The day after Boxing Day Joe and flew to Cambodia for our last adventure of the year. Our mini-moon adventure!
First stop Phnom Penh for a few days. We were made to feel super welcome at The King Grand Suites who upgraded us to their honeymoon suite and welcomed us with amazing towel art!
Phnom Penh is compact ... almost everything we wanted to see was within a few blocks from where we staying. We hired a tuk-tuk to show us round on our first night. The highlight for me... A restaurant called Romdeng...
First stop Phnom Penh for a few days. We were made to feel super welcome at The King Grand Suites who upgraded us to their honeymoon suite and welcomed us with amazing towel art!
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| http://www.kinggrandsuites.com |
"A true taste of Cambodia in cuisine and décor, Romdeng serves Cambodian food that ranges from almost forgotten recipes from the provinces to contemporary creative Cambodian cuisine. Romdeng is run by Mith Samlanh, which has worked to build the futures of former street children and marginalised young people in Phnom Penh since 1994."
To read more about Romdeng and the Friends International project visit http://friends-international.org/shop/romdeng.asp
One of the places we visited which really touched me was Toul Sleng Genocidal Museum. I had been warned before we went that this would be an emotional outing. It is most certainly not a place for the squeamish! Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's security in 1975 and turned into a prison. It would become known as Security Prison 21 or S-21. It became the largest center of detention and torture in Cambodia. The museum is testament to the 17,000 people who were held here. All of the detainees who died here are buried in the prison grounds.
Every single prisoner who came to S-21 was photographed, both before and after they were tortured. And here at the museum you are able to see all of the evidence as it covers the walls. Truly shocking.
After a short stay in Phnom Penh we flew to Siem Reap. Joe has always wanted to see Angkor Wat so for him this trip was a dream come true. It was absolutely incredible. Angkor is one of the most famous sites in South-East Asia. It stretches over 400km squared. With limited time it would be almost impossible to cover all this land. We of course visited the famous Angkor Wat temple, as well as Angkor Thom and Bayon Temple.
One of the places we visited which really touched me was Toul Sleng Genocidal Museum. I had been warned before we went that this would be an emotional outing. It is most certainly not a place for the squeamish! Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's security in 1975 and turned into a prison. It would become known as Security Prison 21 or S-21. It became the largest center of detention and torture in Cambodia. The museum is testament to the 17,000 people who were held here. All of the detainees who died here are buried in the prison grounds.
Every single prisoner who came to S-21 was photographed, both before and after they were tortured. And here at the museum you are able to see all of the evidence as it covers the walls. Truly shocking.
Whilst in Siem Riep we stayed at the wonderful La Niche D'Angkor Boutique Hotel where again we were made to feel extremely welcome. They also organised our trip to temples. Whilst in Siem Riep we also made sure we paid a visit to the Old Market area and the famous Pub Street! A must see!
Joe and I saw in the New Year at Raffles Hotel in Phnom Penh. It was a magnificent start to the year. The hotel was absolutely fabulous! We booked to attend a Cambodian Dinner and Dance Gala which took place by the pool. They did not hold back with the decorations. There were Cambodian ice sculptures surrounding the pool and performances from the Royal Ballet and Le Royal Band. As New Year approached the champagne flowed freely and we were ushered into the conservatory for the countdown to midnight. It truly was a great way to start our first year as husband and wife.
We absolutely loved Raffles Hotel. Such an incredible experience. It was the perfect ending to a great trip!
We absolutely loved Raffles Hotel. Such an incredible experience. It was the perfect ending to a great trip!
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| http://www.raffles.com/phnom-penh/ |
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