Oh Well, I Guess I'll Have To Go To Cambodia

My Japanese visa expires on March 22nd, and I have to leave the country and then come back in on a tourist visa for my last few months here. Which means, a holiday. What a hardship, eh!

The choices are many; a cheap hop to Seoul (South Korea) or Taipei (Taiwan) but these aren't so exciting or adventurous.

The place I really wanted to go to is Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Why? Because it sounds like 'one of those places' you must see. And it looked cool in Tomb Raider; about the only thing worth remembering about the film.

But that's as far as my knowledge to Cambodia goes. Further research proved that Cambodia is difficult and expensive to travel to, but cheap inside. The best way is to fly to Bangkok and cross the border overland.

I'm flying out on Friday, with my friend Des; Keiko has to work sadly, and she's more interested in the West than Asia*. I don't really want to spend much time in Bangkok so the next day after landing, we'll take buses over the border (including buying a Cambodian visa for £10) and stop at Siem Reap, the main city next to Angkor Wat - which is huge! All websites say you need at least 3 days to properly explore the temple complex, especially considering the best sites are worth seeing at sunrises and sunsets. So perhaps 3 days around Angkor Wat and another day or two in Siem Reap. Then a short bus journey South to the capital Phnom Penh for a few days.

Des is going to stay on and travel to Laos but I booked a flight back on the 17th March, as I'm going to Hokkaido (North Japan) with Keiko the following weekend. To save me travelling all the way back from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, I'm taking Malaysian Airlines cheap carrier AirAsia, which arrives in Bangkok three hours before my flight home to Japan. Then I can wait in the aiport a short time without having to leave.

10 days in Cambodia - should be awesome!

*the grass is always greener has never been more true