Asian Adventure - Arrival in Phnom Penh, 15 May 2019!

We arrived at Siem Reap Airport, with plenty of time to spare. Since we were catching an internal flight, the process of getting through security was a breeze; we more or less walked straight through the gate towards the plane, which was already waiting outside. To my horror, it was one of the small propeller type jets and looked as old as me; my worst nightmare. I had read much about internal flights in Cambodia and none of the reviews were great, so this was not going to be the best part of my holiday.

The flight from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh was in the end pretty non eventful. The trip itself was short, only half an hour long and like most journey's on smaller aircraft you could feel every bit of turbulence, rocking backwards and forwards, at times holding on for dear life. In reality I have a psychological fear of flying, which is totally irrational, but it does make it more difficult for me to fly. Eight flights in three weeks is excessive and I wont be undertaking such an extensive vacation again!

We took a cab from Phnom Penh Airport to The Pasteur 51 Hotel and Residences in the centre of the city. Driving through the streets I noticed just how different Phnom Penh was to the  more provincial Siem Reap. Building work was taking place everywhere. New apartments, office blocks and shops; modern, sleek and very western in style. This was a growing city, busy, vibrant and full of life. If I am honest, I much preferred the small town of vibe of Siem Reap, but was looking forward to exploring the capital of Cambodia tomorrow, once we had settled in.

The lobby of this well presented hotel had a supermarket attached, serving those living in the immediate area. The Pasteur also has full time residents, residing all year round, who use this well appointed grocery store. I was impressed by the array of goods on offer and the mixture of western and Asian influences on display. It did seem a little odd having a food shop in the hotel, but it worked perfectly well; a place we used often whilst staying here.

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Our first stop after arrival was the Sky Bar at the top of the Hotel. These large open entertainment areas seem to be popular in this part of the World. Big awe inspiring terraces, with bars and restaurants, exposed, open to the elements, with 360 degree views of the city below. Phnom Penh was clearly visible, as I gazed across the expanse before me. I asked my Aunt to walk over to the side and take some pictures, having a fear of heights, not wanting to do it myself. The roof top pool was especially impressive, situated on the edge of the tower block, with a sheer drop below! A glass panel was inserted into the corner of the roof, where you could stand, looking down towards the street below; far too scary for me!

The hotel room was basic but comfortable. We have stayed in many places during our stay in Asia and this was as good as any other, but the impressive Sky Bar, put it up there at the top of our list. I have felt so at home over the last three weeks and couldn't ask for a better place to end our tour of this beautiful region.

Suitably refreshed and relaxed after our journey, we took a wonder outside to explore the area. This was a large city, so as day turned to dark, the bright neon lights came on, in full intense glory, illuminating our way through the narrow streets. Of course this wasn't a capital like Tokyo or London, but even so, you had a feeling you were in a big metropolis, a definite change from the Cambodia we had seen before.

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After a few drinks in the Sky Bar, we went to the Pasteur Restaurant at the bottom of our hotel for a bite to eat. The food here was typically Cambodian and tasted delicious.  My Aunt and I chatted about our adventures so far and discussed a busy day planned for tomorrow. We are only in Phnom Penh for a short while, so need to fit in as much as we can in one day.

It was nice to sit back and relax for a few hours in beautiful surroundings. The smells of the food cooking in the kitchen were an assault on the senses, like nothing I have ever encountered before. I began to realise, we were finally coming to the end of our time in Asia and I started to feel sad at everything we were going to leave behind. As reality set in, it was time to head to bed and an early night before our final, mammoth day in a country I had fallen in love with. This was the beginning of the end of our Asian adventure!

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