After spending a few days in Phnom Penh the friend I was traveling with and I were off to Siem Reap for the rest of the week. From the moment we arrived in Siem Reap it felt like being in an entirely different country. Sure people were still offering up tuk tuk rides and magnets every step of the way, but the overall vibe was just so much more chill.
We had a day in the city to explore all of the lovely little side streets and markets which was when we landed in the sweetest little cafe run by two sisters from Australia. The playlist was a mix of 90’s hits and oldies and the menu served up the most delicious smoothies and treats. Everything I was looking for after a month of traveling.
The following day was an early morning and a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. This was one of the best days of traveling I’d had. Our tour guide picked us up promptly at 4:30 am, took us to buy tickets, and led us to the perfect spot for watching the sun rise over the incredible temple. When the sun was up he led us to begin exploring.
We spent hours navigating more than a handful of temples surrounding Angkor Wat and soaking in the culture and the history. Among the ones that we saw my favorite was the Bayon Temple. As we entered this one it looked like a plethora of doorways leading from one to the next. When we continued climbing though we realized that it also held over 260 faces of Buddha at the top. It was extraordinary. We also explored Ta Prohm which became very famous as one of the places Laura Croft: Tomb Raider was shot.
On my last day in Siem Reap I got to meet up with a friend for lunch who lived in the city. We went to the cutest restaurant which doubled as a yoga studio. On the way back to the hotel I passed by a weaving shop. There were a few women sitting out side weaving baskets, hand bags, trays, bowls, and more. Just past their weaving area was a shop which I couldn’t resist stepping into. I left with a woven serving tray that I’m in love with.
It was a wonderful few days in Siem Reap.
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Once we had taken 100 or so photos we decided to leave the refreshing mists of the falls and start making our way to Sanbanggulsa Temple.
In my travels I must have visited dozens of various temples at this point, but each one grabs my attention in a new way. They are so beautiful and feel so sacred and offer such an interesting insight into the beliefs of those who follow the respective religion.
One of the wonderful parts about living in Korea is that the country is small enough to be able to make it to any coast just to spend a weekend away from the city. After a stressful week post 2016 election, some friends and I were looking for a peaceful weekend away, perhaps on a beach. We decided to head out for central Korea, towards a city named Sokcho. Near the larger city of Sokcho are both Seoraksan Mountain, as well as, a cozy little beach town, Ingu. Both would be my destinations for Saturday and Sunday.
My travel mates had previously hiked through Seoraksan National Park so we decided to part ways for a few hours as they went straight to Ingu, and I left for the mountain.
Ingu is a tiny surf town that runs about four blocks long and is set against the Sea of Japan. There are coffee shops, burger restaurants, and countless surf shops. This appears to be the city where all of the few Korean hipsters have settled. It is amazing.
After leaving the coffee shop it was time to get to the beach. While my friends hit the waves, I opted for the warmer option of reading a book on the sand. Somewhere in the middle of chapter two, a beautiful friendly golden retriever came up and sat down right next to me on my blanket. His owner seemed to be mortified, but it was everything I could do to keep him right next to me for as long as possible. Once again, perfection. Calming, peaceful, quiet perfection.
Our flight left on Christmas day, which luckily made being away from home for the holidays a little easier. We woke up on the 26th ready to explore Bangkok and see everything.
was packing my bags to the brim and not allowing enough room for extra souvenirs, though I have every intention of going back to that market at some point in the near future.
We enjoyed a smorgasbord lunch at some of food stalls, before wandering our way out of the market. Then it was back to our hotel where we grabbed our bags before heading to the airport and continuing the trip in 
bbm travels 