Siem Reap, Cambodia….. and the transfer to Koh Chang, Thailand

A couple of pics from around town as we are taking some down time, relaxing by the pool, eating at some excellent restaurants, checking out the local scene and doing some shopping…..

There are many markets here: local everything market like a Wal-Mart of the 3rd world, night markets, morning markets and of course farang (foreigner) markets…..

We visited the “famous” Pub Street but found it to be just a seedier/smaller version of Khaosan Street in Bangkok..

Hey, this one is for you Andre (one of the tuk tuk’s we took):

We were very happy with the hotel which had incredible service (almost too much), nice freebies > I had a traditional 1 hour Thai massage which was amazing > I think the woman crunched every joint/muscle in my body and the cucumber slices even helped my complexion – hah, at the pool they would come around with fruit and snacks and last but not least 50% cocktails on the roof top terrace as well a turn down service with weather forecast, a card with a short story and a snack >>> all this for 116 CAD per night. Oh yeah and a breakfast buffet guaranteed to make you gain weight.

 

December 17th

Another early morning as we want to have a solid breakfast knowing that we have a hefty transfer today. At check-out the hotel surprised us again and we were presented with two tee shirts as a parting gift….these folks really do try to give the client a good experience !!

 

It is a complicated transfer, as we will be crossing from Cambodia into Thailand. Interestingly vehicles (buses/taxis/private cars from the originating country cannot cross the border). We had tried to get back to back taxis but no agency was willing to organize this, although apparently in the past this had been a viable option albeit expensive. So finally we opted for a back to back bus/minibus combo…..for the princely sum of 52 USD for both of us, pick up at our hotel and depositing us at the pier in Koh Chang >>> estimated travel time 10 hours.

Got picked up at the hotel by a tuk tuk at 07:30 and deposited at a travel agency 7 minutes later, sat for 30 minutes, bus came we got on board > seats together, A/C blasting in and sat….much toing and froing, more passengers until finally we are off at about 08:40 (planned departure was 08:00). One hour in pit stop and then another some 10 minutes from the border (small money grab). Arrived in Poipet and then the fun started…..shouted instructions: “get off bus, grab your luggage, go 200 meters, pass customs >>> someone meet you other side”…The town is simply butt ugly and our drop-off area uglier if that is possible, dust, diesel fumes, milling mob of porters, idlers,beggars you name it and it is hot like hell…..in any event we load up and hustle over to Cambodia Immigration >> fill out forms, lineup then Annie gets fingerprinted and I get ignored and we are out of Cambodia and into a no man’s land filled with vendors, beggars etc which gauntlet we need to run for about 250 meters (very indistinct signs as to where exactly we should be going) nevertheless with only one small misstep we are in Thai Immigration > another form and then the infamous lineup for document inspection (this can last up to 3 hours) mercifully we are done in about 1 1/4 hours…..Then Customs > they don’t even look at us waving us on….about a 5 minute walk down the street our contact meets us…..no other pics as it was way to intense to stand around and photograph…

…we change some money with a friendly sleazebag and then are sent to a mini bus (actually this part was quite efficient) and we are on our way > about a 3.5 hour drive to the pier where the ferry will take us to Koh Chang. Before we get there we stop at a resto where they hand over the ferry tickets and ask us if we want a drive to our front door…..it will be after dark when we get there so it is no-brainer 200 THB (8 CAD) for us both for a 30 minute drive and we book this immediately….so the luggage stays on the mini bus and we relax…waiting for the ferry below > just like home….

…18:00 on the nose the ferry departs…

…smooth sailing and 45 minutes later we are at the pier on Koh Chang….drop off 2 other parties and at roughly 19:00 we are at Baan Rim naan …our digs for the next few nights. Ian the owner gives a quick rundown (the guesthouse is on the shore of a river and in the mangroves with a 70 meter boardwalk). We are starving so Ian suggest a beachfront resto ….just follow the stone wall through the fields and you will be there……the The Palms Beach resto is just what the doc ordered > table four feet from the waves,  ice cold beer and decent pad thai…..a very long day but all went as advertised as beer in hand we look at over the ocean…