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People, Food And Funny Words: Last Day In Cambodia 

May 16, 2023 /

“Hi”, he says, his whole face illuminated by his broad smile, “how long you been in Cambodia”.

“Four weeks now, we leave on Tuesday”, says Michaela, and adds in response to his next question, “Siem Reap, Tonle Sap, Battambang, Phnom Penh, Kampot and Kep”.

He beams. “Thank you so much for visiting my country, I hope you like it”

When we tell him just how much we have loved it, his smile nearly bursts out of his cheeks. He can’t say thank you enough times. Big smiles, friendly manner, gracious attitude….and there you have our experience of the people of Cambodia summed up in one brief exchange. Honestly, we haven’t met a single person who hasn’t fitted this framework. We have felt more than welcomed, we have felt befriended, by just about everyone, just about everywhere.

Michaela with Sarim
With Richard
Var & Son
Richard at work
Sarim taking a nap

But our time, like our visa, has almost run out, with one night back in Phnom Penh from where we fly to Singapore. The only train from Kep back to the capital gets there around midnight, the buses take hours and are going to get to Phnom Penh either too early to check in or so late that we have hours of kicking our heels – so we take the rare indulgence of a private car with driver and thus keep control of our timing. 

OK let’s talk about words. Now look, we all know that it’s not big and it’s not clever to laugh at foreign words which are naughty in English, nor is it funny to be amused by errors in translation. So we didn’t giggle at all when we saw this coffee shop all over Vietnam…

Nor did we chuckle at all of the other places called “Phuc” this or “Phuc” that. Nor at a temple called Bich Dong, or at a stadium named after someone called Tu Duc, or even when we drank Krud beer (“brewed for good times, brewed for Krud times”). Or at a restaurant called “Cao Dung”. I mean, they’re just not funny, are they. However, we couldn’t help ourselves when we saw some literature promoting Kep crab market, with two misspellings of the same word, each of them hilarious. I mean, how can you not laugh when you read….

“In Kep there is a big crap market, where you can enjoy the best grab you’ve ever had”.

Holy Crab Restaurant, Kep, Cambodia
Favourite restaurant in Kep
Khmer River House Restaurant Phnom Penh ambodia
Favourite restaurant in Phnom Penh

One last one? Oh alright then…..you don’t always get to pay by card here, it’s mostly cash only, and even more rare to be able to pay contactless. But back in Phnom Penh, we grab a frappe, and get the rare chance to tap the card and walk away. The name of the guy who served me? Well, his lapel badge tells me it’s……Tapmony. Honestly, you couldn’t make this up.

Bamboo train, Battambang, Cambodia
On the Battambang bamboo railway, Cambodia
Green Cathedral, Kampot, Cambodia
In the green cathedral, Kampot, Cambodia

We leave Cambodia with such fond memories and so many experiences. Places which we have liked immediately (Siem Reap, Phnom Penh) continued to deliver; places which didn’t immediately appeal (Kampot, Kep) grew on us to the point where we were sad to leave when the time came to move on. 

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Angkor Wat
Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Phnom Penh

In both Vietnam and Cambodia we have been so enchanted by the people, we really don’t know whether we’ve been anywhere in the world where friendliness, courtesy and kindness has been married to such honesty and integrity. Truly lovely people everywhere, and so, so appreciative of our custom, and of our love for their respective countries. Both countries have been an absolute joy on the people aspect. The rudeness and the arrogance of those self-righteous wealthy Indians on the Buddha train seems such a long time ago now.

Halong Bay, Vietnam
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Tam Coc, Vietnam
Ninh Binh, Vietnam

Two wonderful, varied, exciting countries where the history is both terrible and wonderful but where the massive bonuses are the food and the people, both of which are up there with the very best on our travels so far. And this is all despite the presence of oppressive and dictatorial Governments in both countries. This has been a wonderful trip, one we have really loved.

Prek Toal, Tonle Sap, Cambodia
Prek Toal, Cambodia
Rainy night in Saigon, Vietnam
Wet night in Saigon

We have some stories to tell about some of the people we’ve met, we may well post these while we’re back at home. For now, we leave behind this part of Asia and head to the very different world of Singapore, just two hours by air from here in Phnom Penh and yet a world away in many respects.

We’ve been to Singapore before, we know what to expect. So very different from here and a joy of a completely different kind. Absolutely cannot wait to see it again.

Sunset Kep
Sunset in Kep

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