Our Trip’s Second-Tier Top 11 Experiences

Well, we’re home. It was a wonderful trip, but we’re happy to be back in the comfort of the United States. But before we get back to the reality of work (or seeking it), I wanted to give you a sampling of our top experiences overall. I’ve broken this into two posts. Below are our second-tier experiences, those that were great but just short of incredible. The next post will have our top nine, the experiences we’ll definitely never forget. 

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Goodbye, Cambodia: A Retrospective

Angkor Wat, iconic Cambodia

The first leg of our trip is now complete. We are now on our way to Vietnam (easiest border crossing ever, btw), having spent three weeks in Cambodia. We have seen an incredible amount of things here. From Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious complex, to the Tuol Seng genocide museum, a monument to the horrific acts of the Khmer Rouge, to the beautiful tropical island of Koh Rong Saloem, we have experienced a great deal. Now we head to Vietnam for our next adventure, having learned a few things about Cambodia and ourselves.

Exploring the Temples of Angkor Wat

A trip to Italy wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Vatican. If you go to New York and don’t see Times Square, you are doing it wrong. Likewise, a trip to Cambodia without seeing Angkor Wat is no trip at all. And so, despite our general aversion to religious buildings (thanks to the church tour of Italy), we went to visit the temples. And we were not disappointed.

Cambodia’s PR Campaign: An Uphill Battle

The land border crossing from Thailand to Cambodia is, in a word, challenging. But far more challenging is the person whose job it is to change the perception of “Scambodia” into one that is more tourist friendly. Which brings me to public relations, or more accurately, how PR can only do so much.

Thailand to Cambodia: The Land Border Crossing Saga

After two uneventful nights in Bangkok spent recovering from our flight and visiting stuff, we decided that we would head over to Cambodia to visit the temples of Angkor Wat. But instead of flying, which would cost about $110 per person, we took a bus. The experience that followed was a stressful crash course in scam economics.