Prepare to fall in love with Cambodia

When flying into a new city or country, it's always interesting to look out the plane window and see the bird's eye view of where I will be landing. Upon descending into Siem Reap, Cambodia the mixture of barren and lush landscape set between dirt roads was a scene unlike any other I have witnessed to date. There wasn't a high rise building in sight. 

The Siem Reap airport is a tiny building and the second smallest airport I have been to; Bequia still holds the prize for first place. Siem Reap airport consists of one room with a single baggage belt, you feel as if you are in a large open bay garage instead of an airport. Siem Reap is in northern Cambodia and is the primary access point for the Angkor Archaeological Park. 

All the research I had done prior to arriving to Cambodia mentioned how warm and inviting the local people were. So imagine my surprise when the first interaction with a local, the visa officer, was the opposite of everything I had read. Perhaps it was a byproduct of the serious nature of his job; however, the officer did not smile once and was stern in his requests and commands as Jon and I filled out our visa application. The officer's icy disposition was a bit alarming and for a moment I thought, "Perhaps it wasn't so smart to come here."

With our tourist visa successfully in hand, we exited the airport and were met by a smiling and inviting gentleman named Bek Sarat who would escort us to our hotel. Bek Sarat's warm welcome and kind smile was exactly what I had read about online; the militant visa officer was obviously a fluke...thank god. 

Jon and I arrived to the Borei Angkor Resort and Spa and instantly felt we had selected wisely when choosing this property for our stay in Cambodia. In addition to the impeccable and stunning property, every staff member we encountered in route to the reception desk greeted us with a smiling face and friendly eyes. The greeting for hello and goodbye here, as it is through most of southeast Asia, is accompanied by the clasping of the hands in a prayer-like gesture called the wai. The wai is a beautiful form of greeting;  leaving you feeling like you are carrying around the well wishes and blessings of those you have met throughout the day...a residual effect not possible through a hand shake. 

After dropping our bags in the room, we decided to venture into the center of town for dinner. The best mode of transportation here is the tuk-tuk and the cost into town from the surrounding areas is two US dollars. Although Cambodia has their own currency, the Riel, the US dollar is widely accepted and I dare say preferred. 

Before our ride into town was complete, Jon and I had already fallen in love with Cambodia and agreed we should look into staying longer. We originally planned our trip here to allow for a few days to visit the temples and then leave. Our initial thought was centered around the fact that we were not really sure how safe we would feel in this country. It took less than two hours in this beautiful country to realize how wrong we were and to know we needed to stay here a few extra days. 

After a lovely dinner at Khmer Kitchen near to pub street and strolling the night market, we made our way back to our hotel to begin the process of changing our flight and prepare for our big outing of temple visits the next day. 

Pub street, the hub of nightlife and activity in Siem Reap.

Dirt roads are the norm just outside of the town center in Siem Reap.