Photo Trip Report: Down the Mekong in Cambodia

[Big Boy]

Right ... people should get out of Thailand more often, its not all roses and chocolates here like some seem to believe.

I wish I could, but I'm confined to anywhere I can drive for the foreseeable

The red tape to cross borders by road just puts me off.

[buksida]

I was starting to feel my age on this trip, and not just because Cambodia has a very young population. The language barrier was more pronounced in the non-touristy places and I was at a loss having been so used to rambling away in Thai and being understood. I think I may have also mentioned the heat, which was far hotter than anything I’ve experienced in Thailand with the possible exception of Kanchanaburi on Anzac Day!

Included in the hotel price was entrance to its spa next door so after enjoying the breakfast there, we checked it out. We were the only people in the sauna, steam room, and hot and cold baths and an hour was all you needed there – it was physically draining.

We were all on different budgets so couldn’t spend too long at the LBN. Fortunately, there was a half-decent hotel just 100 meters away with a similar view over the Mekong. Another siesta was in order once we’d moved and the heat of the afternoon started to build … must be that age thing creeping up on me.

The following day prompted a walk to Kampong Cham’s primary tourist attraction, a bamboo bridge spanning the Mekong. This is the longest bamboo bridge in the world apparently and it gets washed away every year in the monsoon season. Remarkably, the bridge is rebuilt again for the dry season when the river subsides.

There was hardly anyone on it when we crossed and very little on the other side which is an island with a small community living there. What was evident was the depth of the river, the water was clear due to the Chinese dams blocking the sediment flow upriver, you could see the bottom in various places, and there were a lot of sandbanks.

The heat started to build again so it was time to retire to the hotel for a couple of hours after the morning’s hike.

Kampong Cham had a good vibe and I’d like to have stayed longer, rented a motorcycle, and explored it a bit further but the road south was calling and Phnom Penh awaited.

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To follow: Phnom Penh

[Big Boy]

Wow!!! What a bridge. When you say it gets washed away each year, does that mean sections, or the entire bridge. That's a lot of bridge to replace each year

LOL - I don't think I'd have to ask if that baby was wheelchair friendly. It doesn't even look Big Boy friendly

[buksida]

The entire bridge goes when the river rises. No chance of a wheelchair on it though it was capable of supporting some weight. In previous years you could ride across it but they stopped motorcycles crossing for tourism purposes.

[Big Boy]

Wow, that's an incredible build. They must finish it just in time for it to be washed away again. The Forth Bridge paint job isn't a patch on this. Good news if you're a bamboo bridge builder though - a job for life.

[buksida]

The road south to our final destination two hours away beckoned, but it meant another hellish minivan journey. I would have much rather taken a slow boat, but there were none running this time of year. This van driver headed out of Kampong Cham on time and then stopped on a corner somewhere on the outskirts as he spent the next hour trying to solicit passengers to fill his van up while we slowly roasted inside it.

More than three and a half hours later, after a lot of faffing about and a feral stop for a deep-fried spider lunch, we rolled into the capital of Cambodia and made straight for the Silver Mounts Hotel in the center of the tourist street.

Phnom Penh was very different from the last time I visited in 2014. They have been busy building shiny new skyscrapers everywhere whereas there was only one or two a decade ago. A new upmarket business district has evolved and the place has lost its old edgy charm. The 172 tourist street was still the same as I remember though with its cheap restaurants and happy hour bars selling draught beers for less than a buck.

When the heat of the afternoon had dissipated I took a stroll down to the riverfront which was also still the same aside from the pigeon plague. However, the traffic in the city had increased to horrendous levels (but still nothing compared to Bangkok), and the tuk-tuk bandits were out in force.

One thing I enjoyed about Phnom Penh was the Smile shops, the Cambodian version of 7-Eleven. Not only was everything a fraction of the price of Thailand, but they had tables and chairs outside where you could rest under a brolly to enjoy a cold tinny to break up the walk.

The old nightlife area that was the Sorya Mall had gone – bought up, leveled, and walled off by a Chinese real estate company building another skyscraper no doubt. As such, the boisterous bar area was no more having been relocated and spread to other areas of the city. These areas attracted more feral farangs, probably the types that got kicked out of Pattaya, and most of them appeared to be strung out on something. You had to have your guard up out in PP after dark.

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Next: Cruising the Mekong

[Big Boy]

Argh, those spiders. I had one fed to me on my first night ever in Thailand. I didn't know what I was eating until the young lady said, "Spider." Never again. It probably tasted OK, but it's just the thought of eating spiders

[Dannie Boy]

Plus where do they get all those spiders from? Good to see they’ve followed the Thai “art” of electric cabling!!

[buksida]

Having spent most of the trip travelling down the Mekong, I really wanted to get onto it so we booked a sunset cruise for the evening. Two hours on the boat with free-flow beer cost just $16 - this would definitely not be available across the border in abstemious Thailand.

The views over the new skyline were spectacular as the sun cast its final golden glow of the day over the Tonle Sap River as it converged with the Mekong. The staff were very attentive with top-ups and the cruise worked out to be one of the best trips we took on the journey and one of the cheapest.

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To follow: closing thoughts and comparisons.

[Nereus]

Brilliant report there Buksi!

I think that the one thing that surprises me the most is the proliferation of high rise buildings. Probably more than 25 years since I was last there, but at that time the Palace was probably the highest building!

[buksida]

Yep, the skyline was unrecognizable from my last trip just ten years ago. Construction was going on pretty much everywhere in PP.

[buksida]

The final day was spent shopping at the very touristy central market. Here we loaded up on Kampot pepper, chili paste, tea, coffee, textiles, sunnies, gifts and anything else we’d get stung for across the border, including liquor. Just as well because the duty-free shop in PP airport was an absolute rip off (as most airport duty-free shops are).

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There were highs and lows during the two-week trip which is what travelling is all about. We had a good mix of comfortable and ‘rough and ready’ accommodation, transport, and food to get the full experience since the three of us were on vastly different budgets. However, I would like to spend a bit longer there (preferably in a cooler month when the river has more water), rent a motorcycle, learn some lingo, and really get to know the place.

Thanks for reading.

All photos were taken on a Nikon D7200 or my PocoX3 phone, and edited using Adobe Lightroom.

Will follow up with some observations and comparisons.

[buksida]

Observations and Comparisons


The Driving and Transport
Khmers are a lot more 'laid back' than Thais, as a consequence they drive a lot slower and there are fewer accidents (didn’t see any during the whole trip). Drivers in Thailand are very aggressive and need to get there ahead of everyone else which leads to these reckless ‘me first’ maneuvers.

However, the roads are much better in Thailand, as Cambodian highways are mostly single lanes in various states of ‘flatness’. Things are improving around the major centers though.

There are also very few police on the roads, I actually saw more cops on the journey from the airport in Bangkok to Hua Hin than in an entire fortnight in Cambodia.

Transport is way better in Thailand with lots of options and better roads (shorter travelling times if not using trains). In Cambodia, you’re limited to pricey private taxis, aging sardine can minivans that double up as freight wagons, and even older local busses. I’d hoped to travel by boat but none were running at this time of year due to low river levels.


The People and Hospitality
Cambodians appear to be a lot more approachable than Thais, they want to talk to you. For this reason, the level of service and hospitality in hotels, restaurants, and bars was a much higher standard. Even in the minimarts, the staff were eager to help whereas in Thailand they’re playing on their phones.

However, outside of the tourist centers, very little English is spoken which created a lot of confusion at times. My Khmer is non-existent and it was often frustrating since I’m used to rambling away in Thai and being understood here.


Food & Beverage
We all had “Khmer belly” in various stages of severity throughout the trip. This was likely due to the change in diet, water, and probably too much stout. Some local “Cammodium” pills were in order before undertaking arduous minivan journeys.

The Western food was pretty good in the tourist spots where farangs can work in restaurants and kitchens without fear of police raids. Outside of them, the baguettes became a good staple. I found a lot of the food very sweet so had to specify no sugar in a lot of things which often led to confusion.

Restaurant prices were considerably cheaper in Cambodia and servings generally came in larger portions.

Drinking is less than half the price than in Thailand, even the swanky places didn’t charge that much and cocktails were generous because the liquor is so cheap. There were no monopolies controlling the market with chemical lagers so there were plenty of choices and imports, I didn’t even get to try them all. Additionally, there are no stupid time, date, event, location, or transport restrictions either – you could even get a beer while touring around their most revered site, Angkor.



More to follow ...

[buksida]

The Accommodation
There was accommodation for every budget from $5 dorms to $200 five-star resorts. We didn’t book anything aside from the first one in Siem Reap and just rocked up on spec. In mid-March nowhere was that busy (aside from SR).

With accommodation you get what you pay for, a priority for me was some kind of terrace or balcony outside the room where you can sit and watch shit go by with a cold one. The best place we stayed in cost just over 1,300 THB per night and you’d pay double for the equivalent in Thailand.

The big difference was the level of service which was way better than here where it is often an effort to get staff to help you. In Cambodia you’re made to feel welcome, in Thailand you feel like you’re in their way!


The Environment
Yes, there was a lot of trash and plastic about. More so in the rural areas where the locals just throw it on the floor or burn it. This appears to be a problem endemic to Asia where governments have higher priorities than keeping the country clean and people just don’t care.

We didn’t see that many feral dogs either. There were also no plagues of roosters because they are food. Noise levels seem to be a lot higher in Thailand, though maybe it wasn’t something I was conscious of over there. The heat was oppressive though, it just felt hotter there even though temperatures are similar. Cambodia is a lot poorer than Thailand, there are more beggars and crime is probably a bit higher though we saw little evidence of it.

Tourist visas are expensive but they are very easy to extend in country with no hassles, time limits, intrusive demands, or financial scrutiny … and you can work legally without fearing police shakedowns and entrapment.


Living There
Would I live there? That is a tough question since I already have everything here and would need to start from scratch.

But if there comes a stage when living in Thailand becomes no longer practical or enjoyable due to bullshit bureaucracy, rules, regulations, crackdowns, dual pricing, animosity against foreigners, and a high cost of living, then yes I think I could. If anything, it reminded me a lot of Thailand in the late 1990s and the freedoms and sanuk we had back then before the ‘ban brigade’ took over.

Medical services are rapidly improving, as are transport links, hospitality is much better, long-term visas are way easier, all imported food is available in tourist areas, and the general cost of living is far lower than in Thailand on all levels. If I had to pick between the two countries from the beginning, it would be a no-brainer.


Well, that's all folks, hope I've inspired a few to travel. Until the next road trip!

Angkor Wat circa 1999

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[Dannie Boy]

Another hugely informative thread about your travels