Escorted Tour of Cambodia
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| Phnom Penh - Cambodia |
In a café in Phnom Penh, on the banks of the mighty Mekong River, I sat and sipped an ice cold glass of water and watched as the world went by in a colourful blur.
Looking back on the previous 14 days, I realised that I had just enjoyed one of the best holidays I had ever experienced.
Flying from Edinburgh, my girlfriend and I had first flown to London Heathrow and then on to Qatar. After a nine hour stopover in Qatar airport, we excitedly boarded the plane to our final destination, Cambodia.
At the airport we were met by our escorted holiday tour guide, Paul, who took care of our luggage and provided us with transport to our hotel. On the way to the hotel we witnessed an absolutely incredible storm. In an instant the sky turned from bright blue to a deep purple, there was a huge clap of thunder, the sky was illuminated by magnificent fork lighting and the heavens opened. Within five minutes the storm had stopped and the blue skies had returned.
During our two week holiday we enjoyed a range of escorted tours that allowed us to understand and appreciate the history of this beautiful and, at the same time, tragic country.
The first trip we took was to the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh which was built in 1866 is still the official residence of the King of Cambodia. The palace is divided into three main compounds and is surrounded by lush gardens.
One of the most memorable trips of the holiday was to the Angkor Wat temples just outside Siem Reap. The temples were built in the early 12th century for King Suryavarman II and acted as his state temple and capital city. We arrived at the temples around 5am to catch the magnificent sunrise over the main temple of Angkor. We then spent the rest of the day wandering around the numerous other temples with our guide.
One of the most memorable trips we took was to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. This former high school was transformed into the notorious Security Prison 21 by the Khmer Rouge regime. Between 1975 and 1979, an estimated 17,000 people were imprisoned and tortured at Tuol Sleng. The museum gives a truly shocking insight into the terrible atrocities that were committed during this time.
We finished our holiday with a couple of days by the beach at the resort of Sihanouokville. Relaxing by the water was the perfect to a unique holiday.
Sitting in the café on the banks of the Mekong before our flight home, I felt deeply sad to be leaving this unique country. Cambodia and in particular the people of Cambodia had made an enduring impression on me.
Riviera Travel offer an extensive range of escorted tour holidays. They have been carefully creating unique escorted tours and guided tours for over 27 years.
Article Source: Graham_George_Urquhart
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