S01-E18

Cambodia during Songkran and a quick stop in Bangkok, Thailand

Songkran, for those who do not know, is a festival celebrating the traditional Thai New Year, held in April and marked by the throwing and sprinkling of water. This holiday has spread to other countries in Southeast Asia, and we knew we would be somewhere when this celebration was going on, but we lost track of time, and not until we arrived did we know that we had arrived in Siem Reap the day before the festival began.

We stayed at the Residence Indochine D'angkor - an incredible hotel, a short 10-minute tuk-tuk ride outside of the main city area. The rooms are huge, there is a great pool and restaurant, and the price was right.

Getting around Siem Reap is very easy - there are tuk-tuks everywhere and you can also rent a scooter if you like.

We booked a private all-day tour through With Locals to explore Angkor Wat and some of the other surrounding temples. While not inexpensive it was totally worth it for many reasons. We learned a lot about the temples, the history, and the differences between all the different places, but we also had a driver who picked us up at each point in an air-conditioned car and had cold towels and water waiting for us because it was well over 100 degrees.

Because Songkran was happening our experience of Siem Reap was definitely different than if it were any other week. The city was packed with not only international tourists but also tourists from other parts of Cambodia. Every night when you went out you were immediately drenched with water and had baby powder slapped all over your face, shirt, shorts - you name it. There are bands and DJs playing every where and the streets are packed. Many restaurants were closed because of the holiday so we grabbed meals where we could. The best part was enjoying this celebration with random strangers, sharing beers, and snacks. It was truly a unique and magical experience.