Backpacking Diary - ThaiCamViet 2018 - Cambodia to Vietnam

Going from point A to point B should be easier by plane but cheaper by land. For some of us, we want to save as much as we can on transportation and indulge more on food, shopping, etc. This was the mindset we had for our Angkor, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam trip. We opted in for a land trip from Angkor to Phnom Phen and finally Ho Chi Minh. During the day. It took us about six hours as compared to an hour or so plane ride. But we were in for the experience!

We had a view of Tonle Sap which is a fresh water lake in Cambodia.

A few stretches here and there and then it was time for another long ride. The ride was not bumpy at all so it was not a problem to sit on the tail of the bus where we met a fellow traveller who was on her way to Phnom Pehn. She knew we were headed to Vietnam and so, since she is a Vietnamese, she has mostly given us tips on what to do and what not to do when we arrive in Ho Chi Minh. As well as Phnom Pehn, actually.

From then on, we had assumed that Phnom Pehn is just like Manila - harsh and familiar (except that it was our first time so there was no familiarity, at all). To be honest, it was the unlikeliest place I have been to. Unfortunately, we did not give this city a chance to be discovered (and hopefully liked) within a few hours of our stay.

We walked around the hotel's neighbourhood and found a Chinese restaurant. The food was amazing! My rice and pork bowl felt like home. Seriously!

We spent a few hours eating and talking about life - in general. We went back to our hotel and since we are not going out anyway, we had another pint. The moon was beautiful that night.

We spent the night away on the rooftop bar of our hotel mostly talking about our future endeavors. Although we may have chosen to stay in, it felt like it was a perfect time to actually sit and wind down after days of being out there. It was the time to stay still as another adventure begins the next day.

Then - we started to think that the hotel room was a bit spooky. Just for fun. And then we snoozed...

Now we are off to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam!

Phnom Pehn, thanks for the easy night!

And then our Vietnam journey begins...