Highlights of our trip through Cambodia.

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Cambodia has been on the top of my travel list for a long time. I love these three off-the-radar ideas that John shares with us in this post.

(Photo by Epidemiks via Flickr.)

Cambodia is one of the more challenged countries of South East Asia – it’s incredible to consider what they’ve been through in the last 50 years: four million dead, most of the infrastructure destroyed & many of those who committed atrocities now back in the community. At the same time, it’s a fascinating & beautiful country. Many travelers fly into Phnom Penh or Siam Reap, although we entered overland from Vietnam.

It would be silly to miss the major attractions like Phnom Penh & Angkor Wat. The ruins especially are breathtaking & I heartily recommend hiring a bike for a few days & rattling around there. That said, my three top memories of our time in Cambodia were not by any means the big hitters…

Kampot

We adored Kampot – it was idyllic, friendly, unpretentious & the only place in our seven month journey where we lost track of time. While there aren’t any big sights, there is plenty to do. Go out & see the rich green paddy fields, learn about rice planting, even have a go at it yourself. Head out a little further & see the mind-blowing salt fields – it is salt, not pepper, that this area is famous for.

There’s a huge river, whose banks make make for beautiful sunset viewing & on whose waters you can cruise fairly cheaply & the famous Bokor Hill Station, complete with a disused casino, now pitted with bullets from its time as a Khmer Rouge hide-out. Wear proper shoes – there are leeches in the jungle.

The Landmine Museum

While you’re in Siam Reap, make sure you visit the landmine museum. You will learn about war, about human resilience & about compassion.

The museum tells the story of Aki Ra, who spent much of his childhood as a forced soldier, fighting & laying mines for both sides. By his early twenties, he was using his knowledge with the UN to clear mines and when they left, he carried on without their equipment & high tech gear. Aki Ra has cleared hundreds of minefields using sticks & basic household tools, as well as founding this museum & charity to help children affected by mines.

Socially Responsible Ants

There are hundreds of NGOs operating all over Cambodia; when we considered the country’s poverty & bleak economic future, frequenting socially responsible shops & restaurants seemed like the least we could do.

I will never forget our dinner in one such place, called Romdeng in Phnom Penh, where you can eat traditional Khmer food in beautiful Colonial surroundings. We sat outside by the pool & enjoyed a fried ant stir fry, though there were also tarantulas & frogs on the menu. It is run by Friends International, who have several projects in the country & work with street kids & other marginalized groups, funding training, education & giving them a much better chance in life.

Three surprising, maybe even subdued highlights? Perhaps! But they each brought me a little closer to the human side of Cambodia & for me, that is the joy, not to mention the purpose, of travel.

(Photo by Epidemiks via Flickr.)

Author Bio: John Miller has enjoyed travelling since he was a young boy when his parents first took him to visit family overseas. Since leaving home, John has tracked down family all over the world and regularly jets off to far away lands to see distant relatives.

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*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers and Beans Travel Website, Nariko’ s Nest Weddings & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you do want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!