Mengunjungi Luang Prabang

KOTA LUANG PRABANG

Luang Prabang terletak 425 km kearah utara Vientiane dan merupakan pertemuan dari Sungai Nam Khan dan Sungai Mekong. Dulu LP adalah ibukota dari kerajaan Laos sampai kemudian di ambil alih oleh komunis pada tahun 1975. Kota ini juga ditetapkan sebagai World Heritage Site dari UNESCO pada tahun 1995 (Source: Wikipedia)

BAGAIMANA CARA MENCAPAI KOTA LUANG PRABANG?

Perjalanan dimulai dari Northern Bus Station, kami berangkat ke Luang Prabang dengan menggunakan Bus VIP jadwal paling akhir berangkat jam 19.30. Bus double decker berwarna hijau  yang kami naiki ber-AC dengan reclining seat dan toilet seharga Kip 130.000/way termasuk snack, air minum dan makan malam. Bus berangkat tepat pukul 19.30 perlahan tapi pasti menuju ke Utara. Saya dan Ninik pun terlelap dengan mudah, akumulasi kelelahan dari perjalanan kami sebelumnya di Bali. Jam 12 tengah malam bus kami berhenti di sebuah rumah makan dan kami pun makan dengan menggunakan kupon yang sudah diberikan. Hujan rintik – rintik menyebabkan udara dingin dan noodle soup yang disajikan pun terasa nikmat. Jam 12.30 bus kembali berangkat, dan kami pun kembali tertidur.

Tepat jam 6 pagi bus memasuki terminal Luang Prabang yang basah oleh hujan rintik. Setelah kami mengeluarkan backpack dari bagasi kemudian kami berangkat dengan menggunakan tuk tuk menuju kota seharga Kip 10.000/orang, kurang lebih ada 8 orang yang ada didalam tuk tuk tersebut. Sampai di tengah kota kamipun bergegas mencari penginapan di sekitar jalan utama. Kesan pertama yang saya ingat dari gang yang kami masuki adalah rapih dan bersih, rumah-rumah yang dijadikan Guest House tertata dengan rapih.

PENGINAPAN/GUEST HOUSE

Kami tinggal di Culture Guest House. Penginapan seharga Kip 100.000/malam ini sangat nyaman. Ber AC, air panas, toiletnya bersih, TV kabel dan cukup 3 orang. Wi-finya juga jagoan punya, kencang tidak ada jeda. Guest house ini terletak di gang belakang Zoma Bakery. Terus terang saya tidak ingat nama jalan gang ini :D. 
Jangan khawatir tidak mendapatkan penginapan, karena di kota ini penginapan dari mulai yg murmer sampai yang mahal semua tersedia tergantung budget yang kita miliki ;)

BEBERAPA TEMPAT DAN KEGIATAN YANG KAMI KUNJUNGI DI LUANG PRABANG

Tad Kuangsi (Kuangsi Waterfall)

Tad Kuangsi berjarak 29 kilometer ke arah selatan Luang Prabang. Kami membayar paket seharga Kip 60.000/orang dengan menggunakan mobil van yang diisi 8 orang. Paket tersebut bisa dipesan di penginapan ataupun travel tour yang ada disekitar kota. Perjalanan yang ditempuh kurang lebih 45 menit dengan medan jalan yang menanjak tapi cukup baik. Suasana hujan menyambut kami ketika kami memasuki gerbang dari obyek wisata tersebut. Terlihat pedagang dan penjual makanan berada di sekitar areal parkir. Tampaknya hari itu tidak banyak pengunjung yang datang karena areal parkir terlihat sepi, atau mungkin karena hujan?

Untuk masuk ke kawasan air terjun ini kami harus membayar Kip 20.000/orang. Arealnya ditumbuhin pohon tropis yang biasa saya jumpai juga di hutan pulau Jawa. Kami memutuskan untuk memulai dari tingkat bawah kemudian naik keatas dengan pemikiran jalan menanjak pada saat tanah becek lebih mudah.

Kira-kira 300 meter kami masuk ke areal Tad Kuangsi terdapat kandang konservasi beruang. Terdapat kurang lebih 5 – 6 beruang yang dapat saya lihat dan semuanya sedang menikmati makan siang mereka. Dari jauh suara air mengalir terdengar dantidak sampai 50 meter sudah terlihat aliran sungai yang deras. Karena hujan terus menerus beberapa hari yang lalu menyebabkan aliran sungai menjadi deras dan berwarna kecoklatan. Agak kecewa karena tidak sesuai dengan ekspetasi yang saya harapkan. Saya menyempatkan berenang dan loncat sebanyak dua kali di aliran sungai tersebut. Kurang lebih 2 jam kami bermain air di air terjun tersebut, kamipun kembali untuk ke areal parkir dan menghangatkan badan di rumah makan.

Tad Kuangsi (Kuangsi Waterfall)

Chomsi Hill

Chomsi Hill adalah bukit yang terdapat ditengah-tengah kota Luang Prabang dimana kita bisa melihat kota Luang Prabang dan Sungai Mekong dari ketinggian. Indah dan memanjakan mata dengan warna hijau dari bukit-bukit dikejauhan. Jika matahari terbenam, tempat ini merupakan tempat yang paling baik untuk mendapatkan sunset yang indah. Sayangnya selama tiga hari saya berada di kota ini, tidak sekalipun saya mendapatkan sunset tersebut.

Kota Luang Prabang dari Bukit Chomsi

Di tempat pula ini terdepat kuil dimana masyarakat Luang Prabang melakukan penyembahan terhadap sang Buddha. Untuk masuk ke tempat ini diharuskan membayar Kip 20.000 dan bersiaplah untuk menaiki ratusan anak tangga yang cukup melelahkan.

Royal Palace Museum

Dibangun sebagai tempat tinggal bagi Raja Sisavang Vong dan keluarganya pada tahun 1904 oleh Perancis. Istana ini dibangun ditepi sungai dan menampilkan motif tradisional Laos menyatu dengan Perancis. Posisi museum ini berada persis didepan Chomsi Hill dengan harga tiket masuk Kip 30.000/orang.

Royal palace Museum

Binthabhat – Morning Alms to monks

Begitu diceritakan oleh teman saya yang sebelumnya sudah berangkat terlebih dahulu ke Luang Prabang, Binthabhat adalah salah satu kegiatan yang ingin lakukan. Binthabhat adalah acara ritual memberi makan kepada para biksu yang dilakukan di pagi hari sekitar jam 5.30 – 6.30 setiap pagi. Karena pagi pertama kami bangun kesiangan, kami tiak akan melewatkan untuk yang kedua kalinya.

Untuk memberi makanan kepada para biksu itu dapat dilakukan dengan membeli penganan yang dijual oleh penduduk setempat biasanya berupa ketan, snack tradisional dan juga buah seharga Kip 10.000/piring. Jika kita membeli kepada penduduk setempat mereka akan menyediakan tikar supaya kita bisa duduk dipinggir jalan. Para biksu tersebut akan berjalan dari arah Kuil menuju ketengah kota disepanjang jalan Sisavangvong dan kembali lagi menuju kuil.

Binthabhat

 Buat saya ini adalah pengalaman yang menarik, karena baru pertama kali ini saya bisa berinteraksi langsung dengan para biksu, walaupun hanya sekedar memberikan makananan. Tetapi ada sesuatu yang sedikit mengganggu hati saya ketika mengikuti seremoni tersebut. Saya tidak mengharapkan adanya komunikasi antara saya dan para biksu apalagi keluar kata terima kasih dari mulut mereka. Saya hanya ingin melihat senyum mereka yang tidak saya lihat pagi itu. Apakah mereka tidak boleh tersenyum atau beban hidup mereka yang sangat berat hingga susah untuk tersenyum?

Pak Ou (Tham Ting) Cave

Gua Pak Ou bisa dicapai dengan dua cara, dengan perahu melaui sungai Mekong atau jalan darat baik dengan tuk tuk ataupun minivan. Saya dan Ninik mengambil jalan yang pertama dengan pertimbangan ingin melihat dan mendapatkan suasana yang berbeda dengan menyusuri sungai Mekong. Paket perjalanan ke Pak Ou Cave bisa di temui disepanjang Sungai Mekong dengan harga Kip 65.000/orang dan akan berangkat jam 8.30 pagi setiap harinya. Pastikan untuk membawa minum dan juga makanan kecil karena perjalanan yang cukup lama dan tidak ada yang berjualan di sekitar Gua tersebut.

Pemandangan dari Gua Pak Ou

Pak Ou Cave terletak 29 km melawan arus Sungai Mekong. Butuh waktu kurang lebih 2 jam untuk mencapainya dan 1 jam untuk kembali ke kota Luang Prabang. Perjalanan selama 2 jam melawan arus sungai Mekong agak membosankan tapi terbayar dengan pemandangan indah sepanjang sungai Mekong berupa bukit-bukit hijau dan berkunjung ke desa yang memproduksi black sticky rice wine dan juga kain tradisional yang ditenun sendiri oleh mereka.

Gua Pak Ou 

Akhirnya berakhirlah perjalanan melalui sungai Mekong tersebut dan kamipun sampai ditujuan. Tiket masuk seharga Kip 20.000/orang. Gua ini sangat terkenal dikalangan turis-turis yang datang ke Kota Luang Prabang. Gua ini juga dikenal karena memiliki miniature patung Buddha dalam berbagai posisi yaitu berdoa, tidur, meditasi, mengajar dan lain-lain yang jumlahnya mencapai ratusan. Buat saya Pak Ou Cave bisa dikategorikan biasa saja tetapi karena dibingkai oleh pemandangan sekitar sungai Mekong yang sangat indah membuatnya jadi terlihat istimewa. 

Patung Buddha di dalam Gua Pak Ou

Keliling kota naik sepeda

Sepeda dapat disewa dari penginapan-penginapan dengan harga Kip 10.000 sampai 20.000/sepeda/hari. Saya menyukai kota Luang Prabang. Kotanya cantik dan tertata dengan rapih dibingkai dengan pemandangan yang indah serta sungai Mekong yang cukup tenang. Kota ini tidak terlalu ramai untuk sebuah kota yang cukup populer dikalangan para wisatawan mancanegara, kegiatan bersepedapun sangat nyaman dilakukan disini.

sekitar kota Luang Prabang

Disekitar tepian Sungai Mekong banyak terdapat bangunan-bangunan dengan arsitektur perpaduan Perancis dan Laos sangat sayang jika dilewatkan begitu saja. Beberapa Guest House, hotel dan juga restoran di cat sedemikian rupa sehingga menciptakan harmonisasi warna yang indah.

Kuliner di Luang Prabang

Sarapan pertama kami di kota Luang Prabang adalah Chicken Cheese Sandwich. Sedikit kebarat-baratan memang. Tapi makanan ini banyak dijumpai di perempatan jalan besar jalan utama Sisavangvong. Dengan harga Kip 15.000 kami mendapat 1 sandwich besar yang cukup untuk kami makan berdua dan membuat perut kenyang sampai sore hari. Ayamnnya banyak, sayurnya segar serta kejunya enak :D.

Makan malam pertama di Luang Prabang cukup berkesan buat saya. Malam itu, saya dan Ninik berjalan ke area sekitar Pasar Malam di Sisavangvong Road. Hujan rintik-rintik sedari pagi terus mengguyur kota Luang Prabang. Kami masuk ke gang kecil sebelah Ancient Hotel dimana terdapat berbagai macam jualan dari mulai kudapan tradisional sampai ke prasmanan murah meriah yaitu Kip 10.000 per piring all you can eat. Kami memutuskan untuk mencoba All You Can Eat menu dengan alasan sepertinya enak dan murah pula :D.

10.000 kip all you can eat dinner

Makanan yang dijual bermacam dari mulai bihun, mie, sayur, pasta sampai barbeque yang harganya berbeda yaitu 10.000 kip/tusuk. Kurang lebih ada 6 – 7 yang berjualan all you can eat menu ini dan tidak semuanya mempunyai rasa yang pas dilidah saya. Hari pertama saya mencoba tidak pas dilidah karena terlalu manis, malam ke dua agak lebih lumayan dari yang pertama.

Kuliner Luang Prabang juga terdapat pengaruh dari prancis salah satunya terlihat dari banyaknya toko-toko yang menjual pastry dan bakery serta kue-kue. Salah satu yang saya beli di Ancient Café adalah kue rasa lemon dengan harga Kip 9.000, rasanya enak dan teksturnya lembut.

BeerLao

Last but not least yang tidak akan mungkin saya tinggalkan adalah mencoba bir lokal dengan brand Beer Lao. Harganya cukup murah yaitu Kip 8.000 untuk kaleng dan Kip 10.000 untuk botol. Hampir semua pengunjung yang ada di kota tersebut pasti akan minum bir ini. 

Pasar Malam Luang Prabang

It's shopping time!!! Tidak mungkin saya melewatkan kegiatan menarik ini pastinya. Pasar malam adalah salah satu yang kunjungi. Segala macam jenis barang khas Laos bisa dibeli di tempat ini dan warnanya pun colorfull. Dari mulai pakaian, bed cover, tas, dompet, perhiasan sampai uang kuno. Setiap malam jalan Sisavangvong ini ditutup khusus untuk pasar malam yang dibuka mulai dari jam 5 sore sampai 10 malam. Sangat menyenangkan melihat pasar malam yang menurut saya tidak terlalu ramai tapi cukup banyak transaksi jual beli antara pedagang dan pembeli yang kebanyakan adalah para turis asing. Tak ketinggalan saya membeli buah tangan khas Laos untuk dibawa pulang ke Indonesia. Beberapa souvenir yang saya lihat banyak juga motif yang sama dengan yang ada di Vietnam dam Kamboja.

Pasar Malam Luang Prabang di jalan Sisavangvong

MISCELLANEOUS

1.      Untuk masuk ke Laos, WNI diharuskan membayar Visa On Arrival sebesar USD 30.00/orang dan dibayar secara cash.

2.      Buat saya waktu 3 hari 2 malam sudah cukup untuk bisa menikmati Luang Prabang. Jika waktu perjalanan yang dimiliki tidak terlalu banyak bisa disiasati dengan menggunakan bis malam dari dan ke Luang Prabang. Bus Time Table: http://www.luangprabang-tourism.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=285&Itemid=178

3.      Pada saat saya berada di Luang Prabang (bulan Juli) persamaan dengan monsoon atau musim hujan. Monsoon biasanya berlangsung dari April – September sedangkan Oktober – Maret adalah musim kering dengan udara dingin.

4.      Nilai tukar di airport USD 1.00 = Kip 8.010 lebih baik dibandingkan di kota Luang Prabang yang hanya Kip 7.850/dolar.

5.      Jika ingin berbelanja di Pasar Malam, keluarkan kemampuan anda menawar, hehehe. Pasti harganya bisa jauh lebih murah.

South East Asia on a shoestring 4: AMAZING ANGKOR

6^th Day – Hot Siem Reap and AMAZING ANGKOR

 I have always wanted to go to Angkor. So when I got the flight ticket to Ho Chi Minh, the number one destination should be Angkor, built by the Khmer civilization between 802 and 1220 AD in Cambodia :D. So .. here I am now in Siem Reap, the city where Angkor Temples located. We packed our carrier and then moving to our confirmed guest house by tuktuk. After check in and Grace also Felis having their indomie (they cook indomie in the hostel kitchen :D) we start our journey to Angkor. We book tuk tuk 12 dollars from morning until afternoon. If you wish to see sunrise or sunset you have to pay 18 dollars.

Siem Reap city is really nice not too big but it has complete facilities. Since this city is the major tourism in all over Cambodia so their price is a  little bit higher compare to other cities in Cambodia even with Phnom Penh. The fact that almost all the people in Siem Reap at least in the down town can speak in English even I saw a beggar last night spoke in English very fluent. 

Ten minutes after departing from our guest house we enter the gate and stop to buy the entrance ticket. We buy one day visit cost 20 dollars. We have the ticket with our photos printed on it. It means that the ticket is not transferable. Angkor Complex is really huge stretching over 400 square kilometers. That’s why they also sell ticket for 3 days visit cost 40 dollars and 7 days visit cost 60 dollars. The Angkor Archaeological Park (the official name) was declared as the UNESCO World Heritage in 1992.

Angkor is hot and humid, we are lucky to come on July. According to some readings the best season to visit Angkor is October to December when the temperature is within 30^o – 32^o Celcius. Angkor is burning on April – May where the temperature can reach 35^o – 40^o Celcius :D. Just prepare your long sleeves also hat or cap or sunscreen lotion to avoid direct sun shine ;).

After the ticket booth, the driver takes us to the first complex destination, Angkor Wat. I always thought that Angkor Wat is the whole name for this site..  well.. it’s not. Angkor Wat is just one small complex over this huge Angkor Archaeological Park, is one of the main attractions in the complex, built during the early years of the 12th century by Suryavaram II. The process that lasts almost 4 centuries dedicated to Vishnu, this magnificent area has been abandoned and hidden by the forest, re-discovered by a French  150 years ago.

 

When we enter the Angkor Complex, some guards are checking our ticket and make sure the tickets is valid for today. We spend almost 2 hours in Angkor Wat Complex, admiring the architecture and relief on the walls of the outer galery and it reminds me back that we have the same same but different in Central Java, Indonesia – Borobudur :D. Some part of the Angkor Wat are closed due to restoration. The Angkor Wat is divided into two part the outer and central buildings. We take the chance to climb the  Central Buildings where the temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Once we reach the higher point we can see the whole view of the Angkor Wat complex. Stunning and amazing. No shorts and tank top outfit allowed to enter the central tower and the guards will make sure that you are already in a proper outfit otherwise they won’t let you in.

Finish with Angkor Wat, we continue with tuktuk to Angkor Thom Complex built in the late 12^thcentury where the Bayon Temple located. Bayon temple is located at the central of the Angkor Thom Complex and become one of the major destination of people who is coming to visit the Angkor Archeological Park. The Bayon was built in the late 12^th century dedicated to Buddha which most famous feature is the massive stone faces of the Avalokiteshvara. The temple is known also for two impressive sets of reliefs which present the mythological, historical and the everyday life scenes of the people living that era. Though ruins are everywhere but we still can see the temple mountain shape. Now the temple in some parts are being renovated. If Angkor Wat has a grand scale while Bayon is just in a small scale. We spend around 1 hour to see this stunning Bayon temple and then we continue to see more Angkor Complex.

Passing the streets around the Angkor Complex are so relaxing, though the sun shines very bright but the shade trees create a cool surrounding air. We don’t spend to much at the Angkor Thom then we continue to the next temple which is Ta Prohm located around 1 kilometer away from Angkor Thom complex. We enter this site and see two guards are on their post and checking our ticket and they ask where do we come from. When we proudly say we are Indonesian and suddenly this guy mention DJARUM :D. I am not sure what does he mean when we find out later he was talking about cigarettes. They are asking if we have the cigarettes and if we don’t mind they want to have it. Well, what I have is only Sampoerna and then I give two for them. They are really happy and asking a lot about Indonesia. They know that Indonesia has Borobudur temple which was built long before the Angkor. We are happy to find out even these two Cambodian guards know about Indonesia. After several talk, we continue enter the Ta Prohm complex.

 

Ta Prohm means Old Brahma which is now in progress of conservation and restoration after being abandoned and neglected for centuries. Some parts of the temple are closed for renovation and some part of the temple also has different color after being replaced with the new one. But the trees growing out of the ruins are perhaps the most impressive feature of Ta Prohm and makes this temple is becoming most visited and famous temple among all the main attractions at Angkor Archeological Park. Ta Prohm was once used for the site of Tomb Raider film. Following the map we have and use for the Angkor Archeoligical Park visit, Banteay Kdei is our next destination after Ta Prohm.  And then we’re leaving the Angkor Complex around 3 pm.

We feel very tired and exhausted yet excited after visiting the Angkor. One mission has been fulfilled to see the magnificent ancient Khmer glory through their architecture. Time is showing us 3pm in the afternoon and realize that we haven’t got any lunch. We’re heading back to the Siem Reap to have lunch nearby and going back to hostel afterwards for resting.

After resting and showering around 6.30 pm, we go out to have dinner in the middle of Siem Reap’s night life. At night, around the old market, there are hundreds of restaurants and pubs and we will have no trouble finding something which suits our tastes and budget. Lots of people mostly tourists are going out to have dinner or maybe just to hang out at this place. After some thought, we chose a street food in front of the Red Piano restaurant and Bar. We order a Khmer Barbeque Set Dinner served with rice, noodles and veggies.

Finish with dinner, we are going to the Angkor Night Market, which located not very far from the place where we have our dinner. Angkor Night Market sells a wide range of local products, handicrafts, Kramar – Khmer scarf etc with good quality. Bargaining is most welcome specially when you buy a lot of them ;). What is hip is a lot of fish massage stalls around this area. The price is ranging from 5 – 10 dollars per/hour and lots of them having this fish massage. While me?? I’d rather to have a real massage than fish massage hehehehe. We also watch the traditional Khmer dancing at the market.

 

7^th Day – Leaving Siem Reap for Bangkok

Our bus leaves the city at 9 in the morning. We are heading west to Bangkok through the Cambodia west border, Poipet. We bought our 6.5 dollars ticket last night before having dinner, not sure what’s the name of this bus operator. We are on the same bus together with Steffi & Juergen, the CS Germany Couple we met in our Phnom Penh host. The small van stops one time and it’s a real slow. From Siem Reap to Poipet could be reached in just two hours when it becomes 3 hours.

We reach Poipet Immigration around 11.30 and get our own carrier, walk to the locket for passport stamping and then passing the border.  Unlike the border between West Vietnam (Moc Bai) and East Cambodia (Bavet), here is very crowded, dusty and dirty :D though there are lots of hotels and casinos. We pass the friendship bridge between Cambodia and Thailand and we are here at the East Thailand Border, Aranya Prathet. From the seven lockets only three are opened and it makes long queue on the stamp check. After passing the stamp check we and some of our groups are escorted to behind the immigration building and waiting for almost one hour, drive us to where the bus park and another one hour waiting and then we’re leaving the city at 2pm. So, we are waiting more than 2 hours *sigh.  We arrive at 7pm at Khao San Road, Bangkok. It’s raining and traffic jam one hour before the arrival plus our bus got machine problem though the driver can handle it later.  

Changing our money is the first thing we do and then we buy and eat our dinner from the stall in the middle of Khao San Road crowdedness. We are heading the Hua Lamphong Station afterward  to buy train ticket for tomorrow morning Ayutthaya Trip but the ticket can only be bought on the day. So, we are leaving the station and directly going to Sukhumvit area where Nikolay, our host, is waiting.  We take subway from station and stop at the Sukhumvit Soi 23. First we decide to go walk, but later because of raining and we are too tired and exhausted also we have to carry our backpack we decide to take the sky train. And the decision to go using sky train is even better knowing that if we force ourselves to walk we have to pass around three sky train stations @_@. We finally meet Nikolay after knocking on wrong’s door :D and sleeping is all what we need tonight.

South East Asia on a shoestring 3: Cambodia Overland

4^th  Day – Leaving Vietnam for Cambodia!!

Our bus (SAPACO Tour) leaving at 9AM from Pham Ngu Lao. The journey is so smooth no bumpy, up and down, winding road. If I must say, its quite boring :D. The view is flat no mountain and hill view only paddy fields and local  houses. The weather is hot even I cannot feel the cool air from the bus air-con. Around 30 minutes after departing the guide collects the passport for immigration purpose and he comes back again to us and says that we need Visa On Arrival and would need USD 35.00 for the administration. We know that VOA entering Kingdom Cambodia will cost 20 dollars and the fee for each passport would be around 5 dollars but cheating for 15 dollars is just too much and the fact that our budget is only 25 dollars. We try to bargain but he doesn’t want to listen and ask us to do our own Visa On Arrival. Then after we pass the Vietnam border (Moc Bai) and reach the Cambodia border (Bavet), we are rushing to the Visa On Arrival section. To be honest, I feel panic and a little bit nervous, afraid that we will not be able to get our visa.

After fulfilling the form and give passport photo and I ask Grace and Felis to smile to the 4 immigration officers at their middle 40s with their fierce face and no smile at all :D. On the other side of our locket, the guide also dealing with the passport of the passengers. I don’t know whether this is only my feeling or not but it seems that the guide looks like talking to the officers and looking at us many times. The next  5 minutes, the officer asking for 22 dollars while the board above the locket stated that the VOA cost 20 dollars. Grace tries to argue but I ask her to just pay affraid if we argue he will not grant us the visa. We are just so lucky that they only ask for 2 dollars and we can get the VOA immediately. We are so relieve knowing our passports are back in hand with 30days length of stay in Cambodia. We are rushing for the immigration border and knowing that the guide still hasn’t finish with the other passports :D. After passing  the immigration with body temperature check-up we go to the bus.  

Entering the border, we see lots of beautiful yellow and gold buildings which we find out those are Hotels and Casinos. We stop at the restaurant for resting and to have lunch and then continue the journey for the next 3.5 hours heading Phnom Penh. I never thought Cambodia would be so hot like this. I am sweating inside the air-con bus.

We arrived at the Phnom Penh at 3.30pm with Tuk Tuk driver, Mr. Lung, waiting for us holding our name. Our host, Robert, already arranged a Tuk Tuk with 2 dollars and will take us to the street number 111, Boeng Pralit. Robert stays at an apartment at the 7^th floor. And after conversation with him we are going down to have beers with Robert and his friend (forgot his name). The beer is cheap only half dollar but I only drink one because I didn’t have lunch before and I don’t want to take the risk of having tummy problem during my holiday.  Also we meet another couple couchsurfers from Germany Steffi and Juergen. They are staying together with us at Robert’s house.

After beer, we are heading together to have dinner. We walk around 10 minutes through, I am sure this should be, market at noon time because there is so many garbage on the street waiting to be picked up. We are heading The Orussey Market. According to Robert, all the people in Phnom Penh closes their business at 5. So the Orrusey market is dark now and what left behind is the food stalls in front of the building. This is one of the not so famous Tourist Attractions in Phnom Penh. The market is more frequented by the locals than the tourists in the city. The shops in the market generally sell essential items rather than souvenirs. That is why, tourists do not take much interest in visiting this market.

We are having dinner at Orrusey Restaurant right across the market. I have one big bowl of rice noodles with meatball which taste really great and you pay only 6.000 Riel around 1.25 dollar. This restaurant has lots of local menus with affordable price and taste good. After dinner, we are heading back to the house and decide not to go anywhere because we feel tired after the 6 hours journey by bus.

As per our friend, Kylie, who was here a week a go, suggestion she mentioned not to exchange the dollar to Riel (1 dollar = Riel 4.000, Riel is Cambodia Currency). Cambodia uses two currencies both USD and Riel. So anytime you can pay using dollar and if it has change they give you back in Riel. Example: if we buy water 0.75 dollar and we give 1 dollar, they will return the money in Riel around Riel 1.500 :D. It's really confusing at the first time, well.. actually the confusion still continues until we leave Cambodia hahahaaha.... :D.

5^th Day  – Around Phnom Penh and Heading Siem Reap

We wake up around 6Am and ready to go around the city. Due to some reasons, we decided to leave Phnom Penh today and look for the bus ticket to go to Siem Reap. We bring our carrier to the hostel in front of Robert’s apartment named Spring Guest House and we buy the ticket from there for the price 5 dollars. Our departure is at 3.15pm so we still 6 hours to go around the city. We start booking our tuk tuk with 10 dollars and our first destination is the Royal palace.

The Royal Palace, Phnom Penh is actually a building complex which the residences of the Cambodian Kings. In the Khmer language the Royal Palace is called the "Preah Barom Reachea Vaeng Chaktomuk" built in 1886. The complex is divided by walls into three main areas, on the north side is the Silver Pagoda and to the south-west is the Khemarin Palace and a central compound containing the Throne Hall. The throne hall is the place from where the king's generals and officials performed their duties. The Silver Pagoda is a wonderful temple which is home to bejeweled Buddha statues and lots of national treasure. This Royal palace is absolutely beautiful with gold as its main color on the roof. This complex will absolutely spoil your eyes especially when the sunshine very bright on this day.  The Royal Palace is open to the public from 7:30-11 am and 2-5 pm daily with 6.25 dollar as the entrance fee. Quite expensive but for me its really worth the view ;).

After Royal Palace, we are going to Wat Phnom. But, we didn’t enter this area just to sit in front of the gate and taking some photos. Next, we are going to find lunch because we didn’t have our breakfast. The tuk tuk driver brings us to the riverside of Mekong River. Here we can see an open air park. The parks are the best locations to view the splendid beauty of the rivers especially at the point where they are meeting each other. In front of the park across the street is lined restaurant serving local and international delicacies and shops selling local products.

We finally decided to have lunch nearby the local market at the local restaurant. I eat local fried rice same with Grace while Felis is having meat and veggies. Then we are heading the Central Market of Phnom Penh. Central Market (Phsar Thmei) in Phnom Penh offers a wide variety of shopping products like Cambodian souvenirs, art, silks, handicrafts and curios. The building was built in the shape of a dome in 1937 and is now become the landmark of Phnom Penh. I buy some of the local fabrics from this market. This place has cheap price but compare to the Russian Market, this market is nothing :D.

We are heading to Russian market after visiting Central market. Our main mission is only one, SHOPPING :D. Russian market is on the opposite direction of the Central Market. It takes around 15 minutes to go by tuk tuk. The Russian Market itself is far less architectural interest than the Central Market but has a larger, more varied selection of souvenirs, curios and silks and cheap off course. We buy lots of T-shirts and local fabric called Kramar – a typical of Khmer scarf.

Right on 2.30pm, we are back to Spring Guest House and checking some e-mails on their free internet facility. Ow yeah.. one thing I like from this city is everywhere you go they have Wi-Fi everywhere for free. At the café, restaurants, workshop even at the bus terminal they also have Wi-Fi. No wonder there is only limited internet café in Phnom Penh.  The small van picks us at 3.30pm and they take us to the bus station. By 3.45pm the bus starts to move and slowly leaving the hectic afternoon of Phnom Penh City. We stop only once to have dinner and to take fresh air and we’re moving again the next 30 minutes.

We arrive at 9.30pm at Siem Reap Bus Station, I forgot what’s the name of this bus operator. But we are lucky to find we have tuktuk driver waiting for us to bring us to our guest house. Unfortunately, we have a slight argument with the driver since he forces us to go to the guest house that we don’t choose. I think this misunderstood was made when we were still in Phnom Penh with the reception at The Spring Guest House. We asked him to arrange tuktuk to our chosen guesthouse instead of he appointed the other guest house. So, we finally decide to stay one night at that guest house (forgot the name) and then moving the next day to The Garden Village.

Continue to: South East Asia on a shoestring 4: Amazing Angkor  

South East Asia on a shoestring 2: Around HCMC & Mekong Delta

2^nd day – Around Ho Chi Minh City
 We wake up around 8am knowing that some of the people are leaving already so left only the three of us and Karl from Sweden. We start our day at 10am using bus number 18 heading Pham Ngu Lao, District 1 to find bus ticket to Phnom Penh.  The mode of transportation we used during our stay in Ho Chi  Minh is only bus and taxi. Their buses are comfort enough with air con on it and no matter how far or close you destination is you pay only D 3.000 for each journey.  

Traffic in Ho Chi Minh, in my opinion, is as bad as in Jakarta :D. I am not talking about being stuck in the middle of the street cause I’m sure Jakarta is worst. I am talking about the motorbikes .. yeah.. they are even crazier. I feel that I can go across it in the middle of Jakarta’s crowded street but not in Ho Chi Minh. It’s just scary knowing that they even doent want stop though you have already crossing the street at the right place. It’s quite experience though. Once, our friend Phil, a CS from States, I’m not sure whether he took photos or videoing us while we are crossing the street HAHAHAHA :D. Thanks a lot Phil.

We arrive at the final destination of the bus stop, Cho Ben Thanh Bus Station. The central bus station is right in front the Ben Tanh market, is a big marketplace in the downtown area of Ho Chi Minh, in District 1. Today is considered one of symbols of the city. Popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.  While me and Felis just get a nice bag with a Vietnamese motif on it and Grace gets usual Vietnam T-shirts.

We walk the Pham Ngu lao while seeking for Sapaco Tour around the street. The Pham Ngu Lao area is known for its affordable guest houses and mini-hotels as well as the availability of tourist agencies which primarily cater to budget tourists also lots of restaurants with international, Italian, and local food. At the Sapaco we buy our tickets to Phnom Penh. We get 200.000 Dong or USD 11.00 for ticket. After tickets we go around the Pham Ngu Lao to find our lunch. We enter the Bui Vien Street around Pham Ngu Lao and having lunch at the local food restaurant. With 17.000 Dong, we can have beef and veggies also a bowl of soup. And the rain starts to wet the Ho Chi Minh City, we decide to move and enjoying coffee at Stella coffee shop in front of our restaurant. Me and Grace tasting the famous Trung Nguyen coffee and its true.. I love it a lot! I have Ice Coffee Milk with only 25.000Dong which cheap for a nice coffee milk like that :D .

We wait the raining to stop almost 2 hours, and then decide to leave Stella though still raining. We buy raincoats and ready to walk using the city map. We start walking from Pham Ngu Lao and passing by the Ben Tanh Market. Heading the Ho Chi Minh City Museum . The Ho Chi Minh City Museum is an historical site was built during the French colonial era and situated at the corner ofnear Reunification Palace.

After the museum we are going to Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence Palace, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, is a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It wasthe home and workplace of the President of  South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The complex covered an area of 12 hectares, including a palace with an 80-meter-wide, a guest-chamber capable of accommodating 800 people, with a spacious gardens covered by green trees and a lawn. Most of the building materials were imported from France. Lots of local tourists and foreigners are visiting it. With entrance Dong 15.000 we can enjoy all this 3 storey building. 

The rain stops when we go out from the museum. We walk the garden right across the garden in front of the Museum and we look at some of young people around the garden just to hang out and chill out with friends. Grace is interested to taste the local food named  Banh Trang. A giant crackers made from rice flours and added sesame seeds in it. The price is Dong 5.000 per piece which later we find out it cost only around Dong 3.000 according to Kha, our host :D. The cracker doesn’t really taste good until we eat it using chilly sauce we brought from Indonesia :D, yeah we bring Saos Sambal ABC hehehehe.

We eat while sitting in the garden with the side view of an orange building called Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica is a cathedral established by French colonists and constructed between 1863 and 1880. Too bad, we cannot enter the cathedral because there is a holy mass inside and we are just happy just to take some photos from the outside with Virgin Mary statue stands right in front of it.

The time is around 5 pm when we are heading the Saigon Central Post Office just beside across the Cathedral. This beautiful building has a Gothic architectural style. It was designed and constructed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel in harmony with the surrounding area. Even we do not send anything, we get in the building and admire its huge hall. This post office also serves some of the major telecommunications like internet and telephone. In the right and left wings of the front building also sells some of local handicrafts with the price higher compare with the local market.    

I like walking the Sai Gon Pedestrian. It’s wide and shady without street stalls here and there. We walk along street where lots of boutiques and restaurants. And then we meet the Municipal Theatre or Saigon Opera House. Just like the other building we met before. This Opera House also built during the French colonialism and it capable to accommodate 1.800 people inside. All the furniture,, inscriptions and décor were all imported from French.

Passing through some gardens and then we finally reach the Ho Chi Minh City Hall. The sun sets and all over is dark, Ho Chi Minh City starts to light the night. To me this building is the most beautiful building in Ho Chi Minh, maybe because of the lights.. well I don’t know :D. In front of the building stands the statue of Ho Chi Minh where the name of the city taken. He was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary and statesman who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

After walking the city, we are heading back to Pham Ngu Lao to meet Kha. I also having appointment with another couchsurfers, Marlyn from French who is at the moment staying in Phnom Penh and having her exam in Ho Chi Minh City. We meet another 4 couchsurfers. A couple from US Phil and Laura also Kylie, same from US but at the moment staying in Shanghai and Dave from Argentina. So now there is 11 people plus me, grace, Felis, Kha, Nguyet (local couchsurfers) and Karl going to have dinner in a local Vietnamese Restaurant. Don’t ask where the restaurant is because, I think only the locals know this place :D. And it has good food for sure .. love it ;).

3^rd Day – Mekong Delta one day Tour

At 7.30am Kylie, Felis, Grace and I are in Pham Ngu Lao waiting for the bus to take us to Mekong Delta at 9am. Our itinerary today is going to the southern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches the sea through some distribution. The journey takes around two hours by bus. The tour cost USD 9.00 per person include lunch and a package of island hoping tour. They are around 20 people on the bus locals and foreigners. First stop they are taking us to the souvenirs workshop and shop made by the handicapped people. And then heading to the harbor to get on the big boat for island hoping. The boat can accommodate around 50 people and they take us across the brown Mekong River.

The first island we visit called Coconut Island. There we can see the making of coconut candy and coconut wine. We can also tasting them. I buy some of coconut candies to be brought home. The coconut candy cost around Dong 100.000 for six packs. Actually this almost the same like Indonesia food, Dodol :D. After the Coconut Candy manufacturing the tour take us trekking the island and continue to the other island from the different pier.  

On the way to another island, the rain starts to fall and its getting bigger when we are on the island. Here, we can see feeding the crocodiles show. By buying meat, we canfeed the crocodiles using fishing equipments. Kylie feeds some of the crocodiles while we are here. We are having lunch on this island, and I am quite disappointed because they don’t give us any drinks and we have to buy it by ourselves. And the drinks are quite pricey. Lucky us we bring our own water ;).  We are continuing the island hoping to the next island where they serve us the local fruits which is the same fruits just like we have in Indonesia. They serve Rambutan, Pineapple, Lychee, Jack Fruit, and Melon also tea. After the fruit tea time, we are escorted to the different part of the island. We go trekking through the fruit garden and then we finally reach a small pier where traditional small boats droved by the local are waiting for us. We will go through the small river heading to our boat in the downstream. We pass the local houses on the riverside and watching the local people doing their daily activities. While we are on the boat, they are giving us the local hats to protect us from the rain.

I remembered my friend mention that Mekong Delta is just okay. Even the river in Kalimantan is much more beautiful compare to this place and I totally agree with her though I never been to Kalimantan before. But I really admire the way they create this tour really interesting. The tour also include the local people by giving the chance to take part on it. I don’t know whether they will give the fee for them but I feel that if Indonesia can do such things like this I’m sure tourism will be much better in Indonesia.

We end up the trip and going back to the City around 5pm in the afternoon and then continue our day with early dinner around Ben Tanh market. We tried Pho 2000, the president Pho. I was wondering why the president Pho and my question answered once we enter the restaurant. The former US President, Bill Clinton, was having Pho at this restaurant during his visit to Ho Chi Minh. It’s shown by some photos on the wall. Dinner finish and we gather again with our friends, the couchsurfers who stay at Kha’s and to have karaoke afterward. I was wondering to sing some of the latest songs when I found out that the songs are all from late 90s :D, but we are happy and having so much fun with each other. Knowing that tonight might be the last night I see them.

That night while packing, we have some conversation with Phil and Laura about Indonesia. We introduce Indonesia through food, Felis cooks indomie rasa selera nusantara :D that she brought from Jakarta. Yeah.. one of the effective way to offer the beauty of our country ;) and they said will probably visit Indonesia someday *finger crossed.

Continue to South East Asia on a shoestring 3: Cambodia Overland