Anil Thakore reports on an enjoyable week-long excursion to the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the picturesque Ha Long Bay and Hanoi city in Vietnam During the past three decades since foreign exchange purchase rules and regulations were liberalised and Indians started travelling abroad with vengeance, the charm of Western countries — the hitherto popular destinations of outbound Indian tourists — has worn off. Staggering prices and poor quality service often mixed with overt and covert racism have reduced the allure of European countries, if not America which is too far away for short vacations. Therefore when we planned a foreign sojourn, we chose a ten-day expedition covering Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. The expedition began with a six-hour midnight flight by Thai Airways from Bengaluru via Bangkok to Siem Reap — the gateway for tourists to Angkor Wat. Landing an hour behind schedule at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, we rushed to catch the connecting flight to Siem Reap just about making it to the plane. But our baggage arrived 24 hours later! Siem Reap (pop.245,000), a town about which we knew nothing, was a revelation. Immigration formalities done, we walked out of its ultra-modern new airport sans check-in baggage — thanks to our Thai Airways flight which erroneously offloaded luggage of all Siem Reap bound passengers in Bangkok — into a luxury coach with tuneful Khmer music playing on its public address system. We instantly hit a four-lane highway and sped past farmlands and paddy fields to reach this well-laid out town. Apart from wide roads and neat housing colonies, several shut-down luxury hotels (crippled by the Covid pandemic) also met the eye in Siem Reap, but most astoundingly, no litter! The hospitality at the eco-friendly Golden Temple Boutique Hotel was overwhelming and helped to soothe our frayed nerves over the baggage mishap. The rooms are large and well-appointed. Lunch comprised freshly prepared Amok (steamed coconut fish with rice served on banana leaf), herbal juices and malted beer. (We had to be cautious though about our protein choices as snails and insects were also on offer.) After a satisfying meal, we soaked in the luxury of an afternoon nap followed by an expert massage. Nightlife in this sleepy little-known town was a revelation. Pub Street thrives on tourists, with all forms of entertainment, food and drink on offer. Dance bars, karaoke bars, ice cream and, massage parlours, apparel and curio shops — Siem Reap has them all! Well past midnight, Pub Street is alive and swarming with tourists from around the world. Restaurants abound in Siem Reap. With fresh vegetables and fruits easily available, choosing to go vegetarian in this resort town is a very doable option. Most veggies and fruits that we consume in India are available in Cambodia. We sampled restaurants offering French, Thai, British, American, Chinese and native Khmer cuisines. All of them were excellent. Angkor Wat Set within Angkor Archaeological Park that covers several thousand acres of…
