After a hair raising journey from Phom Phen (with a lot of praying that we would make it out alive) through the night through pot holes or shall I rather say craters, we arrived in Siem Riep at 5:30 unscathed. I met a really cool Chinese girl (Jess) on the tuk tuk ride to our accommodation who spontaniously became my Siem Riep travel buddy.

Siem Riep is the closest town where one can stay in order to view Ankor Wat, which as a heritage sight does not allow overnight stay. Siem Riep is a rather modern built up town, contrasted by very impoverished villages just on its boarders. The dirt roads along the villages made for great cycling and was then rather easy to absorb the very tranquil village atmosphere.

Angkor Wat...the Hindu Temple Complex meaning City of Temples and the largest religious monument in the world. It has become a symbol of Cambodia and appears on the Cambodian flag.

We were advised one of the best ways to see the complex is by bicycle. Therefore equipped with push bikes and slightly sleep deprived by a 5am start we made our way to Angkor Wat, about a 7km journey away.

It is hard to describe the magnitude and feeling of wonder when entering this complex. Even though Angkor Wat's main temple is supposed to be the most magnificent of the temples, I much preferred Bayon Temple, with the numerous 4 faced structures and Angkor Thom which featured in the Lara Croft, Tomb Raider film. This magical experience came to a close with watching a glorious sunset and making our way back on our cycles in the dark. I'd definitely recommend a visit.

Jess and I further explored the streets of Siem Riep, with the markets and various restaurants. We met up with Helen and her travel buddy at their hostel. We had a great time in Siem Riep, but thought it time to move on, so bought my boat ticket to Battambang...