Siem Reap, Cambodia |

I left my heart there. Seriously tho, one of the most magical places I’ve been to, and no, it’s not a fancy, wealthy, nice place, it’s just… Magical! It has some sort of special charm that makes you fall in love with every corner of it.I love the fact that traditions and culture are kept intact, you know, you won’t be bumping into Starbucks, McDonalds or any shopping mall for that matter.

The People

I met the most amazing people, all ages, born and raised in Siem Reap who dedicate their lives to serving us tourists. I don’t know what it is, but everyone here here seems happy. You don’t see that a lot.
Transportation

Don’t even bother getting a car, Tuc Tucs are the way to go! And no, they are a completely different experience from the Tuc Tucs back in Bangkok (those where horrible and expensive).

These guys will literally drive you around all day, and I mean all day, and charge you around $5dlls for the entire trip. You will end up giving them more just because they win your hearts, not kidding at all! (So embarrassing but I have to share that I couldn’t stop crying when we said goodbye to our tuc tuc driver, we promised to stay in touch and recommend his services to everyone we know, so please let me know if anyone ever goes to Cambodia)
Temples

Ofcourse they are the main attraction for tourists around the world. Make sure you visit at least 2 of them, Ankor Wat (if you want to climb this temple stairs to the top, make sure you got your legs and shoulders covered) and Ta Phrom are the most popular but there are also smaller ones which are amazing for a sunset glance, like Phnom Bakheng.

FoodWe had an overall good experience with the food on this place. Since they are used to tourists every single day, the variety of food has been extended to italian, western, french and even mexican. Ofcourse if you’re into trying local foods like me, each restaurant has its own section of Khmer local dishes, I figured this is a combination of thai, asian and middle eastern food. Our hotel has the best cuisine! (Local stuff like this banana bread which I sadly covered with nutella) There’s also this popular place called Red Piano which is a site for tourists because Angelina Jolie chooses to hang out there very often. We found the nicest spot called Café Central which we loved! Much more local and cozy, the food was awesome!

The Hotel

I fell in love from the moment I walked in to Belmond La Residence de Angkor. Small hotel, impecable service, amazing food under the orders of mexican chef Saul Garcia. Some beautiful local performances during dinner and monk blessings every morning!