Asia – Page 9 – soloflighted.com

Zambales Trip: An Afternoon Nap Under Pine Trees in Anawangin Cove

Coming from an uncomfortable sleep in Olongapo City, we proceeded to San Antonio, Zambales, via bus so we could journey to Anawangin Cove. It was only a two-hour bus ride and we were lucky enough to have seats reserved by Anton and his wife, Teresa. The bus was almost full since a number of couch … Read more

Cagayan Trip: Palaui Island Highlights

I gave up 3 months of traveling because I suddenly became busy with work and money. I didn’t get to enjoy my summer which was such a rare case for this travel blogger. But I’m not complaining as much; managing how to travel to 4 countries and 8 local destinations within 8 months was such … Read more

Zambales Trip: Standing on Top of the Lighthouse in Capones Island

“There’s an earthquake!” I heard a girl panicking as she felt a sudden shake from where she was standing.
“It’s just me guys.” I replied hastily to calm her down and show that it was just my legs that were trembling which produced the sudden movement. I was on top of the lighthouse in Capones Island during our Zambales Trip, literally.

Capones Island, Zambales
February 22, 2011

view from the top of Capones Lighthouse, Zambales

They were also wondering where the voice came from as they couldn’t see my face. One of the men in charge of the lighthouse pointed his finger towards me to reassure the girl that there was no natural calamity happening at the time.

lighthouse in Capones | my feet on top of the tower

We were trekking after a photo op with golden cogon grasses in the island of Capones in order to see the lighthouse as this has been a famous landmark which my companions wanted to visit since they’ve never reached the tower.

looks like dinosaur to me

With the number of crazy things I do during my travels, it’s inevitable that accidents happen. During our Sagada trip, I slipped and hit my head on a rock in Bomod-ok Falls.

Bomod-ok Falls aka the Big Falls
Sagada, Mountain Province
March 5, 2011

stepping slowly
Photo by Doi

It was an hour’s worth of hiking along the rice paddies but it wasn’t that hard as we were trekking down a mountain. The weather was also cold which helped in keeping us from sweating. When I saw the waterfalls, I was happy that we finally reached our destination.

beautiful Bomod-ok Falls in Sagada, Mountain Province

My main objective in Zambales was to visit Nagsasa Cove but when Anton and his wife introduced us to Capones island, it became an unexpected highlight. Months ago, I had an affair with big red ants and cogon grass in the island of Guimaras. Little did I know that a golden sea with the same … Read more

Davao City: Solo Travel to My Hometown

My mind was switching back and forth, hesitant if I was going to push through with a trip to Davao that I already booked months before. Sitting at my desk in the office, a lot of questions came to mind: Where will I stay? How much do I have left? Should I even bother?

It was only a day after a one-week vacation in Bangkok and Cambodia, yet I already had another ticket scheduled for the next. A temporary break in my hometown; something that was also long overdue.

I almost decided to just let it pass and continue with my work. I only paid around 200 Php for the airline promo fare so it wasn’t much of a loss if I didn’t push through. Besides, I didn’t even have a concrete plan.

But it didn’t convince me enough to cancel the trip altogether. I’ve been waiting for a long time to go back to Davao just to see how it’s been; without visiting people I know and just doing things my way. I already filed for a vacation leave so it was only me that was stopping myself from pushing through. But I’m glad that I did go and board the plane.

Arriving in Davao

Armed with a knock-off Lonely Planet guide book and my backpack and gadgets, I arrived in Davao without a clear sense of goal. But in the end, I visited my younger brother, met other PTB members and bloggers, and ate one of my favorite fruits–durian.

The only place I truly went for a nature-trip was Isla Reta in Samal Island; a beautiful place to spend a night with friends over drinks under Talisay trees. I can still recall the fallen leaves on the sandy beach – how they add drama to gloomy landscape.

Isla Reta, Samal Island

Aside from the Tomb Raider temples, I didn’t know much about Siem Reap, Cambodia. That changed when I visited the city last January. All the way from Cebu to Manila to Clark to Bangkok to Aranyaprathet to Poi Pet to Siem Reap, it took 36 hours of commutes and stops to reach the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Looking back on our trip three months ago, I’ve written so many stories about this quaint city more than any adventure I’ve experienced (so far). In line with my goal to provide insights on the countries I’ve been, I’ve created this definitive guide to share some tips and things to know about Siem Reap based on my experiences.

Angkor Wat Complex

By the way, I’ve interchanged Khmer and Cambodians in my past articles but don’t confuse yourself between the two, they’re one in the same (e.g. Khmer food = Cambodian food).

Tips and Things to Know about Siem Reap, Cambodia

Temple Overload

Angkor Wat is the most famous among the lot but Siem Reap has many temples! So many that we weren’t able to tour everything with the three-day pass that we purchased. Angkor Thom Gate, Bayon Temple, Elephant Terrace, Ta Prohm, Pre Rup, Banteay Srei, East Mebon; each of these temples have their own distinction. These were enough to keep our eyes full for the two days that we had available.

temples with their own characteristics

So how much can one usually spend in Cambodia for 3 days and 2 nights? Minus shopping and other unnecessary expenses? Around 7866.15 Php excluding air fare.

The amount is inclusive of expenses in the Philippines (taxis, buses and travel taxes from Cebu to Manila to Clark – around 3000 Php), transport from Bangkok to Siem Reap and going back to Bangkok, 2-days tour around the temples and some food trips on the side.

Also, this computation is based on 3 people who shared a budget for the hostel and transportation which meant we were able to divide the cost of important expenses.

Cambodian Riel

Philippine Expenses: (Airline Fees, Transportation, Food)
150 Php – Taxi to Mactan
200 Php – Terminal Fee Cebu
50 Php – Breakfast Food
137 Php – Bus Ride from Manila to Clark (Victory Liner Bus)
180 Php – Snacks at Beatico Café in SM Clark
100 Php – Jeepney from Clark to Airport
1620 Php – Travel Tax
600 Php – Terminal Fee
——————————-
3037 Php

Thailand Expenses (Transport and Food)
* Free Bus Shuttle from Suvarnabhumi airport to Bus Terminal
34 Baht – Bus from Shuttle Terminal to Mo Chit Bus Stop
8 Baht – Mo Chit Bus Stop to Hua Lamphong Railway Station
32 Baht – Noodles Shop in Hua Lamphong
48 Baht – Train from Hua Lamphong to Aranyaprathet
1 USD – Tuktuk from Aranyaprathet to Border
40 Baht – Lunch at Aranyaprathet Border
——————————-
162 Baht and 1 USD

I received an email from a reader asking for tips on how to get to Siem Reap from Aranyaprathet. She was hesitant because of scammers that are prevalent in the area which I’ve also read about. I already wrote an article about it (read article here) however, it seemed as if I haven’t fully tackled our story. Hence, this post will serve as a guide for those travelers who will opt for the Bangkok to Siem Reap route via train and avoid touts in the process.

How To Avoid Scammers from Aranyaprathet (Thailand) to Poipet (Cambodia) Border

After taking the regular train ride from Bangkok and arriving in Aranyaprathet, we freshened ourselves in the huge bathrooms at the station and let everybody go first. We’ll all just meet each other at the immigration office so there was no need to rush.

tuktuk taxis and pseudo-agencies

Tuktuk (motorized taxis) are abound, waiting for passengers and you can ride one of them to take you to the border. We were charged more but we insisted on paying only 1 USD for the drive. There were three of us inside the tuktuk and it was full but it didn’t matter. The drive to the border lasted only for 10 minutes.

Prior to the driver bringing us to the border, he made a side trip and brought us to an office where long-sleeved men asked if we were going to Cambodia.

Take note: Do not believe them!

These men wearing long-sleeved shirts will convince you to get inside their office agency so you can apply for a Visa for Cambodia. However, if you’re a Filipino, there is NO NEED for a Visa as it is NOT a requirement. It’s sad but this is a protocol for tuktuk drivers in Aranyaprathet to hopefully earn extra income.

I’m almost done with my articles about my trip last January in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I figured I’d post some random snapshots of different signs and other observations of sights captured during this break. It would be a waste of shutter if I just kept them inside my computer.

As we were hopping from temple to temple, signs and directions were present to warn people or dogs (see 2nd photo below) where to enter and how to behave to avoid destroying these monuments.

three-way

Somehow, I had to take second glances to verify if the instructions were clear enough. Engrish phrases, they break tension and alleviate stress that one acquires from walking all day.

Warning Signs

and still keep your full-time job! In one of my blog articles last month, I discussed how I was able to travel to 4 countries within 4 months and still maintained my full-time job in a BPO company. I’m writing this entry as a second part of that blog post. Seldom do people know that … Read more

No Ordinary Train Ride from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet

We took a train ride from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet so we could reach Siem Reap, Cambodia the cheapest way possible. On land, you can either take a bus or a train, the former is faster though more expensive. 200 Baht vs 48 Baht, it was a no-brainer for us since our funds were already depleted back in Cebu, Philippines.

Aranyaprathet is a district of Sa Kaeo Province in Thailand that borders Cambodia to the East. Riding the train was an experience that is foreign to me. Unless you include those small train rides in theme parks, I can say that I’ve never ridden this mode of transport before.

Bangkok Railway Station
Hua Lamphong

Hua Lamphong Train Station

Around 4am in Hua Lamphong Railway Station, we waited for the 5:55am train schedule by eating Thai food and buying snacks at a 7/11 convenience store. It was going to be a 6-hour ride, and we’ve been traveling and stopping from Cebu to Manila to Clark to Bangkok for over 24 hours. You can imagine how stressed I was considering that I wasn’t used to long journeys. But it would’ve been useless to give up knowing how far we’ve already come.

Station 6

The sign said it was an ordinary train going to Aranyaprathet. But after the whole traverse, there was nothing plain about it. In fact, it was one of the most notable experiences of the trip.

Ordinary Train? Didn’t see this one coming.

Toploading from Banaue to Bontoc was an adventure itself as we headed our way to Sagada, Mountain Province. Imagine the wind brushing the sides of your face. You see a spectacular view of the mountain and rice fields. You inhale the scent of tall pine trees and see a couple of waterfalls every now and … Read more

Cambodia Trip: A Guide to Eating Cheap Khmer Food in Siem Reap

During our stay in Siem Reap, we mostly ate on the streets and nearby eateries. Because of having a limited budget, food is one of the things we had to compromise when eating in Cambodia.

We spent 3 days and 2 nights there but we did not starve ourselves during that trip. However, we didn’t splurge either. Average food costs around 2 to 2.50 USD but we really went in for those cheaper alternatives such as 1 dollar meals.

Breakfast Meals in our Guesthouse
Breakfast food were already provided during our stay in Bousavy Guesthouse so we saved a lot considering we had three meals in total.

What I like best is that they always have a banana and some pineapple slices on the side to go with the breakfast. A simple meal can look great when you know how to present it. With the big servings, my friends were not able to eat it all so lucky for me, I got to take the remaining portion of their food. hehe.

Omelet with Bread (Baguette) | Stir-Fried Noodles with Vegetables and Meat

Pancake with maple syrup | Iced Tea

Dinner Meals at Bousavy Guesthouse
Apart from the free breakfast meals, we took advantage of a package that included one free dinner meal of our choice. It was great that we were able to choose from a wide set of choices. I apologize if I was not able to write down the actual names written on the menu.

Milk Fish Soup | Pork Curry

Pork Meat in Coconut milk — not sure if this is Amok

Zambales Trip: An Afternoon Nap Under Pine Trees in Anawangin Cove

Cagayan Trip: Palaui Island Highlights

Zambales Trip: Standing on Top of the Lighthouse in Capones Island

Sagada Trip: Slipped and Hit My Head on a Rock in Bomod-ok Falls

Zambales Trip: Golden Cogon Grasses in the Island of Capones

Davao City: Solo Travel to My Hometown

Arriving in Davao

Tips and Things to Know about Siem Reap, Cambodia

Tips and Things to Know about Siem Reap, Cambodia

Temple Overload

Total Budget Expense in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Bangkok to Siem Reap: Avoid Scammers from Aranyaprathet to Poipet Border

How To Avoid Scammers from Aranyaprathet (Thailand) to Poipet (Cambodia) Border

Cambodia Trip: Engrish and Random Sights in Siem Reap

How to Travel to 4 Countries and 8 Local Destinations within 8 Months

No Ordinary Train Ride from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet

Sagada Trip: Crazy Toploading from Banaue to Bontoc

Cambodia Trip: A Guide to Eating Cheap Khmer Food in Siem Reap