Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Oh My!

November 11, 2014 | By Linda Smith

Angkor Wat

I just returned from another great travel adventure… this time I went to Cambodia, Vietnam and Hong Kong. I arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia in the first part of October. The rainy season is April to November, but luckily it only rained at night so it didn’t hinder my trip at all. I spent the first two nights at the Raffles d’Angkor Hotel, a beautiful property just 15 minutes from the airport and the famous temples of Angkor Wat. Cambodia readily accepts US dollars even though the Cambodian Riel is their country’s currency. The cost for one day at all the temples’ sights is $20.00 US. I hired a private tour guide with a car, but I saw many people utilize the tuk-tuks to get around. A tuk-tuk is a two-wheeled open carriage pulled behind a motorcycle. They are inexpensive, fun to ride in, and readily available.

The muddy waters of the Mekong River

My trip continued with a Mekong River Cruise on the Amalotus, a 124-passenger ship that is only three years old with the cruise line Amawaterways. My cabin was very spacious with a balcony, and the food on the ship was delicious. The Mekong river is very brown from the silt, it looked like chocolate milk. Along the way you see lots of villages and temples. We visited Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh and finished in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. This was a very educational trip learning about the struggles that both of these countries have experienced over time. Your dollar goes a long way, and shopping in the markets was fun negotiating lower prices with the sellers. It’s a long way to get to these countries, but well worth the experience.