Ride: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Siem Reap - Phnom Penh, Cambodia (14/2/2010)


Heyya..

After spending only 2 days (1 night) in Siem Reap, we started our journey to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.. the ride took only 320 km of distance.. Phnom Penh is the Capital and largest city of Cambodia.. Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville are main cities mostly visited by tourists in Cambodia..

We left Siem Reap at 10.00 am after we had a proper heavy breakfast, provided by Ta Prohm Hotel... I needed a heavy breakfast meal as i was sick on previous day and needed to recover my endurance stamina..

We re-grouped with other bikers (whom stayed at different hotel) and filled up petrol few kilometers away from the hotel..

From Siem Reap, we rode on Route 6... the single-carriage highway was not busy at all.. we had a slow ride and stopped couple of times for photography sessions along the highway... i had 30 minutes of rest at Stoung and met few locals at a lake... i was told by them that the lake is a favourite spot where families would have picnics...


We rode for 158 km until we reached Kompong Thom.. i met the rest at a petrol station where some decided to fill up petrol.. big tank bike like KLR650 does need to fill only once for every 400 km.. OooWiee!!



Then we continued our ride to Phnom Penh.. it had to be another 160 km for us to ride before reaching Phnom Penh... Still on Route 6, the ride turned out to be the WORST ever ride in my life and others' too!! The roads got busier and big vehicles, i.e. SUV, Busses, Lorries and etc didn't even care about motorcycle riders...

Most riders had to avoid these big vehicles... Imagine this, for 160 km, you need to be brave and focus on the road if you ride along the Route 6, entering Phnom Penh.. We were mentally tortured and traumatized with the cars and SUVs.. Every time we overtook a vehicle, we had to honk many times to alert the drivers that we were overtaking them.. if you lose your concentration, you might be ended up under a truck!!!

Scary thoughts, huh...

At 2.00 pm, we managed to reach Phnom Penh in one piece at Khmer Souvenir Monument Statue...

In the city, the motorists drove like mad, crazy... they didn't give signals, coming out of junctions and simply made U-turns right in front of us, as if we do not exist... i guess it is compulsory for motorcycles to stop and give way to cars at All Times!! Pheewww...

We reached our hotel at Street 136.. this is main spot where most of night life happens.. Unfortunately, i could not get a room at the hotel where others were staying.. hence i found Paragon Hotel, which is close by...

The Paragon Hotel which i stayed was a bit turned off.. the room floor was dirty, very small with no window at the price of hotel, USD$23.00 per night...

On second day at Phnom Penh, i checked-out from Paragon Hotel and moved to Mekong Palace Hotel, which was x100 times better, cleaner and costs USD$18.00 per night..

Fortunately, i was lucky to stay on the highest floor which has an open balcony at the other end of the hotel hallway for hotel guests.. From the balcony, i could get a superb view of Mekong River and Tonle Sap River..

Fookin' Priceless!!!

On my first night, I did as what most tourists would do.. snapping photos and try to blend with the environment as Cambodians.. The traffic in Phnom Penh was heavy even at 10.00 pm as it was Chinese New Year...

We followed the locals to P'Sah Cha, where it was used to be the old market, for Chinese New Year celebration... the scene at P'Sah Cha was exactly the same as Uptown and Downtown in Kuala Lumpur...

I found Cambodian culture is unique... everywhere in the city, they love to have picnics... even at the P'Sah Cha market, they placed a huge rug for others to sit and have picnic.. how lovely life they have here.. i'm lovin' it!!

*Photos courtesy of Zaini Zaid


In total, we travelled 320 km of distance with the first 158 km was very relaxing... and absolutely a nightmare and torturous in the final 160 km..

Still, we managed to arrived safely in Phnom Penh, Cambodia...


HooRahh!!

Next: Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Day 2)

Ride: Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Siem Reap, Cambodia (13/2/2010)

Heyya..

We arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia on the 3rd day of our trip.. we reached at noon and we were amazed with the town... it is a quiet and clean town with most of the buildings are less than 4 stories high..

There are lots of tourists in Siem Reap, which makes you feel as if you're not in Cambodia...

Me, Dr. Gwendy and Dato' Rahman decided to find a hotel, which is located within few minutes from Bar Street.. We checked-in at Ta Prohm Hotel, a well built 4-star hotel... The room is beautiful, cosy and its interior is made of thick dark quality wood... Each room costs USD$35.00 per night.. Mind you, US Dollar is widely accepted anywhere in Cambodia...

The hotel receptionists were so kind to let us park our bikes right in front of the hotel main door.. And to my surprise, they covered our bikes with huge umbrellas.. how wonderful!!


After taking shower, we met other mates at local Indian restaurant for lunch... the meal was good..

Then me, Dr. Gwendy, Zaini, Piee and Sham took 2 tuk-tuks to Angkor Wat.. Dato' Rahman, Dr. Nadir (Doc Holiday) and Ariv stayed in the Siem Reap town to do personal shopping and massages..

*picture courtesy of Zaini Zaid

The Angkor Wat is located only 6 km away from our hotel.. it is not that far, but we still insisted to take the tuk-tuk... most tourists would prefer to rent a bicycle..


Before we reached Angkor Wat, we bought a 1-Day Pass for USD$20.00 per person... it was quite costly.. we could imagine how much of profits the Angkor Wat makes everyday...

As we reached Angkor Wat, we were speechless with its structures... snap lots of photos here..

Historically, the Angkor Wat is a temple built for the King Suryavarman II in the early 12th Century as his state temple (dedicated to the God Vishnu) and capital city.. the name of Angkor Wat means City of Temple..

After we've done the Angkor Wat visit, i was hit with an extremely bad fever.. the fever started to hit me when we rested under a big tree for coconut juice and others were buying souvenirs.. i was really in a bad shape, even Dr Gwendy was so worried.. it was really hard for me to breathe..

Dr Gwendy then directed the tuk-tuk to a pharmacy and prescribed the strongest medicine for my fever.. this must be the diarrhea which i had a night before and heat exhaustion at Angkor Wat...

Went back to Ta Prohm Hotel, took the medicine and slept.. Amazingly at 11.00 pm, i woke up and felt no fever anymore..

Went out to Bar Street and had a simple dinner... then went to Pub Street to check out its night life scene... Pub Street is located 3-minutes away from my hotel and it has  lots of bars and pubs...

Thank heavens, beer in Siem Reap is dirt cheap... only 75 cent for a mug of beer... i met 2 girls from Norway in a pub, shared our stories and drinks.. they will be coming to KL on the 4th of March and they are hoping to meet me in KL..




HooRahh!!

Next Ride: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Ride: Entering Cambodia - Siem Reap, Cambodia

Entering Cambodia - Siem Reap, Cambodia (13/2/2010)

Heyya...

On the 3rd day, we managed to re-group with the rest at the Clock Tower of Aranya Prathet..

we had a good night sleep after the 1,000 km ride on the previous day... we also managed to have a proper breakfast provided by the Phubesth Inter Hotel...

but early in the morning, i had a bad diarrhea.. took as many medicine as i could before we started our ride to Siem Reap...

We filled-up fuel and headed to Thailand-Cambodia Border Control.. at Thai border control, we stamped out our passports and filled Thai custom declaration forms..

As we were entering Cambodia through Poi Pet border, the queue was a bit long.. but there was one Cambodian officer who could get us through the border control with less hassle... He insisted to be paid only 200 Baht for each rider, in which all of us have agreed to pay...

Another preparation i had to make is to cover the bike headlamp.. it is illegal to ride with lights on in Cambodia during daytime.. as there is no switch to switch off the headlamp of the KLR, i had to cover it with duck tape..





By 10.00 am, we were entering Poi Pet, Cambodian border...

At first we had to get used in Left Hand Drive road system.. it took me less than 5 minutes... no worries at all...

We started to ride to Siem Reap via Route 5 until we reached Sisophon town.. Then after Sisophon town, we continued our ride to Siem Reap via Route 6..

The road map in Cambodia is pretty easy as the routes are built recently... there are not many motorway in Cambodia, so you don't easily get lost in the country...

*Picture courtesy of Zaini Zaid



From Poi Pet border until Siem Reap, we took our sweet time of riding.. My average speed was only 80 km/h... i stopped couple of times to snap photos.. The country of Cambodia is flat and full of Padi fields..  Other riders had a gap among each others as we were enjoying the sceneries and did not wanna get tired when we reached Siem Reap...






After riding for 160 km of distance, we finally arrived in Siem Reap.. the first thing we did, was to find a hotel near the infamous Bar Street..

The ride only took us 2 hours with the average speed of 80 km/h..



HooRahh!!

Next: Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, Cambodia