Night Time Market in Phnom Penh

This weekend we ventured back up to Phnom Penh (or PP as it's locally known!) My weekends are spare time to do what I like and I can leave the orphanage to visit other places and sight see.  There are 4 of us just now and we booked Eighty 8 Backpackers Hostel to stay in (review to follow).

One of the best things to do at the weekends in Phnom Penh is visit the night market.  So far I've been to the new market (daytime) and a rural local market; so I was keen to see how this compared.

We took a Tuk Tuk which cost us $2.50 there & back between 4 of us (so super cheap).  Tuk Tuk drivers will usually ask how many people there are & charge $1 per person - this can be haggled down though - so don't accept this first price!

The night market is set up in a huge square, just across from the river front.  It's a bustling hive of activity and the smell of sizzling food is amazing! There are lots of food stalls set up around the square all cooking a variety of Asian dishes.  In the centre is large woven mats where people sit with their food and chat amongst the buzzy atmosphere of the night market.

For our dinner we chose chicken kebabs which had peppers, onions and carrots on the skewers as well.  You could choose which kebabs you wanted and they would barbecue them for you.  See pictures below:

There was also a variety of other obscure delicacies; including chicken feet and whole mice. 

I also had a freshly made shake; you could choose from coconut, mango, pineapple, ginger beer, passion fruit or banana. 

The shake stand

Behind the food stalls were loads of other clothing, flip-flop, jewelry and handbag stalls - it's a great place to just wander round and soak up the atmosphere. Hang on to your bag for dare life though, pickpockets & opportunistic child thieves are common here and even out Tuk Tuk driver warned us about them! 

The mats in the centre for eating. 

Clothing stalls

There was also a stage with lots of entertainers and performers - although the Cambodian sketches were impossible to follow the rest of the crowd seemed to find them hugely funny! 

So, there it is: Phnom Penh's bustling night market!

Thanks for reading :-)

How to get a visa on arrival in Cambodia

Getting a visa in Cambodia is a really straightforward process.  I tried and failed to obtain one from back home; I contacted the embassy via email and phone, but no-one could help and they didn't even respond to email.

Before boarding the plane in Bangkok there were 3 documents to pick up - see below.

 Arrival/departure card

 Back of arrival/departure card

 Main Visa application form

 Customs & Excise form (front)

Customs & Excise form (back)

Remember to bring one passport photo for the main application form! (They can take this at the airport, but it costs)

The arrival/departure card --> the departure side of this will be torn off and stapled into your passport. 

CAUTION: make sure you definitely get the correct visa, a tourist visa is $30, whereas the business/ordinary (more than 60 days) is $35.  Even if you pay the correct amount they are known for issuing the cheaper tourist one, so be aware of this! You can check it on the stamp in your passport.  Otherwise it means leaving the country (to Bangkok) to renew it. 

Packing for a SouthEast Asia Adventure: What's inside my backpack?

Packing is always tricky... even more so when you're backpacking and going to be moving around and in countries where the terrain doesn't always suit a wheelie case.  In my last blog post I introduced you to the travel pack I have and this time I'm going to share what's inside it! 

1. Pyjamas (x2) cotton & long sleeved

2. Bottoms - 1x long craghoppers impregnated with mosilife + a selection of shorts & loose 'hippy' trousers

3. Fancier tops (x2) incase we go out at weekends

4. Shirts - smarter shirts for teaching & covering up.

5. Dresses & skirts (long or mid length)

6. Cotton teeshirts & blouses

7. Large shawl/scarf

8. underwear

9. bikini

10. mossi net

11. money belt

12. toiletries bag

13. towels (x2) 1 small travel fast dry towel, extra light + 1 large beach towel

14. Teaching supplies for the children

Obviously every traveler is different.  This may be a lot more than most take... It all fits into a 60 + 20l travelpack.  Where I am staying is very remote & therefore I think I'm traveling a little heavier than a lot of other backpackers.  But I know I have all I need. 

Shoes

Old trainers for walking further (nice & comfy)

Flip flops! 

100% leather sandals so the soles of my feet don't burn up in the hot sun. 

I also use loads of these re-sealable sandwich bags, incase of leaks and to keep everything dry from the humidity.  (Plus I think they're just really cute & keeps my backpack neat (ish)!)

Packing Up & Setting Off - The Highs and Lows of a Long Haul Journey.

I MADE IT!!!

1 car journey, 3 flights (6 take off & landings), a mad dash through Dubai airport (including a ride on the airport train) and an even crazier taxi journey to my hotel, but I am now in Phnom Penh and what a city it is! 

 

Packing 

'Billy Joel'

What a dilemma trying to decide what the best type of bag to take would be.  Originally I was going to take Billy Joel - otherwise known as my red Tresspass 66L backpack I took interrailing with me in Europe; however after much deliberation it was decided that being a toploader it wasn't big enough, nor secure enough to take on this trip to Southeast Asia.  Instead I have opted for the Traveller 60 + 20L rucksack from Mountain Warehouse.  This is a travel pack and a really easy and more secure bag, here's why:

Mountain Warehouse 60+20L Traveler 

1. Being a travel pack means it has a side zip fastening and can be fully opened out (somewhat like a normal suitcase)  This makes it a heck of a lot easier to find your belongings as opposed to digging down a toploader bag! 

2. It has a 60L main compartment, but also a detachable 20L daysack.  This means it's multi-functional; the daysack can easily be zipped off and used for daytrips.

3. Security - There are three zipped areas which are padlock compatible.  So this means the bag can be kept nice & secure - but it's really more about deterring thieves and making it as difficult as possible for them.  It's mostly opportunistic theft in Asia as opposed to organised theft crime - so the padlocks help to put potential thieves off.  

4. Flight acceptable - many airlines can be fussy about letting rucksacks through check in that have loose straps; this is because they can become trapped in the conveyor belts and cause problems - the traveler 60 + 20 solves this problem by concealing the backpack straps behind a zipped flap.

5. As with most rucksacks and travel packs this one comes with a rain cover! 

Mountain Warehouse Rucksack Transit Bag (85L)

Since my bag was going on a long haul flight to Asia  - I decided to invest in a one of these as well! It completely covers the travel pack and is really neat; it has a handle and strap on the outside too.  If you're travel isn't taking you on a flight then I wouldn't bother with a transit bag, but for flying I think it's well worth investing.  When you've arrived it can be easily zipped away into its own little bag. I also padlocked this for extra security too.

There are various links on youtube and Blogger for any travelers who wish to make their backpack zips lockable.  Just google "how to make your travel backpack lockable."

  

 

The Flight

Glasgow --> Dubai --> Bangkok --> Phnom Penh

       Emirates -->Emirates --> Bangkok Airways

If you're a nervous flyer (like me) then this is the worst part of traveling! However, as far as flights go these were pretty good.  My flight from Dubai to Bangkok was on an airbus A380 complete with wifi! The Emirates service was impeccable and all the little touches like hot refreshing towels upon boarding and before landing make flying a little more bearable.  There's also a huge range of movies (include new releases) and some TV shows as well to watch on board.  On every seat there's a pillow and blanket too - so if that spares taking an extra layer it's a bonus! 

 All set! (*including Emirates headphones)

Food & drink on board is on constant supply: drinks, snacks, meals, more drinks, sweet treats, yet more drinks! I ordered a gluten free meal and as requested it was given to me.

 Vanilla Ice-cream sweet treat!

 About to board the Airbus A380

 About to board Bangkok Airways flight

My hotel in Phnom Penh provided a transfer upon request from the airport - my first experience on the roads in Cambodia was both thrilling & terrifying! Horns beeping galore, no traffic lights, free for all at "junctions" mopeds and tuk tuks everywhere! It is chaotic! But something about this chaotic city tells me I'm going to love it! 

Finally, BED!...

I hope you've enjoyed another one of my blog posts.  What bag do you swear by on your travels? Are you security conscious when flying? Have you been to Phnom Penh?

I'd love to hear all comments on my blog OR you can tweet me @Sc0tsGirl

What to read before a trip to South East Asia

So this is my first ever trip to South East Asia - and the saying "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" is one that's been at the back of my mind.  For me, I think it's important to familiarize yourself with some of the culture, customs and history of the country you are planning on visiting.  I will be volunteering in Cambodia and Thailand for a combined time of 5 months.  I feel it's especially important for me to know at least a little of the country before I go since I will be living and working alongside locals.  Also, as I am teaching I will be in a position of influence and trust and I don't think I can fully take on that role unless I understand a little of the people and their country.  

I chose to embark on this adventure and take on this challenge so that I could fully immerse myself in the local culture of Cambodia and Thailand. I'm hoping to get a true sense of the real Cambodia and Thailand instead of a tourists insight. So ofcourse, I won't know everything before I go (nor do I want to) part of the fun of it is is experiencing first hand the new culture and all it encompasses. However, that said, I've read a few guides and books - some I've chosen myself and some were passed on to me by friends. 

Here's all the books I have:

 

These books on Thailand were given to me by a friend there's a guide book, map and phrase book included; a phrase/vocab book is essential for teaching! 

Lonely Planet Cambodia book.  Lonely Planet needs no introduction! I've used them loads before both online & other books.  I used their 'Europe on a Shoestring' guide for my interrail trip. 

No good traveler would be without one of these! A map! If you're going to spend money on any guide make sure you have an UP-TO-DATE map! These Marco-Polo ones are my favourite: very reliable.  This one also comes with sticky arrows (great for planning a trip)!

This book perhaps needs (and deserves) more of an explanation.  The author of 'First they killed my father' is Loung Ung and she has also written 'Lulu in the Sky' & 'Lucky Child'.  She is a survivor of the Pol Pot regime and this book is harrowing and completely candid but remarkably enlightening.  In my research of this book it got mixed reviews - some people felt that it was unrealistic that this book was written from the point of view of a 5 year old child; however I think Ung deals with this exceptionally well.  For ANYONE travelling to Cambodia, I think this book is a must read.  It gives the reader an appreciation of the country's appalling and devastating history, but also delves into the emotional and personal effects on a real Cambodian family. 

 I hope you've enjoyed this post and maybe found it useful! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it? 

Friendships and Travelling: My Thoughts.

With less than two weeks to go until I set off for my adventure in Asia I thought I'd do a new post all about friendships. (sop!)  At the weekend two of my closest friends and I had arranged to have an obligatory drunken night out to say goodbye before I leave for 5 months! 

As it turns out they had been planning it for a lot longer than I'd known about: they got in touch with my friends on Facebook and had organised a surprise party for me! - all without me knowing! 

 They gave me a beautiful leaving present and cards (scroll down for pictures) and booked booths in one of my favourite bars in Glasgow. They kept the surprise right up until the very last minute (sneaky!)  

                                      

If there's one thing that going away does it's highlight all the things and people you're leaving behind.  This could seem sad, but in reality I think it's a positive thing - since telling everyone I'm leaving to travel it's made me realise the strength of my friendships.  So many people (some I wouldn't even have suspected) have wished me good luck, had leaving nights for me, given me farewell gifts and promised to keep in touch while I'm away.  I'm lucky to have good friends who are supporting me.  It seems travel is not only about making new friends, but cementing the friendships with old ones; friends who are prepared to stay connected on your travels and on your return are friends who, in my opinion, will last a lifetime. 

The beautiful Thomas Sabo bracelet they gave me with a flip flop and aeroplane charms to remember my travelling!

Good luck cards from work and friends.

 

Thanks for reading! :-)  I hope you enjoyed this little post all about friendship! Do you have any thoughts or favourite quotes on friendship you'd like to share?