Scott and I went budget for this trip, where we brought three laptop backpacks for an eight-day trip (although the third laptop bag was really due to Scott’s insistence on bringing his laptop that was never actually used).
Our itinerary was to fly from Singapore to the city of Phnom Penh where we’d stay for two days, then take a seven hour ferry from Sisowath Quay to Siem Reap where we’d meet up with his friends who had coinciding travel itineraries for the next four days, and finally to walk across the Cambodia/Thai border to spend the last two nights in Bangkok. It was the first time I had traveled in such a budget and impromptu fashion. In fact, we only booked our lodgings for Phnom Penh while waiting for the plane to take off. Viva mobile data!Queen Wood Hotel is a budget place located near Sisowath Quay. We got a decent bed-sized room for about $40 a night. Apart from the built-in closet and dresser, there wasn’t much space for anything else in the living space, which was fine by us, since all we really needed was a comfortable bed and a place to shower. It does however, boast an excellent view of the area from the rooftop.The large gaps in the hotel elevator was a little scary though.Part of the pool on the rooftop, and the rest of Phnom Penh.Staying near Sisowath Quay, we were pretty close to Wat Phnom, the tallest religious structure in the Phnom Penh. Scott and I met up with his friends, Ant, Ross, Dar, and Chris, and walked over there after dinner one night (although Dar and Chris chose to stay at the bottom of the hill when we got there). I guess temple-visiting is more of a daytime excursion, as we were the only ones at there. However, Wat Phnom at night was eerie, but beautiful.I loved the detail on the small shrines dotting the perimeter.We made friends with the kittens in residence. There were so many of them! This one followed Ross everywhere, and we didn’t even have food. We also encountered a pack of stray dogs who were howling and making a ruckus while circling us. I thought it was an amusing juxtaposition considering the proliferation of guard dog statues in the architecture.
