The flight from Bangkok to Cambodia was exactly one hour. Super easy and well worth the money. We had thought about catching the bus or train, because it sounded like a great adventure. But in the end, we opted to save time. We only had 3 weeks to see as much as we could, before returning to our commuter lifestyle in the Bay Area.
OMG, speaking of hellish commutes! Once we were all checked out of our lovely bed and breakfast, we stepped into the pink taxi ordered for us. Our driver, for whatever reason seemed to be in a terrible mood and took an instant disliking to us. Even though it had already been arranged that we were going to Suvarnabhumi Airport, the driver asked us two more times if that is where we wanted to go. Each time I politely said, “Yes please – Suvarnabhumi.” Each time he snarled at me in the rear view mirror. Outside, the morning traffic through Bangkok was slow and horrendous. But, whatever. We have plenty of time and are on vacation! Wendy and I chatted away, excited to visit Angkor Wat. All of a sudden the driver is barking out “Highway?!”
“Yes, highway sounds good.” I say, getting nervous that perhaps he doesn’t know the way. But that seems kinda ridiculous.
“No, Highway!!” He shouts at me.
Now he’s really making me anxious. “Hey, you’re the driver. Whatever is the best way!”
“WT…” I mouth to Wendy. She immediately gets on her iPhone and looks up directions and then shares the screen with the driver, and says, “yes, take this highway!”
And then, exasperated, he makes the universal symbol for money. “Oh, toll!” we both say with a sigh of relief. I hand him a 100 baht bill. Wendy and I kinda crack up. Which of course gets us a glare and the radio turned on. He pays the toll and then gives me the change. I thank him and give him a smile, hoping to melt the tension. He’s not having it and seems determined to remain angry.
The Devas/Gods are at the tail end of the Serpent-King, Churning the Milk Ocean
Churning Of The Milk Ocean
Coming out of the security and immigration area of the Suvarnabhumi airport and headed towards our departure gate, we got pulled into the epic Hindu creation myth, known as the Churning of the Milk Ocean. The colorful sculpture depicts the tug of war between Gods/Devas and Demons/Asuras. The Gods are at the tail end of the serpent-king/Vasuki and the demons are at the scary 3-headed side. Both tribes are churning the ocean to extract the elixir of immortality. Lord Vishnu stands witness to all of this, on top of the mountain that is being used as the pivot or mid rotation-point of the snake-rope. It’s a pretty astonishing story and art piece.
Siem Reap Airport
As expected, the airport at Siem Reap is pretty small. Moving through was pretty quick and painless. We had applied for our visas online, well in advance. Other travelers opted to purchase visas on arrival at the airport. In either case, the cost of visa is $25-35, and as long as you have a current passport the process is pretty simple.
Taxi into Siem Reap’s Hotel District
Getting a taxi is pretty easy also. You buy a ticket at the taxi-booth for about $10 and then you get assigned a driver. Our driver was a polite guy of about 25. He spoke pretty good English and inquired if we would be needing a driver during our visit. We said he should give us a business card so we could get in touch with him once we had our plan and timing better sorted out.
The ride to our hotel took about 20 minutes— a pretty flat rural-ish road with not a lot going on. Well, until we got to the hotel district and then there was quite a buzz of energy swirling around. Tuk-tuks and scooters everywhere!
Lotus petals decorate the bed
The Royal Treatment
We had barely walked through the grand entrance before a perky, sharply dressed woman in a navy skirt suit, named Rose, welcomed us in with a beaming smile. She promptly took our suitcases and sat us down on a couch, and then asked for our passports. As she walked away to the front desk, within seconds, we were handed goblets of cool, refreshing iced tea, and then a tray of food, by bowing staff members. It was all very lovely but slightly overwhelming. Rose came back, again offering us a deep bow of gratitude for choosing Golden Temple Residence. This time, she adorned us with meditation scarves in a pretty blue and purple stripe. So sweet, generous, and welcoming!
Once we reached our suite, we took off our shoes before entering. Rose very efficiently showed us where everything was and how it worked, including our personal cell phone to reach her at any time, no matter what the question.
We could not help but be impressed by the lavish room we got for a mere $95 a night. Come take a look around with us. And then join us for Sunset at Pre Rup.
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