Asia

An Itchy Feet on the Cheap Takeover

When I started this site over 6 years ago, I hadn’t even been to Asia. Now, I’ve been to over 10 Asian countries and lived in 2 of them. I love Asia. There is so much to see and do, so many attractions for travelers. The culture is incredibly unique from country to country. There was a time I thought Vietnam and China were similar. Not even close. If you are looking for an alternate view of Asia, this collection of tips and articles will help you plan a trip, or learn about the largest and most populous continent in the world.

Kratie, Cambodia: Mekong River Dolphins

Sunset over the Mekong
The sun sets over the Mekong in Kratie.
From Kampong Cham we headed to Kratie (4 hrs, $5) on a bouncy, speedy bus that was driven by a man with no fear. We were dropped off right on the Mekong River and were immediately approached by a guy who wanted us to stay at his guesthouse. Not having any better options, we agreed and checked into Silver Dolphin Guesthouse ($12 with AC and TV). It was basic but had everything we needed (although Sara’s spider count reached dangerous levels). One bonus was that there’s a school next door that we could see right into from our window. It was fun to watch the little Cambodian children working away in a classroom. Don’t bother with the guesthouse restaurant though.

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Kampong Cham, Cambodia: The Beginning of our Travels up the Mekong

Mekong River Kampong Cham Cambodia Cow
A cow poses in front of Kizuna Bridge in Kampong Cham
Young Cambodian girl sleeps on a Capitol Tours bus
Capitol Tours: The civilized way to travel
We had banned Phnom Penh Sorya after the last debacle, so we booked our passage to Kampong Cham from Sihanoukville with Capitol Tours (the civilized way to travel) for $9.75, with a stopover in Phnom Penh. We had a couple of hours to kill between our connecting bus in Phnom Penh (it seems like we can’t stay away), but the Capitol bus station had a restaurant serving relatively good food and, most importantly, cold beer to stave off the sweltering heat of Phnom Penh.

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Koh Rong: Cambodia’s Island Paradise

paradise island Cambodia white sand beach
One of Koh Rong's pristine, white sand beaches.
Koh Rong is perfection. Turquoise waters, white sand, beer (cold: thanks to a daily ice delivery from the mainland). With no internet and no electricity (until the generator switches on at dusk till 11PM) there’s not much to do but relax and enjoy the serenity of the island. A far cry from the insanity of the beaches of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. We brought a bottle of rum ($7) from the mainland which helped us save a bit of money given that beers and Cokes are a $1 a can on the island.

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Sihanoukville, Cambodia: Beach, Please!

Sunset Ochheuteal Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Watching the sunset with a cold draft beer.
We paid $10 for a bus ticket from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville with Phnom Penh Sorya. We were told it would take nine hours; it took twelve, and included a bus change in Phnom Penh. The bus station in Sihanoukville is a little far from the beaches and guesthouse areas, and the tuk-tuk drivers/taxi drivers are not open to negotiation. We arrived after dark and took a taxi for $8.

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Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor Wat

Chann Na speed boat
Boat trip from Battambang to Siem Reap

We took the Chann Na speed boat from Battambang to Siem Reap. It is referred to by the Lonely Planet as “Cambodia’s most enchanting boat trip.” Unfortunately, I was battling food poisoning and seasickness. I don’t remember much of that boat trip. I do remember being conked out on Gravol perched on a hard-seated, straight-backed bench with nowhere to rest my head. Boats and Sara do not mix. Boats and food poisoning and Sara are even worse. According to Ryan, the scenery was wonderful and although it took 7 hours to get to Siem Reap the worst part was a numb bum.

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Battambang: A glimpse into Cambodian rural life

Battambang river
Battambang's river

We tried to avoid the regular backpacker (read: Lonely Planet) guesthouses and found ourselves at Senghout Hotel. It was great! $12 for an air-con room with cable TV. Seng Hout has a surprisingly nice rooftop garden with panoramic views of the city, and a great group of tuk-tuk drivers who charge less than the going rate for day trips. We rented a tuk-tuk for $15, heading out at about 11AM and returning to the guesthouse at 7PM. Our driver was a nice young man who was eager to make us comfortable.

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Mind the Crap

Oh, Phnom Penh. Such a shithole. The butt crack of the world — where the scum settles in the tourist area. So many beggars and ruthless business people selling their everything (including their children). I felt generally unsafe in Phnom Penh. Maybe because of the horror stories I had read. Maybe because on the first night a child, who we wouldn’t buy a bracelet from, followed us through the streets and called us shitheads. I’m not sure. What I am sure of though, is that Phnom Penh is not the most accurate or pleasant introduction to Cambodia.

The market area outside of our hotel.
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Pak Chong and Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Pak Chong is easily reached by bus (108B/$3.50) from Bangkok‘s Mo Chit Terminal (Northern & Northeastern Terminal).
Khao Yai is our first foray into Thai wildlife. We stayed at Bobby’s Apartment which was a great place to stay. We didn’t have a reservation, but when we got off the bus a local woman asked us where we were staying and called Bobby’s from a public phone. In 10 minutes Mike came and picked us up and made us feel at home. We had some of the best food we’d had in Thailand there. I highly recommend the red curry.

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Pai, Thailand: a mainstream tourist spot losing its hippie cred

It cost us 70B/$2.30 by local bus to get from Mae Hong Son to Pai and the bus was pretty much empty.

Pai is a crazy little town in northern Thailand. It was once a haven for drug users (might still be). It’s proximity to hot springs, waterfalls, and other natural beauties, makes it a great place for a relaxing visit.

Arriving in Pai, it is clear to see that it is desperately hanging on to its old hippie vibe while also trying to appeal to the mass of western tourists that descend on it everyday. Travellers wander around embodying the “bird shit farang” nickname they deserve. Aside from the gross hippies though, Pai is a nice relaxing town to stay in.

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Mae Hong Son, Thailand: On the Myanmar border

Nong Jong Kham (Lake), Mae Hong Son
Nong Jong Kham Lake, Mae Hong Son
Getting to Mae Hong Son from Soppong was pretty painful. There is a local bus that runs from Chiang Mai through Soppong on to MHS. This bus was supposed to arrive at 11:30am. We waited in the roasting sun in the middle of the Soppong Tuesday market, and when the bus finally arrived at 2pm it was packed. We bailed and took a minibus that left at 2:30pm for 150B/$4.90.

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