SEEING MORE OF PHNOM PENH ON A TUK TUK TRISHAW

15th AUGUST 2019 ~ As I thought I had completed all the visits to top tourists attractions in Phnom Penh, I decided to try the Heritage Tour so I could see parts of the city I might have missed. There was a bus tour by the same company but it was not available in the afternoon so the tuk tuk would do.

On the tuk tuk, I was given a tablet and a pair of earphones which would provide information at all the spots where we stopped. In a way, my tour around the city was informative as I got to know more about Phnom Penh and its history.

Basically, Phnom Penh was historically divided into three sections: the French sector (Cambodia was once a colony of the French), the Chinese sector and another one I could not remember. There were old buildings, many of which were still in good condition while a few had already been abandoned or was still in restoration process.

the Indochina Bank

the post office

the Grand Hotel/Manolis Hotel

the former police station

the Chinese House

the Chinese Hokkien Temple

the Nagas Bridge

Wat Phnom

the Raffles Hotel

Railway Station

I could actually get down from the tuk tuk and explore more but I did that at only a few spots. The day temperature was a bit too hot for me and I had walked for quite a distance in the morning so I was a bit exhausted.

Central Market

The whole tour took about two hours. I would recommend this as an option to explore the city and learn more about the history.

Do visit Phnom Penh Heritage Tour for more information.

[M Y   P H N O M   P E N H    V I S I T   M A I N   P A G E]

CRUISING ON NAM KHAN RIVER

6TH DECEMBER 2016 ~ We actually wanted to go to Tad Sae Waterfalls. Again, the teachers-on-holiday group, the three of us and Mr. Foo and his wife from Ipoh went together. Thanks again to Mr. Foo for getting us a tuk tuk for 26 000 Kip each for the trips to and fro. Tad Sae Waterfalls is 26 kilometres away from the town.

We thought we could directly get to the waterfalls by tuk tuk. We were wrong and actually were surprised when we saw stalls, boats and a river. We just realized that we needed to get on a boat to get to the waterfalls and SOMEONE was really not happy - try and guess who? However, she did not have any choice but to go with the flow, literally speaking.

"I am so sexy and I know it."

The accidental boat ride took about 10-15 minutes on Nam Khan River. The water was really calm, and there was no sight of floating crocodiles. The tuk tuk driver followed us on the boat which was a relief as we we scared we would not know how to get back to the town if he ran away without waiting for us.

the "jetty" at the entry point to the waterfalls

Not to worry as the boat operator should be someone very experienced to manoeuvre you on the water. We could not swim and there was no life jackets to be seen. It was one smooth cruise on the river and I must say we enjoyed it very much, hoping it would last much longer.

[MY LUANG PRABANG TRIP MAIN PAGE]

OCK POP TOCK - THE HANDICRAFT CENTRE OF LUANG PRABANG [PART ONE]

4th DECEMBER 2016 ~ We saw this shop with the name OCK POP TOCK at the town centre and decided to have a look. We were then told that we could take a FREE ride on the tuk tuk that was parked in front of the shop to the handicraft centre, and we happily hopped onto the vehicle. There were two other tourists from Brazil already seated. 

at the entrance

Upon arrival, we were told that there would be a FREE guided tour around the place at 12:00 p.m. While waiting, we went exploring around the area. There was a restaurant and even a guest house but with only four rooms.

The handicraft centre is situated by the Mekong River. There were benches for visitors to sit down, relax and watch the river. I think I could just sit there for hours doing nothing.

At 12 noon, a guide by the name of A (that was how he pronounced his name) started to brief us on the process of silk-making here. Starting from the breeding of the silk worms up to the stage of weaving the silk thread. His English was good so there were a lot of questions asked by the inquisitive visitors.

The colourful threads were organically dyed using various plants and other natural resources.

Looking at the intricate design of the woven silk cloths, how these people spend hours working with the needles, threads and weaving machines, should explain the high price tags.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART TWO...

[MY LUANG PRABANG TRIP MAIN PAGE]