Angkor Heritage Tour

A Cambodian escapade wouldn't be complete without visiting the world-famous Angkor Heritage Park. It is conveniently located in the heart of Siem Reap City, and accessible by TukTuk from the city central. 1 day will not be enough to visit each and every temple in Angkor Park!

Cambodia: Of Hotels ang Tuktuks

I agree that an overnight stay in Cambodia is not enough. Well, I don't have any choice because I only have a tight travel schedule.

In order for me to maximize and enjoy my stay, I made sure beforehand that I will feel comfortable with my hotel accommodation, but of course not forgetting to blend with the Cambodian daily life.

Siem Reap, Cambodia: I LOVE

TRAVEL DATES: February 16 - 17, 2013

Travel Budget: USD 90

Cambodia, the country I've been looking forward to visit last year, came into reality as I visited it last month. Why do I love Cambodia? A bunch of reasons I have to share with you below and others should definitely know. :)

Cambodian Border

I  LOVE Cambodia because......

1.) ...it is very convenient to travel from Thailand!

From Bangkok Hua Lamphong's Train Station, you may ride the Eastern Line and the trip will take around 5 - 6 hours. It's a 3rd class seat and only costs THB 48 but the seats are very comfortable spacious. You may read more details from here: "Train to Cambodia".

Aranyaprathet Bound from Hua Lamphong

Thailand Countryside

2.) ...Cambodians are very hospitable and they always wear a smile on their faces!

Our Tuk-Tuk driver, Mr. Sokhom, was a very nice person and he share a lot of details about Cambodia's History. He is more concerned on his service to us rather than thinking of the money he will earn. He's such a very nice person! You may read more details from here: "Train to Cambodia".

Mr. Sokhom: Driver Number 3609

TRAVEL TIP: Hire a Tuk-Tuk for your one day trip to Angkor Historical Park. More details of the price matters from here: "Siem Reap Tour".

The store vendors, shop owners, restaurant waiters and waitresses are also very kind. And guess what, they know a lot about the Philippines! The main reason is that Philippine TV Shows are being shown here. Amazing!

3.) ...they have delicious foods. YES, the have very tasteful foods!

Well actually the taste is somehow similar with Thai Food but there's a distinct taste I couldn't describe which made it more uniquely delicious. You may check my food cravings here: "A Taste of Cambodia".

Bangkok Pub Street

4.) ...they have the world renowned Angkor Historical Park!

Need I say more? Well you can definitely know more about Cambodia's rich historical past from here: "Angkor, A Heritage Destination".

Angkor Wat

5.) ...the cost of living is cheaper than the Philippines!

Siem Reap City only has few Skyways and Highways, and they do not have any train system. A Tuk-Tuk ride would already suffice your transport needs. Tuktuk rides typically cost USD 1 - USD 2.

Motorcycle is their main transportation method

6.) ...life is simpler and slow-paced which I perfectly wanted!

Very simple life and simple infrastructures but very rich in heritage. Well, they do have KFC and other foreign fast food brands in the city, but local foods are still the best to try in town!

Kids riding their bicycle after school

More information about Cambodia:

• Cambodia's Hotel and Transportation
• Cambodian Food Frenzy
• Cambodia's Heritage Sites

Where to in Bangkok?

I want to be a certified backpacker; well at least I’m trying to be one. I want to experience exploring in a new place with all my things just packed in my backpack. Thailand is a popular destination for backpackers and I thought this will be a good start for me to be one.

Suvarnabhumi Airport

TRAVEL TIP: Ride all the local transportation as much as possible, be closer to the local people, and get acquainted with the place’s culture, up close.

I want to share with you how transportation system is like in Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok. It’s good to see that even though Bangkok has progressed greatly over the years, they still haven’t seized their early mode of transportation, the Bangkok State Railway. Now I agree with the ideas I've known before that train systems are the city’s road to industrialization.

I’m amazed of Bangkok’s State Railway because it is still fully operational and still offers a lot of train routes heading to various places of Thailand.

Bang Sue [bang-soo] Train Station

For instance visiting Ayutthaya City on the northern part of Thailand, you can ride a train from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station via the Northern Line. The trip takes around 90 minutes and costs around THB 20 for a 3^rd class yet a comfortable seat. The train regularly departs everyday from 6:30 AM so no need to be worried not to catch a train ride. :)

Ayutthaya Bound Train Station

When you are a first time traveler in Thailand just like me, arriving Bangkok’s airport and going to the city central is very convenient. After passing through the Thai Immigration and getting your luggage, exit the arrival area and go to the main lobby. Then head down to the Basement to which the Airport Rail Link (SARL) is located.

SARL Train at Bangkok Airport

From the airport going to the last train station of SARL, Phaya Thai Station, it will only take around 30 – 45 minutes and costs around THB 40 – THB 50. Not only you will pay less, you will still have equal comfort!

Train token vending machine

TRAVEL TIP: Roaming around Bangkok, there are a lot of transportation options to choose from. It depends on what area you want to go and what’s the cheapest and safest option to have. If the place you wanna go is near the Bangkok MRT Stations or BTS Stations, I highly suggest riding the Bangkok Trains. It is fast, convenient, highly-organized and safe. Well the downside is that it is a bit expensive.

Train turnstile using contactless token

Petchaburi Station                           Bang Sue Station

If the place is not near the train stations, the TAXI should be your next option. There are a lot of “colorful” taxis in Bangkok. Yes, I did mean it is colorful. Always politely ask the driver to use the taximeter rather than them dictating the price. If they don’t agree with this suggestion, put on your smile, get out of the taxi, and politely say thank you. There are a lot of taxis available in the city so it would not be a problem.

There it is, the PINK Taxi!

TRAVEL TIP: The taxi’s flag down rate is THB 35 and increments regularly depending on the distance and time it takes for you to arrive at your destination. You may find some online Bangkok Taxi Calculator to have an idea prior.

Crossing the famous Chao Praya River, you can easily go to Wat Arun from Tha Tien Pier, near Wat Pho Temple, through their express ferry. The ferry operates regularly until 8PM and it only costs THB 3.

Tha Tien Pier

Last mode of transportation I would recommend is the Tuk-Tuk. Tuk-Tuk is very and cheap but some tuk-tuk drivers tend to fool you around especially when you’re new in Bangkok.

Yes, I am a living casualty of their “tuk-tuk moves”. It may cost you cheaper but be mindful though because they might bring you to some places first such as the Information Center, expensive River cruise trip, and other places to which they can earn referral commissions.     

Yes, he did his "Tuk-Tuk moves"!

Visiting Cambodia from Bangkok, there are a lot of options to choose from heading to the border, Aranyaprathet; bus, taxi, and train. Well, what are the pros and cons? Check out my “opinion table” below about the transportation options:

	TRAIN	BUS	TAXI
Availability	Departs Bangkok's Hua Lamphong twice everyday  (5:55 AM and 1:35 PM)	A lot of buses available going to Aranyaprathet	Available anywhere and anytime
Travel Time	5 - 6 hours	4 – 5 hours	3 – 4 hours
Comfort	3rd class non-airconditioned seats	Air-conditioned seats	Air-conditioned seats
Safety	SAFEST	Somehow safe   (but takes a lot of stops)	Very Safe
Price	THB 48 (cheapest!)	THB 230	THB 2,000

Hua Lamphong Station

I highly recommend riding the train because it is very safe, heads directly to Aranyaprathet without detour stops, passes the rural areas of Thailand, and the best of all - you will surely meet fellow tourists and backpackers alike! :)

More resources about Thailand:

• Bangkok, Thailand's Krung Thep
• Bangkok Foodies
• Bangkok City and Temples

Bangkok, Thailand's Krung Thep

TRAVEL DATES: February 14 - 15, 2013

Travel Budget: USD 180

My first international backpacking experience happened in Bangkok, Thailand and Siem Reap, Cambodia afterwards. Mixed feelings encapsulated me again because this was my first travel for this year 2013 and yes, my travel adventure started outside the Philippines!

Backpack + Laptop + Camera Bag

I departed NAIA Terminal 3 from Manila, Philippines at 6:30AM (PHL Time) through Cebu Pacific Air carrier and arrived Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport at 8:45AM (THA Time). It was roughly a three-hour plane ride which I enjoyed a lot...sleeping!

Arriving Bangkok's Airport, I was instantly amazed with it's structural facade and how the airport itself was constructed. It was a huge airport. One of the nicest things about their airport was that they have the "Airport Rail Link" which connected it directly to central Bangkok. How I wish Philippines' government should have thought of this too. :)

Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced as "Suvarnabhum" only) 

Bangkok, or Krung Thep for locals, was a city central filled with various cultural races. It was like a salad bowl of every country in every continent of the world. It had made the city more vibrant with a lot of choices to offer. It's too premature to say that I fell in love with Bangkok right there and then but YES, it was a place worthy of such credit.

I've visited a lot of what Bangkok has to offer, from the city's Temples or locally known as "Wat", to Ayutthaya's historical ruins. I never missed the chance to taste what authentic Thai foods are, such as Tom Yum at Pad Thai. I've learned new Thai words which are commonly used for greetings like the "Sawasdee Ka" and "Khop Khun Khap".

              Tom Yum                            Thai Family in the Train 

         Tuk-Tuk                 Bangkok Wat Pho

I've noticed though that Bangkok men are more accommodating than their women. It's a bit weird because in the Philippines, women are more accommodating and always wearing a smile on their faces. Well, maybe because of language and cultural differences that's why their women are kinda assertive and frequently spoke fast.

 Food Vendors in Pratunam Area

Every country has it's positives and negatives and for me, Bangkok knew how to manage these. I'd love going back to this place, hopefully with some knowledge already about Thai Language. Well I admit, it's hard to communicate with them using English.

I remembered when we ate at a restaurant in Khao San Road, I asked where the nearest drugstore is because my head was aching. The waiter replied to me, "Drug Story, Sir?". I did my charade thingy explaining what I'm feeling but at the end of the day, we did not understand each other.

Ticketing Entrance at Ayutthaya with Thai words!

Well, I took this as a learning experience and nothing against Thai waiters. They are very accommodating and will surely attend to your needs at their best. Just be sure to wear your smiling face all the time, speak English slowly, and bring enough money, Thai Baht, because their foods and beers are deliciously addictive!

Bangkok Traffic at 9AM

We stayed at Pratunam Pavilion Hotel during my 2-night stay in Bangkok. The hotel is strategically located in the heart of Pratunam, Bangkok's business center. The hotel rate per night was USD 44 and it was a very good deal because the room was very clean and spacious! Check out their updated room rates from here: www.agoda.com.

Pratunam Pavilion Map

More resources about Thailand:

• Bangkok Food
• Bangkok Transportation
• Bangkok City and Temples