Heading west

My minibus from Stung Treng to Siem Reap didn’t leave until 2pm so I spent a lazy morning drinking tea in a cafe. (There’s nothing to do in Stung Treng and with the temperature in the high 30s it was too hot to go for a walk.) The guest house I stayed in is linked to the bus company and the owner gave me a discount on my ticket and reserved me the front seat so I had the most space and comfort! The road was good and journey was smooth and pretty quick. But we didn’t stop anywhere picturesque and the minibus windows were filthy so this was the best I could do with photos. It’s a phone shot as we headed towards the sunset.


I went to Siem Reap 18 years ago after I finished working in Saigon. At that time foreigners were recommended to get there by air or boat because there was still a threat of kidnapping from the Khmer Rouge on the roads (and the roads were bad). Only the road to the Thai border from Siem Reap was considered safe. The Siem Reap I remember was a few dusty streets with a handfull of guest houses and one or two semi-posh hotels. I don’t recognise it. It’s a city with streets full of restaurants and bars, bright Christmas lights and decorations everywhere!