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We hit Cambodian soil at 3.10pm. The sky is a murky red-grey colour, painted with dust and smoke; this is the hot season after all. Short walk across the tarmac under the blazing sun. Siem Reap International Airport is surprisingly small for the number of visitors it welcomes. Breeze through immigration with our eVisas; we’ve got the stamps, collected the bags and found our driver in about 20 minutes from touchdown.
Traffic from the airport into town is a big game of chicken; tuk tuks, trucks, cars, motorcycles and tractors all jostle for prime position on the road. No one is skittled, everything seems to flow. Our driver is chatty and teaches us a few words in Khmer. They drive on the right hand side of the road here, thankfully in left hand drive cars (unlike Myanmar).
Check in, drop bags, change and find thongs. Straight to Pub Street to check out the evening scene, and to shake the smell of airports and aircraft. Endless restaurants, bars and clubs layout before a traveller, offering cheap beer and plenty of food. We take a seat facing the street, as we so like to do in Asia to people watch. Afternoon falls, and the music rises. The old city comes alive as travelers return from the temples, on the hunt for drinks, food and dancing. Pub Street is only too happy to open her neon lit arms, and oblige.
Early night for us, with an early start for sunrise tomorrow.
Things to note:
- Traffic on the right, tuk tuks to the far right, motorbikes where ever they will fit.
- eVisas. Get one! Save yourself some time.
