Adventure in the heart of Cambodia

Inviting a slight change of pace, our Africa specialist, Madri, recently enjoyed an exhilarating excursion to Cambodia which opened her eyes to all the country had to offer. Detailing her experience first-hand with a rich description and wonderful photos, the following recounts her adventure:

Cambodia is a country like no other. I have travelled a lot and Cambodia is one of those hidden gems that should go on the bucket list of any explorer with a thirst for adventure.

The sheer scale of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom is breathtaking. I have seen many travel shows featuring Cambodia, but not one of them was able to recreate the scale, sight, sounds and feelings of awe I felt. It is truly magnificent, much larger than I ever anticipated, and so much more to take in than I ever thought. You could spend days wandering about and still find something new every day to look at. I felt transported into a different time, where I could see and hear the magnificence of what these temples must have looked like at the height of the daily life and the great battles that were fought between the Khmers and ancient Thais.

A definite surprise for me was the visit to the Great Tonle Sap Lake to see a very different Khmer way of life. These people spend the majority of their lives on the water, and most houses are on stilts which are covered by water for most of the year. Many are floating houses, that move with the decreasing lake. The lake is like an ocean, without any end in sight. These people are fisherman, and spend most of their lives on the water. It felt like we were wrapped right in the heart of ‘Waterworld’! I saw kids as young as 5 years old on their own with a friend going off to school. The primary school is also a floating school with kids rowing up and tying up their boat for the day.

My visit ended with APOPO’s scent detection rats. These noble creatures have saved the lives of thousands by smelling TNT under the ground and alerting their handlers to remove these landmines. With flooding and soil erosion, the landmines move and without these rats alerting the authorities to the landmines, many children in villages may step on some of these left over from the civil war. I was sceptical at first, but these are truly amazing creatures and get treated better than we do in a 5 star hotel!

Cambodia was truly one of the most amazing places I have ever been, the people are friendly, the food is amazing, and everything is value for money. They are progressing with quite a few new proposed highways, a new mountain pass and an upgraded airport, plus a proposed fast train from the border with Laos. A truly amazing place to visit!

Whether you’re interested in the substantial history and culture, energised by the bustling variety of the city or longing to immerse yourself in nature’s splendour, Cambodia has something for everyone!  A first time visit to Cambodia could be enjoyed leisurely over 10-12 days, or combined with a shorter visit of the highlights with a land crossing to Vietnam for a true adventure in the Orient!