RadioRoryIn Cambodia, you can live like a king even on a pauper’s budget.
I decided to spoil myself with a week at a five-star resort and spa. High-end TLC wasn’t the only reason I opted for the resort lifestyle. The newly-built hotel also guaranteed that the plumbing, air conditioning, and water quality were on par with Western standards. That’s something you can’t take for granted in Cambodia. All this luxury came at a cost of about $42 a night. It’s a price point that was certainly within my budget.
And the plumbing did not disappoint!
The giant tub and two adjoining sinks are located in the lower level of the huge bedroom. It would take HOURS to fill this tub. It’s ridiculous. But it’s a good place to do your laundry! I’m sure the staff at this high-end hotel never had a guest use the giant tub as a laundry sink and drying rack. The room was cheap, but the price of laundry service was absurd so it was DIY time.
The rainfall shower head is certainly tall enough, but the shower’s window to the outside still took a bit of getting used to. (Several bunnies got more than an eyeful!)
In one of the courtyards there was a scale model of the nearby Angkor Wat complex, considered the largest religious site in the world. It’s also Cambodia’s biggest tourist attraction…and beer?
The hotel hooked me up with a tuk tuk and a guide who would take me on a day-long adventure throughout Siem Reap. There are as many temples as there are tour groups. And that’s saying something.
Tour operators really need to do a better job of telling their clients to behave appropriately at some of these locations. I don’t know if you’d call these ancient temples “holy,” “sacred,” or something in between. I do know that these places weren’t built 2,000 years ago to be a backdrop for your imaginary Chinese Vogue photo shoot. Put down the selfie stick, drop the duck face, and that’s enough peace signs.
Move along, you’re blocking the rest of us.