishing boats. These were similar to Irish coracles, though larger and more stable, as they were designed for sea fishing, not lake use.

We spent some time watching a lone fisherman, who was busy repairing a netted structure. It seemed to have housed a rather feisty creature at some point; whatever it was, it had clearly left its mark on the nets!

Retracing our steps back to the hotel, we braved the now toe-burning sand and decided to stop at a beachside bar for a while. I indulged in one of my favourite pastimes, watching the world go by while sipping a cold drink. At just 35p for a large cold bottle of beer, we couldn’t resist staying for a second round. Sue, on the other hand, ordered fresh lemon juice, which came with a rather authentic touch: a surprising number of seeds shot up her straw!

Feeling suitably refreshed, we headed back to our room to check out. The receptionist kindly took care of our luggage while we crossed the road for lunch. The friendly lady owner once again sat with us, and we chatted until it was time to head back and prepare for our transfer to Da Nang Airport.

Our taxi arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and we were soon off. Check-in was a breeze, taking less than five minutes. Although we had a brief wait for the International Departures gate to open, we passed the time chatting with Ron and Jenny, whom we’d spotted earlier.

Our flight departed on time, and we found ourselves on a half-filled small turboprop aircraft, reminding us of a similar experience in Nairobi. This time, though, the plane actually took off! The flight lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes. During the approach to the airport, we could clearly see the patterns of bomb craters, left by the Americans, now filled with water. Some craters were enormous, and it was a stark reminder of the past. I couldn’t help but think back to the time when Nixon claimed, “We are not bombing Cambodia.” Clearly, that was a lie.

Upon arrival, we were still required to fill out immigration forms and provide our thumbprints, despite having already paid for our E-visa. However, our luggage came out first, and our driver was right there to greet us at Arrival.

The 15-minute ride to the Angkor Paradise Hotel was less chaotic than in Vietnam, with fewer honks and swerves, which made us think that the Cambodians might be a little more law-abiding behind the wheel.

At the hotel, check-in was quick, and we found ourselves on the top floor of a large room decorated in traditional Cambodian style, with a balcony that offered a beautiful view of the pool and gardens. After stashing our documents in the safe, we went back to the Reception and Concierge Desk to discuss our plans for visiting the Temples. We’d already noticed that it was warmer here than in Vietnam, so we decided to book a car and guide for the day, starting at 8 am the next morning. Although most people get around the temples by tuk-tuk, we felt that, at our age, the comfort of air-conditioning in a car would be a better option!

After sorting out our plans for tomorrow, we took the opportunity to ask the receptionist for some recommendations on things to do the following day. We then headed back to the hotel for dinner, which turned out to be excellent. One highlight was the local beer, Angkor, which was a refreshing change from the rather tasteless Vietnamese options I’d had before. Angkor had real flavour, which made for a pleasant surprise.

After dinner, we decided to take a little stroll down the street outside the hotel to get a feel for the area and explore what was around. It quickly became apparent that Cambodia is quite poor, and it was clear that most Europeans tend to stay confined to the comfort of their hotels rather than venturing out on foot.

By 10:30 pm, we were back at the hotel, ready to call it a day and get some rest before our early start the next morning.