KRATIE (pronounced Krachie) 

HOME OF THE IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS

So it was back on the bus to head further east and a little north to the town of Kratie, also nestled on the banks of the Mekong River and home to the near extinct Irrawaddy Dolphins.  But first, we actually had to get there....

About 2 hours into our bus journey there was a massive thud followed quickly by an ear crunching grinding noise, our axle had basically fallen off and we were left stranded on the side of the road in the full scorching Cambodian heat, waiting for another bus to rescue us and take us the rest of the way onto Kratie.

Seeing as we had been on the road for over 2 hours, I knew we would be waiting at least another 2 for the next one to arrive, so I set forth in search of cigarettes, cold beer and a toilet.  I found all 3 in the one place so figured I may as well settle on in!  I was soon joined by an American named Mike who also had a case of parched throat - an ailment only quenched by delicious cold beer!

So we sat and chatted over beers until the bus arrived and ended up travelling together for the next few days in Cambodia and eventually Vietnam, where we sit now on a train from Dong Hoi to Hanoi for our flights tomorrow.  It has been great having a travel companion, one I may not have spoken to had the bus not crapped out!

The journey is supposed to take around 4 hours and was also about $6us.

Kratie was another great little riverside town oozing with that relaxed charm you find in many of these small rural Asian towns.  I stayed at Heng Heng 2 which overlooks the river and was great,  especially at $13au a night, I would definitely stay there again and it is located only a 1 minute walk from where the bus will drop you off.

As per the usual routine, we grabbed scooters and explored the area, nothing overly spectacular to see, man-made that is, but the scenery alone and the friendly locals made the ride thoroughly enjoyable.  We did stop at Wat Phnom Sambok, an interesting hilltop pagoda, worth the hike up all those stairs if only to remind us we need to get back in the gym!

We rode on past Kampi, where most people stop to take a boat out to view the dolphins, and ended up in the smaller 'town' of Sambor, where we stopped for noodles and a couple of cold beers overlooking the sun setting over the Mekong, so simple - yet so amazing.   It was such a fantastic ride through tiny villages of wooden stilted house, right alongside the banks of the Mekong that you really need to get out there and give it a go whilst in Kratie.

The next day we swapped engine power for  paddle power!  Mike is a keen kayaker, like me, and we made plans to do a tour with Sorya Kayaking that turned out to be a really amazing day on the water.  

After an early start with fresh made banana bread and hot coffee, included in the tour at the Sorya restaurant, we were crammed onto the back of a truck along with the kayaks and sent jostling up the bumpy road Mike and I had ridden the previous day. 

 It's not too far to travel and we were soon spilling out of the truck in anticipation, preparing to paddle one of the greatest rivers in the world, with the promise of seeing the beautiful creatures that are sadly facing possible extinction, the Irrawaddy Dolphin.

Unfortunately (or not) they were double kayaks, and somehow Mike and I ended up each going with one of the 2 guides.  It really did make the day though, chatting with him along the way, and sharing the experience with a local.  Sorya does a great job of employing locals and the service and information were outstanding.

We stopped twice along the way on little sandbar islands that popped up randomly from the rushing brown waters of the mighty Mekong, where we got to swim, eat and take in the natural wonders we were lucky enough to be in the middle of. 

 The second 'island' stop gives you the opportunity to watch for the dolphins that tend to congregate in that specific area, though we did see a few from the kayaks also.

  The highlight for my guide and I after we had pushed on ahead of the others, was seeing what we thought was a dolphin surfacing right next to our kayak, only to realize it was a fish!  This thing was a monster and we nearly fell out of the kayak with excitement, the guide saying he'd never seen anything like that before.

Alas, I didn't take a camera with me at all, so  I have absolutely no pictures of the day, only some brilliant memories that will stay with me forever....   or until I return!  You will simply have to go and see it for yourself, it really was an amazing day out.

Red Sun Falling became our eating/beer drinking/river watching hangout spot for it's excellent cheap food, great location and friendly staff. They don't close until you finish drinking!  Tokae Restaurant is another option over near the markets and it certainly gets it's fair share of travelers.

KAMPONG CHAM PICTURES

  

KAMPONG CHAM

Kampong Cham is only a small city, roughly 3 hours north east of Phnom Penh and boasts a beautiful downtown riverside (Cambodia really knows how to utilize their river frontage) and a handful of tourist attractions to keep you busy for 2 or 3 days.  

The highlight being the worlds longest bamboo bridge that stretches across the Mekong to Koh Pen.  

"It is the longest bamboo bridge in the world, and is rebuilt every year once the rainy season passes and the Mekong subsides to reveal the sandy banks below. Almost a kilometre long and made entirely of blonde bamboo poles, the bridge remains until it is submerged and washed away again every year when the Mekong, flush with snows from the Himalayas, surges again."

taken from travelfish.org

Simply riding around the area or strolling the riverside soaking in the relaxed vibe is more than worth the trip though. 

I stayed 2 nights at Moon River Guesthouse for $17au a night and found it satisfactory, very helpful staff, bikes for rent, a beautiful view straight over the river and a restaurant serving up cheap delicious meals, far superior to the 2 very poor meals I had at the well known Mekong Crossing.  I can't comment on their accommodation but the food I tried was poor. 

I definitely recommend the fresh spring rolls and the steak & cheese baguette at Moon River and would gladly stay there again, as I certainly see myself returning to Kampong Cham - a fantastic little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

I visited pretty much all of the touristy sites, and highly recommend taking a bike ride north out to Prasat Han Chey.  While there is nothing special about the place, just a cheesy hilltop temple really, the ride and the views once there are definitely worth the trip!  

Of course no trip to Kampong Cham is complete without venturing across the bamboo bridge and exploring the villages of Koh Pen, either by scooter, bicycle or on foot.

The bus trip from Phnom Penh was $6us and takes around 3 hours, with obligatory stop for food on the way!  What are you waiting for?




The bridge to Koh Pen.
Didn't actually get any pics from the island village as I feel like i'm imposing on them, like their daily life is some sort of tourist attraction.

PHNOM PENH 

So after a long stint of working in Thailand, I decided to throw the shackles aside and quit my job to get back on the road again, and oh how i'd missed it!

The plan was to, well there really was no plan, I just needed to get out of Thailand for a while, so headed off to Cambodia at short notice with some friends.  First stop - Phnom Penh for a few days, enjoying time with mates before they headed off back to their home countries again, and catching up with other ones who reside in the Cambodian capital.

Not much to report from Phnom Penh, just some good old fashioned bar hopping and feasting on the great value, delicious western cuisine available there. Street food in Cambodia hasn't really progressed as well as Thailand and I generally find myself gorging on the vast selection of international cuisine on offer.

A friend and I stayed at the Royal Mekong Boutique Hotel for the first 3 nights, a little overpriced and I certainly don't see myself staying there again.  Location was poor and there were just too many smaller issues that put me off going back there.

I switched to the Pickled Parrot on for another couple of nights as the other guys were staying there, also another I probably wouldn't return to, but suitable for the budget traveler.  

The boys headed off after a few days and I made my way to Kampong Cham, the first destination on my journey East to parts of Cambodia I hadn't yet visited.

   

Few pics from around Phnom Penh

CAMBODIAN PARADISE - KOH TA KIEV

The next day we headed out to the island of Koh Ta Kiev to stay for the night, it was a nice boat ride out there and as always I had my fishing rod ready to go.  We stopped halfway so the skipper could get cigarettes off another boat?! So obviously I had a few casts. 

 One girl on the boat asked me ‘but what happens if you hook a fish?’,  I wasn’t sure how to respond to that one?!  Ummm, is that a trick question, that is the whole point, I’ll possibly wind it in but i’ll see how I feel at the time?!  You know what they say about there being no stupid questions...

Anyway back to the story…

When we arrived I was expecting a quiet little island getaway so we could rest up after a hard few days partying, but there was a full on midday session going on when we arrived.  Apparently a few of the expats get the same day off and decided to make a day of it on KTK, nothing outrageous, just a few lads having a few beers, all good fun.

  But where we come from it would be rude not to join in and so an arvo session on KTK had begun…   There were stories swapped, guitars strummed, dirty jokes told, cold beers harmed and much hilarity had by all.  You just fell instantly in love with this place.

The owner of Ten103 Treehouse was a great host and an AMAZING cook, the food here was some of the best I had eaten anywhere, and the guy was on a deserted island with a tiny little kitchen, it was astounding the quality and volume of food that was coming out of this little island hut.  Seriously, if not for the super relaxed vibe, the friendly laid back travellers, the amazing jungle and coastline, or just to lay in a hammock and read, then come simply for the food!

The whole place just oozed good times and relaxation, there was plenty to go see or do around the island, Phill and I walked across the other side through the jungle and had a go at fishing, but the only thing we caught was a look at some sexy girls sunbathing on the beach! 

Back at the bar, if you like Absinthe they have this bamboo pole with 5 places for a shot glass.  After properly preparing your drink they are poured into your shot and everybody has the bamboo pole and must all tip it evenly at the same time to get a drink. Hard to explain I guess, but fun to watch. 

We slept in simple bunk beds with an open view out across the ocean and stars, it was all we needed.  After a much needed long sleep in it was time for some lunch, a quick beer and our boat was there to take us back to Otres where we had one more night before Phill returned to Aus.   Or was he??!!  

 I may have forgotten to mention that he was having so much fun that somewhere along the way he had extended his trip by another 9 days and we were both heading back to Thailand to finish out the trip.

I was looking forward to my month in Cambodia, but I wasn’t gonna let him go solo and after another chilled night in Otres we were back in the ‘bonecrushers’ and heading to PP for our flight back to Bangkok and Pattaya.  

A quick trip through Cambodia, but one that took us from Siem Reap through to SV and gave Phill a little taste for the place.  If you are in Otres, don’t miss Koh Ta Kiev and Ten103 Treehouse, did I mention the food there?!

The place was so bloody relaxed, I forgot to take a single picture?!  Check out the Ten103 website for more info

 

PHNOM PENH THEN OFF TO 'SNOOKY'

( SIHANOUKVILLE )

 

Being the creature of habit I am when it comes to accommodation, I checked us into the Lyon D’Or, where I had stayed last time.  Things had gotten considerably worse over the year and I will probably look elsewhere next trip, but I do like the location and the food is fantastic.  Then it was just a few nights out around town, showing Phill the city, having a few drinks and in general just partying way too hard.  You will notice all this partying started when Phill arrived on the scene?!

We had 4 nights in Phnom Penh then jumped on another awesome mini bus down to Sihanoukville for our last 3 days before Phill had to go home to Australia.  I had never made it down here either after my motorbike crash last trip and was going to spend the rest of my month here chilling out and visiting the islands, doing some fishing and camping.  It was late in the day when we arrived into SV town and so we paid too much for a tuk-tuk out to Otres Beach, around $6 I think, but he wasn’t going any lower.

I still can’t comment on the town itself as I never spent any time there, but Otres Beach is one of those laid back, idyllic holiday spots you would take your girlfriend to lay on the beach, relax and drink cocktails.  Not really my thing but the place was just so relaxed, you could seriously sit in the sand, meters from the water and have a cold beer (a joint too if you wanted…) 

I told this guy I would mention his place on here because he was just such a cool dude and the food at his place was great.  An awesome spot to kick back with a cold beer or 3 watching the sunset.

Jungle Beach Bungalows

An Aussie guy I know runs this place - Wish You Were Here Guesthouse

SIEM REAP - NODDY AND PHILL

 GO 'TEMPLING'

We had 3 weeks of this and then it was off to Cambodia for a quick blast from North to South as Phill was keen to visit and I still hadn’t seen Angkor Wat yet.  We flew into Siem Reap and stayed at the same place I did last time, the Sun Sengky.  A few drinks around town and we had an early night after playing up a bit too much on our last night in Thailand!  Plus we had an early start the next day to go see the temples by tuk-tuk.

Our guy could speak good English and I think we paid $12 between us, a quick stop on the way for some drinks and snacks and we were off.  The first temples Angkor Thom, Bayon etc, were pretty cool though very crowded, I had a mate go there over 10 years ago and had the place virtually to himself.  There is so much info about these temples out there that I won’t give you the tourist information booklet here, but they are well worth a visit.

Then it was time to see the jewel of Cambodia, the mighty Angkor Wat.  I have mixed feelings I guess, about our visit, I mean yes it was awesome with the history, architecture, the age and size, but I didn’t walk away thinking ‘oh wow’. 

Have I seen too many temples?  I don’t think so, it was impressive and some of the carvings in the wall are extraordinary, but structurally, I think Borobudur in Java (near Yogyakarta) is more impressive, and Koh Ker did more for me than any temple. 

Yes I did Koh Ker as part of an amazing journey, but it really gave you a feel for what it might have been like 1000 years ago, it was a haunting presence standing strong and silent in the jungle, a structure that had witnessed so much history yet now remained alone with only Slim and I to behold it that day.  I hope it remains unburdened and unstained by mass tourism. 

Phill was good at ‘templing’ (my new word) he does them at about the same pace as I do, so just before lunch we were done, enjoying a cold beer and ice cream on the way back to town and figured there was no point in hanging around Siem Reap.  South to Phnom Penh by bus was the call and an hour or so later we were having that privileged experience known as the SE Asia mini van ride! 

Wasn’t too bad though, we watched a couple of movies on the Ipad and the ride didn’t seem so long.  It was still rough as hell and cramped up but we watched one of the funniest movies I had seen in ages, ‘We're The Millers’. 

Phill and I were sharing 1 headphone each but we were both laughing our asses off out loud and the whole bus kept wondering what those crazy white boys were doing up the back. (they always put us tourists on the back seat because that is the worst one, takes all the bumps.  I call it the bonecrusher seat and avoid if possible).

'Templing' pictures...