Same trip, whole new country

Sanskrit inscription at Preah Ko
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We got up and were happy to see that the storm of the previous evening had passed and it was blue skies and sunshine! We had some breakfast and

finished packing. We headed down to the lobby around 12:30 to head to the airport. The airline changed their schedule starting today, so our flight left about an hour later than it was originally scheduled for. We left a bag at the hotel (since we stay one night here on our way to Chiang Mai) and the doorman got us a taxi. Its always nice when the doorman gets the taxi because they make sure that the driver uses the meter and that the understand where you want to go (not that the airport is a tough one to communicate). Traffic was pretty heavy to get to the expressway, but once we made it to there, it was clear. We made it to the airport way quicker than we thought we would, but its way better to be early than late! With traffic so unpredictable around Bangkok, it always pays to budget extra time.

False door at Phreah Ko
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The only airline that flies between Bangkok and Siem Reap is Bangkok Airways. They are a "boutique" airline (which was the first time I have heard an airline called that) and win lots of awards for best regional airline. They only fly to a few places. The airline actually has a lounge in the airport that is available to all passengers. It took us some wandering through the airport to find it, but we were glad when we finally did. Once we presented our boarding passes we were allowed in. They have a seating area, with couches and chairs. They have some snacks available including coffee, tea, juice, water, brownies, cookies, and popcorn (yum!). They have a few computer with internet access and although I didn't use it, they are reported to have wifi. To use the internet, you take your boarding pass to the front desk and they give you an access number. We hung out in the lounge for a while and then headed to our gate.

Bakong
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We got the gate area and had our passports checked and were given all the Cambodian immigration paperwork to fill out. Its a short flight, so it was nice to have the extra time to do it. We got an electronic Visa before we left, so we didn't have to fill out all the Visa paperwork. The plane to small (Airbus 319) to be parked at the gate, so we were all bused to the plane. With the schedule change, the plane was changed from a regional jet to the Airbus, so the flight was pretty empty. We all sat down and the flight was quickly underway. The flight was only about 40 min long, but the service in that short time was amazing! They came around with a boxed snack for everyone that had a small tuna sandwich, a small tuna wrap, fruit, a pastry, water, and juice. They also came through with tea and coffee. A short video program played as well. Practically by the time we were done eating, it was time to land. The Siem Reap airport is pretty small, so there are no jetways. We walked down the stairs and into the airport. Cambodia is taking the N1H1 flu risk pretty seriously and we all had to fill out a health screening on the plane. They use a temperature sensing camera on everyone as they come into the airport, and I would assume that they pull you aside if it looks like you have a fever. We headed for the E-Visa immigration line and by the time we got our passports and all of our forms stamped our luggage had appeared. We headed for the door and looked for the sign from the hotel.

Tonle Sap Lake from the air
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The driver greeted us and took us to his car, where he had cold water and cold towels waiting. We got all loaded up and headed for the hotel. Driving here is almost crazier than Thailand, but it quickly became apparent that it seems a bit safer. There are very few cars on the road, mostly motorcycles and bikes. There are many TukTuks here as well. Unlike the TukTuks in Bangkok (which are overgrown three wheeled golf carts) the TukTuks here are motorcycles with a trailer on back for passengers to sit in. Cars pass all the other vehicles frequently, but whomever is passing someone always honks to let them know. We got to see Angkor Wat on our way to the hotel. We were hoping to get our park passes tonight, to save time in the morning, but we got in to late. Any park pass that you purchase after about 5:15pm allows you to watch sunset if you want, but doesn't actually start counting your days until the next day.

Siem Reap from the air
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We are staying at the Pavillon d'Orient. We found it since it gets such good ratings on Trip Advisor. Its a small hotel, with about 20 rooms. They have AC and a pool (two must haves for us). Your daily room rate includes breakfast, round trip airport transport, and a TukTuk from Sunrise to 10pm. They can also arrange a guide for you (which we had them do). They have internet as well, but it is a bit slow (standard for Cambodia) and the wireless signal can be intermittent. I think if you take your computer towards the dining area it is more reliable. They also have two computers with internet that you can use. The staff is very friendly and accommodating!

Rainbow from the airport
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The grounds and buildings are really nice, and look like something out of a movie set. The room is nice with a queen bed with mosquito netting, a flat panel TV (wall mounted) and a small table. There is fridge/mini bar that is fully stocked. There is complimentary tea and coffee (with a whole tea set in the room as well), fresh fruit, and a few bottles of water daily. They offer turndown service in the evening, which comes complete with a Cambodian tale for a bedtime story and a print out with what movies are on the premium channels that night. They freshen your towels when they turndown as well. The showerhead has multiple sprayers and there is separate bathtub. The pool area is very nice, with bed sized loungers. The pool doesn't feel heated, but it gets lots of sun and is a great temperature for when you come back from touring the temples.

Patio at our hotel room
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Your TukTuk service starts as soon as you arrive, but we decided not to go into town. You have the same TukTuk driver for your entire stay and once you meet them, you can arrange pickup times with them, or just let the front desk know about 15-20 min before you want them and they will call them for you. We ate dinner at the hotel. They have a large selection of food items from snacks to dinners to desert. The dining area is open air, but they have lots of fans. They even have French pancakes with Nutella for desert (Yum!). We checked in with the front desk about our guide for the morning and they suggested a time to leave. They then called and arranged everything with the guide and TukTuk driver. With our bellies full, we headed to bed to get ready for our big day of sightseeing tomorrow!