Angkor Wat is arguably one of the top man-made architectural destinations in the world. Over 100 temples form the entire complex. The main temples are surrounded by an imposing square moat which completely encircles the complex. The primary entrance is raised above the moat - pictures from this entrance are of the classic Angkor Wat pagodas that grace the covers of guide books. Rich in Khmer history, it is worth some time reading about this … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Transportation
By Land Vehicle Through Poipet - If you are coming to Siem Reap from Thailand by bus you will most likely first pass through the Rong Klue market in the Aranyaphratet district of Thailand. This flea market sells an eclectic variety of items, many of them used or copies of name brand items - things like sunglasses, clothing, and cheap imitation jewelry and watches. Poipet is the very seedy border town that lies on the Cambodian side of the … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Land Mine Museum
Land Mines are still a huge problem in Cambodia. The main paved/dirt road from the Thai/Cambodia border town of Poipet is well marked with signs on both sides of the road indicating that it is very dangerous to walk off the road. Over 100 people each month in Cambodia are maimed or killed by stepping on unexploded land mines. The Land Mine Museum is well worth visiting - it is sobering, sad and educational at the same time. It is located not far … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Other Attractions
Angkor Zoo is located off a dirt road (on the way to Angkor its just past the ticket gates) off of Charles De Gaulle Blvd. Approximate time here to see all the animals is about 30 to 40 minutes. Its a fairly small zoo with a great variety of birds and reptiles - over 100 species of animals are represented. The highlight are the bears and the cheetahs. A small dirty swimming pool is available for use - although I only saw children using it. Price … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Lodging
There is a very wide range of lodging options in Siem Reap ranging from cheap bottom of the barrel accommodations, to guest homes, to fancy resorts which are of course priced much higher. A room with air conditioning will cost a few dollars more then one without. Despite the many guest homes and other lodging options, there are still many more being built. Most of the guesthouses will accept major credit cards, i.e. Visa, Mastercard. Many of … [Read more...]
Vientiane, Laos – Lodging
There are many guesthouses and inexpensive hotels to stay at in Vientiane. Vientiane is small enough in that it is fairly easy to walk around looking for lodging (if you do not have pre-arranged accommodations). Tuk-tuk drivers are found all over town - and for a few thousand kip will take you across town. Be sure to bargain with these drivers - in my experience they always initially offer a very high price. Hayasoke Guest House is a … [Read more...]
Vientiane, Laos – More Information
The following are several things to be aware of when traveling in Vientiane and are listed in alphabetical order. Laos installed the first ATM in the country in Vientiane, and in the early 2000's still could not handle international transactions! Fortunately today, there are plenty of international ATM's scattered throughout town. There are at least 6 or 7 banks in Vientiane that can handle cash advances or change money. A good souvenir is a … [Read more...]
Morocco – Moroccan Rugs
Shopping for rugs in Morocco is an experience that can be unbelievably draining on you financially if you are not careful. It DOES NOT matter if you travel to Morocco already knowledgeable and aware of Moroccan sales tactics & techniques. As several guide books about Morocco say - Moroccan sales techniques are generally regarded as among the most sophisticated and effective in the world. More about this will be explained throughout this section. … [Read more...]
Morocco – Touts of Tangier
Touts - are best defined as those who try to solicit something out of you often in a somewhat bold and brazen manner. I will add the words "highly persistent" to this definition. Tangier is a fairly unfriendly port town - tourists coming across on the ferry from Spain may find it quite difficult to escape its clutches, especially if you are not used to dealing with aggressive touts. The closest town I can think of to compare to Tangier is … [Read more...]
Morocco – Chefchaouen
According to several locals we met Chefchaouen is not the true Moroccan experience - they informed us that it has received too much influence from Spain. That said, having a Spanish influence does in no way detract from this town. This is somewhat of a tourist town - I was here during some far away war, viral outbreak or other scare and there were very few tourists present. Most of the locals I met were very welcoming and some were quite … [Read more...]
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