Day 13 - Siem Reap/Phnom Penh

Travel day.  We checked out of Anantara Angkor and headed up to Phnom Penh.  We hired a private driver.  This was a convenient and much better way to go.  I think the actual drive from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh takes about 5 hours.  But since we had our own driver, we could make detours.  One stop was the Preah Tis Bridge.  It's one of the few Khmer empire era bridges to haved survived to the modern day.  Another stop was at the Sambor Prei Kuk temples.  They were out of the way, but still interesting.  A few stops and hours later, we arrived in Phnom Penh.

The difference between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh is huge.  Traffic is crazy.  (Stop signs are more of a suggestion than a rule.)  A lot more buildings packed together.  We were staying at the Patio Hotel & Urban Resort.  Although it is in an alley, it is a nice hotel.  Excellent views from the restaurant and pool.  Though if you have a fear of heights, you may not enjoy it as much.

Day 9 - Siem Reap

Today was Angkor Archeological Park day:  Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, etc.  We left the resort at 0500. The plan was to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat.  A quick stop at the ticket center then off we went.  (Interesting note:  They take your picture as part of the park ticket so it can`t be reused by someone else later.)  We did arrive before the sun rose, but unfortunately, it was cloudy and raining.  It was still a nice view though.  The rest of the day we just visited different sites in the Park.  The Park is huge.  There is a lot to see and do.  We spent over 8 hours here and still did not see everything.  But we did manage to get in a rowing boat tour at Angkor Thom.

If someone was only going to do one day at the Park, I recommend starting early in the morning. You would have a chance to see sunrise at Angkor Wat.  There are less people.  The temperature is cooler.  Also, plan accordingly.  Bring backup batteries or portable chargers for phones and cameras.

Day 16 - Sri Lanka

Travel day.  We checked out Avani Bentota to head up to  Sigiriya.  It's about a 5 hour drive from Bentota.  Our driver was at the resort at 0900 and we were on our way.  We had planned a few stops along the way.  I could write the names of the places we stopped by, but I'm too lazy to look at my Swarm app to get the correct spelling.  But pictures will be following so that will help.

After the touristy stops and lunch, we continued on to Sigiriya.  We were staying at the Sigiriya Jungles.   The route we took to get there was interesting.  The last couple of kilometers was a single lane road which turned into a bumpy, single lane dirt road.  Then suddenly, we were there.  Sigiriya Jungles is a very nice resort.  Reception was there waiting for us with with cold towels and welcoming drinks.

A quick check-in and we went to our room.  We were tired.  We crashed for the night. .

The next day, Sigiriya Rock.

Day 14 - Sri Lanka

Long day.  We had time to eat breakfast though.  We had hired a driver to take us on a day trip to Galle.  After breakfast, he was there waiting for us with his Tuk Tuk.

Side note:  We found out something interesting.  It seems a lot of people hire drivers to take them to many places around the country.  So much so, some hotels and resorts (Avani included) have rooms available just for the drivers.  That way they don't have to drive home at night (which in our driver's case would be Colombo, 2 hours away) and they're there when you need them.

So off we went.  It's about a 2 hour trip to Galle.  Along the way we stopped at tsunami memorial.  A lot of monuments, temples, shops, etc.  We kind of saw the famous Sri Lankan stick fishermen too.  By kind of I mean we saw them, but they now know they're famous and a tourist attraction, so they won't go on the  sticks unless you give them money.

We had lunch at a place in Galle fort called Fort Dew.  I don't know why it's called Fort Dew.  We didn't choose it for any particular reason.  Turns out it is a very nice place.  Rooftop restaurant, we didn't know that.  Great views all around and very good food at good prices.

After eating, we began our return to the resort and learned something else new.  Our driver got pulled over for a traffic violation.  By pulled over I mean there about 3 policemen were standing on the side of the road.  One of them waved his hat and our driver pulled over.  Our driver got out and went to see the police.  While he was talking to them, in less than 2 minutes, 2 other vehicles were pulled over.  When our driver came back, we left.  But we weren't heading back to the resort.  He was looking for a post office so he could pay his citation.  Once he did that, we had to return to the police with the receipt to prove he paid the citation AND to get his license back because the police took it.  Once we did that, we were on our way again.  We did do another stop along the way, turtle hatchery.  After that, back to the resort... with a quick detour to another temple.  I was templed out by this time, but the driver offered, and kumi said yes.  Then we returned to the resort.

I am guessing we returned about a half hour before sunset.  We dropped off our stuff in our room and went to Chatters.  It wasn't our intent, but we chose good seating to view the sunset.  kumi went to the beach to get a better picture of the sunset.  I decided walking the 20 meters to do that required too much effort and stayed where I was at.  I think I made the better choice.