Why Cambodia should be on your travel list

I have to admit, I was really hesitant to go to Cambodia.

I have my reasons though, my sister had travelled to Cambodia and had her passport and possessions stolen by a local whilst on a night bus.

So as you can imagine, I was quite nervous when our time in Vietnam had come to an end, and we headed on an 8 hour bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital city, and like every other capital city, there comes the risk of crime. Most notorious are the moped muggers, who will grab your possessions and speed away, never to be seen again. This can happen whilst you are walking down the side of the road, or even whilst you are travelling in a tuk tuk.

My first impressions weren't that great. Phnom Penh is an odd city. A mixture of government official buildings, American fast food brands (they even have a Costa which is exciting for us Brits) and the odd temple.

People mostly go to Phnom Penh for two things: to see the S-21 Tuol Sleng Genocide museum, and to see the Killing Fields. Admittedly, we saw only those things.

S-21 Toul Sleng Genocide Museum

The Killing Fields

Both are incredibly important to visit in order to gain an understanding of Cambodia's dark history. You've all heard of the holocaust, but most people my age never knew there was a similar genocide happening in Cambodia around 30-40 years ago, and that the perpetrators were actually acknowledged as head of the country by the UN.

There's much more involved surrounding what happened, but visiting the S-21 museum gives you an insight into how they tortured prisoners. I'd recommend paying the extra $2 for the audio guide.

The killing fields, on the other hand, is a little drive out of town and can be quite upsetting. I love the way they have presented the site. It's very peaceful and tranquil which is the complete opposite to the events that happened there 30 years ago. You can walk around the mass graves whilst you listen to an informative audio tour. You will also see many of the skulls of the victims who were sadly murdered there, which can be upsetting for some.

The Killing Fields

Of course, there's much more to see in Phnom Penh such as the Royal Palace, but we decided to move on to Sihanoukville.

Stay at: Mad Monkey Hostel

Eat at: Felix Hostel, Cafe & Bar

Spend: 2 days

Must see: S-21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum & The Killing Fields

Sihanoukville

This was simply the place we crashed for the night before heading to the remote island of Koh Rong Samloeum. There isn't much to do there, so don't stay too long.

Stay at: Onederz Hostel

Eat at: Olive and Olive Mediterranean Food

Spend: 1 night

Must see: Otres Beach

Biggest pizza ever!

Koh Rong Samloeum

Our next stop in Cambodia was the remote island fo Koh Rong Samloeum. We had heard bad stories about its neighbour, Koh Rong, involving dodgy tummies, so we opted to go for the quieter but equally as beautiful Koh Rong Samloeum.

It was exactly as I imagined, a desert island with secluded beaches, peaceful hammocks in the sea and tropical jungles. We stayed at the expensive Mad Monkey Hostel, but you pay for an amazing experience. You can only get there by boat from Otres Beach, and then Mad Monkey have their own boat to take you to the hostel.

Koh Rong Samloem

Mad Monkey Hostel rooms

Room view

Rooms are... well, very naturistic. Basically there are no proper walls, but the view and experience is incredible. There is nothing that brings you closer to nature than actually sleeping outside.

As you are isolated to the hostel, it does mean your only option for food is the hostel food. My advice would be to bring snacks from Sinhoukville for breakfast/lunch. It saves you paying for two meals.

Lazy Beach

Every evening, the whole hostel meets at the bar/restaurant to eat, drink and party! It;s crazy, and so much fun! There are also boats trip and vrious other activities arranged by the hostel, allowing you to meet so many fellow travellers. But don't forget to take a hike outside of the hostel to discover the amazing secret beaches elsewhere on the island.

Stay at: Mad Monkey Hostel

Eat at: Mad Monkey Island Resort

Spend: 2-3 nights

Must see: Lazy Beach

Siem Reap

After topping up our tans, it was time to leave island life behind and head to our final destination of Cambodia. So we hopped on an 11-hour bus journey toward Siem Reap.

This is the beauty of Cambodia. Home to the incredible Angkor Wat. People from all over the world flock here to witness the sunrise, before exploring the temple ruins.

But Siem Reap has so much more to offer.

Pub Street

If you like drinking and partying, take a trip to Pub Street, where you can finds the worlds cheapest beer. If you want to improve your cooking skills, book a class with Le Tigre de Papier to perfect the art of Khmer cooking.

Visit the various night markets situated in the centre, if you want to stock up on souvenir or cheap designers clothes. You can also taste deep-fried insects, at a cost!

If you want to explore the local scenery, hire a local tuk-tuk driver to take you to Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre. To get there, you have to drive through the beautiful Cambodian countryside. A visit to the land mine and war museum is also a great day out.

Butterfly Sanctuary

Le Tigre de Papier cooking class

We saved the big excursion for our last day: Angkor Wat.

Prebook a tuk-tuk driver in advance to pick you up around 4.30am. He will take you to the ticket office, where you join the queue with all the other tourists to purchase your day ticket ($40) (or 3 days if you need more time to explore).

At 5am, Angkor Wat opens for visitors to take their seat to witness the sunrise. It will be busy, but try to block out the hundreds of other people taking selfies and take in the tranquillity of the ancient ruins.

There is nothing else in the world that compares to witnessing the sunrise over Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat

Next, it's time to head inside the temples to explore the ancient ruins. Make sure to cover up, and be respectful of the monks. This is a sacred site, so exploring with respect and dignity is vital.

By this time, the sun will start rising and you will be getting hot. I think this is the perfect opportunity to get your tuk-tuk driver to take you to a nearby local restaurant for some breakfast and a cold drink.  It's more expensive than the ones outside of Angkor Wat, but it breaks up an exhausting morning.

After fueling up, you can then take your pick at any of the other temples to explore. The most popular ones are Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm (a.k.a the Tomb Raider temple).

Angkor Thom

Ta Prohm

We managed to drag our day out till 9.30am, which some would say is weak, but when you've been up since 4am and its 40 degrees out, I'd say that's pretty good! Plus, the crows start to get heavier to the point where you can't move, so by this point, it was time to head back to the hostel for some much-needed sleep.

Siem Reap has so much more to offer, and we spent 6 days exploring the local shops, restaurants and meeting the locals. There are cinemas, luxury hotels with pools to use, countless bars to drink at and plenty of shops to browse in. Siem Reap is by far the crown jewel of Cambodia, and I thoroughly recommend spending enough time to enjoy this beautiful city.

Stay at: One Stop Hostel 

Eat at: Joe To Go Restaurant, Miss Wong Cocktail Bar

Spend: 4-6 nights

Must see: Angkor Wat, Pub Street, Siem Reap Night Market

Cali Adventures

A few days in Anaheim meant a visit to Disney's other park: Disney California Adventure.

I was very impressed with the theming of this park, and how it ties in with the state it is situated in. It is similar to Disney's Hollywood Studios in WDW, with similar rides and theming, however, being a stones throw away from Hollywood itself made it feel more relevant (if that made any sense). 

My favourite part of the park was Paradise Pier. This is unique to this Disney park and was my favourite place to hang around (and take good Instagram photos).

Let's not forget that my favourite chocolate shop in the world is there (yep, you guessed it: Ghirardelli). Simply walk in, claim your free sample of chocolate, then cross over to the bakery opposite for a free sample of bread! Who doesn't love a good freebie!

The shops and restaurants around here are themed around the San Francisco piers, so it kind of felt nostalgic and like I was revisiting the places I had already been to on this trip.

Paradise Pier is home to a very cool ride, California Screamin', which is a fast rollercoaster that launches you across the lake and sends you flying upside down!

California Screamin'

Also situated here is Toy Story Midway Mania, which is the same as the one in DHS. I really like this type of ride but hate the long queues it has so try and ride this early, because it is so worth it!

Disney California Adventure has some other really cool rides that I would recommend riding. First up is the Grizzly River Run. 

Rapids and I don't really mix, so it was no surprise that I was the one that got the wettest on it! Thank god for Californian sunshine!

The aftermath of Girzzly River Rapids

Around the corner is Soarin' around the World. This beauty of a ride is a Disney classic and will blow you away. I don't want to spoil it but I will say it is a calm, gentle ride where you can sit back, relax and enjoy the experience.

Over on the Sunset Boulevard strip, you will see the looming The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This is also a Disney classic, and I was so glad I got to ride this before it turns into a Guardians of the Galaxy themed ride. This also attracts long queues so FP it!

I said this is my DHS blog post, but I really recommend taking the time to walk down the Buena Vista Street to take in the detail here. It really is like being transported onto a movie set and there are shops and restaurants situated along the street. Also, the street entertainment is abundant here and is a great way to break up the attractions.

Buena Vista Street

If you head straight to the back of the park, you will enter Cars Land. You will literally be transported into the Cars movie, the set is that amazing! I was really impressed and even got to see the one and only Lightning McQueen. Plus, it is home to the arguably the most popular ride in the park: Radiator Springs Racers.

Word of advice, join the single rider queue if you want to save time!

The good thing about this park is that it has a show for you to take a nice (air conditioned) break from the heat. At this time, it happens to be Frozen: Live at the Hyperion. Now I am a big fan of Frozen but even I am a little overwhelmed by how much of this film we are bombarded with. It's a big film which I haven't been able to escape since it was released. However, I just could not miss seeing it onstage.

As this is the only show there, it is popular and will attract a big queue up to 90 minutes before it starts! If you want a decent seat, get there early!

I started queuing about 45 minutes before and was told that I had a slim chance of getting in. I was actually a little disappointed at the thought of missing it as I knew this was my only chance to see it whilst being here. Luckily, I managed to get in by the skin of my teeth, and I am so thankful that I did because it was one of the best shows I have ever seen.

I am a big fan of musicals and I have seen some great ones, but this was something else! To have such a talented cast sing the well-known songs was really magical, and the set design was even more amazing! As a member of the audience, you really are transported to Arendelle and it is so much more than a corny, karaoke version of the film. Only Disney can recreate Frozen and do it with justice.

People of all ages will love this so if you really want to see, you will be glad to hear that you can get a FP for it! It will be 60 minutes of enjoyment of the incredibly popular film.

All that was left was to watch the night time show at Paradise Pier. As it got dark, I took the opportunity to see the different lands with the lights on after reading recommendations. Cars Land is especially good to see in the dark because it looks amazing the neon lights, and you can get some great photo's.

The finale of the day was watching World of Colour. 

This is where classic Disney movies are projected onto the fountains in front of the Mickey Ferris wheel, and it is the icing on the cake for a day spent in Disney's California Adventure.

This also uses FP, so get one for a guaranteed good view.

After standing for god knows how long, it was time to say goodbye to my time spent at Disney. I was really glad to get back to my hotel room and crash on my bed. This day had been the perfect ending to the most perfect trip, and I am so lucky to have been able to travel all this way and visit a place that I love and have dreamed of visiting for so long.

Until next time!

A visit to the happiest place in the world...

A trip to LA would never be completed unless you take a visit to the happiest place on earth... Disneyland!

As a small Disney fan (ok, maybe a huge fan), it would have been wrong for me to have travelled half way across the world and to not have visited the birthplace of Disney.

If you didn't know, Walt Disney chose an orange grove in Anaheim to become the home of Disneyland in 1955. It was the only park he personally visited after he designed it.

With it only being a 45-minute drive from LA, I jumped at the chance and booked myself a 3 night stay at the Anaheim Quality Inn and Suites. I chose this because of how cheap it was, and also I wanted to be within walking distance of the parks. Wow, I was not disappointed! This place was perfect!

After living in hostels for the past 3 weeks, it was so good to have a whole room to myself! This place was so clean and comfortable that I would not turn down another chance to stay here in a heartbeat. Plus, the free breakfast was amazing with its own waffle machine! That in itself had me sold!

breakfast waffles are the best

A short 5-minute walk around the corner brings you to the park entrance. I chose to spend my first day in the Disneyland park.

Walking through the entrance was magical. To have walked the path that Walt Disney himself had walked 60 years before was unbelievable. As a big Walt Disney fan, it was simply a dream come true.

If you have been to any Disney park then the main park is essentially Magic Kingdom. There are many similarities as well as the classic rides that are everywhere, including Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and It's a Small World.

A few differences include the New Orleans themed square which I absolutely adored. The scenery was incredible and having visited New Orleans just a few weeks ago made it even better.

I took advantage of the single rider (top tip) and walked on to most rides, including my favourite; Indiana Jones! Seriously, I think I went on this ride like 5 times?!

I did a lot of walking so I took a breather by trying my favourite soft serve in the entire world: Dole Whip! Opt for the dole whip float, which is pineapple soft serve on top of pineapple juice. It tastes amazing!!

Dole Whip Float

As I went around, the Halloween season was in full swing. The decorations and pumpkins were out and so was the Halloween theme on a few rides. The best was the Haunted Mansion, which was decked out with Christmas decorations based upon The Nightmare Before Christmas. This made the ride extra popular so I can't stress how much nicer it is to get a FASTPASS for this ride! The added theme makes it 10x better!

Haunted Mansion

To relax for a bit, I took a seat near the castle to watch the Soundsational Parade in the afternoon, which wasn't my favourite of parades I've seen in the past, but was still a nice break from all the walking.

If you want a good view, get there about 30 minutes before as it does get busy quickly.

One of my recommendations is to take a breather from all the rides to walk around the shops. On Main Street USA, there are loads of really good shops where you can buy so much merchandise. Also, there is the famous Jolly Holiday Bakery which does the nicest Matterhorn Macaron! I had seen Instagram pictures of these so was dying to try one. Warning, be prepared to queue based on how popular it is.

Mickey apples for days

The end a perfect day at the parks, I watched the fireworks over the castle on Main Street. I have got to say, I was a little disappointed having seen Wishes at Walt Disney World last year (see blog post here) last year. Unfortunately, I missed the 60th-anniversary fireworks but these were so disappointing. I know it was off season but come on Disneyland! Plus, I was situated just behind a tree which happened to where the fireworks were positioned so it blocked my view majorly.

the best photo I could get!

It was still a nice way to end the night and after walking all day and taking around 30,000 steps, I was so ready for bed and to get a good nights sleep before hitting Disney's California Adventure the next day. Stay tuned for the upcoming post on that park!

Trek America: San Diego and Los Angeles

My final Trek America post starts in San Diego. Before we arrived we drove from Vegas and into California, stopping off at a retro American diner which literally transported you back into the 1950s!

After a long drive, we arrived in San Diego in time to see the sunset on the beach. It was a poignant moment to our last few days left on the tour!

San Diego beach is like the typical Californian beaches, with cool shops along the front and a mini amusement park. Sort of like a cooler and more hipster version of Brighton!

Cali Sunsets

That night, we ate in a really cool Italian restaurant where you share big plates which are distributed around the table via a turning table top, which even had a statue of the pope on top (a bit weird!) If you are in San Diego, I'd recommend going, especially if there is a big group of you. It's called Bucca di Beppo.

Our hostel was situated near and was called USA Hostels. This chain is very nice and I would recommend staying in one of them anywhere!

The next day was our free day, which was spent by the beach. We went in the sea a few times which was really warm although a bit rough! We also explored the amusement park and had a few rounds in the amusement arcade.

It was so hot that even the amusement park had a power cut which meant that we couldn't go on the rollercoaster, so we ended up pretty much chilling and sunbathing on the beach all day. If you do this, make sure you reapply sunscreen to avoid looking like a lobster.

Other places to visit in San Diego include the San Diego Zoo and it is also home to the original SeaWorld.

Our final night was spent in the most appropriate way, by a fancy meal followed by us hitting the bars!

We went to a dueling piano bar, which I'd really recommend going to as I don't think there are any in the UK. Basically, the singers on stage will sing the songs you request on the spot using live piano's and instruments! These people are so clever and entertaining.

Afterward, we went to a cheap bar near our hostel which played the best music, and of course did cheap drinks! The night gets a little hazy at this point but I know that it was the perfect end to the most perfect trip!

In the morning, we were all feeling a little worse for wear, but it was time to depart for our final location and the one place I have always wanted to visit: Los Angeles.

Our first stop was Venice Beach. I have to say, it's nice but a little rough. Very hipster and home to the muscle beach part. If you wander further up, you get to the nicer Santa Monica area where the pier is located. It is definitely worth hiring a bike and cycling between the two.

Venice Beach

Due to feeling very hungover, I don't have many pictures of the beach, however, believe me when I say it is worth visiting! We drove into Hollywood after to the finishing point of our tour: The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Everyone had told me beforehand that I would hate how tacky LA is, and yes, it is a bit tacky, but I loved it! The street is full of entertainment, shops, food places, photo opportunities and loads more!

You could spend hours looking at all the stars, and the Highland mall also has the perfect view of the Hollywood sign. Definitely worth visiting and also a great place to hop on a Hollywood/Beverly hills tour.

My 'I finally made it to Hollywood' pose

The trek came to an end and it was an emotional moment saying goodbye to people who had become really good friends! It was sad because a few were going on to travel afterward so it wasn't like we could meet up soon in the UK.

And so my Trek America posts draw to a close, and if you have enjoyed reading these and are considering joining a trek, 100% go for it! Every fear and anxiety you have before going will disappear as soon as your tour departs. You will regret not going for it more than regretting going on it.

Finally, just a quick thank you to Trek America for being such a fab company and giving me memories that will last a lifetime. Check out their website for their huge range of North, Central and South America trips! Just be prepared for the worst post-tour blues.

Hope you enjoyed this series,

Love Charlotte x