For the 1^st of January 2021 show episode, the editor Katarina Kolega interviewed five travelers, Pipeaway blogger Ivan Kralj included. The result was a cultural journey to Cambodia, India, Qatar, Algeria, and Cuba.

The calendar is a product of a social agreement. Most scholars estimate that Jesus was born between the 6^th and 4^th year before Christ. That is already a paradox on a linguistic levelIvan Kralj

“Today, we celebrate the New Year on a day determined by Pope Gregory XIII, in the 16^th century. According to that Gregorian calendar, we are entering the year 2021. And time is divided to an era before and after Jesus Christ. Most scholars estimate that Jesus was born between the 6^th and 4^th year before Christ. That is already a paradox on a linguistic level”, Ivan pointed out at the beginning of the show.

Indeed, it seems that counting time exposes the dominant power. Christian civilization definitely imposed its calendar on the rest of the world. “But other civilizations have their own versions of the calendar, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Chinese… Each of them has a peculiar starting point for the counting of time. Even us, in Croatia, if we were to follow the Vučedol calendar (Orion, the oldest European calendar discovered in eastern Croatia, Ed.), we wouldn’t celebrate the New Year on the 31^st of December, but on the spring equinox, at the twilight of the first day of the spring”, Pipeaway editor explained.

The calendar is indeed a product of a social agreement. In the world disagreeing about many things, it is not unusual to have a variety of dates celebrating essentially the same thing – the start of the “New Year”.

Asian New Year water festival

For travelers, the disparities in calendars give a unique opportunity to travel through space and time, all in one.

“They were occasions when I would celebrate the New Year three times in a period of a few months. For instance, the Croatian in December in Zagreb, the Chinese New Year in February somewhere in Malaysia, and then the Khmer New Year in April in Battambang, Cambodia”, Ivan said to Katapultura.

“Asian cultures vary not only by the date of their New Year celebrations but also by their durations. What we do speedily in one night in the West and then, after a single holiday, come back to the usual working track, in Asia can be an event of two weeks!”

For Chinese girls on the Malaysian island of Penang, the 15^th day of the Lunar New Year is a special event of love – Chap Goh Mei!  

Presenting our editor as a “tireless traveler who vividly tells his travel adventures on Pipeaway.com”, Katarina was especially interested in Songkran in Cambodia, the unusual and special water throwing festival that marks the Khmer New Year celebrations, Chaul Chnam Thmey.

“In Cambodia, Khmer New Year lasts three days, from 13^th till 15^th of April. They celebrate a traditional lunar year, at the end of the harvest season, and before the rains come. They welcome the wet season exactly by celebrating water. The most extreme part of this New Year celebration includes rubbing people’s faces with baby powder and pouring abundant quantities of water. There is a wide arsenal of water weapons, from guns and rifles to balloon bombs, hosepipe, and full buckets”, Ivan explained.

Countries that celebrate Songkran, such as Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, measure time according to the Buddhist calendar. In 2021, they will celebrate the year 2565!

Check how the New Year water festival looks like on Pipeaway’s Youtube channel!

Burning man in India

India celebrates the Buddhist New Year too. But in a country of a variety of cultures, one can also observe Islamic and Christian New Year.

The largest portion of Christians is in the state of Kerala. This is where writer Kristina Gavran celebrated the New Year on Vasco da Gama Square in Kochi, in a carnival atmosphere, eating banana chips and bhaji, and watching DJs, singers, and dancers on stage. The highlight of the Cochin Carnival is the burning of Papanhi. The giant statue of an old man is the remnant of the Portuguese colonial past.

“There is a belief that the New Year is born as a little baby, a child. It matures to be an old man at the end of the year”, Kristina explained to Katapultura. “They also connect it to a certain topic. Sometimes it’s a flood, sometimes a tsunami, sometimes ecology. The burning of Papanhi is saying goodbye to these events.”

“People put masks of Hindu gods during a period of two weeks, which ends with a New Year procession led by a big gold-adorned elephant and a drummer”, Kristina noted. “It is interesting that traditional members of the procession are also transsexuals, typically quite stigmatized and socially excluded people of Kerala. But on the day of the carnival, they are welcome and greeted. At this time, Indian society gets better, and those from the margin of the society suddenly get into its center.”

Christian stories say that Kerala is the place where Saint Thomas the apostle disembarked and started spreading the teaching of Jesus.

In the New Year period, the Christmas spirit is celebrated through star-shaped lampions, decorated trees of coconut or mango, and proudly displayed nativity scenes.

New Year celebrations in Muslim countries

The actress Romana Petrušić took the listeners to the state of Qatar, where two-thirds of citizens are Muslim. New Year’s Day is a working day, like any other. There are no special holiday decorations in the streets of Doha, the country’s capital. However, there’s a light show whenever you visit the city!

“The lights on palm trees, in the town, everywhere. One could think that every day is a New Year’s Day there”, Romana said. “They do not decorate the streets even for Ramadan. Qataris celebrate their religious holidays by visiting each other, family to family. Men and women meet in separate chambers of the house. Also, they count the new years differently, from when Islam was founded, from the appearance of Muhammad.”

In Algeria, 98 % of citizens are Muslim. The journalist Maja Peterlić testified that the streets of Algiers in December do not scream New Year either. The only people who followed the French/European trends of New Year celebrations were perhaps the older generations of Algerians. The parties in expensive restaurants and hotels are mainly reserved for foreigners. One such hotel is where the journalist welcomed 2020.

“It was a New Year in Berber style. Some singers, classical dinner and countdown at midnight, quite a few Berber dances”, Maja explained. “Women tie a scarf around their hips and dance a peculiar dance with nice, but not too lascivious, belly dancing. And they shout in a peculiar way, cheering up the men or simply expressing happiness and joy.”

Clinking glasses in Cuba – Happy New Year!

The joy of dancing is in the center of every party in Cuba too, if we believe the professional salsa dancer Ramon Yudimir Noa Caraballo. For Katapultura, he talked about his New Year celebrations in Havana, surrounded by the nearest family and the best food they had.

Wherever in the world we are, and whenever we choose the starting point of our counting, there is this one common thing that connects us all: the hope that tomorrow will be better

“We prepare a soup, some kind of potato, frijoles negros (black beans), rice, meat (it could be pork, chicken, or both), and bananas”, Ramon revealed. “Those could be breaded bananas or fried like tostones (thicker slices) and chicharitas (salty chips). We drink beer and rum, and for New Year -sidra or champagne.”

Wherever in the world we are, and whenever we choose the starting point of our counting, there is this one common thing that connects us all: the hope that tomorrow will be better. We are all hoping to turn the new chapter of our lives, forget the gloomy past, and start anew. In that name, we raise our champagne glass too!

The radio show Katapultura is broadcasted since 2004. In 2007, it won the prize of the Croatian Journalist Association for the best-edited radio show.

The entire show on New Year celebrations around the world can be found on the Katapultura webpage. The language of the show is Croatian.

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Could remote locations of The Balé and Sojourn Boutique Villas be their advantage point after the pandemic?

I’ve visited two hotels in Cambodia that could have certain advantages in the upcoming years. The Balé resort is located half-an-hour car ride from Phnom Penh center, 15 kilometers to the north. Sojourn Boutique Villas are located 5 kilometers south of Siem Reap, which requires a 15-minute car ride to the center of this buzzy town. Could the location of these two hotels in major Cambodian travel hubs represent their hidden ace after we win the battle over COVID-19 and tourism fully returns to the country?

The Balé Phnom Penh resort – Mekong’s finest riverbank

Even if it carries the same name as The Balé in Nusa Dua, the Cambodian resort bears similarities with the Indonesian namesake mainly in the elegant and minimalist design concept. Unlike the Bali property that seems to be a perfect hideaway for lovers, the sole resort in Phnom Penh aims to cater to a variety of guests. It provides the setting for weddings, but also business meetings, family fun times, or even extraordinary parties.

This five-star hotel on the outskirts of the Cambodian capital city is not a place you would accidentally wander into. Leisure and pleasure at The Balé, the member of the Lifestyle Retreats, are always intentional! With only eighteen suites hidden on the banks of the Mekong River, this secret retreat is a literal metaphor of escape from the masses of the central Phnom Penh.

Entered through a long corridor with greenery-covered walls, via a levitating pathway zig-zagging over a black infinity pond, The Balé universe delivers modern architecture on your way to a relaxation fantasy. Adorned with traditional Buddha images of various kinds on one side and contemporary street art translating the elements of Khmer art on the other, this luxurious spaceship seems to be well-connected with local culture and people.

Courtyard suites center around the lawn dominated by a Bodhi tree, the symbol of Buddha’s enlightenment. Riverfront suites overlook the waters of Mekong, where observing the passing boats brings you at the state of zen.

#stayinside

All suites’ sizes at The Balé Phnom Penh are 100 square meters or more. Most of us have bedrooms that are smaller than their bathrooms!

The spacious courtyard room combines living, sleeping, and working area; from the sofa, via the working desk, to extra-long king beds, space is the last thing one will miss here!

With sliding doors, the room extends even further. The private patio has another daybed, now in the shadow of a frangipani tree. It gives a feeling of a “Big Brother” chill courtyard, but without the surveillance.

The bathroom has double sinks, a large bathtub, as well as a walk-in rainforest shower. It gives you a feeling of a spa! A yoga mat in the corner reminds you to expand your search for inner peace.

Of course, you can always opt for a day in front of a smart TV. It is loaded with hundreds of film titles! Grab some homemade cookies or the complimentary fruit basket, and dive into a movie marathon! You can also read books, or play a game of Jenga! If you need anything, there is always a butler to ring!

The four riverfront suites have their own special benefit. They all offer stunning sunrise views you can enjoy from your private terrace with a refreshing plunge pool.

For everyone else, there is a small gym and a central outdoor swimming pool of a decent size, with only palm trees separating you from the Mekong River flow. After a good swim, one can relax on sun loungers, shaded daybeds, or one of the pool floaties. Personally, I’d prefer to see some less conventional plastic animals floating in the hotel of such a clean design. But swans and unicorns surely have their clients among the trendsetters, always returning for more.

The gym at The Balé Phnom Penh may not be as big as the one in The Samata Sanur, Bali, even if both hotels have the same owner. But it’s still a useful add-on! For a truly fitness-style vacation in the state-of-art training facilities, check the Indonesian resort I wrote about in my article on top resorts in Bali.

Know where your food comes from

Besides our expectations of space and services in hotel rooms, our food rituals will also change. Hotel buffets will probably become history after the pandemic. Lavish tables filled with gastronomic wonders have become a synonym for a royal treatment when starting a day with five stars. Goodbye to that!

The Balé Phnom Penh, with its limited number of suites, doesn’t provide a buffet-style breakfast. But this doesn’t deprive you of the opulence of choices in an open menu! Eat their homemade pastries, hand-crafted granola, fresh farm eggs and vegetables, or seasonal fruits! For a more Asian flavor, try their Miso soup with silk tofu or ice-cold Somen noodles. If you want to completely indulge in Khmer cuisine, your breakfast could include Kuy Teav (rice noodles in rich pork broth with Mekong river lobster), Bor Bor (rice porridge with slow-roasted chicken), Lort Char (short rice noodles stir-fried with marinated Wagyu beef and fried organic duck egg) or Bay (roasted chicken thigh in lemongrass and garlic with pickled veggies).

Their in-house restaurant called Theato will provide all-day dining as well, so no need to leave the resort! You can enjoy the giant prawn from the river passing-by, fillet of a water buffalo with sweet potato, banana blossom salad with chicken, or salt and chili duck! There are enough creative options to fill a week or two of your stay in The Balé! And you can also ‘water’ it down with signature cocktails that use Cambodian first premium rum and gin!

If you want to have special and meaningful food experiences in Cambodia, check out these unique restaurants in Siem Reap!

Make your own meal at the cooking class

You should also try making your own food at The Balé! The cooking class with chef Men Somera was not just an educational, but also a fun experience for me! It’s refreshing to find someone who can loosen up the serious front, and whisk some humor into all that food business!

The day started on the Chroy Changvar market where we bought the ingredients for our one-on-one class. We even tried some local sweets, which were not on our shopping list! The market is a very authentic and vivid place, with no tourists, but a lot of typical families in their daily routines.

Later at the hotel, in open-air, I was able to cook a full-course Cambodian meal under the chef’s guidance. Our menu included the appetizer Nhom Suary Chearmuy Trey Chrer (green mango salad with smoked fish), Sngor Jruk Sach Mon (chicken sour soup with lime, basil, and sawtooth coriander), the main course of Amok Trey (classic snakehead fish & prawn soufflé in Khmer spice and coconut), and as a dessert – Sang Xyar Larpov (pumpkin & coconut custard).

You don’t just get an introduction into the Cambodian cuisine, but also have a fun-filled morning, eat what you’ve cooked, and last but not least: you get the recipes in writing! Once you return home, you can try to be your own masterchef!

Sojourn Boutique Villas in Siem Reap also offer an opportunity to learn to prepare meals in Khmer style. Their cooking class will open a window into the daily life of a Khmer rural household. After a village visit, it will also introduce you to a professional chef who will uncover the secrets of the Cambodian dishes in a hands-on experience. Mango salad, fish amok, Cambodian curry, and local desserts are a part of your learning menu!

Sojourn Boutique Villas – Siem Reap’s hidden retreat

Welcome to the Khmer scents and flavors starts with a check-in to Sojourn Boutique Villas. A complimentary coconut pancake, a glass of lime juice, and the scent of the lemongrass oil filling the room, wait for you as soon as you enter this green oasis surrounded by dusty roads. Tuk-tuk from the Treak Village to Siem Reap center will cost you 2 dollars each way, and the driver will wait for you. You can also rent a bicycle if you’re keen!

Cashing in on their remoteness from Siem Reap, a base for exploring the famous Angkor Wat sunrise, Sojourn Boutique Villas profit from both worlds. Guests are close enough to effortlessly reach the archeological-cultural excursions. But Sojourn also offers them a secure getaway when the pressure of the crowds and chaos in Angkor Park or the Pub Street get overwhelming.

The number of 10 villas in a small but lush tropical garden seems to be quite optimal. No overcrowding on the lovely central pool with a swim-up bar! It is an excellent spot to replenish your vitamin D reserves, maybe with a cocktail awaiting next to your sun lounger.

If you want more privacy, you can always retreat under the shade of your terrace. Enjoy the cicadas’ songs just after the sunset! For even more seclusion, there is an indoor sitting area, perfect for consuming a cup of tea or reading one of the displayed books or magazines. The room is decorated in a minimalist way, with some plants and flower installations, as well as locally produced Buddha statues that are available for purchase.

Future trends in the hotel industry will be framed by sustainability

Even after a decade of operating, Sojourn Boutique Villas’ contemporary design does not seem to be outdated. The bathtub comes with a waterfall feature. For those who prefer standing, there is an indoor and outdoor version of the shower. The hot water comes from solar panels!

The initiatives to preserve the environmental resources are visible in both The Balé and Sojourn. While the first reclaims water irrigation, generates electricity from the sun, and uses biodegradable products, the latter emphasizes low energy lighting, advanced water management system, waste reduction programs, and composting.

Sojourn Boutique Villas also focus on local and sustainable food suppliers. Some examples are Eggselent Eggs from free-to-roam chicken, the organic Ibis Rice which costs more in order to ensure that the farmers will not expand their fields into the wetlands – the nesting sites of birds, Wild Samlout Honey with proceedings being invested into creating social and economic opportunities for women and girls… From pottery via cushion covers to soaps, products in this 4-star hotel come from the locals.

The straws here are made of metal, and there is a Refill not Landfill water container in the lobby, supporting the campaign to reduce the plastic pollution which is omnipresent in the Cambodian tourist industry.

There have been great initiatives in diminishing unnecessary waste in recent years. COVID-19 already poses a threat with all those discarded gloves and facemasks! We can only hope it will not hit our eco-responsibility like a boomerang. Just after showing great progress in making hotel bathrooms more environment-friendly (for instance, larger and refillable shampoo containers), there is a risk that post-pandemic times could bring a comeback of small single-use products. Which means more plastic waste, and more health hazard for the planet!

Some Cambodian hotels such as Jaya House, Treeline, and Mulberry continued implementing their no-plastic policy even during the lockdown. They donated thousands of meals to Siem Reap citizens. Check how you can support the initiatives that deal with the effects of coronavirus in Cambodia!

Social distancing as a challenge

Social distancing measures may have a negative effect on those job opportunities which rely on the human touch. For many workers in Cambodia, especially those who lost their sight in the minefields, massage service for the tourists was always a secure source of income.

In the case of Sojourn Boutique Villas, their in-house Origins Spa follows the general hotel principles of employing local villagers. Girls who had just a few years of primary school education were trained for providing spa therapies here. A young woman named Prii gave me a good pressure massage. I could have been in any other well-established city parlor, and wouldn’t feel a difference. The hotel enabled the possibilities of a brighter future for Prii and other girls, and it worked!

I put my hopes into raising of precaution measures and hygiene standards in the hotels after COVID-19 comes to a halt, so that all those Cambodians, who were underprivileged even before the pandemic, can return to work!

Hotels after COVID-19 – chasing the future of the hospitality industry

Phnom Penh, as the capital of Cambodia, and Siem Reap, as the country’s cultural hub, have experienced rapid growth of tourism in the years preceding the coronavirus pandemic. While their somewhat chaotic hustle and bustle is a cultural experience in itself, it is an intense one. Staying at a calm and peaceful, tucked-away retreat was always a remedy for active explorers.

The post-COVID-19 travel industry will change. Even the most social ones among us will need a decent space just for themselves. Getting away from the urban jungles and their crowds is a logical trend that may define the future of the hotel industry.

Travelers will be dreaming of a great escape, but the one that will offer them a full experience. They will be looking for a unique setting, but also a feeling of higher security and lower risks. Smaller hotels on the outskirts of busy cities, close to nature and authentic villages, already have a strategic position that could guarantee the serenity of isolation. If we add luxury to the equation, these retreats could be a perfect city break escape.

Booking.com’s research already showed that modern travelers aim for more sustainable travel decisions. Surely, the pandemic experience will stay a constant reminder of the impact we have on the environment. The eco-friendly resorts, which celebrate cleanliness but not on the account of the negative environmental impact, should profit in the long run.

Future trends in the hospitality industry will also include a very personal guest service with a human touch. Those hotels that will convince travelers that they support their working force as much as the environment, will have an additional social appeal.

At The Balé Phnom Penh resort and Sojourn Boutique Villas in Siem Reap, the future of hospitality is already knocking on their door.

If you’re interested to stay in these hotels after COVID-19 pandemic ends, click on the following links for the best available prices: The Balé or Sojourn Boutique Villas.

What is your vision of the hotels after COVID-19? Leave your comment below!
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Disclosure: My stay at The Balé Phnom Penh resort and Sojourn Boutique Villas in Siem Reap was complimentary, but all opinions are my own.

Also, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway might make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

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These numbers look great, even if we ignore for a moment all those doubts over the extent of testing. Cambodia certainly didn’t come anywhere close to the tragic scenarios of Italy, Spain, or the USA. However, in a world under lockdown, the country’s reliance on tourism as a key booster of the economy may become a true nightmare!

This April, Angkor Wat received only 654 visitors! With tourism on its knees, Cambodia faces challenges as serious as the coronavirus epidemic!

The effects are already here. Before the crisis that started in Wuhan, practically every third tourist in Cambodia came from China! The most famous Khmer tourist site Angkor Wat welcomed 122 Chinese tourists this April. In the same month last year, there were 78.917 visitors from China!

The largest religious structure in the world is one of the main reasons why international tourists visit Cambodia. From 185.403 visitors in April 2019, the total numbers dropped to 654 in April 2020! The nightmarish crowds visiting Angkor Wat I wrote about in December, are now just a distant memory!

Even in the heyday of Angkor Wat tourism, Siem Reap Province was one of the poorest in Cambodia. Every second inhabitant here lived below the poverty line, earning barely 79 Cents per day!

The drop in tourist numbers severely impacted the income of many Cambodians. The country that experienced famine during the terror of the Khmer Rouge regime, is now facing new challenges that could have a seriously detrimental effect.

Luckily, there are initiatives that recognized that the lockdown is not a moment for shutting down the spirit. There are still ways one could make a meaningful difference!

Support these initiatives dealing with coronavirus effects in Cambodia!

1. Hotels joining hands

With no tourists in sight, the hotels could have easily put the key in their lock and waited for better times. But three properties in Siem Reap, already famous for their responsible approach to tourism have partnered up to make a difference!

Jaya House Hotels, Treeline Urban Resort, and Mulberry Boutique Hotel joined with the Cambodian Landmine Museum in an initiative to deliver food to those in need.

“Now that the coronavirus crisis has hit, the hospitality industry has come to a devastating and grinding halt. Many jobs have been lost, many hotels closed and many Khmer without an income to provide for themselves let alone their families”, says Christian de Boer, the managing director of Jaya.

Hotels Joining Hands is a community-based partnership that wishes to provide basic nutrition in these hard times. With the rice harvesting season still a long way off and the monsoons fast approaching, there is a serious risk of malnutrition and waterborne diseases.

In the past weeks, the partner hotels have donated thousands of meals and tons of rice to fellow Cambodians. The current capacity of the project is 300-400 meals per day, but demand is higher. The hotels aim to double production.

Local suppliers provide all meals, which means that the project is creating jobs even in times of crisis!

In accordance with sustainable practices of the hotels (remember, plastic-free Jaya House RiverPark was my favorite hotel of 2017, and Treeline Urban Resort won the same title in my 2019 year review!), they serve all the meals in natural, biodegradable parcels!

The initiative is entirely based on donations so help it out at the Hotels Joining Hands website!

2. Transforming life through arts

Besides hotels, restaurants, and shops, Cambodian entertainment venues have closed too.

Phare Ponleu Selpak, the NGO improving the lives of underprivileged youth through fine arts and circus, was especially affected. Both of their venues, in Battambang and Siem Reap, were ordered to close. Over 1000 students lost the source of their income! These circus shows were financing 60 % of the school’s budget, which raised a great question mark on the future of this extraordinary project.

COVID-19 did not break their spirit! The artists created “Stay home, stay fit” TikTok video showing how you can train even at home. The visual arts students and their alumni created inspiring artworks and shared them on social media. The school also partnered with Minor Act to create an engaging music video with an important public health message – “Wash Ya Handz!!!”. The proceeds from every stream of the track go directly to Phare artists, so make sure to watch the video! It is also linked to the “Save the circus kids” crowdfunding initiative.

The Phare has prioritized emergency food relief for the most vulnerable members of their staff and artists. With the circus not performing and no income arriving, the basic nutrition support became a priority. Phare plans to deliver emergency relief packs of food and sanitary products in the following weeks as well!

However, without outside support, this cannot be a long-lasting measure. Consider making a donation to the school, so they can continue providing food, as well as art education and employment opportunities for Cambodian youth and their families! Did you know that your donation of 50 Dollars can supply one Cambodian family with food for a whole month?

3. Taking care of the elephants

Besides people, even elephants are threatened by the coronavirus crisis in Cambodia!

These gentle giants who built the famous Angkor Wat, are the endangered species in Cambodia today. They fell victim to the loss of habitat, poaching, and snares.

To save the elephants from heavy farm work and elephant rides, animal sanctuaries, such as the Mondulkiri Project, have been established. The idea was that tourists would be willing to join the jungle treks with the elephants and provide a more ethical source of income.

With no tourists, no alternative solution for the elephants is available. Mondulkiri Project asked for donations so they can continue paying mahouts to take care of the animals, renting the forest where they live, as well as renting Sophie, the elephant that the sanctuary doesn’t own permanently.

If you wish to support the five elephants of the Mondulkiri project, click to donate here!

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In January, I typically analyze the data of Pipeaway’s recommendations you’ve been following in the previous year. Basing its choices on the bestselling bookings of 2019, this article suggests ten countries you should discover in 2020! Follow the steps of Pipeaway’s readers and find the best place to sleep at in Asia, Northern and Southern Europe!

For more travel inspiration, check the bestselling bookings of 2017 and 2018!

Top accommodation choices in 2019

1. Indonesia

While Bali is definitely affected by the coronavirus outbreak in China and declining numbers of tourists from the world’s most populous country, it is still the star of Indonesia’s tourism. The turbulence in the market should lower the prices. Places such as Indonesia, Thailand, or Cambodia, could become even more affordable, once the epidemic concerns calm down.

These are the accommodation recommendations on the island of gods!

Kashantee Village – One of the bestsellers in Seminyak, this three-star property comes with a swimming pool.
Booking.com guests review – 9,0/10

Munduk Moding Plantation – This 4-star nature resort is set on a coffee plantation in Munduk and is known for its extraordinary Instagram-worthy swimming pool.
Booking.com guests review – 9,6/10

The Balé – Set in Nusa Dua, five-star private pool villas are an ideal choice for couples’ holidays or even honeymoons.
Booking.com guests review – 9,3/10

For more accommodation options in Seminyak and Canggu, check out these luxury escapes. If you are heading to Ubud, Sanur, or Banyuwedang, these are the resorts that will recharge your batteries.

2. Japan

Japan has always been at the top of my travel lists. A country with a great balance of tradition and modernity, amazing food, extraordinary festivals, polite people, and an extremely high feeling of safety, is the one I’d move to. Just waiting for someone to propose, lol!

While I didn’t have a chance to visit Japan in 2019, I’m happy some of you did!

OYO Hotel MUSUBI KYOTO Higashiyama Gojo – This hotel is set in central Kyoto, a city of numerous temples, gardens, and palaces.
Booking.com guests review – 8,9/10

If you want to explore Tokyo, check out these artsy places in Japan’s capital!

3. Malta

I discovered Malta only in December and, even in winter, the country had a lot to offer! If you love architecture and raw coastline nature, historical treasures, and movie sites, this Mediterranean island should get on your bucket list!

Meditropical B&B – This small bed and breakfast in Sliema is a solid base. One can cook in the well-equipped kitchen!
Booking.com guests review – 9,2/10

Maritim Antonine Hotel & Spa – This hotel in Mellieha might not be the best 4-star hotel on the island, but comes with a tempting price.
Booking.com guests review – 8,5/10

1926 Hotel & Spa – The recommended hotel from my article on things to do in Malta is an eco-responsible enterprise. While it has space to grow and develop, if you want to support environment-friendly operations, this is the one to book!
Booking.com guests review – 8,5/10

4. Italy

While I’ve written only about Rome, there are places in northern Italy that are solid destinations but are also close to the airports serving low-cost flights. In 2019, Pipeaway readers were booking places in Treviso and Trieste, check them out!

5. Philippines

Due to its location, volcanic activity might affect travel to the Philippines, but once you’re there, the country’s beauty will certainly enchant you. Palawan is at the top of the list of places you should visit!

According to Pipeaway’s readers, Coron and Puerto Princesa are favorite bases from which you can explore the islands. If you wonder what that could look like, check my article about the boat trip to Coron Island!

6. Thailand

The Thai Baht is one of those Asian currencies that experienced a fall after the coronavirus outbreak in China. Every third tourist in Thailand was Chinese, and now that they stay at home, the market is thirsty for any visitor it can get.

According to Pipeaway readers’ bookings, the northern towns of Udon Thani, Phitsanulok, and Chiang Mai are especially attractive destinations! This is my list of things to do in Chiang Mai.

If you prefer visiting Thai islands such as Koh Samet, consider Mooban Talay Resort! Check their prices on Booking.com.
Booking.com guest review – 8,6/10

7. Laos

Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, yet extremely rich in its natural and cultural heritage! Luang Prabang and Vientiane have been at the top of your choices in 2019!

The country’s best 5-star property is Crowne Plaza Vientiane! Check their prices for your dates on Booking.com.
Booking.com guest review – 9,3/10

8. Norway

Norway is one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited. Many Pipeaway readers agree. Its incredible fjords, mountains, waterfalls, and lakes provide great opportunities for hiking.

I can especially recommend Aurlandsfjord and Lysefjord, with various attractive content that will fill out the whole length of your stay.

For those of you who prefer a mini-universe spared from big crowds, but with amazing hiking paths and even the longest staircase in the world, choose Flørli! For the best accommodation price, book your Flørli stay through this link!
Booking.com guest review – 9,0/10

9. Cambodia

Cambodia is a country I like to go back to. Whether you are into unusual traditions such as Songkran, the alternative insect meals, the ancient Angkor temples of the Khmer Empire, or even if you just want to travel safely as an LGBT visitor, Cambodia will be welcoming!

Treeline Urban Resort (the featured image of the article), which I wrote about in the article on plastic pollution fight pioneers, was my favorite hotel of 2019!
Booking.com guest review – 9,7/10

If you want to stay in the 2017 top hotel, check out Jaya House RiverPark!
Booking.com guest review – 9,9/10

Gay travelers should definitely check Rambutan in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap! Use the codes mentioned in the article and get your room with a 15 % discount!
Booking.com guest review – 9,4/10

10. Malaysia

The last country on this recommended list for 2020 is Malaysia. Due to its famous events such as Chap Goh Mei (Chinese Valentine’s) and Thaipusam (Hindu festival in Batu Caves), Kuala Lumpur and Penang Island were on the top of your booking requests!

My friends lived in the capital, and Malaysian stamps were often on my passport in recent years. They did move out, but I will definitely be coming back. There is a lot to discover!

I’d love to hear back from you if you stayed in any of the properties mentioned above! How did you like them? Please comment below!

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway might make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The post Bestselling Bookings of 2019: 10 Countries to Discover in 2020 appeared first on Pipeaway.

When the first rays of sunshine caress Angkor Wat and its silhouette dives into the reflection ponds in front of it, the morning magic stays an illusion. The reality hits you! Sunrise over Angkor Wat temple is not just one of those things to see before you die. It is, even more precise, a place to die before you see! Armed with selfie sticks, tripods, and elbows at least, these eager tourists claim their territory with a somewhat ferocious passion.

As if they are all hunting a vampire that will turn to dust at dawn, Angkor Wat tourists are fighting for their instalife

As if they are all hunting a vampire that will turn to dust at dawn, Angkor Wat tourists are fighting for their instalife. The largest religious monument on the planet will become a hashtag as the day progresses, with over 1,4 million #angkorwat images on Instagram.

In this blog post, discover if Angkor Wat sunrise is worth it! Find out what is the best way to see the temple complex, how many days to reserve for this iconic Khmer landmark, as well as where to stay when visiting Angkor Wat!

Bur first some essential Angkor Wat information!

Angkor Wat quick facts

What is Angkor Wat?

Angkor Wat is located in northwestern Cambodia, near the town of Siem Reap. It is the largest temple of the Angkor complex, one of the most important archeological sites in Southeast Asia. Angkor (meaning ‘city’) was the capital city of the Khmer Kingdom from the 9^th till the 15^th century. It spread over 400 square kilometers!

Angkor Wat is the masterpiece of Khmer religious architecture. Surrounded by a 200-meter-wide moat and the rectangular wall, the central Angkor temple has three floors with richly decorated galleries, ending up with five towers in the shape of lotus buds. It is a symbolic representation of ocean-surrounded Mount Meru, the mythical home of Hindu gods beyond the Himalayas.

As a source of national pride, Angkor Wat appears on the Cambodian flag and banknotes.

It is also a major touristic product. Angkor Wat is for Cambodia what is Machu Picchu for Peru, pyramids for Egypt, Taj Mahal for India, Borobudur for Indonesia, Bagan for Myanmar, My Son for Vietnam, or Ayutthaya for Thailand.

In 1992, Angkor Archeological Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

When was Angkor Wat built?

The Khmer Empire built Angkor Wat temple in the early 12^th century. King Suryavarman II ordered the construction of the Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, the state temple of the Khmer capital.

The legend says that a divine architect constructed Angkor Wat in one night. Those who did not believe that the technology of those times could build such marvel, even introduced an ancient alien intervention as an explanation.

However, the truth is that building Angkor Wat was just hard work. It required three decades, 300.000 workers, and 6.000 elephants!

Why does Angkor Wat face west?

While Hindu temples typically face east, Angkor Wat’s orientation defies the norm. One explanation says this is because of Vishnu, who is often associated with the west. The other idea associates the west with the sunset/death. It follows the theory that the mighty king wanted to use Angkor Wat as his mausoleum.

Why was Angkor Wat abandoned, and when?

In 1177, during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, Cham people sacked Angkor. It was thought Hindu gods deserted it, so the kingdom built the new capital of Angkor Thom nearby. They dedicated all temples to Buddhism at that moment.

In the early 15^th century, Ayutthaya kingdom and natural disasters hit Angkor. Climate change, intense monsoon rains and devastating floods started the final collapse. People abandoned Angkor, and the jungle took over. The capital of the Khmer kingdom moved to Phnom Penh.

Water was essential for the development of Angkor, as National Geographic suggests. Learn more about Angkor Wat in this Youtube video!

Angkor Wat discovery

A Portuguese friar Antonio da Madelena was one of the first western people who visited Angkor Wat. In 1589, he said it was like no other building in the world: “It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of.”

The credit for the discovery of “the lost city of Angkor” goes to the French naturalist Henri Mouhot. He visited the area in 1860, and his travel memoirs encouraged many archeologists to start digging the secrets of the ancient civilization.

Cambodian temple rush and overtourism

In the span of the last 25 years, Angkor Wat became the goose that lays the golden eggs in the Cambodian tourism basket. The site that was visited by several thousand visitors in the 1990s, reached 2,5 million foreign tourists in 2018!

In 2019, the tourist numbers in Siem Reap, the main gateway to Angkor Wat, started to decline. From January till November, they sold a bit less than 2 million Angkor Wat passes. That is a 14 percent drop when we compare it to the same period last year! The tourism ministry explains the decrease with the smaller economic power of middle-class Chinese tourists, while wealthier ones shifted to Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville as destinations.

Even with a formal number drop, a typical visitor will not experience the lesser pressure on the biggest attraction of Angkor Archeological Park – Angkor Wat at sunrise. All Angkor tours present visiting Angkor Wat temple as a must. Angkor Wat sunrise is mystified as an unmissable part of experiencing the most famous Cambodian temple.

The blinding golden eggs

When I first visited Cambodia in 2017, I toured the country for a month. My decision to skip Angkor Wat someone could see as shocking. The whole tourism of Cambodia is often perceived through the idea that there is nothing else of tourist interest besides Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields. In my month-long exploration, I’ve learned that Cambodia is a victim of its own promotion. The excellent tourism potential in underrated provinces doesn’t get the same chance as Angkor Wat tourism!

The result is that Cambodian tour arrangements often combine with visits to Vietnam or Thailand. Angkor Wat blessing becomes damnation. It is the only Cambodian touristic site with real promotional power. Therefore, Angkor Wat sunrise overshadows all other aurora experiences of Cambodia!

Never put all your eggs in one basket, especially when they are made of gold!

Angkor Wat may be one of the wonders of the world. But if one puts all eggs in one basket, no matter how gold these eggs are, there is no space for wondering why the rest of the yard is practically blinded.

On my return visit to Cambodia in 2019, I decided to check what this overtourism buzz is all about finally!

Cycling to Angkor Wat for sunrise

It was 4 am when I left Sleep Pod Hostel, the base for exploring Angkor Wat in my first days. I rented a bicycle for 3 dollars (2,7 Euros), grabbed a simple breakfast package at the front desk, and hit the dark roads of Siem Reap.

Riding a bike through the quiet town was a pleasant experience. The temperatures were far more pleasant than at noon, of course, and distances seemed shorter. There was no considerable traffic, only tuk tuks slowly picking up half-asleep tourists for temple hopping adventures.

Cycling to Angkor Wat for sunrise was easy, straightforward, and almost meditative. Crickets woke-up first. Later, the birds joined.

I bought my Angkor Wat ticket the day before, so I headed straight to ‘Rome’. At the check-point, an officer punctuated a hole in the admission ticket and offered tour guide services on the side. I proceeded alone. Yes, it is possible to visit Angkor Wat without a guide!

At the destination, the temple rush was already in full swing. Breakfasts, souvenirs, tours… The day might have been young, but the Cambodian market spirit was fully awake!

With a decent mass of people turning up, the first-time visitor could have easily mistaken the moat or the nearby pond for the places where those iconic Angkor Wat photographs came to life. If they didn’t check your Angkor Wat ticket yet (and that happens on the bridge), you probably arrived at the wrong spot!

One needed to cross the moat via the floating bridge (the original stone crossing was under renovation), enter through the outer wall, and follow the avenue adorned with naga-style balustrades to the central complex. This path would pass right in between the two small buildings called the libraries. And then, two pools of water, the favorite destination of the early risers.

Especially when we visit religious sites, we can easily overdo it with photography. Check out how I got in real trouble with the Chinese tourists when visiting the African Jerusalem!

Fight for territory

The image of hordes of tourists squeezing out the last bit of free space around the reflection ponds in front of Angkor Wat was probably the most potent illustration of overtourism at this Cambodian monument.

With sleep crust still in their eyes, and hands full of technical equipment, these sleepy visitors were manspreading, irrelevant to their gender or age. In the darkness before sunrise, they instinctively knew that more space guaranteed more flexibility in catching Angkor Wat’s iconic reflection in what was essentially – ditch water.

“Well, excuse me! No, you can’t sit in front of me!”, one lady raised her voice, introducing the territorial theory that one does not occupy only the space one is standing on. The young Frenchman’s face did not show much appreciation for the lady’s ladyness. She quickly approached the conflict with the promise of a future compromise: “Don’t worry! We will adjust!”

Once the Sun was up, adjustment or compromise disappeared from the memory. It was the power of the muscles that would decide the winner of the photo of the day.

People are willing to go far for Instagram! Check Pipeaway’s viral article on Indonesian girls who crossed the line to take a selfie!

Angkor Wat sunrise best spot

Various online resources are claiming that the northern reflection pond is the best Angkor Wat sunrise spot. Paradoxically, when I visited the temple, the sunrise crowd gathered in much more significant numbers around the southern reflection pond.

Do not believe the ultimate advice on how to catch the best sunrise at Angkor Wat! Do not follow blindly the tips on where to stand! The truth is that the temple is touristically exploited throughout the year, and the Sun will not be rising at the same spot in December and June. Also, levels of water in two pools may vary, and this will significantly affect your photograph! When I visited Angkor Wat, the “perfect” northern pond was full of lotuses, which were preventing you from taking the iconic reflection image.

I would advise you to pass by the temple on one of the mornings before your planned shooting day. That way, you could comprehend the momentary Sun’s orbit concerning the actual Angkor Wat architecture, as well as check the situation with the ponds flora. This way, you could decide for the best position in the particular moment of your visit by yourself!

Is Angkor Wat better at sunrise or sunset?

In the era of social media, it became fashionable to reenact famous images photographed before us. The social pressure relies on the premise that anyone can and has to deliver a professional level of photography.

Under these expectations, the idea of the golden hour was pushed into the foreground. In the first hour after sunrise, and the first hour before sunset, the light is much softer than in the middle of the day. To those who want to level up their photography, this provides the magic that no Instagram filter can mimic. Suddenly, we all became pros!

Angkor Wat sunrise craze is definitely a part of this phenomenon. Even if it sometimes doesn’t make sense at all. Especially in the times of the agricultural burning season (January-May), when even the Sun cannot penetrate the smoke curtain, and Angkor Wat air quality significantly drops too.

Still, hope dies last, and tourists gather at reflection ponds expecting that Angkor Wat photography archives will remember this day as the day of the ideal sunrise.

If you cannot handle sunrise crowd engaging in a stampede hunt for the perfect photo moment, I’d suggest visiting Angkor Wat at sunset instead. The whole day of temple hopping exhausts people, so they do not behave as hysterically at later hours!

Still, at any moment of the day, there will be people! Angkor Wat without crowds is an oxymoron.

Selfie rush

There is still selfie rush throughout the day, so prepare yourself! You will never see western tourists desecrating churches in Europe on the same level they are switching off their brains when visiting Asian temples! Girls tossing their hair in the tombs, influencers climbing to forbidden areas, monk-hunters pulling anyone in orange robe in front of their lens… Instafame comes in many forms!

On one late-afternoon visit to Angkor Wat, a young man approached me. He asked if I could take a photo of him in front of the temple.

When I saw ridiculous poses other visitors were taking in front of the largest religious monument in the world, I instinctively reacted with disgust. I even mumbled something about psychiatric disorder. To my surprise, I did not offend him at all and he still insisted I take his camera.

I took a photo and thought that was it. But then he wanted one with his palms joined in sampeah gesture! Then another one with his arms spread out wide! Then he turned his back and wanted the photograph of his back in front of the temple! I could only roll my eyes and conclude that influencers were influential indeed!

How many days do you need for Angkor Wat?

First of all, have in mind that Angkor Wat is often confused with the whole of Angkor Archeological Park. There are hundreds of Angkor remains worth visiting, and they are not always close to each other! Only your personal preferences and how quickly the temple fatigue would hit you, should determine the number of days you want to spend at this cultural site.

It is essential to know that Angkor Wat pass is not transferrable and includes the photograph of the visitor.

If you only wanted to visit Angkor Wat, the most famous temple of all, a one-day visit would certainly suffice. You would even be able to add a few more temples in your Angkor itinerary! Angkor Wat ticket for one day would cost 37 USD (33 Euros).

If you wished to see more of Angkor, be flexible with your time, and minimize the stress of the visit, you should choose the 3-days pass. The entrance fee for three days would be 63 USD (57 Euros), and it would be valid for ten days.

The most passionate archeology lovers could consider purchasing a seven-day Angkor pass. In that case, the admission fee would be 72 USD (65 Euros). One could use this ticket in a period of a month.

Multiple day tickets do not need to be used on consecutive days.

The Angkor Ticket Office is located on Road 60. It is the only place where one can purchase the entrance tickets. You can find more information on Angkor Wat official website.

The best way to see Angkor Wat and other Khmer temples

When taking into account the vastness of the site and the context of overtourism, I believe that the 3-day pass provides the best frame for visiting Angkor Wat and other relevant places of this famous Khmer archeological site. It will save the energy you would waste on a one-day temple hopping and give enough time to adjust your Angkor Wat itinerary according to your personal preferences.

There are two things I would recommend doing in the days before the planned visit to Angkor. One is purchasing your ticket, as its validity lasts ten days anyway. The second one is visiting the Angkor National Museum. This archeological museum in Siem Reap is a great quick introduction course to understanding the art and culture of Khmer civilization! The entrance to the museum costs 11 USD (10 Euros).

Another useful resource I used was the “Ancient Angkor” guidebook by Claude Jacques. Even if my copy of the book was the revised edition from 2003, which meant some of the info was outdated, it still provided an educational read when I needed to take a break at each site.

Proposed Angkor itinerary

Day 1 – Exploring Central Angkor

Morning at Angkor Wat temple

Start your temple adventure with Angkor Wat sunrise! Stay enough to take some lovely photographs, but don’t explore the central temple grounds just yet! You will come back to this place in the afternoon!

Head to Phnom Bakheng, the state temple of Yasodharapura, the first Angkor capital, in the late 9^th century! The pyramid of ascending square terraces might be in poor condition, but one can still see linga sculptures in a couple of sanctuaries. Enjoy your breakfast at the summit and then descend over the “elephant path”! In 2020, elephant rides are scheduled to be banned altogether, so their serpentine road will remain just a hiking path.

At the foot of the hill, take some photographs on Baksei Chamkrong, the only pyramid temple at Angkor that wasn’t a state temple! Spend some time observing the monkey troupes playing around the temple! Some of these macaque monkeys are severely obese, so don’t participate in feeding them!

Face-towers, ponds, and elephants of Angkor Thom

Spend the rest of your morning and afternoon in Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire! You will enter it through its southern gate, adorned with sculptures of Devas and Asuras, the traditional divine enemies in the Hindu mythology, and the stars of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, a reoccurring storyline in Khmer temples.

As announced by the face-towers at the city gates, a center of the Angkor Thom mini-universe is Bayon temple. This is one of the most popular tourist sites after Angkor Wat. Prepare yourself for throngs of tourists engaging in a crazy competition of taking profile-selfies! The temple’s architecture resembles a stone mountain made of face-towers! While selfie freaks are trying to align their nose with a nose of some sculpture, try to count the towers and faces! There is a constant dispute on their impressive number!

Besides being known as a temple with faces, Bayon also features unique bas-reliefs narrating Khmer’s daily life and history. See the fight between the Khmers and the Chams, find a tiger or crocodiles eating men, a woman giving birth, market scenes, cock and boar fights, wrestlers, and even circus performers doing balancing tricks or foot juggling!

Next, visit Bapuon, a massive temple-mountain which served as a state temple of Yasodharapura, and Phimeanakas, the state temple of Suryavarman I! In their vicinity, there are large ponds where local kids come for a refreshing swim on a hot day.

Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace both deserve a short visit. The Terrace of the Elephants is famous for carvings depicting these gorgeous animals in hunting scenes, as well as three-headed elephants, garudas and lion-headed figures “supporting” the wall. The Terrace of the Leper King offers hidden reliefs of deities on the 6-meter walls in the narrow zig-zag trench.

Haggle for your lunch

If you can still stand on your feet, finish your Angkor Thom exploration with a quick visit to Preah Palilay and Preah Pithu sanctuaries! Alternatively, head for lunch at one of the restaurants nearby! It will not be hard to find them. Their scouts will spot you instead! Do not just surrender to the first lady in a hat approaching you; prices are overblown! It’s good to know you can haggle, and pay your chicken amok four instead of 8 dollars, and your coconut one instead of 2 dollars!

Angkor Wat sunset

End your first day with the Angkor Wat tour! Start at the west entrance gopura where you can see the eight-armed statue of Vishnu, to whom the temple was initially dedicated.

There are almost 2000 apsaras, the dancing female spirits, depicted in Angkor Wat! One of them is unique, smiling with her teeth showing! Find it on the inner wall, just next to the main Angkor Wat entrance!

Follow lions and nagas, and head inside Angkor Wat! Explore the courtyards and galleries, see the balusters imitating wood, Buddha statues and depictions of hell, the extraordinary bas relief showing real and mythological battles… Angkor Wat carvings are simply remarkable!

For the uppermost level of Angkor Wat, there will probably be a long queue in front of the steep stairs. Do not wait for the last minutes of the daylight if you want to see the temple grounds from above!

Now that you have witnessed the fine details and proportions of this architectural masterpiece, you can surrender to the atmosphere of the dying day. Enjoy Angkor Wat temple washed in sunset colors!

If you wanted to see Angkor Wat from above, you could also take a balloon ride or fly out with your drone. However, drone permits could raise your expenses to 1000 Euros! Maybe it is easier to enjoy Angkor Wat aerial view provided by the filmmaker Max Seigal!

https://youtu.be/XCpAWH_1ttc

Day 2 – Exploring Eastern and Northeastern Angkor

Lake and jungle covering secrets

Start your day with a radically different alternative to Angkor Wat sunrise! At Srah Srang (Srassrang), you will find the tranquil experience that most Angkor visitors miss. More popular among dogs than humans, this large rectangular lake is a giant mirror in the morning hours, and it can make you meditate! Sit on the sandstone terrace decorated with lions and nagas, and imagine Khmer kings dipping in this royal bath measuring 700 by 350 meters!

After the sunrise meditation or even yoga at the banks of the lake, you have time to grab breakfast at some local eateries near Ta Prohm. Famous as a setting for “Tomb Raider” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, this Angkor temple opens at 7:30 am and crowds conquer it later in the day, so it’s better to visit it while other tourists attack Bayon.

Ta Prohm’s most famous feature are tree roots growing over the ruins. Entangled in strangler figs and silk-cotton trees, this site is a real jungle temple!

Most of Angkor looked like that when Henri Mouhot discovered it in the 19^th century. Jungle growth was the one to blame for the collapse of many temples, and Ta Prohm was chosen to stay in its “natural state”, maintained only enough to prevent further collapse.

Enjoy your Lara Croft / Angelina Jolie and Indiana Jones / Harrison Ford moment in this Cambodian temple overgrown by nature!

Archeology freaks should stay a little longer and look for the small carving on the wall resembling a dinosaur – actually, a stegosaurus! Of course, Cambodians have never seen these ancient animals, so can you figure out what does the carving represent?

Sacred homes of deities

After Ta Prohm, you can visit another temple of Jayavarman VII nearby hidden behind the walls guarded by face-towers! In enclosures of Banteay Kdei, the smaller version of Ta Prohm, find the seated Buddha or beautiful examples of devatas, Hindu deities carved in the walls.

On your way to the north, visit Ta Keo! This giant temple-mountain was built entirely of sandstone. As in the case of Angkor Wat, the five towers on the top of the pyramid represent the peaks of the sacred Mount Meru. Watch out when climbing the steep stairs that even the high priests refused to use! Yogisvara Pandita considered himself unworthy of the upper terrace!

On the Victory Way, just next to Siem Reap River, take a short stop at Spean Thma, which served as a bridge before the river was diverted! It is made of reused stones from earlier temples. Further up the road, two temples in Angkor Wat style are worthy of taking a quick look – Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda. Find some excellent devata carvings in the first one!

Temples as hospitals and universities

Preah Khan is another site hugged by trees, but with fewer tourist swarms than Ta Prohm. It served as a Buddhist university with over 1000 teachers! On this site, you can find an atypical two-storied building standing on round columns!

Just east of Preah Khan, in the middle of the large lake (3,5 x 1 kilometer), there is Neak Pean, an artificial island with five smaller ponds. The central pond has a circular island with a Buddhist temple. In the 12^th century, the site served as one of many hospitals built by Jayavarman VII. Khmer people believed the water had healing properties, just like the mythical lake Anavatapta in the Himalayas.

Day 3 – Roluos and Banteay Srei

Keep the third day of your 3-day Angkor pass for the sites further afield! If you only want to go to the Roluos group, tuk-tuk will be fine. If you’re going to include Banteay Srei, rent a car!

Thirteen kilometers east of Siem Reap, Roluos temples are dated to the late 9^th century.

Indravarman I built Preah Ko as the first temple in the capital city of Hariharalaya. Its six brick towers stand in front of the three kneeling bulls, hence another name to the temple – The Sacred Bull.

Bakong was the first Khmer temple-mountain. This five-tiered pyramid guarded by elephant statues was the state temple and dedicated to Shiva.

North of Siem Reap, some 35 kilometers, Banteay Srei is often described as the “Jewel of Khmer art”. The decoration at this small temple is rich, so reserve at least an hour to explore its beautiful carvings in pink sandstone. Andre Malraux, French minister of culture, couldn’t resist this beauty in his youth, so he tried to steal four apsaras in 1923!

Another 15 kilometers to the north, Kbal Spean is an archeological site where the artists carved the images of the gods directly into the river bed! There are also hundreds of lingas. The best time to visit is the end of the wet season when carvings are not entirely submerged.

What to wear when visiting Angkor temples?

Even if the behavior of some tourists suggests that they see Angkor Wat and other Angkor temples as just Instagrammable piles of rocks, Cambodians consider these grounds as sacred by Cambodians and we should treat them with respect. That includes following the dress code!

The rule of thumb says you should not visit temples if your shoulders and knees are not covered. Capri pants and T-shirts are fine!

If you want to be less hot when cycling around Angkor, you can always bring temple-appropriate clothes with you and put them on before entering the temple grounds. This way, you will obey Angkor Wat clothing rules, but also enjoy the bike ride in less formal attire.

When to travel to Angkor Wat?

Angkor temples are open every day, all year long. Angkor Wat, Srassrang, Phnom Bakheng and Pre Rup open their door at 5 am. All other temples start working at 7:30 am. Closing time is 5:30 pm, except for Phnom Bakheng and Pre Rup, which close at 7 pm.

The best time of the year to visit Angkor Wat and the rest of Angkor park is the dry season. The most pleasant weather is between November and March, but this is also a popular period among tourists. If you want to avoid the overtourism stress as a side-effect of Angkor Wat travel, shoot at the shoulder season!

Where to stay when visiting Angkor Wat?

Getting to Angkor Wat temple is a piece of cake if staying in Siem Reap. The accommodation of your preference will easily organize tuk-tuk, car, or bike rentals!

If you just started planning your Angkor Wat trip, it is good to know that we have already written about extraordinary Siem Reap hotels, such as Jaya House RiverPark or Rambutan Resort.

In this article, I draw your attention to some new answers to the ultimate question: where to stay in Siem Reap?

Heritage Suites Hotel – the luxurious sanctuary
Price per night: 191-311 Euros (Suite with private pool)

Heritage Suites Hotel was one of Cambodia’s first luxury boutique hotels. Located next to Wat Polanka, Siem Reap’s oldest pagoda, and only a 15-minute ride away from Angkor Wat, this five-star hotel was a perfect base to explore Khmer temples with no stress.

In 2018, the property went through a major refurbishment. The new look brought European-style luxury but still kept the authentically Khmer hospitality. They modernized the hotel but continued picking up guests at Siem Reap airport in charming vintage Mercedes from 1962.

The art of wellbeing

Heritage Suites put a strong focus on health. I’m not saying this just because they were very kind when I checked-in! After I arrived with severe stomach problems, the hotel staff immediately delivered a special tea and fruit basket to my room, to speed up my recovery. However, there was much more to their care than just being thoughtful.

Heritage Spa by Bodia was providing a wide range of wellness experiences! Their professional and relaxing massage, using 100 % natural local products, restored my balance once I got on my feet again!

One could surrender to decadent but healthy rituals in one’s room too! Heritage Suites Hotel was the only Siem Reap hotel that had private steam baths in every suite! My Colonial Suite (named Bird of Paradise) also had a private outdoor plunge pool where one could jump for immediate cooling after some good sauna sweat.

There was also a complimentary mini-bar with beer, Coke, and water. Alternatively, one could enjoy some Arabica espresso or premium tea – on the small terrace or at the seating area inside.

With floor-to-ceiling windows, the 80-square-meter room felt even more spacious. You could store your luggage in the walk-in closet, out of public view. King size bed was a treat to sleep in. The exposed large stone bathtub was inviting for even more indulging!

Committed to social responsibility, Heritage Suites Hotel made its amenities from organic and fully recyclable materials. Also, one needed to request them, which adhered to the best practices of eco-hotels.

Besides private pools and Jacuzzis, Heritage Suites also had a central swimming pool, with chemically not treated saltwater. It was available 24 hours a day!

Eating as an experience

If you swapped the day at the pool with the temple hopping day (and hotel’s in-house tour agency offered some off-the-beaten-path adventures!), you could at least count on diving into the gastronomic delights when you returned! The restaurant delivered Khmer and western specialties in the pleasant grand lobby; a lighter snack menu was available by the central pool.

Breakfast was generous in both options and quantities (highlights for me included Khmer noodle soup with shrimps, sticky rice with sesame and palm sugar, and a vegan section of the menu). I thought that dinner dishes could balance better the high artistic plate presentation with the substantiality of the meal.

I especially applauded the hotel’s dedication to broadening up the dining experiences in Siem Reap. Dinner in the Dark was one of those intriguing events that made you focus on food and nothing else, almost like a gastronomic meditation!

Switching the nostalgia on

Member of Secret Retreats, Heritage Suites Hotel delivered nostalgia for times when switching off was much more natural, times when technology was not distracting us.

In the spirit of electronic-free rooms, TV entertainment at this hotel was made available only on request.

Socializing at the large pewter bar while sipping a glass of martini or just hanging by the pool with Angkor beer in hand was a preferred version of colonial retreat Heritage wanted to promote.

Providing their guests with an always-available personal assistant and thoughtful turndown service, or expressing welcome with a small gift from local artisans, Heritage Suites Hotel was much more than just another boutique hotel. It was a window into the past when human touch meant much more than the price tag.

If you are considering staying here, check the best prices at the Heritage Suites Hotel on Booking.com!

Sleep Pod Hostel – affordable nap nook
Price per night: 3-22 Euros

Siem Reap provided accommodation for every pocket. So if you wanted to find something more economical, but still decent enough, there was a solution for that as well!

Sleep Pod Hostel opened in 2018, just south of the town center. It was not the closest accommodation to Angkor Wat, but with the money you would’ve saved on the room price, you could’ve easily rented a tuk-tuk for a day!

Space for rest

Rooms at Sleep Pod Hostel came in standard dormitory form, with bunk beds fitting four or six persons (and one of them was reserved for female visitors only). On the other hand, there was also an option of a superior double room!

Even if dorms felt spacious enough, I had the privilege to stay in a private room, and had all the space in the world! The room size was 28 square meters! Quite a lot for a hostel! If I wanted to, I could have easily trained yoga, maybe even group acrobatics, in this room!

The room had a TV, small fridge, kettle, large bed, and a working desk. The private bathroom came with a shower, and they provided the towels free of charge. If one wanted to wash some clothes, that was possible by purchasing a token for the machine. An excellent thing for longterm-traveling backpackers!

Any downside? There’s some space for improving the quality of housekeeping, as some guests might object to spider webs on the room walls. A technical disadvantage of the location was that there was no particularly lovely view from the room window. Metal bars on the second floor certainly didn’t help that either. But if one just needed the place to rest in an air-conditioned space, Sleep Pod Hostel delivered.

Bean bags and scrambled eggs

In the common areas of the hostel, there were bean bags to rest on or read a book. One could play board games or guitar in the lobby. There was also a small swimming pool with a sundeck. Pools are always an excellent addition to hostel-level accommodation! Being able to take a refreshing dip at the end of a long and tiring day was an opportunity that most guests didn’t consider skipping.

One could order simple brekkie and eat it on the terrace, adjoining the pool. Whether you chose the standard continental breakfast option with scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, sausage, and toast, or the local favorite beef lok lak, the restaurant provided the elemental energy for the temple exploring day. For early risers, a lunch package was available!

If local specialties increased your interest in Khmer cuisine, Sleep Pod Hostel had a cooking class in the offer. Also, if you wanted to improve the technique of your magic hands, massage class was available!

The name of Sleep Pod Hostel suggested it was just a place to crash for the night. However, it showed the potential and ambition to offer more. The attention to detail was already seen in blue color, branding everything from the walls and room keys to staff T-shirts. At the moment, it is undoubtedly an affordable nap nook, and with additional care, it could firm its position as one of Siem Reap’s most excellent premium quality hostels!

If you are considering staying here, check the best prices at Sleep Pod Hostel on Booking.com!

Did you like this article about Angkor Wat sunrise? Pin it for later!

Disclosure: My stay at the Heritage Suites Hotel, as well as Sleep Pod Hostel, was complimentary, but all opinions are my own.

Thanks to HotelierIQ, for facilitating the stay at Heritage Suites Hotel!

Also, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway might make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The post Angkor Wat Sunrise as a Nightmare: Cambodian Temple Rush appeared first on Pipeaway.

Siem Reap may be best known as a home to Angkor Wat temple, traditional Cambodian art, vivid nightlife, and overambitious tuk-tuk drivers who will bug you with their constant ride offers. While Siem Reap tourism indeed rests on these attractions’ charm, the town is becoming more known for its gastronomy. Siem Reap restaurants and a respectful quantity of cooking classes will teach you all you need to know about Khmer cuisine. But some will give you a slightly unexpected answer to the question “What to eat in Siem Reap?”. Here’s their mouthwatering answer: Bugs! Cambodia loves insects! Fear Factor Challenge in Siem Reap will bring you on a cooking class that will transform the creepy crawlers into a delicacy for your taste buds!

Update 2023: Since Backstreet Academy ceased to exist, this actual cooking class is not available anymore. However, you can still taste fried insects on this street food tour!

A kid playing with tarantulas

At Heritage Suites, a recently renovated five-star hotel whose restaurant focuses on a fine dining experience, a tuk-tuk arrives to pick me up for a very different ride!

Kimhouy Peou greets me. She’s a likable Cambodian woman in her twenties, with a fringe of hair framing her forehead and a broad smile revealing braces on her teeth.

Kim is a program manager at Backstreet Academy, the platform that provides unique travel experiences in Asia. And she loves eating bugs! It sounds as if someone did an excellent casting for the job!

“I grew up in Poi Pet, on the border with Thailand,” Kim recalls. “My uncle was the main trader with insects there, so I spent most of my childhood around them. Seeing them, playing with them, and eating them!”

When she starts to explain why she prefers tarantula to all other crawling food, a sparkle appears in her eyes. It almost feels as if this will be not just a gastronomical, but also an emotional journey!

Fear Factor Challenge – do you dare?

Our tuk-tuk heads South, towards Psar Kraoum Market. Roads become dustier, jouncing more frequent, tourists scarcer, and street life more authentic. One wrong turn in a labyrinth of houses, but we finally arrive.

A long tin-roofed house divided into smaller living spaces. In front of doorway 06-D (mark printed on a piece of paper), a motor cart is parked. Every night, Ratana Ouch (33) will take his mobile kitchen to the Pub Street area, where tourists will be able to buy a tarantula, a scorpion, or a set of eight crickets for two US dollars. If they only want to take a photo to boost their social media accounts, it will cost them 50 cents.

But here, in the Southern suburbs of Siem Reap, Ratana reveals his chef secrets in a cooking class. On a worn-out improvised table resting on some rocks, which could easily be mistaken for some table in a car mechanic workshop, the ingredients are already prepared in bowls. With the magic of a recipe, they will become a crunchy brunch. On today’s menu: crickets, scorpions, and tarantulas!

Named after the famous American dare TV game show, Fear Factor Challenge expects the participants to confront the awkwardness of digesting insects.

Ratana’s neighbors already know what’s going to happen and, sooner or later, they all come out to see today’s foreigners who are about to make squeamish faces.

Petting scorpions and taking crickets for a walk

What we eat is always a product of habits. Our reactions to what we find too dirty, threatening, or just inappropriate to eat are adopted in the cultural context in which we grow up.

Kim, for instance, grew up among silkworms, water beetles, tarantulas, scorpions, and crickets. It made her develop quite a relaxed attitude towards insects. Only when she was 19 and moved to Siem Reap for studies, she found out that tourists have a radically different perception of her favorite snack menu.

Ratana’s daughter Sing, a three-year-old, is growing up surrounded both by insects and tourists. As soon as we arrive, she starts to sneak around the preparation table. Her father explains she adores tarantulas and always tries to steal a bite. I assume that the tourists applauding the bravery of a toddler additionally support her feelings of comfort and accomplishment when she starts to chew the fried tarantula’s legs.

Kim’s childhood memories are also pleasant ones: “When I was little, bugs would serve as toys to me. Well, live ones! I would play with crickets and beetles. Sometimes even with scorpions and tarantulas, if my aunt would take out the poison sting. I think this is the same as how the western kids play with their pets.”

Siem Reap’s most unusual cooking class

There is one crucial difference between Western pets and those Kim is talking about. Tarantulas, scorpions, and crickets displayed on Ratana’s table will soon go for a boiling hot bath. They come here already dead, killed by freezing.

Our chef makes a fire, and places an oil-filled wok on it, for deep frying. While the insect Jacuzzi gets ready, he dresses them up in a mixture of salt, sugar, flour, chicken bouillon powder, some unidentified seasoning, and egg.

Crickets go in first. They will soak up some oil, and grow in the process. Tarantula and scorpions go in the second round.

They are all served with red onion and scallion. Additionally, we can roll the crickets into a betel nut leaf, and eat them in the form of a mini canapé sandwich.

Beware, one should remove scorpion’s and tarantula’s stingers before eating! Chef Ratana gives all the necessary instructions before he bites into a crunchy insect shell with his truncated teeth.

So, what do insects taste like?

In general, crickets taste like the food they’ve been eating, so the experiences can differ. However, frying them accentuates their nutty flavor, making them a perfect snack introduction to Cambodian insect food.

Some parts of scorpions are hard to chew. But this fellow tastes like – potato skins!

Tarantula supposedly tastes like a potato chip. That’s what Kim tells me about her favorite insect food. I must say I have chosen not to eat it at this Fear Factor Challenge, and not because I couldn’t face my fears.

Chef Ratana explains that tarantulas are nearly extinct in Cambodian woods! “There is a lot of deforestation going on, and tarantulas are losing their habitat. On the other hand, they are some of the most popular insects, so every day it is harder and harder to provide them”, he explains.

At that moment, it felt utterly wrong to engage in eating the spider whose existence is endangered by the same people who eat it. Even if one tarantula lays hundreds of eggs and should be able to reproduce quickly, it seems that the popularity of this Siem Reap food trend has become its prime enemy.

Khmer Rouge regime, the darkest part of Cambodian history, is in the roots of the nation’s addictive love for insects

I ask Ratana why he doesn’t try to breed tarantulas himself, instead of depending on those one can find in nature, usually Cambodian national parks.

“I don’t know how”, he says. Even though he has been six years in this insect business, Ratana is surprised to hear that some Westerners keep tarantulas as pets. He confirms he will research the possibilities of how not to rely solely on his suppliers, and possibly develop his own breeding space for spiders.

Why does Cambodia love eating insects?

Insect-eating culture in Cambodia was widely established during the infamous Khmer Rouge regime. The darkest period of Cambodian newest history, in which Pol Pot’s followers murdered one-fourth of their own population in the 1970s, also introduced a catastrophic agricultural reform that led to famine.

To survive starvation, Cambodians started eating insects. During those hard years, the attitude towards bugs as the food was normalized, and afterward transformed into a tradition some don’t want to die off.

It is true that humankind is growing each day, and food resources are not keeping up. Insects are often referred to as the food of the future, as they are a great source of protein, relatively easy to grow, and do not have a negative environmental impact like, for instance, cows. Even if the Western mind can look at the practice of eating insects in Cambodia as disgusting and repulsive, in the foreseeable future, we may all be forced to develop a taste for the world of beetles.

Would you rather eat a turtle?

Ratana packs leftover crickets for takeaway. He says I might want to snack on them later. But their expiration time is 24 hours, he warns!

Our Fear Factor Challenge may have finished, but on our way back to the town center, our tuk-tuk stops at Siem Reap’s Old Market. Kim wants to throw in an unexpected extra – introducing me to a duck embryo, another local delicacy.

At the market, we find displayed giant water bugs, water snails, plucked sparrows, and turtles packed as lunch boxes. But we do not see the duck embryo. Kim seems to be disappointed. All sellers respond they will arrive only in the afternoon.

But just a glimpse through this rich variety of animal meat, that Westerners would never even think to eat, confirms that eating habits are just that: habits.

Habits change, grow, and evolve.

Eating insects in Siem Reap is not an exclusive experience of the Fear Factor Challenge, even if it may be the most educational one. They serve insects as street food snacks at Siem Reap’s famous Pub Street, there is a strictly specialized Bugs Café, with food and drinks infused with crawlers, and some of the best restaurants in Siem Reap are adding red ants as an edible garnish to their meat plates. Eating out in Siem Reap has never been so exciting! As long as you put some mosquito repellent on.

 

See the complete photo gallery of my Fear Factor Challenge experience: 

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The post Cambodia in Love with Insects: Fear Factor Cooking Class in Siem Reap appeared first on Pipeaway.

The masks drop, and nobody is innocent anymore. You can see some of the victims lifting their purses, desperately trying to hide them from the attackers. There is no real mercy shown. These smiling enemies pull out their hidden artillery and start shooting their guns, some even throwing bombs!

The girls on bicycles are especially endangered. Local boys are stopping them at the barricades, and then take turns spreading white fluid all over their faces. At first glance, Chaul Chnam Thmey, a Khmer New Year celebration, looks like rape.

Welcome to Songkran Cambodia, the Khmer festival celebrated with a water fight!

People around the world have a variety of customs when it comes to celebrating the New Year - check them out!

Songkran festival as typical Asian water war

The voluntary street battles are fought with water and baby powder, and conflict seems to make most of the people happy.

Adults and kids engage in this yearly fun ritual of shooting water guns, throwing water balloon bombs, and splashing buckets of water on each other.

A three-day war is not enough for everyone, so one can expect to experience some water splashing even in the week following the official public holiday dates!

However, celebrating the start of the new year by throwing a water fight is not the Cambodian specialty. People in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Yunnan province of China each have their own water festival. While Songkran is most often associated with Thailand’s water games, each country has its specific name that marks the start of the new year – Moha Sangkran, according to the ancient horoscope.

In most of the countries of East and Southeast Asia, April 13 is the date when the festivities launch. It is the end of the harvesting season and the start of the rainy one.

Bathing Buddha for good luck

In the aftermath of Songkran Cambodia celebrations, the local temples might look like they were hit by a giant mud-water bomb. Yet, the justification for the custom is rooted in religion!

Songkran Cambodia’s ritual sees people pouring water on each other. Sometimes, they mix it with white chalk

People wash monks and Buddha statues with perfumed water, as a symbolic farewell to wrong actions and sins, while welcoming good luck, longevity, happiness, and prosperity in the new year. In the same way, if children wash their parents or grandparents, the year will bring them advantages.

Using holy water for cleansing is just one of the rituals promising a fresh start to the year. The house should be cleaned too, and new clothes should be worn. Those might get their first washing in the street, as Sraung Preah represents the ritual in which Cambodians pour water on each other. They might mix the water with white chalk, sometimes colored in pink or yellow.

In Malaysia, they don't throw water, but oranges! Read about Chap Goh Mei, the love-inspired start of the Chinese New Year!

Radical expressions of love at Songkran Cambodia

“We love youuu!”, screams the young guy while he rubs the white powder into my face. Driving the bicycle through the villages around Battambang is a special experience in which perfect strangers are allowed to touch you. You might get hugged and sometimes kissed at Songkran in Cambodia. All with a “Happy New Year!” greeting justification.

Something you will certainly not be able to avoid is – getting wet. The blessings range from a gentle sprinkle to a bucket of water exploding against you. This is not just another “I got wet in the rain” experience. The water gets in your underwear and shoes, and one day of drying might not be enough (as experienced).

You are lucky if you got only wet. The unlucky ones will experience that some water throwers have a secret weapon. They put a large block of ice to melt in the water, which creates the freezing ammunition that shocks you out of nowhere. This is the ice water bucket challenge raised on a whole new level!

Gratitude for the waterfest

Every time someone pours several liters of water down your shirt, you get an instinctive urge to say “Thank you!”. It is a weirdly quick adoption of the new vocabulary when attacked; I was astonished about it.

You start to read every splash as an expression of a good wish. We might say a blessing, but it doesn’t challenge your religious beliefs.

There is so much laughter going on, which would melt even the grumpiest faces. Or maybe the grumpy ones don’t exit their houses on these days.

Then there is also fair play. Even if some girls in my YouTube video of the Cambodian Songkran might have an angry reaction to their water treatment, the line of excessive shelling is rarely crossed.

The little girl throws a water balloon at me. It falls on the ground without breaking. She picks it up and hands it to me so that I can launch it back at her.

In the unwritten code of conduct, only the elders are genuinely spared. And the policemen, when they come to turn down the passion volume. The other passers-by turn targets/attackers, in the always shifting roles.

Khmer New Year for new friendships

Cambodians are extremely friendly people. As I experienced with my fellow travelers, Westerners Gabby and Damian, they will welcome you into their world very smoothly, no questions asked. They may not have a lot, but they will still make room for another friendly face in the gang, and share what they have.

At one moment, the combination of continually repeating Rasmey Hang Meas song, the burning tropical sunshine one cannot feel due to constant water showers, and the abundance of Anchor beer cans, made me fully immersed in this street party. So much so that I started to turn off my GoPro camera when I wanted to start to record, and vice versa.

Was that beer intoxicating me? Or was that beer mixed with water in the cocktail of pure Songkran Cambodia happiness?

After Songkran Festival Cambodia, I experienced a touching lecture on kindness - check it out!

Songkran Cambodia is when wet dreams come true

During the Khmer New Year, bigger Cambodian towns get empty. Many businesses close their doors as families get together, dress up in colorful Hawaiian-style shirts, play traditional games, eat good food, drink, and spray each other with water. Traveling becomes more complicated, as buses fill up with locals and their presents for the relatives they visit.

This means that Phnom Penh and Siem Reap should probably not be on the top of your list if you want to experience authentic Cambodia during Chaul Chnam Thmey.

However, Battambang, the second largest Cambodian city, is a good compromise. It offers a buzzing center with market stalls and restaurants, but also the proximity of its rural suburbs makes it an excellent place to experience the extraordinary local traditions.

If you need to engage in any war next April, choose the friendliest one – Songkran Festival Cambodia!

How to get to Battambang in Cambodia for Songkran?

Based on preferences and budget, there are different ways to get from Siem Reap to Battambang for the wild water festival of Songkran.

• You can fly down to Phnom Penh and then catch a connecting flight to Battambang Airport or take a taxi or minivan to reach your destination.
• There are several bus operators operating buses from Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and other Cambodian cities to Battambang. The journey is between 4-8 hours, depending on the stops.
• If you want comfort, air conditioning, and quick service, minivans are a great alternative to buses but they are slightly more expensive.
• Taxis operate as well and are one of the most expensive choices but they offer a lot of flexibility and convenience, which is great for families with children or senior citizens.

Songkran Cambodia / Khmer New Year dates in 2024, 2025, and 2026

• 2024 – Khmer New Year falls from 13 to 16 April
• 2025 – Khmer New Year falls from 13 to 15 April
• 2026 – Khmer New Year falls from 14 to 16 April

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Various dates available!

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Well, chill out! Pipeaway is bringing you a list of some of the most chilled-out places in Southeast Asia! Technically somewhere between the hostels and the guesthouses, these properties promise you can leave your worries behind, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and completely immerse in the chill attitude!

1. Man’Groove Guesthouse, Cambodia
Price per night: 4 Euros

Situated in the fisherman village close to Kampot, the riverside town in Southern Cambodia, famous for growing Durian (so much, in fact, that they even raised a gigantic monument in the shape of this fruit at the local roundabout), Man’Groove is a relaxed guesthouse by the road heading East of the town. The place name is the wordplay with the mangrove trees growing over the local brackish water and the groovy atmosphere this guesthouse provides to its visitors.

The 33-year-old Singaporean pilot Trevor Seah built this place three years ago when many were laughing at his vision; a guesthouse out of the town will never work, they were saying. Today, this dreamer has another Man’Groove – in the nearby Kep. But that one is more for drinkers, he says. Man’Groove Kampot is better at attracting smokers.

Ducks instead of the alarm clock

Eight simple rooms on stilts (equipped with basic furniture, such as a large mosquito-net protected bed or chairs on the small balcony) overlook the waters where fishermen repair boats in the morning, and one is awakened by nature – Man’Groove owns 300 ducks, all female! They produce 240 eggs a day that you can taste already at breakfast! A three-egg omelet with cheese, tomato, ham, and sausage will set you back three dollars!

Personally, I enjoyed the thick pancakes with ice cream and Nutella, but one can get them in a particular space flavor as well. The menu also offers space French toast, space milkshake, space coffee/tea, or even space Khmer chicken curry (priced at 6 dollars, it is the most expensive dish on the menu, but also the one that will quickly and efficiently bring you to the chill zone). The restaurant offers more classic burgers, sandwiches, and typical Asian dishes, for those who are not willing to experiment. Four times a month, you can fish for your own meal and get the catch baked in the restaurant!

One can enjoy eating dinner in front of the cinema screen; every evening Man’Groove prepares movie nights where visitors can enjoy some real treasures saved on the hard disk with one terabyte of films. The chilled atmosphere of one of the most relaxed Kampot hostels can also be enjoyed on the boat which takes the visitors on the sunset cruise – in this secret hideout one can swim with the plankton or enjoy fireflies if the season is right (November-December). The plan is to build the floating market and the bungalows that will be accessible by canoe only. Slowly the small “crap islands“ are being transformed into oases of chill.

Man’Groove’s roots go deep, the plans are big. They include the local community it provides the jobs for. Some forty people are employed on this project alone! Some are busy fishing, and some taking care of the pigs or ducks. In the low season, the employees are sent to the school, for further education. The owner even plans to launch a local school, giving back to the community of which he, as an expat, became a part.

TIP: Man'Groove guests can borrow the guesthouse bicycles for free! Use them to get to the nearby caves or the Secret Lake with a picnic area. Rent a motorbike for 5 dollars to visit the stunning Bokor Mountain with waterfalls and abandoned French colonial buildings. Entry to the area protected as the National Park (but at the same time rapidly overdeveloping due to the casino) is 0,50 dollars. Visit before it's all gone!

2. Island Life Hostel, Vietnam
Price per night: 5 Euros

Situated 25 minutes ride away from Duong Dong, the touristic center of the island, but only 10 minutes walk away from the touristically underestimated Ong Lang Beach, Island Life Hostel is a perfect base if you want to explore this slice of tropical heaven, without wealthy Europeans and Americans breathing down your neck. The Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc often gets to the world’s lists of paradise islands (that is the reason why I have chosen it as the final destination for my deceased Vietnamese walking stick). But paradises should not be overcrowded, so choosing to stay in the Northern part of the island’s West coast, instead of being closer to the more exploited Sao Beach, Khem Beach or Long Beach in the South, might be a smart choice!

Featuring two mixed 5-bed dormitory rooms and two double rooms, with the shared use of nature-style bathrooms, Island Life promotes a strong community spirit. Not only for the fact that fans in the rooms are not always working properly, making the stay inside these natural-material stalls often unbearable, not only for the fact that wifi and electricity often break down, moving one away from the contemporary electrical appliances, but Island Life is also one of the most social hostels of Southeast Asia I have visited. Spontaneously organized barbecues for the guests or night swimming and chilling around the bonfire at the beach are just some of those special moments where the guest stops feeling a part of a trading relationship, and the friendship starts.

The community of trust

The overnight stay price includes breakfast (scrambled eggs with onion), but the staff working in the hostel might offer you to join the lunch for free if the meal they cooked for themselves could easily feed more people – that is not something one can experience everywhere. Also, the hostel promotes a strong sense of trust. The bar is self-serving, with a notebook where one writes down what he/she drank, and pays for it at the check-out. Even if remote to the town (which means you will miss the buzz of evenings filled with the noise of Thai ice cream rolls making at every corner), you can easily find good quality and affordable street food operators nearby.

Beautiful Ong Lang Beach is a sandy bed you will want to lay around all day long. Not being overpopulated with tourists, it offers you the opportunity to find your own corner of the paradise, with nobody in sight (this means heaven for nudists as well!). The water is shallow, warm, and pleasant for swimming daytime or nighttime. Watching harmless crabs digging holes and walking over the beach before sunset is a fun and relaxing activity.

TIP: When landing at Phu Quoc Airport, choose Phu Quoc taxi company, one of the most affordable ones. Together with the toll, the ride to the hostel will cost you about 250,000 Dongs (less than 10 Euros). If you are lucky like I was, you will get an extremely thrilled female taxi driver who will be humming with the radio music the whole ride! With sand on the floor of the car, this was already the sign that I have successfully escaped much stressful traffic conditions of bustling Ho Chi Minh City! What a relief!

3. Kosta Hostel, Indonesia
Price per night: 10 Euros

So, you want to post your pictures on Instagram, bragging about your Bali holidays, while lying by the swimming pool and sipping on that passion fruit mojito? You don’t have to be rich to explore such a lifestyle! For the price of some of the cheapest European hostels here, you can get to sleep in the 4-bed air-conditioned dormitory, with a private bathroom! Kosta Hostel is a recently opened establishment in the center of Seminyak and provides neatly designed and functional homes aimed at adventurous nomads, especially surfers, as it is being owned and operated by them too.

This urban lodge consists of two floors of rooms overlooking the small but charming swimming pool, providing that essential feeling of a chilled Bali experience. The outside area offers rest in the loungers, on the large sunbed, or in the sedative swinging chairs. The whole property is recycled from the old Balinese houses, which, in combination with the bright turquoise signature color, gives it the appealing retro colonial chic look!

Breakfast = parfait!

Rooms come with comfortable beds equipped with three pillows (!) and night lamps that have adjustable light! Two electricity sockets are placed next to each bed (which is sometimes more than five-star resorts on the island offer!), and they are adapted to UK/Oz visitors as well! The internet functions impeccably, as well as the AC, which is a necessary requirement if, oh Lord, you need to work while being here.

There is an onsite cafe/restaurant called The Good Mantra, offering hot and cold, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, from matcha-banana smoothies to Argentinian wine. The food menu includes various salads, sides, sandwiches, burgers, and desserts. I only had the chance to try one breakfast. And even if strawberry parfait (vanilla marinated organic strawberries with whipped cream and granola) was just parfait (as French would say), the other options, such as the toasted bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese spread, red onion, and capers, also sounded delicious.

TIP: Bali airport is just 20 minutes away from Kosta Hostel. However, it is one of those airports where the taxi drivers are incredibly annoying, to the level you feel find ill at ease! However, if you use alternative transport such as Grab (https://invite.grab.co/ivan91589) or Uber (https://www.uber.com/invite/ivank2765ue), by registering via links in the brackets you will get both discounted rides and no hassle with the competitive and more expensive taxi drivers! Try it out!

Disclosure: My stay at some of the establishments mentioned in this text was complimentary, but all opinions are my own.
Also, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway might make a small commission, with no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The post Chill & Cheap Getaways: Relax in Southeast Asia on a Shoestring! appeared first on Pipeaway.

“Welcome home! Welcome home!”, exclaimed the driver, helping me to exit the jeep in front of the modern hotel building, opened only in December 2016, but already adorned with tropical greenery. Situated on the River Road, between Siem Reap Center and Angkor monuments complex, Jaya House River Park was just far enough from the main attractions this Cambodian tourist mecca offered, that the “walking distance” term couldn’t have been easily applied to describe its location.

However, complimentary jeep pick-up from the airport (return trip provided as well) and free tuk-tuk transfer service during one’s entire stay in the hotel (Jaya also offers its guests the local mobile phone one can use to order the tuk-tuk free of charge) annulate entirely its relative remoteness, and make of it an actual – advantage!

Jaya House River Park is a tranquil, secluded oasis that one looks forward to coming back to after spending the exhausting day visiting temples or the equally exhausting loud nights in hasty Pub Street.

Plastic is not fantastic

Welcoming guests with refreshing wet towels and welcome drinks became the standard service of properties ranking higher. Jaya House tops it all and sets new standards of hospitality, by not only catering to guests but also to the environment.

You get the idea from the very first minute you arrive! The straw in your welcome drink is made of bamboo, informing you that this property is aiming to be completely plastic-free.

In an effort to reduce waste to a minimum, the hotel gives every guest their own aluminum water bottle, as part of the Refill, Not Landfill campaign. One can refill the bottle at the hotel reception, or at any of the water station sites in the town, all listed on the back of the bottle. That’s right, Jaya House is not only implementing eco-friendly policy on its own grounds but also pushing other local players to join the movement!

After the tragic history under the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia has opened itself to tourism and entered a new era of tragedy that is threatening to destroy its environment; it is estimated that tourists leave about 56 million plastic bottles in this country every year! Without environmental education, plastic waste ends up in landfills and the Cambodian countryside.

In addition to the refilling water bottles project, Jaya House also participates in other community and sustainability initiatives.

Those include planting the Moringa, the multi-purpose “miraculous tree” (10.000 Trees initiative), creating jobs by founding the market with fine quality artisan products produced by Cambodians (Made in Cambodia Market), providing workshops for underprivileged children culminating in an annual street parade (Giant Puppet Project)…

Jaya House River Park also gives away five percent of its earnings every month as a donation to local charities!

Jaya House River Park aims for the world’s top

Named after the most powerful Khmer monarch of all time, Jaya House River Park is building a legacy that might grow to be as equally impressive as Ta Prohm or Bayon, just some of the temples that King Jayavarman left behind.

I know, these might sound like extremely generous words for this small 36-room hotel, but its ambition is outgrowing its capacity!

After traveling through Cambodia for a month, seeing its poverty and ecological disasters just waiting to burst, with the political neglection and supportive corruption, I truly believe the small steps forward that I witnessed being implemented by Jaya’s smart yet humble management are restoring the optimism.

The man behind it is Christian de Boer, the Dutch general manager who previously supervised Shinta Mani’s growth to the 2^nd place of the world’s best hotels according to TripAdvisor, and then surprisingly left the laurels to embark on a Jaya challenge.

It is easy to feel guilt when staying at a luxury resort in a country struggling with poverty and rebuilding its identity. Staying in Jaya House, THE example of responsible tourism, makes such a difference!

Social responsibility is not the reason to be lenient in evaluating Jaya’s hotel service, which is still, when we put its political efforts aside, world-class.

I have stayed in a beautiful Junior Suite on the ground floor with one of the hotel’s two swimming pools at my doorstep.

The room itself is truly spacious and comfortable, connected with a large bathroom/toilet area (no doors in between) that includes a bathtub and a rain shower (the latter both in indoor and outdoor versions).

Bathroom amenities, such as shower gel or shampoo, are packed in refillable ceramic bottles, which follows the hotel’s excellent eco-policy but also lowers their functionality in slippery conditions (which showering certainly is). The suicidal round cork just wishes to roll off of the shelf and break into pieces.

Towels are displayed with beautiful, carefully folded lotus flowers that can be seen decorating the entire hotel.

My minor remark would be that, with so many options to get wet (two showers, tub, pools), and enough towels for the two persons in a twin room, there is only one hook for the towels in the bathroom. While wanting to stimulate the guests to reuse their towels, the lack of an appropriate hanger makes them throw them on the floor.

Premium quality with a local touch

Premium bedding on plush beds one would expect from five-star hotels, and little sweet treats that come with turndown service, are sure to make you sleep like a baby.

If that doesn’t help, there is also a free minibar, a basket with a variety of fruits (banana, dragon fruit, longan), high-quality coffee, and loose homegrown organic herbal tea (another element showing consciousness in reducing the waste – no tea bags here!).

Top-quality furniture looks warm and makes it a welcoming place, whether you want to work at the desk, relax on the sofa or drink a glass of wine on the small patio.

The modern-style interior design is accompanied by vintage elements such as rotary dial telephone or black-and-white portraits of Cambodia’s singing stars from the sixties (paintings created by the local Small Art School, underprivileged Cambodian youth taught by Japanese art teacher Tomoko Kasahara).

The whole hotel makes it for a nice walk if you wish to discover not only modern but also traditional Cambodian art – look for the rain drum-turned-table in the reception area!

Booking.com

Nature in and around the dish

The strong decorative element of this outstanding resort is undoubtedly its growing garden landscape. The architect Si Sokvann even paid respect to the trees already on the grounds of the hotel. For instance, the restaurant was literally built around one tree. Its trunk is now indoors, while its branches create shade at the bar on top.

This kind of ambiance makes it an attractive setting for having a meal that can feel like a fancy dinner or laid-back picnic.

For breakfast, for instance, hop onto a swing chair, and upgrade the already exquisite dining experience to an entirely heavenly feel.

While sitting on “the cloud”, you can compose your breakfast at the awesome buffet (that is offering a variety of options, but still keeping the quality high), and by selecting the warm dishes from the a la carte menu.

I had perfect Eggs Florentine, with expertly poached eggs and the Hollandaise sauce with well-balanced ingredients. I also tried a delicious French toast served with a caramelized pomelo that melted in my mouth.

Garnishing dishes with small edible flowers seems to be a signature of the cuisine in this generally blooming hotel gem. Great cakes and bread from their own bakery, fine ingredients, fresh produce – it is hard to go wrong there.

Find more unique Siem Reap restaurants here!

Exceptional food, hospitality, and style

TrurKuon Restaurant provides lunch and dinner as well.

A mixture of local and international cuisine includes Khmer classics such as Fish Amok or Prahok Ktis, but also Italian specialties such as Linguini Puttanesca or Minestrone.

For dinner, I enjoyed stir-fried squid and prawn with green peppercorn. With sides of jasmine rice and rice spirit in the form of Khmer Ginger Mojito, this was a filling and delicious experience. My compliments go to Chef Tim Pheak!

Equipped with a sincere smile and stylish uniforms designed by Eric Raisina, the professional and attentive staff will discretely jump in if you need anything, without that awkward intrusiveness.

But that kind of subtle hospitality happens throughout the day, not only on the restaurant grounds. It is enough that one enjoys the refreshing swimming pool, to get surprised by an unexpected fruit skewer, freshly picked mango from Jaya’s garden, or a glass of cold water to keep one hydrated.

Future meets tradition

As mentioned before, there are two stunning swimming pools – one located in the central yard, where you can dip under the four small waterfalls, and a lap pool on the side of the property, whose futuristic appearance makes it a truly unique place to swim in.

In the daytime, silver tiles reflect the tropical sunshine, while during the nighttime the inbuilt pool lighting transforms it into a fantastic spaceship for relaxing floating moments under the stars.

If that doesn’t help loosen up your muscles, there is a spa area and masseuses that will do their best to bring you to Zen.

Small steps for Jaya House River Park, a giant leap for the industry

The staff seems to be the most valuable asset of Jaya House. Who would have thought that some of these people were carrying stones for a living before shining at the reception desk? Who could have said that some of them have never been to school before?

Jaya House is not just making the lives of its guests enriched; it also improves the lives of the workers. Christian de Boer is ambitious, but also a passionate man. He speaks about his ‘family’ with a glow in his eyes: “Some of them have never even crossed the river [Jaya is just next to the river – Ed.]! Tomorrow I am bringing them to see the circus!”

Some of Christian’s seeds are catching up quickly. Only two years ago he worked on introducing the first female tuk-tuk driver in Siem Reap. Today, there are four!

He presented the first wheelchair-accessible tuk-tuk but also created job opportunities for the disabled. Those employees are working in housekeeping, as well as in human resources!

The other day I saw another example of how Jaya House breaks the illusion of luxury resorts being pleasure grounds for the rich. After the two Siem Reap girls were injured in a car accident, the hotel offered its exclusive silver swimming pool as a place for rehabilitation therapy. How often do you see luxury resorts making such concessions?

All the staff at Jaya goes through equality training. All of them are getting better lives.

It is easy to feel guilt when staying at a luxury resort in a country struggling with poverty and rebuilding its identity. Staying in Jaya House, THE example of responsible tourism, makes such a difference!

Do not think twice if you get the chance to visit this beautiful project that will certainly grow to be one of the most fascinating hotels in Southeast Asia!

Disclosure: My stay at Jaya House River Park was complimentary, but all opinions are my own and reflect my true experience at the hotel.
Also, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, with no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The post Jaya House River Park Hotel Review: Luxury You Don’t Feel Guilty About appeared first on Pipeaway.

In the small town of Kampong Chhnang, long holidays mean that many businesses are closing down for the week, everything slows down as families get together, travel planning can become a nightmare, but also finding a restaurant or a shop that can feed one’s empty stomach.

In a week when even haggling at a market might not work as usual, discovering an unexpected act of kindness becomes an even more precious experience.

I have witnessed an act of generosity between perfect strangers on a Wizz Air flight - check it out!

Greed is unfunctional

Walking through the typically uncleaned streets of Kampong Chhnang, showing how respect for the environment is proportional to the system’s efforts to arrange how the society works, I find a hundred-dollar bill, just sitting in the dust.

Nice forgery in Cambodia, where counterfeiting notes is not unknown, but is also a part of the New Year celebration, where it’s easier to distribute happiness around with fake money than the real one.

While reflecting on this seemingly worthy bill in the street of a country as poor as Cambodia, I’m drawn to the conclusion that the hunger for always more might just be unfunctional. It is easier to earn money quickly on a forged bill with a higher denomination, but also that kind of bill will be the most suspect one. Being modest, even in greed, sometimes pays off better.

In Southeast Asia my bearded Westerner appearance often gets me being offered marijuana in the street, so I understand they can’t imagine a drug addict getting hungry! 

Hungry as I was, I enter the first little shop (well, not expecting to spend my fake, but real dollars!). Several kids and grownups sit on the floor, nobody understanding English. In this small shop that seems to sell just anything someone may want to buy, I try to use body language to explain that I am searching for food.

During my exploration of Kampong Chhnang's countryside on a bicycle, I practically ended up dehydrated. Learn how to avoid the dangers when traveling!

Cigarettes against hunger?

I put my fingers on my mouth, mimicking the act of eating. And soon they drag me to the glass case, showing their offer of cigarettes to buy. In Southeast Asia my bearded Westerner appearance often gets me being offered marijuana in the street, so I can understand they don’t imagine a drug addict could possibly be hungry!

“No, no! I am searching for food, something to eat… You know, cookies! Or something like that!”, I say with my upgraded body language of eating a thin air.

They walk me to another cabinet and show their selection of chewing gums.

“Nice, thank you. Maybe later! Now I am in search of some proper food. You know, something like… ”

I look around the shop, hoping that among the toilet paper and soaps, I can find something actually edible. Hanging on the wall, I notice several bags with fruit and vegetables. I pick hopefully the most international word of them all and say…

“You know, bananas. That is food! Something like that!”

“Bananas!”, they smile with that proud look of finally understanding.

Kindness feeds so much more

The next thing the lady does: she takes the bag off of the wall, opens it, halves the cluster of bananas, and offers me eight small pieces of soon-turning-black fruit, that I will find the tastiest in my entire SE Asian trip.

Trying to understand her body language now, she doesn’t want to get paid for that. Not being sure what it all means, I insist on her saying the price. They talk among each other, trying to figure out how to say “no money” in English. And then the youngest, preschool girl, loudly takes the stand: “NO!”

Not wanting to offend anyone, I accept this gift of food and ask for a picture with the lady who just embodied the meaning of kindness for me. She modestly fixes her hair and poses with me and bananas.

If the car doesn’t kill you, it will drive back and run over you again. Because that is cheaper than if you stay aliveCambodian

“Before it was different. If you needed anything, you just came to your neighbor, asked for it, and got it. Now everything revolves around money”, the owner of the guesthouse I decided to stay at, will tell me a couple of days later.

Cambodia’s way now is to charge everything double, she explains, raising this unexpected kindness episode to even more appreciating levels. “Trust me, always ask for a 50 percent discount! Even with that, they make a profit!”, the guesthouse owner instructs.

Culture of cheating and bribing

In a heavily corrupted society, Cambodians have learned that selfishness is a better method of protecting oneself than kindness. “Many of them go to bed just thinking of how they will cheat. In the morning they wake up, and cheat!”, one Cambodian tells me.

The government is the hungry beast locals need to feed as well. Supposedly, if you own a business, you might be called to a Governor’s office and told: “It’s Khmer New Year now, it would be good if you give us something.”

How much, you might innocently ask.

“Depends on you. But the more, the better”, the official will say. In a way, you might be forced to pay 50 to 100 thousand Riels (approx. 12 to 25 US dollars), and not know what is it for and where is this money going. No receipt for this act of kindness is being given.

Retaliation in banana monarchy can be mortal

“If you don’t comply, they can make you problems”, I learn. And what I hear next, leaves me speechless: “The easiest to do it is with a traffic ‘accident’. Also, if the car doesn’t kill you, they will drive back and run over you again. Because that is cheaper than if you stay alive. It can be 3 million. The other method they use is to plant drugs at your place, only to ‘find’ it and use the accusation for closing your business. It happens often!”

Not getting into the facts of these claims, it is evident the system is very productive in creating fear. If the collected money mainly goes into the private hands, while exhausting forests, minerals, and other natural resources, it is obvious why one cannot see clean streets, a raised quality of life, or dealing with poverty issues.

Some people I talk to would even say it is worse than during Pol Pot, dreaming that elections in 2018 will change something. Moving somewhere else is a comforting dream, but living with the devil you know is sometimes easier than starting from zero. And this is how destinies get sealed.

Tiger as a roommate

“If you live with a tiger, you have to give him a piece of your muscle, if you want to stay alive. Otherwise, he would eat your whole body!”, one of my interlocutors reveals the rule of surviving in Cambodia today.

The nation went through an amazingly tragic recent history, with a regime that was killing the intellectuals, confiscating private property, raping, torturing, and executing anyone they wanted.

Only to be inherited by a facade of democracy, with flaws, widespread corruption, and fear?

Honestly, I don’t know why kindness can still survive such a tragic sequence of national disasters. I guess you cannot feed bananas to the tiger. Unless you raise one that is a vegetarian.

If you want to learn more about the extent of corruption in Cambodia, you can read this report.

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