Rise and shine! We're getting ready for an early start since we're catching a 7:30AM bus heading for Siem Reap. We already packed our stuff last night, so we're off for a quick breakfast before checking out!
Turns out there's such a thing as a 7AM-rush in the streets of Phnom Penh and Mr. Kim (yeah, he was assigned to drop us off today) was quietly huffing and puffing all the way to the bus station. But aside from the unneeded anxiety Mr. Kim was feeling about us not catching the bus, we actually made it in time with a few minutes to spare.
 |
| Waiting Area |
 |
| Riding off into the sunrise |
 |
| Stopover. Already halfway there... |
Travel time from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap was about 5-6 hours, we had a short stopover somewhere around the 3-hour mark, but we still actually arrived at Siem Reap an hour earlier than the ETA!
It was a good thing our tour guide, Mr. Kong, was already there waiting at the bus stop when we arrived. It was nice that he was a lot friendly than Mr. Kim and somewhat funnier than Mr. Sean. (though later finding out, I wish he wasn't too gung-ho in bringing us to a number of shopping sites...) Before starting our adventure for the remainder of the day, Mr. Kim (along with our ever-smiling driver, Mr. Chenda) assisted us in checking in at our hotel.
 |
| Reception Area |
 |
| They actually have a Waiting Area for guests too... |
 |
| It's also air conditioned... |
 |
| Toilets and Shower Areas in the Lobby |
 |
| Some books and board games, also the Luggage Storage.. |
 |
| So there's an elevator... |
 |
| ...or you can opt for the stairs |
 |
| Close up on the Events Board (got to experience Movie Night) |
 |
| Pool Area, where they also show Movie Night on those white screens (P.S. water was cold...) |
 |
| Bar Nights |
 |
| I love our room! (Oh look, a window seat!!!) |
 |
| Small but clean bathroom |
 |
| Signage as seen from the hallway terraces |
 |
| Time to eat! |
Lub'D was a cozy and very vibrant hostel! It didn't just have dorms for sharing, it also had these quaint private rooms, plus they had these nightly activities posted on a lobby board for their guests to participate in! Fun was everywhere in their atmosphere! After we got settled in and freshened up a bit, we had lunch downstairs as we waited for Mr. Kong to come back and start our adventure in Siem Reap!
 |
| Mom had Pad Thai |
 |
| The start of my obsession with Khmer Fried Rice... |
Before actually starting our itinerary in Siem Reap, we requested to have a short stop at the Siem Reap Post Office for mom to drop off yet another postcard:
 |
| Mom off to the Post again... |
But after that, we were off to Artisan D' Angkor!
 |
| #ProTip: Bring a mask |
 |
| Elephant loading... |
 |
| Look at this cute baby elephant! |
The whole place surrounds you with ancient Khmer crafts made from scratch, may it be from wood, rock or metal! Although I have to say that the tile paintings really looked intricate to work on too.
 |
| The pretty fountain by the shop's entrance |
 |
| Shop in this section... |
 |
| Maybe next time... |
 |
| They even got fountains inside their shop... |
 |
| The only thing from the shop which could fit our luggage (and budget...) |
Of course you can't expect a place like this not to have a shop where they can sell all their masterpieces in right? So yeah, I feel kind of guilty for just buying a pack of lotus scented incense, but if we had more space in our luggage (and honestly more pocket money), I'd have bought myself one of those tile paintings!
So what's up next for our afternoon in Siem Reap? Find out in my next post as we spend our night with a bountiful buffet and cultural dancing:
No comments:
Post a Comment