On sleeping and a rough ride to Siem Reap

Sleep, or lack of, is very important to me, particularly when travelling. I always want to have the energy to do everything on the itinerary but I'm not 20 anymore so I can't go days without sleep. So some notes.....

Never, ever take a sleeping pill to grab 40 winks. You may find out you wake 4 and a half hours later and have missed something great. This happened to me in Phnom Penh, but more on that later. There are lots of corollary's to this however....
Don't ever take a sleeping pill or herbal sleeping aid before a night out, as you will likely be a little dazed and confused throughout the night and alcohol will not help.
Sleeping pills ARE actually super for napping on buses, trains, boats etc...just ensure your baggage is safe.
I also found them good for when you really do need to get some sleep (i.e physically demanding trek next day)
Valerian root is a good herbal alternative. Two of these and you'll be gonzo after about twenty mins... for at least 4 hours, even if you're a dreadful sleeper like me.

A well-travelled friend once told me how herself and friends used to lie perpendicular with their legs against a wall, the blood rushes to the head making it great for a quick nap. Whenever I think about her I can never get this image out of my head (4 girls in a hostel in India, asleep with their legs in the air).

When we left Koh-Rong we wanted to get to Siem Reap in the easiest manner possible. After our usual hour or two sleep, we got up and out of our hut (7am!), had breakfast a little further along the beach and then boarded our boat back to Sihanoukville, a little sorry to be leaving the paradise of the island. From there it was a minibus to town and we thought we might catch a bus to Siem Reap directly. We were wrong, even though it was only noon, it had already left. So hot, bothered and tired we decided to get a taxi. I may have mentioned this before but SERIOUSLY - Agree taxi fares in advance, say you will pay half first and half WHEN YOU REACH YOUR DESTINATION. April and I got nicely ripped off whilst on our way from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap. We said we would pay for a taxi the whole way {thinking it would save time and be more comfortable...ah the naivety of the little travelled}. We paid USD 130. This IS a rip-off. When your tired and realise you have probably about 7 hours of travel ahead, it seems a small price to pay. Our first taxi driver was on the phone constantly, he also didn't speak a single word of English. The A/C didn't work, as such I had guzzled 2 litres of water an hour into the trip and we were both soaked with sweat. Opening the window was infinitely worse as most Cambodian roads are dusty, and it was pretty humid outside too. We were unceremoniously dumped on the side of the road in Phnom Penh where another gent picked us up. He was very friendly but he was an absolutely chaotic driver and when it got dark we genuinely weren't sure if we would make it out of that car alive. There are no street lights on these roads, no railings and many places were flooded due to recent rains. We had two seriously near misses where he actually screamed, we landed (Yes, we had been slightly air-bound momentarily!) on the road and he laughed maniacally, telling us that had been close. April and I were actually holding hands at this stage. He also claimed many times that he hadn't been paid but I point blank refused to pay another cent. We had already paid 130USD for one taxi which had turned into two!! Also, rather than just get to Siem Reap we had to stop at a roadside restaurant for he and his friend to eat (oh yes, he also picked up a random friend on the way! Two girls with two men in a taxi in a foreign country at night, we were imagining the headlines). I just wanted to get there. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep due to the wild driving and also I badly needed the toilet. In Siem Reap he wanted to bring us to another hostel, a usual ploy of taxi and tuk-tuk drivers, but again I stood fast on the place we had booked. I am sure the man thought I was an awful bitch but I hadn't slept properly for 3 nights, hadn't had a proper shower in the same amount of time and we had been travelling from 8am that morning (We reached Siem Reap around 11.15pm). I cannot express our manic delight when we checked into Siem Reap Rooms.
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Siem-Reap-Rooms/Siem-Reap/31747
 It was gorgeous. Set down a quiet street, it was pristinely clean, there were sandwiches available even though we had checked in late and the gruff owner Phil was so helpful to us.
I will never forget how April and I were nearly delirious with glee to discover that hot water came out of the fully functioning shower in our lovely, clean, spacious room. We were actually giggling as we washed our feet together and then clambered into huge comfy single beds for hours of interrupted sleep.

They do things differently - tips I wish I'd had prior to my Cambodia trip

I thought rather than bore you with some of the anecdotes that led to these tips, I would just put them down in an easy format for you. Cambodia is a wonderful country but if you're from the Western world you have to accept that things are very different from home.

1. Bring an adaptor. Sure, it seems obvious but you wouldn't believe how many people assume "the hostel" will have one. Some do, but the more off the beaten track you are, they probably won't. We were in a small bar on an island and approx 30 people were trying to charge their ipads, iphones etc with one adapter.
Voltage: 230 V; Plugs A & C* (Some outlets are a combination of type A and C and can accept either type plug. Plug G may be found in some hotels.)

2. Do take your malaria tabs before you go. I've actually heard people bragging about not taking them. Not big and not clever. Be wary that those tabs may affect your mood, so I wouldn't recommend taking them the day before going to S21 or the Killing Fields. You might cry endlessly or decide that you're going to go and destroy Pol Pot's grave. I didn't do either thankfully (my fellow travellers might argue that point!). S21 was pretty emotional anyway.

3. Realise that time is a very loose idea in Cambodia. If someone suggests that a bus trip will take 4 hours, bank on about 7. If they say you're going somewhere in a tuk-tuk about 40 minutes away, it will be at least double. Accept it. This is how it is. Thousands of travellers don't complain and neither should you.


4. If you do have extra cash it is sometimes worth it to take a taxi. Do haggle though and do have an idea of what you think is a fair price prior to doing the haggling. We got completely done travelling from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap. We paid USD130 and later found out USD75 could have covered it.   Also, pay half first and half when you get there, otherwise  - again like us, you could end up having travel arrangements you didn't bargain on (Changing to another taxi with no question - could have been fatal! No A/C etc)

5. Always buy bottled water, use it for brushing your teeth, washing vegetables etc. Dengue is on the rise, and there is no cure. Although it doesn't affect foreigners as much, it is a waterborne disease, one silly mistake and you could find yourself with a very upset tummy indeed (not nice on a 7 hour bus journey!). Maybe I was a little paranoid by keeping my mouth closed in the shower but you never know!

6. About scams and paying too much. Most of the people are very nice and not out to scam you. If you think that something is overpriced or a scam then be polite and walk away. Remember that these people have to make a livelihood too. We were quite upset that we got totally ripped off pre-dawn at Ankor Wat. We paid for tea and bread rolls and thought it was a bit pricey only to find that half an hour later other stalls had opened selling things at half the price. There are alternatives - if your hostel has food available organise that in advance - ours did www.siemreaprooms.com - it was an amazing hostel with great food and Phil is a super host/owner. You can also get breakfast if you stay on the temple tour after Ankor Wat, really reasonable and anything you want (Pancakes!).

7. Be wary of child prostitution. Everywhere you go you will see signage about hostels not allowing people to enter with minors. This is a real and serious problem in Cambodia, we saw it in Phnom Penh. Please report anything suspicious to the police. People should visit this country for it's beauty and nothing else. Also, in the markets in Phnom Penh I noticed there was normally an older girl who kept an eye on the younger children. If you can't find the police approach these girls, they are really grateful and ever vigilant.

The guys in the next hut definitely didn't obey no.3

8. Be respectful around religious monuments. This is a Buddhist country, take care not to stand with your back to Buddha's when taking photo's etc. Also, remember the whole area of Angkor Wat and the temples is sacred - dress appropriately (knees and shoulders covered).

9. Every guidebook will tell you not to give to beggars. To be honest, it's only encouraging them and keeping them out of employment. Alot of people will offer to be a guide and then expect some form of payment. There are places your money can do good. Check out http://www.tree-alliance.org/our-restaurants/friends.asp?mm=or&sm=ftr Friend's Restaurant (and shop, and beauty training school!!) in Phnom Penh. The food is fabulous, unusual and portions are huge so don't order too much. Pop next door then for fabulous handmade gifts and you can get your nails done. We love, love, loved this place.

Overall, just be safe and enjoy. Take much with a grain of salt - this is not your country. Any questions - I'm happy to answer!