Great extended family trip
Cambodia | Feb 5 - Feb 15, 2023

S
Shayla M.
Canada | Reviewed on Feb 20, 2023

Steve managed to organize a short family trip for us down to Cambodia that was a trip of a lifetime. He was able to answer questions from each family member, at all times of the day, helping us prepare for the trip (from currency, to clothing, to flight recommendations). While we were there, he always made sure we were well taken care of, checking in on us and even went above to help with delayed baggage.
Regarding the trip itself, he managed to find a way for us to learn about the Cambodian history (the Khmer Rouge & S21 were very humbling to learn about), experience and understand the Cambodian culture today (the cyclo tour was such a fun experience), and enjoy the beautiful scenery around the Angkorian temples.
I appreciated that most of what we did, involved supporting the locals. Be it via Jaan Bai (delicious food), the Phare Ponleu Selpak (those kids had SO MUCH POSITIVE ENERGY), or even Tonle Sap (seeing the entire community drying the fish was really fascinating).
Sarrun as our guide was also amazing. Cambodia has very little English speaking, and he was able to help teach us the basics of Khmer language, help us on the day trips (reserving a spot for us to see the bats, buy us the local hacky sacks that we loved seeing people play with, communicate with the driver(s), etc). He also was great at helping us understand how much to expect for a TukTuk ride for our free nights, and how safe it would be during the night.
One thing to mention, if you do not know humidity, be prepared for lots of humid days, and pack accordingly!

Hotel Reviews
Maisons Wat Kor
Battambang

Everyone here was so welcoming. It was the perfect mix of feeling at home, yet being part of the Cambodian culture. The breakfast portions were massive, but delicious. The pool was great to cool down after biking / walking around in the morning.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Slightly out of the town, but still a simple tuktuk drive to / from
Staff
Generous and kind hearted individuals. From the cleaners to the servers, to the owner.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Aviary Hotel
Siem Reap

Clean, and fun rooms / layout. Did the trick, and perfect way to end our trip.

Authenticity & Character
Coming from Maison Wat and seeing different parts of Cambodia, this was definitely more on the touristy side. It was a great way to end the trip, but doesn't highlight the Cambodian culture authentically.
Location
Perfect walking distance to Pub street / local restaurants & the post office.
Staff
Very kind and generous.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Poulo Wai Hotel and Apartment
Phnom Penh

Perfect walking distance to the market, and great street food just outside. The hotel itself did the trick, and had a great selection for breakfast. The beds were hard (common throughout Cambodia), but the rooms were clean and well air conditioned.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The hot water in the showers was hit-and-miss.
Activity Reviews
Afternoon introductory Phnom Penh City Tour
Afternoon introductory Phnom Penh City Tour
Phnom Penh

This was a fun experience and great way to start the trip. At first you are a little nervous being cyclo'd around on the busy roads, but within 2minutes you feel comfortable and at ease throughout.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
National Museum & Royal Palace
National Museum & Royal Palace
Phnom Penh

It is a great way to learn about the royalty and their history (quite fascinating and to an extent different than other monarchies). That being said, it was quite long. It could have been done in a shorter amount of time, or almost given free time with no guide so we could do it at our pace.

Lunch
Lunch
Phnom Penh

Each dish was amazing. The portion sizes are massive, but was delicious. Even if you are not a fan of seafood, it was all delicious.

Tuol Sleng & Killing Fields
Tuol Sleng & Killing Fields
Phnom Penh

This is a MUST on the trip. It is disturbing how recent it was, and the torture that occured, but humbling and helps you appreciate Cambodians that much more. I would have spent more time at S21 over the Royal Palace any day.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Ondong Rossey
{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Ondong Rossey
Cambodia

It was really cool to see how the pottery is made, and perfect distance to stretch the legs between Phnom Penh & Battambang.

Dinner at Jaan Bai
Dinner at Jaan Bai
Battambang

One of our favourite meals. The shrimp dish was amazing, and so many shrimp! Massive portion sizes.

Food
Half day countryside local industries cycling
Half day countryside local industries cycling
Battambang

This was probably my favourite parts of the entire trip. Just learning about different ways the locals cook with rice and make a living was really well done. Biking the roads and enjoying the calmness of the daily living was great.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Bamboo train ride
Bamboo train ride
Battambang

Going at sunset instead of midday was the best decision made (in terms of weather and the scenery). The sunset was beautiful, and I think it would be even more beautiful during wet season, with the rice paddies being more green. However, the only time I felt bombarded / guilted on this entire trip was at the shops at the end of the ride. You go for about 10min, then you get off and there are a couple little shops. The kids all know how to say they're hungry and are poor, though none look malnourished. The parents also try to push that on you. And the only way for you to leave is back on the train, but the train driver is related to the shop owners, so they are in no rush. This probably would be the first thing I would remove if I were to re-do this trip.

Phnom Sampeau sunset
Phnom Sampeau sunset
Battambang

This is one of the areas, that highlights how helpful a guide is. Sarrun helped us get a truck transportation up the hill. Even though we are a fit family, even we would not be able to walk the mountain in the heat. Also, having a spot saved for us at the bottom to see the bats leave was perfect. This was the first spot we saw the monkeys in Cambodia, and it was a humbling experience understanding the history of what became of the cave during the Khmer Rouge.

Phare Ponleu Selpak in Battambang
Phare Ponleu Selpak in Battambang
Battambang

Definitely top 3 items on the trip to Cambodia. The performers had SO MUCH ENERGY throughout. Even if they did a little mess up, they wanted to do it again and everyone (including other cast members) would always cheer them on. It is only an hour, but it was really such a positive experience. Some of the tricks they do is at a level that international buskers strive to complete, so it was really cool to see.

Walking tour in Battambang
Walking tour in Battambang
Battambang

I wish I had more time walking around Battambang. It is such a cool place, and has more of a hip / artsy feel to it.

Dine with the locals, Ms Chanlon
Dine with the locals, Ms Chanlon
Battambang

It was cool to go to the market, get some of the ingredients, then actually cook those ingredients. The portion sizes are massive, and don't forget with every meal, you will get a massive bowl of rice. Very little english is known, so having a bit of french and the very basics of Khmer helped. The food was delicious, and it was really cool to actually learn to cook the Cambodian way (from cleaning the bananna leaves for the fish amok to mortar & pestle the spices to using the clay pot stove we saw in Ondong Roussey). It was such an amazing experience, and great to then taste our feast at the end. To top it all off, we were allowed to walk the gardens and they were so accomodating. We even asked what a specific fruit was (milk fruit), and they pulled one down for us to try, just because! Such a beautiful and fun experience.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Ta Phrom (afternoon by remork)
Ta Phrom (afternoon by remork)
Siem Reap

The remork was a great way to get around and get some fresh air. Ta Phrom is a great temple. It was not too busy, and allowed us to take some great photos, but do prepare for some crowds at some of the main photo spots.

Siem Reap After Dark Nightlife & Foodie Adventure by Vespa (private tour)
Siem Reap After Dark Nightlife & Foodie Adventure by Vespa (private tour)
Siem Reap

This was chaotically, hilariously, fun! It was a fun time, and they definitely are pushing the beers on you. But it was fun.

Kompong Khleang, life on Tonle Sap Lake
Kompong Khleang, life on Tonle Sap Lake
Siem Reap

Seeing the fish drying / smoking was really cool. It's a nice and pleasant drive / boat ride out. It also is a nice change of pace.

Sunrise (and return to hotel for breakfast)
Sunrise (and return to hotel for breakfast)
Siem Reap

I think out of all the temples, this was actually our least favourite. Be prepared for crowds during the sunrise. It is beautiful, but everyone talking and walking around (luckily not in front of the water / temple) takes away from the experience. Walking around Angkor Wat afterwards was still beautiful, but I enjoyed Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom, Banteay Kdei, and Pre Rup more.

Additional airport transfer
Siem Reap

The airport is closer to the hotel than you think. But great to have this additional transfer

Local specialist: Steve Lidgey
Steve
Steve Lidgey
Local specialist in Cambodia | Replied on Feb 21, 2023
Hi Shayla,
Thanks for taking the time to share such detailed comments. It's really helpful.
A couple of points:
Angkor Wat - I was there a few days ago for sunrise. Perhaps 500-800 people total. However, it was relatively quiet and I felt still manageable. However, we are expecting Asian tour groups, especially Chinese, to return before too long. So its going to get a lot busier, and we will probably stop offering sunrise at Angkor Wat to guests, as we did pre-Covid when things were just too...
Read more

Hi Shayla,
Thanks for taking the time to share such detailed comments. It's really helpful.
A couple of points:
Angkor Wat - I was there a few days ago for sunrise. Perhaps 500-800 people total. However, it was relatively quiet and I felt still manageable. However, we are expecting Asian tour groups, especially Chinese, to return before too long. So its going to get a lot busier, and we will probably stop offering sunrise at Angkor Wat to guests, as we did pre-Covid when things were just too busy.
Bamboo train - I haven't visited for a year or more now. Sorry, to hear the families there are being a bit persistent in trying to sell t-shirts etc. They are not rich, but also not poor, and make money from growing crops in the fields. We will ask our guides to be a bit more insistent on them not going over the top with their selling. The ride is still beautiful, and yes, early morning/late afternoon is best as there is no shelter from the sun whilst on the bamboo train.

I'm glad you had a little 'up to you' time to see other temples such as Banyeau Kdei. There are so many more you could explore but others may just get 'templed out'. My personal favourite is Preah Khan, which is a quieter version of Ta Phrom.

Thanks again for travelling with us, and also for all the feedback when I will reread again.
Best regards,
Steve.