pinaywifespeaks » Travel

Off To Mondulkiri Day 2: Pu-tang Village

Lui — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:45:41 +0000

This is one of my most anticipated part of our Mondulkiri trip. A visit to the Phnong hill tribes in Pu-tang Village. The Phnong Khmer ethnic minorities live on the rolling hills some distance from the city of Monorom. Their main sources of livelihood is agriculture and their ethnic homes, costumes are very interesting to see.

The views going to the village is nothing short of amazing. The photos doesn’t really do it justice. Gentle rolling hills that Mondulkiri is famous for and crisp, cool air will greet you as you drive along.

The Pu-tang Village though is decidedly a lot colder than in any parts of the province, its actually hard to go out without a thin jacket. So most people there weren’t wearing their traditional garb but were swathed in thick clothes.

It’s dry season so everywhere I looked, the hills were covered in dry grass..

The number of traditional Phnong houses were smaller compared to those who have now built ‘modern’ Khmer style houses. But still, the few present in the village are worth having a peek at. The Phnongs are also incredibly warm and welcoming and would even allow you inside their houses if you ask politely.

The kids with us prepared some clothes, books and food donation and also interacted with the villagers and I left them to it while I wandered about taking photos.

The Phnongs are passionate about their rice wine. It keeps them extra warm during really cold nights and they usually store their rice wine in these jars and drink from it using long plastic straws.

And this is the traditional Phnong ethnic house. The owner kindly invited me inside to look around but I didn’t take photos out of respect for his privacy. But let me just describe what’s inside.. It’s dome shaped (kinda reminded me of an igloo), and made of wood and other local materials. On the inner center was a place for fire to keep them warm. On both sides there were raised platforms they use to lounge around and they also have hammocks. One of these platforms were lined with jars filled with rice wine and another section housed a small cotton weave. There was also a hanging storage platform very near the roof with some huge baskets made of native materials stored.

Road Trip Up to Bokor Mountains and Thansur Bokor, Part 1

Lui — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:44:28 +0000

Finally. I got around to downloading all pics and videos from this road trip. I’m usually very enthusiastic about taking photos and vids during road trips but once the excitement of the trip simmers down, I’m really really lazy about downloading and editing photos. And this one made me extra lazy coz I couldn’t stop myself from taking photos, and I brought with me three cameras = gazillion photos. Yes, I am really an OC person.

I’m breaking down this whole thing into two parts as I have tons of photos even after I spent a lot of time deciding which one to post. This first part would be about the road trip up and some snapshots of Thansur Bokor Resort. Part two will be some snapshots of the scenes around Bokor.

For so long, we’ve been planning on going up to Bokor National Park well, ever since we got here three years ago. But in the end, this trip always took the backseat coz before this year, the roads weren’t really good, and while we do like to rough it up sometimes, we also have a kiddo to think about, so her comfort takes precedence. But when we heard that the new casino/hotel had its soft opening last March and the roads are now immaculate, we then gave it a go.

Signage - National Road 3 to Kampot

Bokor National Park is located some distance from Kampot. Main attractions would be the ruins scattered in the old French hill station built the French during the 1920′s. Its easy to guess why they picked this place, its super scenic and offers a great respite from the heat of Cambodia’s plains. Free airconditioning. Ha!

Knowing this much, I was very much excited and ready to be impressed by the scenery. I am and always will be a huge fan of nature and fantastic panorama. So we packed our bags for the trip and left Phnom Penh about 7 am. The trip going to Kampot is easy, with pretty scenes of the countryside, occasional towns like the one below..

small Cambodian town along N3

And before we knew it we were in this turn..

..turning right to Phnom Bokor Resort

From here we drove on towards Route 4 for about 8 km and the turn to Bokor National Park came up. There were a lot of workers about the turn, planing the road sides with colorful bougainvilla shrubs. I’m starting to imagine how this place would look like when these plants are big and blooming.

Road Turn to Bokor National Park

Entrance to Bokor National Park

What followed was a drive on a wide, winding road with very very pretty scenery. I did have to stop myself from asking hubby to stop the car so I could take photos. If I did that, we probably would have reached the hill top at night time. So I held back and just took snapshots from the car.

Winding roads going up to Bokor

Gorgeous Views this shot can't even begin to capture

But it was just gorgeous! You can see long, stunning stretches of the coast and the plains below that I know these pictures doesn’t really do it justice.

..more pretty views..

old bridge still intact..

Here’s a video of the road trip up:

Click here to view the embedded video.

After an hour or so of driving up, we came upon a short junction with an empty rest-stop, and a small shrine where travelers can pray for safe trip.

praying for safe trip..

Turning left, we drove on some more and before long we were looking at the hill top’s latest addition. The ginormous Thansur Bokor Resort. I’m not really sure how I feel about this huge complex built in here. On one side, I think I find it a little garish and I have the feeling it doesn’t belong among the eerie and sad ruins on the hilltop but the passive side of me thinks, oh well, its there. And drawing visitors again.

Thansur Borkor Resort

The hotel/casino is actually now operational although there were still a bit of construction and fixing going on in some parts. You can check out their website at Thansur Bokor Resort and bookings can be done there too. We opted not to stay there for the night and just go down instead to Kep, but we do plan stay there at least overnight next time we go.

Thansur Bokor Resort Reception

Thansur Bokor Resort, Bokor Cambodia

Bokor can be really chilly and foggy but it was a really welcome treat coming from the super hot and humid Phnom Penh. See the photo below of the Thansur frontage? That’s not some sort of photo effect, its just all fog.\

fog. fog. fog all around.

We drove around the area for a few hours and I’ll be posting the photos on the next part.

Food Trip Friday: Cheap Buffet at Thansur Bokor

Off To Mondulkiri Day 2: Bousra Waterfalls

Lui — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:31:32 +0000

I really ought to be shot. I forgot to update about the Mondulkiri trip last Feb when all the photos have been ready for a few weeks already. I am really starting to be soo forgetful. Being a mom/wife/student/freelance worker can sometimes do that to a person. So I’m resigned to my fates.

Thankfully, a friend of mine asked me about Bousra Waterfalls this morning and I suddenly remembered I had to post about the second day of our trip to Mondulkiri. In case you’ve missed the first part, check it out here – Mondulkiri 2012 Day 1.

~oOo~

We started the day really early coz we had to visit a couple of schools for an outreach project. I was with a group of students whose mission is to help schools in far flung areas with books, school materials etc etc. That time, they were bringing a lot of book donations as well as school supplies for the kids. The ceremony was a bit long and it was around noon time when we left for Bousra Waterfalls.

I was excited to see the falls again. The last time we went to visit this place, its was just awesome (see post here). And I was curious if there has been any changes.

And yup. There has been some changes in the last two years. The road now is nicer. Not concrete or anything but no muddy potholes in them. There were also more people coming and going. Last time we went there, we were the only ones enjoying the places. This time there were lots of families picnicking. A group of monks and several groups of barangs.

I won’t bore you much now with my inane chatter, so here’s the pics spam.

the ‘entrance’

the last tier. and this one’s fairly long and stretches down a hundred meters or so. Not exactly spectacular, but some people like looking down on this so I’m glad to see they built new railings around the sides. It was scary the last time we came when they didn’t have any fence or railings near this.

The first tier. The volume of water is obviously down if you compare it with my previous photo. I was kinda disappointed even though its still beautiful. Then I remembered, we came this time during the dry season. Lol. Silly me.

postcard pretty!

locals love to ~~swim~~ shower here..

up close..water curtains

from the top. before the big water drop.

stream where the cascade comes from..

So pretty, right? I do LOVE out of the way gems like these. If you wanna visit this place, do so now before more and more people start discovering it.

Off to Mondulkiri- The First Day

Lui — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:27:10 +0000

This is a rather late posting. We made this trip mid-February and I never got around to editing the photos. Mainly coz when we got back, that’s when Phnom Penh had its almost daily power cuts, then March arrived and I was swamped with stuff to do. I found myself just browsing for custom made t-shirts instead of doing the editing. Sigh. The internet could be really distracting.

But anyhow, here’s some pics spam of our recent Mondulkiri trip. With my usual nonsense commentary. Ha! And I really should mention, I love Mondulkiri with a fierce passion. I don’t know why. I think this goes to my top 3 favorite places here in Cambodia. It’s remote, almost wild, with a totally different terrain than the rest of the country, gorgeous natural scenery and just awesome cool weather.

We were actually just tagging along with Hi-ace and his students, so the trip was like a ‘group tour’ with strict time schedules and whatnots but I didn’t mind, it turned out to be actually fun. We left real early and we made a brief stop in Kampong Cham to check out the Rubber Trees. It was not as boring as it sounds, it was actually interesting, check out my separate post on that.

I was surprised to see the roads were now in tip top condition. My butt was happy because the ride was now smoother than the last time with all the mud and potholes on the road, but the adventurous spirit in me was kinda sad. I really must have missed that first time we went to Mondulkiri in 2010. That time we all had to get down the bus, and walk coz the mud was just too sticky! But now the roads are all paved and nice, so travel time is now on average 7-8 hours from Phnom Penh.

It was also not as green as before, perhaps because this is the dry season. And its also sad to see a lot of forests are being cleared (some were obviously burned) to make way for more rubber plantation. Sigh. The lure of money.

A few kilometers before reaching Sen Monorom, the students demanded a brief stop on the road. They were obviously happy with the pine trees and the nice temperature drop. They couldn’t stop taking photos, and I also can’t stop taking photos of them taking photos. Hahaha.

Once we reached Sen Monorom, we opted to go to the Ocean of Trees aka. Sea Forest instead of checking in the hotel first. The problem though was that the climb going that way was so steep, our bus couldn’t get up. So we were ordered to get down and walk. And I’m glad I did get down and walk as I got to capture this: a monk making a lonesome climb up a hill..

As expected the Ocean of Trees was a bit brown, but it was still a wonderful sight.

Photos really can’t do justice to this place..

And I just realized this place is excellent for shooting a car ad. See the photo manages to make this bus look really awesome. Hahaha.

We stayed for about an hour there with the kids doing some team building activity. And I find this last shot just awesome.

Food Trip Friday: River View Cafe, Siem Reap Cambodia

Lui — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:11:19 +0000

This is one gem of a restaurant find among the huge number of restaurants in Siem Reap. My sister and I were just looking for a cup of coffee after a leisurely stroll in Old Market when we came across a cozy little cafe along the riverside called River View Cafe.

We sat down on one of their comfy wicker chairs and ordered coffee. It was good, so my sister checked out their menu and ordered a serving of ‘River View Sandwich’ – bacon, grilled chicken sandwich. She thought it would be something light and small, but what we got we could barely finish between the two of us and it only cost $4. It was really really good. Served with coleslaw salad and fries.

Further scanning of the menu revealed that they had some Filipino food, so we asked the friendly waitress why is that so. Turns out the wife of the owner is a Filipina. We got introduced, they were both friendly and we promised to come back for breakfast. Their breakfast was just WoW! Huge servings. And to think we ordered the ‘smallest’ breakfast in the menu but we can’t even finish half of it. Breakfast prices range from $3 (for pancake set – 2 big pancakes, 2 eggs cooked any way you want it, potatoes ‘n onions, fruit bowl and orange juice) to $5 for the BIG breakfast. And its worth every penny.

And oh, the breakfast in photo is served with a bowl of sliced fresh fruits and orange juice I just forgot to take photos coz..well I was overwhelmed. Lol. Our small table was overloaded with plates and it was enough to feed a small army.

I would recommend this little restaurant and I would be going back there whenever I’m in Siem Reap. I think their breakfast has me hooked. It’s right along the riverside (beside Body Tune Massage and Kampuccino Cafe), a block after Old Market, central but away from noisy Pub/Alley Street. Just the right place if you want some quiet.

An entry for

Rant About Pseudo Travellers

Lui — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:16:36 +0000

Let me start off by saying this is a semi-ranting post. I feel like ranting because I’ve had a distasteful experience with some people who were playing travelers and whom I have hosted here in Cambodia. I feel like I should really just write it down and hopefully some people with similar mind frame as them would find this helpful and just cancel their trips if they won’t bother giving the place a chance. I have seriously thought that traveling is to see something different, not look for the same things as what you have in your place?

First thing first, I know people travel for a variety of reasons. Some travel for enjoyment, relaxation, some to educate themselves, some for a totally new experiences, some simply because they want to have photos of a different place to post on their Facebook accounts and show off to their friends. I don’t have any problem really about anybody’s reason to travel. Different strokes for different folks right?

What I have a strong beef about is when a ‘pseudo-traveller’ just goes to a place with not even an inkling about that place. I’m not saying you should swallow a whole guidebook about the place, but it really does help things if you do a bit of background check about where you are going. For example, if you are going to Angkor Wat, at least have an idea about what temple’s history and the location etc etc. It doesn’t need to be an in depth knowledge just an overview. And the internet is one of the best places to do a bit of research. There are lots of forums one can visit if you are really interested. And I do wonder why would one go to a place if you don’t really have any interest in it?

I’m guessing this was what actually happened to my guests. They booked an Indochina backpacking tour with a stop first in Ho Chi Minh where they were supposed to stay for 3 days but they cut it short to 1 day. Why? They said it was uninteresting and boring. I was really surprised there. Sure, Ho Chi Minh has limited ‘places to go’ to but its a fascinating city to explore. I wondered why they didn’t even bother to check out the must-sees, even those that are heavily touristed. A simple browsing of a basic guidebook or any travel forum would have helped them. They could have hired a guide or booked a city tour if all else failed. But nah, they just didn’t give the place the chance to charm them.

That made me wary, apprehensive and I thought, ‘uh oh. Pseudo-travelers. No sense of adventure and maybe a tad closed minded’. They arrived in Phnom Penh a day earlier than I anticipated and guess what they only wanted to see places that were air-conditioned. And that means missing out on Tuol Sleng Museum and Killing Fields (and I seriously think they missed out on something vital about Cambodia). Russian Market was also out because it was ‘too hot’. The Royal Palace they only half-enjoyed (no air-con there either) They only thing they enjoyed was the food. Perhaps because I only brought them to air-conditioned and comfortable restaurants. Sigh. I wonder why they didn’t just book a tour to the North Pole if they want cold?

The next day, we braved taking them to one of those traditional and very Khmer restaurants with hammocks and really authentic Khmer food. As usual, I sensed that they weren’t exactly ecstatic about it but thank God they seemed to accept it as the food was really sooo good and very affordable. Seasoned travelers would be very glad about that experience coz that’s something uniquely Khmer and not every tourist that passes this way gets to experience that.

Then we went on to Siem Reap. There were various things to complain about.

Trip took too long. – we took the Ford transit vans. Express. Those little road monsters are faster than buses by 1 or 2 hrs and with only 1 short rest stop. If they wanted fast, I wonder why they didn’t just book a flight? And this is where that little research I had been talking about comes in. If you knew its supposed to be 6-7 hr drive then you won’t have a reason to complain. In this case, I did inform them we have about 5-6 hrs travel time, but still they complained.
The road is too dusty. – Duh? It’s summer and long stretches of road going to SR is being extended. Yes, Cambodian soil is the reddish, sticky when wet but so dusty when dry variety. But I wonder why they complain about this when the dust didn’t even touch them. We were in an air-conditioned van for goodness sake! I guess it offended their eyes?
Not much green. The fields are all dry – offensive to their eyes. Hmm, I wonder if they saw all these during wet season? I know coz for me the scenery is jaw droppingly beautiful. But I guess the rain would offend them as well.
Siem Riep is too dusty - see my comment above.
Temples are too far apart and road is dusty & looks exactly the same. – I would suggest reading on history and Khmer architecture for a bit of a background. Hahaha.
It’s very hot, and they don’t like sweating. They also don’t want dark skin – I’ve never experienced summer that is cold. And its not like they were not from the tropics. Duh?
Traditional music is not that nice. They better play Bruno Mars. – I reasoned, why should they? That is something unique to Cambodia and I love it. And you can just as easily listen to western music in other places, but only here can you listen to Khmer music. I just thank God, there were no Khmers with us.
The apsara dancers were not really ‘pretty’ and for sure it was obvious they did not appreciate Khmer dance. – Which is a pity. Lol. You can go and see hip hop dancing everywhere, but these you can see only here. And you don’t give a hoot about it? A real pity.
And this list, folks is just a condensed version. So can you imagine our consternation?

All in all, we just managed to visit 2 temples – Angkor Wat and Ta Phrom. Why, because Angkor Wat is on the flag and Ta Phrom is where Angelina Jolie shot a movie. We actually took them to Angkor Thom, The Bayon (which for me hands down is the most interesting temple in Angkor) but they refused to explore because its all just the same look. Sure,everything is just a huge heap of stone. But a true discerning eye would realize that those stones are shaped, carved and all piled together to make something jaw-dropping beautiful and unique. But appreciating things like this cannot be forced, so we just let it go and went off. That would be a record breaking visit to Angkor. My sister and I were laughing out heads off about going back to the hotel after just less than 5 hours.

The only thing they enjoyed about the trip to Siem Reap: good massage.

I simply can’t imagine anyone (who is not blind) who won’t be in awe at this:

Or perhaps I’m biased. If they don’t find this pretty, awesome would do at least. Hahaha..

Can you blame me if I’m pissed off? My sister and I took the time off to show them around, and we took time off from work. And yes, we paid for our own expenses. We didn’t ride on their wallets. Lol. So we just wasted a big bunch of our time and money on some people who we both decided are just simply ignorant, not to mention offensive (if they didn’t like one place – a comment would surely come with a cringe-worthy expletive), and very shallow tourists. They just wasted money (theirs, hahaha) and our time and money too . My sister said next time, somebody asks us to tour them around they have to sign a pledge confirming they are not primadonnas. Lol.

Suffice it to say, it has been an eye opening trip and I totally agree with Mark Twain when he said this:

I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.

And now that I have ranted here, I feel so much better. I hope I would never encounter guests like that anymore. And just in case you guys are wondering, no they don’t know about this blog and they don’t read this blog. But a part of me wishes they read this.

Rubber Tree Plantations in Kampong Cham

Lui — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:43:24 +0000

One of Cambodia’s biggest industry is rubber production. I’ve known this for awhile, and hubby has also been asking me to go to Kampong Cham province for the longest time already to have a look at the rubber plantations, but I was not really that interested. I was thinking, hmm, I don’t work for Michelin, Goodyear or I don’t even make rubber bands so what could I find interesting there?Hahaha.. Yeah, that’s the silly, ignorant me talking.

Kampong Cham, Cambodia is where most of the huge rubber tree plantations are and recently this industry have seen a big revival and when we went to Mondulkiri last weekend, we had to pass thru this province. And I did regretted not agreeing to go to these plantations sooner. It’s pretty scenic and all you can see are rows and rows of rubber trees. There are rubber trees as far as your eyes can see. So its all green..

We saw how rubber glue is harvested and it was pretty interesting. Workers scrape the skin of mature rubber trees usually on a daily basis, then the small rubber glue drippings are gathered and collected on a little wooden bowl attached to the base of the tree.

I was thinking, how many gallons of that would be needed to make one tire? And I finally understood the Khmer fixation with using rubber bands for just about anything. They have plenty of it as it happens. They have a passionate affinity with rubber bands, just ask my husband who I think secretly believes rubber bands would make great gifts for dad. Lol.

Anyway, I’ve got tons of photos of the recent trip and I’m still editing. But at the rate Phnom Penh’s electric company is enforcing power cuts, I’ll be finished with the editing maybe next week.

Random Posts

Manila-Siem Reap Direct Flights via Cebu Pacific Air

Lui — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:48:20 +0000

Here’s something we’ve been waiting for quite sometime already, after the two countries have signed flight deals since 2009! Direct flights from the Philippines to Cambodia is finally here! Philippine budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air will commence flights from Manila-Siem Reap and vice versa from April 19, 2012!

Visiting Angkor Wat is now much easier and much much cheaper for Pinoy folks. And what’s even better is that Cebu Pacific Air is currently holding a seat sale till January 29, 2012, so hurry and grab your really cheap fares on this seat sale. I think booking for Cambodia flights commences tomorrow, January 27th @ Cebu Pacific Air. You can also check out Cebu Pacific’s Facebook Page for promo updates.

I’ve checked the schedules and for now the airline is flying to Siem Reap on Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday. Flight times would 19:50 - 21:30 for Manila-Siem Reap and 22:30 – 02:10 for Siem Reap-Manila. That’s about 2 hrs and 40 mins of flying, (Cambodia being 1 hr behind Manila time)!

This news made my day. Lol. I’ve been wishing for this to happen since… well ever since. And now if only Cebu Pacific flies to direct to Phnom Penh too. I know, tourists are mostly after Angkor Wat in Siem Reap but still, majority of Filipino expats reside here and Phnom Penh is increasingly getting a part in the tourist trail..so Cebu Pacific, pretty please add Phnom Penh to your destinations soon..

Random Posts

Sleepy, Picturesque Kampot City

Lui — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:25:00 +0000

We’ve been to Kampot a year or so before but it was only a passing visit. I didn’t even get to take photos and I had been forever lamenting that little incident and bugging Hi-ace about when we’ll go back there and soak up on the Kampot atmosphere. We finally made the trip three weeks ago during the Water Festival holidays. It was a rather spur of the moment trip with no real itinerary except going to Kep and Kampot and just wandering about. This is a pic heavy post, so be forewarned, it’ll take a bit of time to load up.

Kampot is a leisurely 2-3 hour drive from Phnom Penh. National Road #3 is newly re-built? and is in great shape so the drive is smooth and very very picturesque. I love unspoiled, green landscapes and I was seriously tempted to ask Hi-ace to stop driving and let me get down and take photos but I just had to restrain myself. Lol.

Here’s some gorgeous riverfront snapshots..

Kampot City didn’t disappoint. There something about the place that begs you to just relax and take a stroll. It’s quiet, very sleepy and very relaxing. The city is smallish, but with some interesting old colonial architecture. Were big fans of sleepy towns and almost untouched scenery so we loved Kampot. It’s like finding a sparkling diamond necklace in the wild.

And I could never get enough of taking photos of those pretty old colonial houses. I feel like I’ve stepped into a movie set from a different era…

But of course, there also dashes of modern in Kampot. Like this.. The Millenium Circle. I kinda find it interesting that the city has lots and lots of circles. Hahaha. I think they have the most circles in all Cambodian cities I’ve been to.

And a pretty panorama shot from the riverside during sunset..

It’s just too bad we didn’t make it to Bokor National Park as we were pressed for time. But that will definitely be on our checklist the next time we go to Kampot.

Food Trip Friday: Pasta Mayon @ Small Talk Cafe

Lui — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:07:32 +0000

Here’s from one of my favorite resto’s in Legazpi City, Philippines – Small Talk Cafe. I missed the food there so this was one of my stops with some friends during my two-week Pinas vacation.

I had Pasta Mayon. I know it looks like your ordinary lasagna dish but believe me this one is definitely unique. Ravioli pasta stuffed with creamy pinangat (laing leaves cooked with coconut cream) and topped with oh so yummy tuna sauce. I think ‘yummy’ and delicious would be an understatement for this dish.

I also wish I had more room for more food. But I just had heavy lunch and the pasta was the only thing I could accommodate. The Laing/Pinangat Pasta and the Bicol Express Pasta and Pili Pasta, Laing Pizza looked interesting too. I guess, I just have to make sure I’m really hungry when I go there again.

Small Talk cafe has a really cozy ambiance (think vintage-retro!) and features some totally unique food. A lot of the food in their menu are a must try. If you’re ever in Legazpi City, visit this place. Located in Albay District very near Divine Word College.

And oh, thanks Yese for the pics (which makes me think what a lousy blogger I make, I always seem to forget the cam whenever I need it LOL) and Khenn, thanks for the yummy treat ). Miss you guys and see sometime soon again.

Food Trip Friday: Sibid-Sibid Legazpi

Food Trip Friday: Sibid-Sibid Legazpi

Lui — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 02:40:46 +0000

It’s been awhile. But hey, I’m well, alive and blogging from Phnom Penh again. I did plan to update the site while I was in the Philippines but a busy schedule and a crazy slow internet connection made me…well, lazy. I reasoned I was on vacation so I might as well be on full vacation..

I had a really great time there even if the weather was really dark, rainy and moody. I met up and caught up with a lot of friends and also had a great time trying out Legazpi’s new restos. One of the places we tried was Sibid-Sibid Legazpi. We were with my mom’s bestfriend and since my daughter is crazy about seafood, this is the place she recommended we try. So I’m deviating a bit for my Food Trip Friday entry and featuring a ‘Filipino restaurant’ instead of Khmer food.

a miniature sibi-sibid. A wooden banca used by fishermen..

Sibid-Sibid Legazpi has native and traditional Filipino theme with bamboo and wood decor all around the resto. It reminded me much of bahay kubos . Their menu consisted mainly of traditional Filipino favorites like bulalo, sisig, bicol express and more seafoods.

FISH SISIG: i’ll be having some serious cravings with this one. It’s soooo crunchy and delicious. I had to stop myself from ordering a bottle of beer when I tasted this.

SHRIMP ADOBADO: the sauce. finger lickin’ good. The kiddo went a little nuts with this. She wanted a second helping of rice coz of this.

Mains were priced around P150-P190 per order but the servings were big. Enough for 3-4 persons. And the taste, sooooo deliciously good. We couldn’t help ourselves and bef

ore the meal was halfway, we were eating with our hands hahaha.. All in all, Sibid Sibid is a great place to dine with family and friends. I find it a good value for money, sure it might cost a lot more than you’re typical fastfood fare but its all more worth it.

CALAMARES: very good. I did wish though that’s they’d have something a little more spicy and exotic for sauce. But this was great and a must try.

CAMARON: crunchy and the sauce perfect for it.

FRESH COCONUT: the perfect drink to go with it all..

After that full hearty meal, we all headed over to a local mall and went on a hunt for a gift store to have some baby shower gifts delivered. My cousin gave birth recently and since we couldn’t be with them for the shower, we opted for some gifts delivery service.

I’ll be posting more stuff about our short Bicol trip and oh, after we got back to Phnom Penh two days ago, Hi-ace dragged us for a ‘drive’ which ended up with us exploring Kep and Kampot, Cambodia. I’ll be featuring picturesque Kampot photos soon.

Food Trip Friday: Pasta Mayon @ Small Talk Cafe

A Visit to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Lui — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:48:45 +0000

This is a photo heavy post ) Hmm, I’m just too lazy to spread this over several posts. A week ago, we had long holiday because the Khmers were celebrating Pchum Ben. With a few days on our hands we decided to visit Ho Chi Minh City again. Last time we went there we didn’t do much sightseeing, we were just there to eat and shop. We picked the place since its near, just a few hours bus ride. For the PP-HCM leg of our trip we took Mekong Express. Left 8:30 am and before 1:30 pm we were already getting our passports stamped at the Vietnam border. You know you’re in Vietnam when you see this..Heh.

I pre-booked our hotel, picked out Hong Thien Loc Hotel for its proximity to buses going to Phnom Penh and also its right along Pham Ngu Lao street. Very central. The hotel was nice enough, nothing stellar but good enough and I got a really good deal online compared to if we just walked in.

And here’s pic spam of our three day trip.

I actually feel right at home in Ho Chi Minh city. I feel like I’m just in a bigger version of Phnom Penh. What with millions of motorbikes making the city roads their raceways? Well for some, the streaming hordes of motorbikes is a novelty and often scary but I must have gotten immune to it while living in Phnom Penh. I think its pretty ordinary hahaha. And I just found out I’m pretty good at crossing the road and deftly avoiding being side swept by those flying motos..

Above: Backpacker Central – De Tham Street

Tiny alleys packed with mini hotels..

Eats? One of my favorite things to do in Vietnam..We can’t get enough of Pho..

The usual tourist circuit..Hehe we decided to do what the usual tourists do..

Reunification Palace. This place obviously didn’t interest me much. This is the only photo I took of the place.

War Remnants Museum.

Lovely Notre Dame Cathedral

Below: A really old and ornate Chinese Temple

And my favorite place in all of Ho Chi Minh City. The General Post Office. I dunno but this is just gorgeous for me. I feel like I’m on time travel and I could hang out in this place for hours.

i love this ATM booths )

And oh, we also visited a lacquerwood factory..

Applying layers of paint/lacquer or whatever that is. I guess I wasn’t paying attention and busy snapping away.

Egg Shell Art

Below: Finished Products Gallery. One can buy from here. A bit pricier than those in markets but the quality is much much better.

When we came back we booked Kumho Samco bus, you know we want to try out all buses plying the PP-route, just so we know which one is really the better service. Hmmm, OW was $10, the seats were good. I reckon they are better than Sapaco Tourist. At least they don’t cram the bus with ‘goods’ the way Sapaco does. Service-wise I would still prefer Mekong Express.

That’s it folks! I do have a lot of things to say about this short trip but this post is too long already. Haha.. All in all, this was a really lazy, relaxing vacation. I hope we could do this often. Hahaha. Yeah, I’m already checking out the calendar for the next PP long holiday and where we’ll be going…

Food Trip Friday: Pho2000

Lui — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:34:03 +0000

We had a long holiday this week here in Phnom Penh. The Khmers were celebrating Pchum Ben and most people took the time off and headed elsewhere for some R & R. We were actually planning on going to Battambang, but since my sister was going home to Manila via Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, we decided we’ll all tag along and spend a few days there. What did we do? Nothing much, walked about the city, did a bit of shopping{ really, Ho Chi Minh is a bargain shoppers haven, you’ll find everything in their markets apparel, even hospital scrubs sale, bags, home decor etc} and we also ate a lot. Hubby and I, are big fans of Vietnamese Pho Bo so we decided to eat Pho every night Lol.

The first night we went to our favorite Pho place – Pho2000. Here’s some drool worthy pics..

Hubby ordered a large bowl of Pho Bo {Beef Keuy Teuw Noodles} and I was seriously shocked at how huge the bowl was. I thought at first the waiter was bringing it over for us to wash our hands on, hahahaha. And Hi-ace was embarrassed he was the only one eating a huge bowl of noodles. Lol. But he did finish it all up!

Mine was a really delicious seafood Pho. Clams, squid, fish, prawns and lots of onions. I love the spiciness of this one. Definitely going to my favorite list.

Cebu Pacific Air Seat Sale Still On!

Lui — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:10:53 +0000

Cebu Pacific Juan to Fly? Promo:

Manila to Legazpi or Naga | Cebu to Clark, Davao, Ozamiz, Pagadian or Surigao | Davao to Iloilo – P488
Manila to Tagbilaran or Roxas – P788
Manila to Ozamiz – P888

Manila to Ho Chi Minh – P1288
Manila to Brunei, Guangzhou, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur – P1488
Manila to Osaka – 2088

Today’s gonna be the last day of the sale! So go hurry and grab yourself some cheap tickets and have a vacation. Lol! I know I should have posted it earlier, but I guess I was too preoccupied scoring deals. Heh. I just got back first week of July and now I’m trip planning again. Sigh. The expense, the expense. But I can’t help myself, I miss my family terribly and unless I could find budget rates for conferencing calling, then I’d have to fly home from time to time.

Were going home again for All Soul’s Day, and kiddo and I will be leaving on the last week of October and going back early November. And yay! I scored discount tickets from Cebu Pacific and were traveling via Ho Chi Minh on the way to Manila. I’m quite giddy with the savings I scored coz that is more than enough to pay for our RT ticket from Manila to Legazpi! Imagine, the usual no discount fare for 2 pax Saigon-Manila would be around $200++ but yesterday I booked and paid less than $128!

So yeah, I’m in a pretty good mood. Hahaha. Anyway, its weekend and I’m wondering what to do..Any suggestions?

Manila-Phnom Penh via Ho Chi Minh City

Lui — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:51:01 +0000

This would be a long, word heavy post. A rarity for me, I know. I was actually at a loss on what to post about and has been discussing which motorcycle gps would be the coolest to use with hubby and neighbors when it suddenly occurred to me, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the easy and affordable way to travel Manila-Phnom Penh and also about the overland travel between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh. So why not post about my recent trip?

Ever since we started living here in Cambodia, my usualy way when going home to Manila would either be Phnom Penh-Singapore-Manila, or Phnom Penh-Bangkok-Manila or Phnom Penh-Kuala Lumpur-Manila. I preferred this route because I usually traveled with a child. I know of some Pinoy friends who suggest going by bus to Ho Chi Minh then taking the PAL or Cebu Pacific flight to Manila. I got the chance to try the route when I traveled last May alone.

It was a really straight forward, hassle free trip. From Phnom Penh, I simply bought a Mekong Express bus ticket. I took the morning trip (8:30 am) coz I wanted to get to Saigon while its still bright, mainly coz I’m alone and scared. Lol. This is actually my favorite bus to ride when going to Ho Chi Minh. For just $12 you get a comfy seat, a bottle of chilled water and a croissant and a wet towel. They also have an English speaking guide on board who would assist you. Before you get onboard, the staff would check your passport/visa, then if you have luggage to deposit, they will be tagged properly. The trip was smooth going and without hassles. The bus has a restroom but I didn’t try using it. They will stop once for lunch very near the Bavet border, the rest-stop place is clean and has good food options. Then the guide would assist you on crossing the border. The process would take about 30 mins and you have to get your luggage and have it screened when you get to the Vietnam immigration. Before 2 pm I was already in Ho Chi Minh. Travel time is about 6 hours including immigration checks.

Got down in Pham Ngu Lao area, walked around a bit. When it was time to go to the airport I simply hailed a Vinasun {Innova} taxi, fare amounted to 140,000 Dong {about $7}. When in Ho Chi Minh, I would recommend using just Vinasun or Mai Linh taxi as taxi scams are well-known in the area. And do ~~ask~~ insist to use the meter. Then I took the Cebu Pacific flight to Manila which leaves at around 1 am.

Now that I’ve tried the route, I think this is a really economical route. You get to save one leg of flight and pay just $12 + taxi fare. Cebu Pacific fares are also cheap so I think I’ll be going by this route more often. The connecting times are also good. If you leave Phnom Penh at around 1:30 pm, you’d be in HCM at around 8pm just the right time to head over the airport and check in for Cebu Pacific flight. If you’re taking PAL, the flight sched is at 2 pm so you’d have to get yourself a hotel for an overnight stay. Which is not a problem too as hotels in HCM are really cheap.

On our trip back from Manila, I was with hubby and Chinks. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh around 1 am, we decided to spend a day there. We stayed in a hotel in Pham Ngu Lao which is ideal since its very near ticket counters of buses going to Phnom Penh. The next day we decided we’ll try out Sapaco Tourist Bus to Phnom Penh. We wanted to compare how it would fare against the Mekong Express. It’s cheaper! Tickets costs just $10 {200,000 Dong} and we got ourselves the 9 am bus. The staff courteous enough but they speak very very very little English. Thankfully, hubby could understand a bit of Vietnamese so we got by. Luggage was properly tagged and we were given a bottle of water. While the bus was clean, it was also packed to the hilt with assorted goods. I didn’t have any place for my carry on luggage and I can’t even stretch my feet since the space under the seats was all filled with goods. I have no idea why they do these, but they should also be mindful of the comfort of their passengers. Also, they have a restroom but the space in front of the restroom door was packed with stuff, then I really wonder how we’d squeeze ourselves to get inside the door.

The immigration stop was a little chaotic as you’re on your own. The bus conductor { who speaks no English} would get your passport, bring it over to the immigration and you wait for your name to be called. We got a bit lost here since the conductor didn’t say anything, thank God we had the good sense to follow the group ahead of us. Anyway, we still got to Phnom Penh at around 4 pm.

Comparing the two bus companies, I would definitely ride the Mekong Express again. But then again, I’m up for a little adventure, maybe I’ll try to ride the other bus companies plying the route, then I promise to do a review..

Mekong Express Limousine Bus

#87 Sisowath Quay Phnom Penh - +(855) (0)23-427518

#275F Pham Ngu Lao Ho Chi Minh – +(84)(8)383733917 / +(84) 935507894

email: mekongexpress@online.com.kh

Sapaco Tourist

#307 Preah Sihanouk Blvd, Sangkat Veal Vong, Khan 7 Makara Phnom Penh – +(855) (0)23 210300 / +(855) (0)23 210324 / +(855) 12 696688

#325 Pham Ngu Lao St. Ho Chi Minh – + (84) (8) 39203623 / + (84) (8) 39206920

email: sapacotourist@vnn.vn

website: www.sapacotourist.com/

Cambodia Snapshots: Preah Vihear Temple

Lui — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:16:36 +0000

Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn more about Preah Vihear here.

I was supposed to post this last weekend since my Cambodia Snapshots is scheduled every Saturday and Sunday. But I was out of the house and gallivanting about Phnom Penh so I missed this. It has been awhile since I posted some photos of Cambodia but I’m back in business. Lol. My files are all in a jumble coz I’m moving out of blogging from my good ole desktop {she has been sequestered by the Kiddo..:( } and now I’m blogging from my laptop and moving is as disorganized as only me can get, so I’m still trying to get my bearings.

So what’s the featured snapshot for today? The famed Preah Vihear temples. Shot courtesy of my husband who went there last year. I’m making it my goal to visit the place at least before I turn 35. Serious. The idea of that long winding climb on top of a 4×4 pick up intrigues me and of course, this beautiful and controversial temple is a must see..

Phnom Penh Sunset River Boat Cruise

Lui — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:12:42 +0000

Phnom Penh is such a laid back city. The pace of life is not crazy fast, and you can still actually enjoy walks in the parks, badminton on a side street, group calisthenics along the river side. It’s one of the things that I really love here. That you can enjoy free and simple things. I won’t be surprised when one day I might just be in my sport shoes and jumping/dancing with a group to whatever tune those boom boxes in some corner is playing. Lol.

river boats for rent…

Lately, when we don’t have have much to do we usually end up taking a lazy river boat cruise. These cruises are available at sun down about 5:00 pm and leaves every 30 minutes with the last boat at 7-8pm. We usually pay 5000 Riels {$1.25} and 2000 Riels for kiddo per ride. Expect to pay a little bit more if you’re a foreigner {about $2.} The cruise usually takes about an hour and is a wonderful spot for sunset watching. If you want your own boat you can rent one at the same place {along Sisowath Quay, beside Bopha Titanic Restaurant}. Bargain hard. Prices depends on how long you want to rent the boat. But average prices are from $20-$30 for two-three hours.

Here’s some photos from a recent boat cruise..

@the boat top deck..waiting for some more cruisers..

Royal Palace and riverfront…

fiery sunset..

floating houses..

lovely sunset..

Oh, someone mailed me asking about the photo effects on some of my photos. I usually like making my photos Black & White, Sepia or the Miniature Model Effect {tuts here and here}. My current favorite though is the Seventies look. For some reason, the lonely, old 70′s look appeals to me. You can check out Pioneer Woman for some Photoshop actions to get these effect much easier.

No Fluke. I Really Won!

Lui — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:02:07 +0000

A month or two ago, I was ‘web wandering’ searching for air fare promos, hotel promos and cards direct when I stumbled across something mentioning Koolred, an Asia-based travel social networking site. I guess I was caught with the cool name. I love the concept of being able to connect with people with similar interests and browsing Koolred’s shared travel stories, photos is just wonderful. It’s like being able to travel without leaving your desk. They also hold contests regularly and last time they were running the Asian Food Review Contest.

Since I love to write-blog and eat, why not join? I submitted three short food reviews. I was not really expecting to place and have forgotten about the contest until I got an email a few weeks ago. The KoolRed team said I won! Wow! I just couldn’t believe that my Khmer Food @ Trasak Paem actually won, among hundreds of entries! Lolz! I truly love this little Phnom Penh restaurant and Khmer cuisine and I guess it showed in the review. And they said I won a two night stay for two persons at a luxury hotel in Bali – Alila Manggis.

I wasn’t about to believe the prize, that I actually won, till I actually had the proof. Lol. Sorry I’m just OC like that. Anyway, last April 13, something came by mail. People from Air Asia and KoolRed are really fast. I really have the voucher. Which also includes some discounts on the hotel services!

Yay! I guess this is exciting. My first time to actually win something. {Not counting the times I joined binggo games in our town when I was a kid..} I was actually wanting to get the hotel stay in Bangkok prize but hey! I haven’t been to Bali and this would be the best excuse to go..

When will I go? I have yet to decide and plan. I have a lot to do this year, and towards the end of the year, I’ll be going to Manila and Bicol again, so maybe early next year. Before the voucher expires hahaha! To KoolRed and Alila Hotels, a big thanks.

Just Having Villa Holidays Dream

Lui — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:11:53 +0000

I’m really itching to go on a lovely, relaxing holiday. While I’m usually the type to travel the backpacker way, sometimes I also crave some luxurious, pampered travel. Perhaps this is a pipe dream, but I choose to think otherwise. Who knows? I work hard, hubby works hard so to be truthful we could make it happen…Have a dream vacation, in an awesome, remote, beautiful location and have villa holidays. That would be heavenly.

Where do I want to have this opulent holiday? My easy answer would be Europe, particularly Spain. I am a Filipino and for some reason I feel a unique affinity with all things Spanish and I want to see and travel this place. The Philippines is an old Spanish colony so some of our language, habits, cuisine share a lot of similar characteristics with the Spanish. In our region we even count in Spanish! And if those aren’t enough reasons, well another reason I wanna visit Spain is that I’m a huge Rafael Nadal fan, in fact I am a fan of the who Spanish armada {tennis players}! So who knows next year I might be searching for villas in Spain and taking off?

You know, when one travels one of the things to consider is the place to stay. And what comes easily to mind are the endless list of hotels. I know there are really luxurious, one-of-a-kind hotels all over the world, but sometimes one hankers for something different. After awhile, for me hotels tend to be too impersonal and all look rather the same. So much for a unique experience. Stay homes with locals are cool and would make a great experience if you’re after cultural exchange or more local interaction. But if you’re looking for some luxury, seclusion and a unique experience as well, then self-catering villa holidays might be something to consider.

There are luxury villa or apartment owners who just use their properties for vacation and open these little pieces of plush accommodation for rent for those who are on holiday. The advantage to this I see is the location. That’s location in imaginary all caps. Of course, wealthy villa owners have their pick of the prime properties in every locality. And a whole lot of these villas have stunning, expansive views of the place. Finding these place is not hard. If you know your way around the internet, a little bit of searching would yield sites with listing of luxury villas for let on your holiday.

Sigh. As for now, I’ll continue dreaming on..

Finding Cheap Furnishings in Phnom Penh

Lui — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 02:49:08 +0000

A lot of expats here in Phnom Penh usually stay for a few years, so its a practical choice too to buy not too expensive furnishings for their temporary Phnom Penh homes. There are actually a lot of options for you to find cheap, pretty and quality furnishings here. I’m guessing these are some things that a lot of people who are going to be living in Phnom Penh are looking for.

One, you can scour ads for garage, yard and expat sales. A lot of expats leaving for another post abroad hold yard sales to dispose of their furnishings. Bringing these stuff with them can be quite costly so majority of them just hold sales. So there’s your chance to grab some quality furnishings at really bargain prices. I myself, like watching out for these garage sales and have scored lovely home decor items like my decorative mirror and some small home appliances. Where to check out ads: Bongthom.com, classified ads on dailies, also a Yahoo group called Cambodia Parents Network posts garage sale schedules.

Two, second hand shops! Yes, there are some of that here. Some imported from Japan while there are also some who source locally. Just last week when I was looking for some floor mirror and an office chair {you know the one that can whirl around, is quite comfy, but often pricey when its new} and we came across a shop along Schola Road called ‘Used Office Furnitures’ and with lots of office furnishings which are of still tip top shape and at really low prices. I’ll be posting about this as soon as I sorted out the photos. 88 Japanese Furniture along Norodom Blvd and the warehouse along National Rd. 1 is also a place to check out.

Three, buy it new. If you are into those quaint wicker furnishings then check out Sothearos Blvd. Rattan furnishings in various shapes and forms can be found along the street near its intersection with Norodom Blvd. These items make stylish and perfect of the hot Phnom Penh weather furnishings. They are lightweight but durable and you can find a lot of items in these shops. From bookshelves, to lounge chairs, bar counters, dining sets, sofas etc. all at very affordable prices.

Four, have them custom made. You can have some nice but not too pricey furnishings customized. Just visit one of those small shops along Sothearos Blvd. Last time we actually bought a custom made vanity mirror with nice vintage like wood finish for only $20. Along the same street selling rattan furnishings are small furniture shops like these..

Hope this post has been of some help. If you have more tips, places to shop, please leave a comment.

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