Siem Reap, Cambodia, and the temples of Angkor were on my list for a very long time – since I watched the movie Lara Croft – Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie actually (don’t blame me). We finally wen in end of March and were amazed by the beauty of the Khmer civilisation presents on those ruins and still well-preserved temples.

Angkor Wat

The first day was dedicated to the visit of temples. The biggest one Angkor Wat and others. It was not too crowded as I was afraid it would be but the weather started to be very very hot around 10 am. We hired a private guide to fully enjoyed the experience.

Temples

I had a big moment of emotion when visited the temple where the movie Lara Croft/Tomb Raider was recorded, as it was one my favorite movie when I was young.

Siem Reap Downtown

During the evening, we discovered the center of the town with these animated street. We had a first drink at Siem Reap, Rooftop Bar and then we continued the night at the gastronomic restaurant called Malis. The atmosphere as well as the food (fusion of Cambodian and French cuisines) were simply incredible.

Our hotel

The hotel where we stayed was a charming and the pool with a typical Cambodian decoration was nice to chill by and get a refreshing dip. I kept on taking the same dish – when we had dinner at the hotel – which was a typical Cambodian fish curry with rice – simply delicious.

Hipster streets

Our last day was reserved to stroll in the streets of the city and discover nice streets with a hipster atmosphere. One recommendation was the coffee shop we had from Loic’s mother was called Vibe Cafe. They serve coffee and vegan food and snacks. We took a refreshing bowl full of fruits and other delicacies there before going back to our hotel and then back to Hong Kong.

—

A beautiful country, unfortunately unknown, with many things to do. Only drawback: massages are not as good as I wished them to be… but for a refreshing and calm spiritual retreat (except in Vang Vieng) it is definitely the place to go!