If you do a search for “Holiday in Cambodia”, you will probably find at least a 100 or so blogs by people who have recently visited the impoverished, war-torn country. Depending on your age, the title may seem simply boring, but for those of us in our mid to late 30s, it rings back to the 80’s Dead Kennedy’s song of the same name.
Yes, we actually had one of our best vacations in Siem Reap Cambodia. Just google Ankor Wat and you’ll see the very-cool temples which were featured in many Discovery channel episodes and even in the movie Tomb Raider. It’s almost impossible to convey why it’s such a cool place (actually it’s painfully hot…but it’s worth it). It’s become an international cross-roads between the UN and other countries who are helping them rebuild themselves. It’s a blank canvas.
While the temples are the big draw for tourists, the downtown manages to carry it’s own weight with a selection of charming, diverse and sometimes quirky restaurants. For example, we had some of the great mexican food there at a restaurant owned by a guy from Arizona. Actually, Cambodia has had a good share of back-backers over the years and it’s in the transition point that many quirky towns go through before they become upscale destinations.
The fact that Cambodia has become vacation-worthy is an example of how the world can change as quick as we change. After all, it’s one thing to reflect back on the days when you listened to such a subversive song, it’s another when your 8 year old daughter is actually singing it…in Cambodia.
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