I couldn't sleep. I never felt so sleepy yet excited before, ever since my last overseas trip to Bangkok in early 2016. With my passport and essentials readied, I set off to my journey to Cambodia. I met my girlfriend, Emily (tell ya more next time) on the way there and we took the train all the way to Changi Airport. A world class airport with excellent service, there's more reasons to be excited for. Hours passed and I boarded the plane to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 9pm: I touched down to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. After the amazingly smooth immigration (no queues at all!) I went out and bought a SIM card at just USD 5. It gave me 3G, enough to last just the airport area. Soon after, I got a Tuk Tuk Ride to Giant Ibis Bus Terminal. Presenting, the most costly ride ever. I think I got cheated >< At $11, I got to the terminal, where my bus only started boarding at 11.30pm. I had about 2 hours to spare. Little did I knew the day I entered Phnom Penh, it was their nation's public holiday, Pchum Ben, also known as Ancestor's Day. Through Tuk Tuk drivers, I found out that the festival is a 2 day event where families gather to pay respects to their departed loved ones then celebrate the night off through family gatherings. Thus result in the hive of activity near the terminal - Phnom Penh Night Market. Honest Review: It's not made for people of height 1.7m. Stalls covers were short, and I literally had to bend over just to walk around. Plus point, it was lively yet had food and music. It was supper time! I ordered beef skewers ($1.50) and a bowl of Chicken noodles ($2). I must say, the skewers where the bomb. Sweet, salty yet tasty, accompanied with Cambodia's commonly found salad. Made a great combination of flavors. The chicken Noodle was abit like just instant mee. At least it came hot and served with shredded chicken meat. I finished the meal with sugar cane juice ($0.50). Soon after I retired to the seats at the terminal, waiting for the bus. Fun facts, Giant Ibis is one of the newest bus companies in Cambodia serving daily buses from/to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Each ride costs $15 with a choice of seating. Each bus comes with an attached bathroom and a complimentary bottle of water, plus wifi and charging port. Packaged with the bed consists of a fresh pillow and a fresh blanket. Bed mattress are thin but suitable for resting.
11.30pm: The midnight bus arrived and I boarded the bus. Being a sleeper bus, shoes had to be taken off and placed in a black plastic bag for storage. It was a 6 hour ride to Siem Reap and my space was a slim yet short bed with the aircon directly on top of me. The bed was slightly small yet comfortable enough to rest. In fact, I found it hard to sleep as the space was small and compact compared to those at the bottom level. The road was very very bumpy. Hence it was difficult to sleep. With the help of the offline maps in my Maps.me app, I was able to know where am I without even a data connection. Remember the SIM card I bought at the airport? It doesn't work at all, maybe there was no coverage. 06.30am: I reached Siem Reap. The highlight of the trip :) I'll tell you more in the next few days! Happy Traveling!
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