Cambodian Heaven: Pavillon D' Orient Part Deux

The lush tropical haven that is Pavillon D' Orient is just the icing on the cake. The sponge cake that holds this hotel confection together are the freebies, the service, and the attention to detail that you get upon checking in. For US$ 100 a night, they managed to pull-out all the essential stuff you need for a hassle-free Cambodian getaway, plus a couple of small niceties thrown in for free.

For starters, we had this uber-comfy bed to come home to every night...

And, it comes with that bed canopy drape that's just very princess-y!

We also had a tea corner, where they put our daily supply of huge water bottles every day.

Every morning, we had a fresh basket of sweet tropical fruits.

And, at night, we had a bedtime story -- of Cambodian legends -- laid out on the bed.

Never mind the grammar though. Its the thought that counts!

On top of this, we still had free buffet breakfast everyday where we get to stuff ourselves with fresh fruits, assorted breads, delish Cambodian mixed fried rice OR Cambodian congee, AND a Continental-style breakfast of eggs and breakfast meats (bacon, ham, sausage).

Photo courtesy of Cla Mallari

Photo courtesy of Cla Mallari

And, free tuktuk rides from sun-up to sun-down going to the Angkor Wat complex...and wherever else in Siem Reap we want! The piece-de-resistance though is the ice chest waiting for us with bottled waters and cold towels. Genius!

Before we left, they gave us scarves and mini Angkor Wat wooden pins as souvenirs!

Awww! How sweet!

How could you not love this place?

For more information on Pavillon D' Orient, visit http://www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com

Cambodian Heaven: Pavillon D' Orient Part Une

Cla, friend and acting tour director, decided to go all out in our Cambodia trip. Instead of booking us in a backpacker hotel, she decided that we needed a slice of heaven to come home to after spending days walking and climbing ruins under the heat of the tropical sun.

And, rightfully so.

Pavillon D' Orient is a boutique hotel with a resort-like feel. You forget that you're in the middle of Cambodia, in a quaint little city very very very far from the sea. Everything smacks of beach elements -- a cornucopia of tropical plants; a profusion of palms; the open-air lobby, resto and hallways; the abundance of wicker furniture...even the pool is salt water! Love, love, loved every bit of this Cambodian paradise! I'm sure you will too!

Check it out:

The Hotel "Lobby"

The pond centerpiece is such a beaut!

Le Planteur -- the hotel's oh-so lovely breakfast nook

The cool salt water pool

The rooms are housed in the aptly called "The Mansion"

Very very beach-y!

For more information on Pavillon D' Orient, visit http://www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com

Note: All pictures from Pavillon D' Orient website http://www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com

The Long but Not-Winding Road to Siem Reap

From Phnom Penh onwards, the beauty Cambodia is renowned for slowly emerges. Every few kilometers, we were greeted by the sight of a temple. Some were old and gray and brown with crumbling facades and overgrown with weeds. Some were like freshly minted coin, all bright and shiny all over. But, old or new, they were all hauntingly beautiful.



Once we've hit the last few hours of the trip, the road gets rough, dirty and dusty due to road constructions. Scenery becomes blah once more -- rice fields, small wooden houses, small roadside shops -- typical scenery you find in the Philippines (of course, if I were from the West, these would surely captivate me).


By the 10th hour, I was already crazy with boredom...and this was coming from a person who made 8-hour bus trips weekly for 2 straight years! I have drained my iPod's battery. Read the Cambodia, Vietnam, and even the Laos and Yunnan province sections of my Lonely Planet guidebook. Dozed. And, made meaningful and senseless conversations with friends.

By 8:00 PM (or about 12 hours or so later), the gods have finally heeded my call: we have FINALLY reached Siem Reap. By this time, I was tired and wilted that I just couldn't muster the energy to be excited.

Oh well.

But tomorrow is a different story.


Note: Photos taken by my friend, Cla, using the Hipstamatic application of her iPhone.

6 Hours Later...Phnom Penh!

6 hours later, we've arrived at our halfway point, Phnom Penh. Here, we would have to transfer to the bus that would take us to Siem Reap. Since we only had 30 minutes before the Siem Reap bus arrives, we didn't dare go elsewhere.

Boredom started to sink in. So I decided to while away the time out on the street, experimenting with my Starburst Lens (or, as my dad calls it, the "uglymizer"). I still think it has its charms.

Judge for yourself...

"Before" Starburst

"After" Starburst

"Before" Starburst

"After" Starburst

"Before" Starburst

"After" Starburst

Untouched Scenery

Only 6 more hours to go! Then, its "Hello, Siem Reap!"

Touchdown, Cambodia!

Okaaay....So, we didn't technically touched down at Cambodia since there was no direct Cebu Pacific flight going to either Siem Reap or Pnomh Penh.

So, from Ho Chi Minh, we had to take the bus going to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

And, it was a whopping 14-hour trip!

Now, I'm a veteran of looong bus rides since I commuted almost every week from Manila to Naga for two and a half years. Naga is just, oh, an 8-hour bus ride from Manila. It could be done in 6-hours if you had a cluelessly reckless, cranked-up bus driver. Or, it could stretch into a frustrating 12-hour ride if you made the mistake of taking the day trip, no thanks to the traffic!

Knowing is half the battle. And, boy! Do. I. Know.

So I came prepared with a fully-charged iTouch, installed with tons of songs, the Guns N' Roses "Use Your Illusion" Live in Tokyo Concert (a two-part rock extravaganza!), and a few nonsensical games (this was pre-Angry Birds so the games were boooring!). I also had my trusty Lonely Planet guide book, which I hadn't fully absorbed. Plus, I was traveling in the company of good friends so I was sure that we could keep the convos coming to while away the time.

We took the Mekong Express Limousine Bus, which according to locals, was a trustworthy bus line. Limousine, this ain't. And, a far cry from Isarog (my favorite Manila-Naga bus line) with their Lazy Boy seats. But it was decent and fairly clean and had all the basics covered -- A/C with just the right temperature and not freee-brrr-eeezing cold like the ones of Philtranco; and a clean, odorless toilet.

And, the best part? They served two good pastry pieces as light snack.

All these for US $20. And, that's round-trip already!

---------

The bus ride started out fine. On top of the light snacks provided by the bus line, we were also given banh mi and banana that the thoughtful hostel OIC packed as a send-off. So, I was a very happy girl.

The first leg (6 hours) of the trip was slow. Not much scenery to take your breath away. A few hours down the line, we had already reached Bavet -- the entry point of Cambodia if you're coming by land from Ho Chi Minh.

Be warned: the immigration offices in these parts are pure chaos. The queueing system is an alien concept here. If you're not vigilant, expect a person to unknowingly cut in front of you and invade your personal space. I say "unknowingly." Forgive them for they do not know what transgression they do. This is the norm. Just hold your ground and you're assured that you will reach the end of the line non-line.

Say WAT?

I remember getting an urgent message from my friend, Clarisse, asking me if I wanted to go to Vietnam and that I have to give my response ASAP and pay for the fare that very evening since Cebu Pacific was offering a promo fare.

I didn't even think twice. The answer was pretty obvious for a woman with a thirst for wanderlust.

YES!

It was January when we booked it but flight was still in June.

Not that I was complaining. Living on a third-world salary, it meant more time to save up.

And, of course, more time to sift through tons of travel info for the best deals and the hidden gems.

So, I turn to my quintessential travel bible -- The Lonely Planet.

Didn't see a solid Lonely Planet Vietnam guide book. But, what I saw was way better.

I saw this...

4-in-1!

Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Greater Mekong Region (which includes Northern Thailand and Southern China!)!

Awesome!

When our travel group met up again a few months down the line for dinner, Clarisse announced that we weren't really going to Vietnam. It was just our jumping point to get to our real travel destination...Cambodia!

No complaints from me. I've always wanted to see Angkor Wat (hello, "35 Before 35" bucket list!). And, with this trip, I could finally scratch it 0ff like an item in a TeuxDeux list!

Someday no more!

C.