This is an amazing realization that is the real McCoy and full proof.  A lot of people will have read about it and know about it so that’s fine, but when I found out about it I was really amazed by the effect this has!

This is an amazing realization that is the real McCoy and full proof.  A lot of people will have read about it and know about it so that’s fine, but when I found out about it I was really amazed by the effect this has!

You must have heard that you ‘get out what you put in’ and boy this quote couldn’t be truer.

Now I’m not in anyway religious and I question a lot of things and myself am a skeptical person but I do believe the universe is abundant with life energy.  Most of the time its an energy we cant see but I know its there. The world is a ying and yang place of cause and effect; opposite energies attract each other like a magnet.  You cant have a good without an evil, hot without cold, rich without the poor, love without hate and the most sacred energy in this world the grounded masculine energy vs. the ever changing female energy.  The world cannot and will not survive without opposite energies.  I swear this isn’t some neuro science bullshit, this is real and the truest answer to attraction I have ever come across.

Male or female, you are going to attract your polar opposite energy that’s in the universe and you best believe that you can’t help it because like magnets the opposite will attract each other.  So in a nutshell a truly masculine man will attract a strong feminine energy.  If you’re a feminine man you will attract a female with strong masculine energy, it’s amazing when you find out about this because you will see it everywhere.  Again like I said the ying and yang.

On the subject of energy did you ever think that to make more wealth and get more love instead of getting it all you had to do was give it out?

Now I don’t know how this works but it does, what you give out to the universe it will give back to you.  You don’t believe me try it.  Give out happiness, give money away and it is going to come back to you, you start attracting more of it.

Same with bad energy, harming people, bad mood days where everything goes wrong, its all going to come back to bite you in the arse because your sending out a bad vibe so giving out bad vibes and what do you get back, that’s right you got it, you get out what you put in !

Adding value to people’s lives and giving them happiness will give it you back! You can’t just do it to get something in return, when you give you got to want to do it from the heart.  It’s an energy the universe will feel.  Ying and yang and the law of attraction again are the cause of this, to get things in your life you got to give.

I hope this helps people and gives you a better understanding about how life energy works and how you can benefit from it with real results.  Everything levels out in life eventually.

Instead of being selfish try giving a little out and I hope you find your path to real happiness live the dream.

As a backpacker or traveller looking to go on a trip for longer than a month and wants that pure freedom on road before setting off and especially for first time travellers you will be asking the question, do I buy a multiple round the world ticket with all my flights paid for? Or do I pay for a one-way ticket and just wing it the whole time.  There is only one answer for this as a person who values their time and it’s the only ever option

One-way ticket out there with no return

Perhaps the biggest regret I had when I was on my first round the world travels with my backpack was paying for all my flights in advance and having flights booked out of destinations on certain dates.

It’s a good strategy for control freaks but this website is all about world travel and living with a freedom and purpose, because true spontaneity makes your travels so much better believe me.

I saw a great travel quote the other day ‘ the true journey begins when the plan fails’

What a fantastic quote, couldn’t be truer! I’m not saying you cant have some sort of plan but keep it to a minimum, I’m telling you now that travel is so unpredictable and crazy and unexplainable things will happen which you cannot control.  You will meet people and want to tag along with them and end up going a different route to what you planned, nothing wrong with this at all, its makes your travels very intriguing and mysterious, your flowing with life and your letting go of logical thinking.

When I went on my travels I had booked a RTW ticket with Quantas, it was very cheap and I had all my flights pre-booked with an option that I could change flights at a cost of about 100 euros charge for changing any flights around, a little option of freedom but when the time comes for the flight you tend to just get the flight because its there and ready to go so not 100% freedom.

I had a flight booked into Thailand Bangkok first and then 3 months later I had a flight booked out of Bangkok to manila Philippines.  This meant I had 3 months to travel overland south east Asia and my plan was to head north of Thailand into Laos and then freestyle it from there on.

As you can see not much of a plan at all, just head north from Bangkok and take it from there.  I ended up having the best time of my life and meeting some amazing people even missing places that I thought I might go and even backtracking on my journey a little but you know what it didn’t matter, I was being spontaneous and going with the flow and people love the fact you can have this mindset.  Travel isn’t about where you are but sometimes who your with.

Now the big downside to my trip of course was I only had 3 months to get round 4 countries and 4 magnificent countries at that.

Though I was spontaneous I knew I had to get to Bangkok to get a flight to the Philippines on a certain date and this did cause some problems.  We were hell bent on completing the indo china circuit as it was an amazing and intriguing circuit to be on but we didn’t have the freedom that we should be having with the world at our feet and living out a backpack.

At time of writing this I have about 10,000 euros in my bank, a single ticket to India with a 6-month visa and a beachside flat ready to live in when I get to my first destination in Goa.  I have no plan at all apart from going to Nepal after India and then getting flights when and where I want.

I have my backpack, my MacBook pro and my luxury apartment in Goa which I’m living in and the world at my feet and you know what I don’t have to be anywhere at anytime! Do you know how good this feels? Do you know what sort of an inner glow I feel when I know I have that much freedom on my hands to just go out and do what I want? Let me tell you its awesome!! And I will be writing more blogs when I’m lying on my hammock on the beach sipping a cocktail with no work for maybe 6 months plus travelling round the world.

Could it be you that’s living this? Well of course it could! Life’s a choice, if you choose to just go and pack up your job and set off around the world on a whim with absolute freedom I can assure you there’s not many better feelings, freedom is possibly the number one thing we value as humans.

So when you’re deciding now if you buy a one-way ticket or round the world one now, what are you thinking?  Coming from someone who has been there and done it this decision can be HUGE.

To me there isn’t really that many pros and cons for single way ticket.  If you booked a ticket to Bangkok or Rio de Janeiro, Moscow or New York you know what they all have in common? They are all on massive land mass where you can travel overland to multiple different countries with pure freedom and cheap costs!

bungee jumping in new zealand

Flying over to different continents may be the major cost factor if you got multiple continents but if you book flights about 2 months in advance and for a week day to arrive (not Friday, Saturday) then tickets can be very cheap still and in most cases there’s an option to extend for a cheap price.

So let me ask you again, do you want to be a predictable robot or do you really want to live your life with pure excitement and freedom, I leave the choice up to you my friends…

Vietnam, a country of intrigue, mystery, mystic mountains and windy roads.  It’s a place I think a lot of people seem to be intrigued about, you think of the America war, you might think of a lot of films or maybe even top gear.  What you will uncover is a wonderful beauty and one of the fastest growing economies in the world at the time of writing and you can see that as its more modern than all the other countries on Indo China.   It is the world’s biggest exporter of rice and is plain for all to see as you go past vast green fields where they grow.  Its an odd shaped country, almost like a chili in a way, its very thin so most parts of the country you are in you can get across in very little time but it makes up for it by being long length ways.  This makes Vietnam a very easy country to travel because you simply start at one end and work your way to the other and transport is organized in this country for backpackers.  Its very easy, one of the easiest countries to travel, this makes it better for first time travellers who are unsure and not too confident about Asia travel, Vietnam makes it easy for backpackers.

Highlights

Northern Hill tribes (great motorbike adventures), Hoi An, Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, counterfeit books, guidebooks, and cheap tailored clothing.  History museum and war remnants museum in Saigon.

Halong bay

Worthy mentions:

Nah Trang  - Beach resort for backpackers can see temples but mainly a party place and the main one in Vietnam.  Has many boat trips that are booze fuelled with good times.

Mui Ne – Relaxing beach destination.  Good beach, very relaxed, beautiful red sand dunes to see and a great harbor by the coast with fantastic views.  Great cheap seafood, seriously some of the best I have ever tried! Not too much in the way of nightlife.  Mainly a kite surfers place.  Great hostel there run by an Australian bloke called Paul, I’m sorry cannot remember the name? But it is easy to find, ask around.  Downside to Mui ne is the Russians are taking it over slowly.

Hue – Fantastic Asian temples

Dalat – biggest regret is not going here but miss at your peril! I heard some amazing things about this place from A LOT of sources who even rated this as the best part of their trip; remember the golden rule word of mouth is king! Especially people that done the easy riders tour, make sure you visit Dalat!

Phu Quoc – Another gem I missed out on but yet again from countless sources said this was an amazing place and one that is not to be missed. Its another one of those Thailand 40 years ago places.  Not too much nightlife or tourists, just a beautiful white sandy beach and blue waters, bliss.

Lows:

Saigon – getting a bit westernized and the backpackers area isn’t too great at all, expensive for Vietnam especially the main bars.  Lacks a decent vibe and authentic feel, the jurors will be out on this one

Muggings in the big cities (this is main problem)

Cant get off tourist trail so much.

Counterfeit gear everywhere – fine in some instances but not when you want money changed to dollars, beware! A lot of fake dollars going round.

They block social networking sites in Vietnam but it is easy to get round this, can be a pain in the arse when you want to get hold of people.

In regards to muggings, don’t be alarmed, just keep your wits about you and try not to walk home alone drunk.  Most muggings happen from guys on scooters pretending to be taxi drivers, these slimy nitwits are not to be trusted, ALWAYS walk home in a group if you can.  Their not aggressive muggers but opportunists who work in groups with girls posing as prostitutes who will go through your pockets and just snatch and run

HOW LONG TO SPEND IN VIETNAM

A month at least! I recommend that with any country, anything less and you miss out on a lot of good places

Vietnam Visas

When your travelling around Asia you will see lots of places advertising for Vietnam Visas so don’t worry.  You do need a visa though so make sure you get one before you enter this country overland.  Most agencies I knew about could get it done in 1 day if you paid the right amount!

You give these agencies a set fee, you hand in your passport, 2 passport photos and you’re good to go, you pick your visa up when it’s ready.

There is also the option of visa on arrivals to Vietnam where they can stamp you when you get there, go to this website http://www.myvietnamvisa.com/ condition being you pay them a small fee and get an approval letter and pay on arrival, only applies to people flying into Vietnam via Vietnam airways

Following countries exempt from visa for 15 days: Citizens of Japan and South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Denmark and Finland Citizens of most South East Asian nations get 30 days. Visa extensions are often available with less than 1 week on your ongoing visa, and after 3 extensions, you must get a new visa.

TOURIST TRAIL

It’s very simple, north to south or south to north.  Hanoi to Saigon or Saigon to Hanoi

CLIMATE

North Vietnam Is cold in the winter, when I was in Hanoi and those excursions you do in the north like Sapa trekking or halong bay, you best bring a jacket.  I remember walking out of my hostel in the morning in Hanoi and breathing out smoke! Yes smoke it was that cold.

South Vietnam is a lot more tropical, you have to start getting into Deep South before you get that consistent tropical sun, I remember travelling far down before we got to a nice beach and good weather that was Mue Ni quite far south.  In summer though climate from north to south is hot.

GETTING AROUND VIETNAM

Train is the best way to get around Vietnam, but it costs a lot more than the cheaper option, which is the bus.  Don’t be fooled into thinking you can rush Vietnam quickly, it’s a big country and getting from one end to the other in one go will take you over 30 hours by bus or train.

seafood in Mui ne

In 2011 you could buy an open bus ticket, and this included sleeper buses which will take you north to south for 30$.  Yes sleeper buses.  Mind you they aren’t that great but their fun and memorable experience.  The beds are for Asian sizes and get very crammed.  Remember to keep your eyes on your valuables and if you got a really long journey take some Valium, which you can buy over the counter anywhere.

AVERAGE COST PER DAY

Like Cambodia and Laos it is cheap in Vietnam.  If you take into account partying and travel excursions such as Halong bay and Sapa and going out and partying, food and accommodation you will be fine on 20 euros a day, 25 and you should be more than comfortable.

There are people reading this who could easily travel less than that but I like to travel with luxury, i.e. I like to party and do all the sight seeing and culture so I allow myself a good amount to travel with.  Don’t travel on a tight budget, it sucks! trust me.

ACCOMODATION

Will usually be between 3-8 euros.  There are hostels within the cities, especially Hanoi which has some decent ones, we stayed in Hanoi backpackers hostel, very nice and clean accommodation in Hanoi and was a pleasure to stay and very social.

firing ak 47 in Saigon

Remember the backpacker area in Hanoi with all the tourist information places, restaurants and nightlife is in THE OLD QUARTER

In Saigon the backpacker’s district is DISTRICT 1

HANOI

Awesome city! Hanoi is what Asia is all about as cities go, it’s the hustle, it’s the bustle, the crazy traffic, the fast development, the history, raw Asian street food, run down buildings and millions of people all crammed into one space.  You may not think too much of it but many of you will, especially of you like city life.

Hanoi for me was a special point for me.  It’s definitely a vibrant crazy city that is up there with the best Asian cities.  There are a lot of street stalls as you walk around that sell counterfeit clothes and shoes.

I generally found the people up north to be rude if I’m honest and much of Vietnam.  Now a lot of people might be upset with this comment, can I just say I meet some very nice Vietnamese also but having said that you can get a feeling in the air that the more communist north have slight ill feeling towards foreigners.  It could be the fact that in schools they are taught that all bad things in the country are to do with foreign influence being as the French colonized Vietnam for a long time and then the Americans bombed the crap out of it and used chemical weapons which destroyed a tone of crops and destroyed and mutated a lot of the people in Vietnam.

communist slogans

In short and putting negativity aside, Hanoi is a city with a good energy and you will feel this in the air when you arrive.

THINGS TO DO

Walk around the war memorials, eat off the countless street stalls and soak in the energy of the old quarter and its magnificent Asian feel.

This is the only area where there is proper nightlife.  Hanoi has a good selection of nightlife and most hostels throw on some decent pub-crawls.  We went to a mad one on new years arranged by our hostel and then went for a party in the square for new years countdown.

The main highlight for me in Hanoi is the traffic.  It is unreal!!! I have videos of it in the travel videos section but it doesn’t quite capture the atmosphere when you’re actually there trying to cross a road!

Crossing the roads tips in Hanoi – I got this down to a fine art! All you have to do is walk along the road very very slowly, don’t stop and most importantly do not run otherwise you will be in big trouble.   Traffic will magically start going round you in an automatic unconscious type of way, you will feel very proud and smug once you cross a road here but trust me you don’t want to have an accident with some of these Vietnamese people, they can get very pissed off.

The street with TEMPLE BAR is where the partygoers end up at night and party the night away.

CHARACTER:  9/10

VIBE/ENERGY: 9/10

FUN FACTOR: 9/10

TOURIST FACTOR: 8/10

CHILLOUT FACTOR: 4/10

LOCAL VIBE: 2/10

HASSLE FACTOR: 7/10

PRICES: Pretty cheap, not as cheap as Laos or Cambodia but Vietnam doesn’t splash the cash as much as Thailand

OVERALL:  7.5 /10 Definitely a highlight of my trip, and the best Asian city of my trip that I visited by miles.  It’s got a great energy and the history is very interesting.

HOI AN

My other favorite place in Vietnam apart from Hanoi is Hoi an.  What a beautiful tranquil place! It is just so relaxing and magical.  Again an old French colonial town with that VA VA voom in French genius architecture.  People that come to Hoi an, this place is not a party place at all though there are bars and little random parties out of town.  I found it amazing some people didn’t rate Hoi An but found a similar pattern with them stating that it was ‘boring’ or lacked ‘nightlife’ I say screw that! As I said and I keep saying it, why would you travel half way round the world to just drink and party? Really boggles me, travel should be about broadening your mind and making it more open and fine tuned into the world, almost like some sort of mental wisdom.  Trust me, on your trip you are going to have your fair share of mental parties but when you get to a beautiful old French colonial town like this by the river sit back and admire the beauty just for a few days.

EATING IN HOI AN

There are some good eating joints in Hoi An and one that stands out in mind and is number one in lonely planet for places to eat in Hoi An is the CARGO CLUB.  Downstairs is a French style patisserie or bakery and upstairs is a plush fine established restaurant where you will not be disappointed, it’s basically like a posh London restaurant and that sort of food but for Vietnam prices, highly recommended!

You can grab some fine Vietnamese cuisine along the river also.

ACCOMODATION

Hop yen – Again a cheap decent backpackers hotel recommended by the lonely planet.  Rooms will vary from 3-9 euros.  Free Wi-Fi and fans in room. You can grab super cheap rooms but they aren’t the greatest but my mentality is a bed is only for sleeping, luxuries on a budget aren’t a primary concern.

Mui ne kitesurfers

There is accommodation scattered everywhere around the town and you wont be hard-pressed to find some, read the lonely planet to get a feel for areas where its cheap, in Hoi an you are better off sharing a room with people if you can.

NIGHTLIFE

Hoi An is mainly a place where you have a few drinks at the bars scattered around.  BEFORE AND NOW is a popular place and every now and then you will get offers to go to random clubs out of town via motorbikes.  These aren’t really worth it because they take you to deserted clubs quite far out of town.  Though saying that no doubt some of you will be tempted to go after a few drinks and if you get a good crew of you this can be quite fun but in general parties their aren’t great but the bars there are pretty decent.

THINGS TO DO

A cheap tailored item such as dresses suits and shoes which look the muts nuts! You will look like a celebrity with this stuff on, seriously this place is unbelievable and a massive highlight and the job they do is very professional.

Old town Hoi An is another highlight, just walking around and seeing the sites and culture.

CHARACTER:  10/10

VIBE/ENERGY: 8/10

FUN FACTOR: 6/10

TOURIST FACTOR: 9/10

CHILLOUT FACTOR: 8/10

LOCAL VIBE: 8/10 friendly

HASSLE FACTOR: 8/10 none

OVERALL: 8/10 most definitely a treasure of Vietnam

PRICES:  Not too expensive as their aren’t the parties here like other parts of Vietnam

VIETNAM OVERALL VERDICT

CHARACTER:  8/10

VIBE/ENERGY: 8/10

FUN FACTOR: 7/10

TOURIST FACTOR: 8/10

CHILLOUT FACTOR: 7/10

LOCAL VIBE: 5/10 Unfriendly in most parts and a slight feeling of hostility

HASSLE FACTOR: 6/10 not too bad I found

OVERALL: 7/10

Vietnam is a beautiful country and you can uncover some real gems like Hoi an, Halong bay and Hanoi but for a lot of people the local vibe can be a big factor in their trip, its such a shame Vietnam is getting a reputation like this as the most unfriendly place on the backpackers circuit but having said that you should visit Vietnam, one not to miss on your trip for sure!

Sihanoukville , Cambodia

Cambodia for me is a great; in fact if you have been reading my blog you will realize that I am not going to put down any country in Asia as I have yet to find a bad thing to say about Asia so far! You may think that every country is the same and all of Asia is the same but I can tell you that you would be very wrong in this thinking.  This is the beauty of Asia travel, everywhere is unique to its own country and every little place you go to will have its own little gems and culture differences and even food.

Phnom Penh

Cambodia is everything I love about Asia, its rough, its rugged its raw, there’s spicy Asian foods all over the streets of Phnom Penh, there’s insects on show and snakes to eat, there’s jungle, run down roads, old French colonial buildings and beautiful sunsets, tomb raider style ruins, its cheap as chips but most importantly the history is fascinating.   English speaking in this country is surprisingly good and better than a lot of countries around Asia and I bet the fact that most Indochina countries were French colonies but now speak English must piss the French off something rotten.

I believe if you come to visit Cambodia you will come out a wiser person with a bit of a broader mind.  Some parts are shocking such as the poverty and it really will put things into perspective.  It’s another country with that little bit of magic in the air.

Angkor Wat

HIGHLIGHTS

Phnom Penh – Though most people will not like the capital Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge left a gruesome history and is there for all to see in the famous killing fields

Sihanoukville – A pure backpackers getaway, full of amazing beaches and even deserted ones, get boats over to tiny little deserted islands with the bare minimum for a chill out or stay in the central part and party the night away.  Eat amazing seafood on the beach while the sunsets and local Cambodians offer you the finest dishes.

cambodian life in Kampot

Siem Reap – The base of Angkor Wat, Siem reap is a great little spot, a lot of money pump into it from tourism but the food here is spot on and the vibe and energy is second to none

Angkor Wat – I know a lot of revelers will stay in Sihanoukville but the main purpose of anyone going to Cambodia should be Angkor Wat.  It’s an absolute gem.  I think if you miss Angkor Wat coming to Cambodia your not travelling for the right reasons! Miss at your peril you may never see anything as amazing as this again!

Kampot – Old French colonial town.  Pure chill out as you enter this almost deserted town.  Take a boat down the river as the sun sets, take a trek through jungle and national parks as you explore old French ruins and war posts, haven’t written about this but it’s a worthy mention to get off the tourist trail slightly

AVERAGE COST PER DAY

Cambodia is easily one of the cheapest places on earth.

Non-drinkers – £10 a day with accommodation and food

Villagers in kampot

Party goers – You can do Cambodia for £20 a day, you don’t need to buy drinks when your out you can always pre drink and also I found you can just walk into a place with a beer or even a cheeky bottle of spirits, depends how skint you are

Angkor wat prices can get a bit expensive but still not too bad, 1 day will cost you $20, 3 days $40 and 7 days $60, if this was a developed country it would cost you so much more than that I’m sure!

Tuck tuck to take you round Angkor Wat all day, that’s 9 hours + and the guy waits for you all day is a massive …. Wait for it…. 10$ between a party, even going solo is still a bargain, amazing.

IMPORTANT CAMBODIA INFORMATION!

Make sure that before you enter the country all your money is changed to American dollars, as it is the currency that they use.  You only ever get local currency for small change after paying or paying for stupidly cheap items and if you change hundreds of Euros over for their money you are going to be walking around with the equivalent of hundreds of Euros worth of cents or pennies in your pocket, not good!

Visas – grab on arrival

ex french colonial town , Kampot

TYPICAL TOURIST TRAIL

From Vietnam – Phnom Penh – Sihanoukville – Siem Reap – Bangkok

From Thailand –siem reap – Sihanoukville – Phnom Penh – Saigon Vietnam

SIHANOUKVILLE

Otres Beach , Sihanoukville

One of my favorite party spots in the world! Now a lot of people will always rave on about Thailand but you cannot underestimate the awesomeness of Cambodia, it goes off as much as Thailand especially this little gem.

Most of you travellers will end up here because this is the backpackers location of Cambodia and soon to take over Thailand when more people dare to venture out to Cambodia, again limiting beliefs stop people from coming here because they think its dangerous, what a load of bollocks, in fact I’m glad its still relatively untouched compared with Thailand because it makes Cambodia so much better!

Get to Sihanoukville before the golden era of backpacking comes to an end, when prices soar and china takes over Asia like they are doing at the moment little by little.

THINGS TO DO IN SIHANOUKVILLE

Sihanoukville, Otres beach

As Sihanoukville is a stop for most backpackers it really is a place you chill out in the day because of its incredible beaches and cheap food and drink and by night everyone comes out to play.

Serendipity beach is the main tourist beach in Sihanoukville, I’m sure this was once a clean and tranquil beach but now its packed with too many locals hassling you and trying to sell you something.  This is extremely annoying when all you want to do is sunbathe and relax.  What you got to realize is these people selling are incredibly poor and its heartbreaking when you see people with no legs coming up to you begging and families with poor kids begging, I got a harsh mindset, I don’t give them anything because once you give one person one they all want a piece and if they see you again they will beg and beg until they drop and you don’t want that! You also don’t know if they work for people higher to beg for money to pay off crime syndicates, its common in Asia and I am not a fan of funding organized crime, so try to be polite to them and decline.

Serendipity does have its perks however, it’s great if you want to relax and have a waiter bring you over cocktail and grilled seafood, the pure lazy backpacker traveller style, why not it’s on offer?

A little secret of Sihanoukville

Now because everyone goes to Serendipity they miss out on a gem of a beach that at the time of writing this is called Otres beach.  This beach is pretty much deserted and you can get accommodation here I believe.  There’s a select few bars and nice beautiful white sand and very warm sea! You will know about the warmth when you get into it, Sihanoukville seems to have some of the warmest sea water I have veer encountered. At Otres beach there is no hassle from locals and just chill out as you can get your own butler to bring you over a lobster, prawns or gourmet sandwich with that lush cocktail as you sit on your sunbed in the beautiful Cambodian sun, bliss.

INSECTS

In Sihanoukville there are marketplaces out of the touristy areas and you can get weird and wonderful dishes from the street stalls.  Its bizarre, you can get cockroaches, spiders, ants, scorpions, termites and most disgustingly if your brave fried tarantula and even snake.  I myself could only bear the snake; the rest is just too much for me.  I guess as a backpacker for a lot of people it is customary to try such things, it does make for a good video or photo to stick in the memory bank.

ACCOMODATION

Can I say that Chinese new years is a nightmare here and we got stuck there also for Chinese new years, not just Cambodia but south east Asia in general, what a pain in the arse.  They whack the prices up for everything and it gets to western prices which means all the good places are taken and everything is expensive which also means you have to resort to getting a place on the outskirts of town because everywhere is booked out.

The two main hostels in the Centre of town are monkey republic which is extremely hard to get into because there is only one dorm room and it features in the lonely planet so its booked up a lot.  And then there is Utopia.

Now both aren’t expensive at all but both have big differences.

Utopia is a proper dump, you only pay $2-3$ a night, trust me it isn’t pretty.  Having said that I stayed there and loved the couple nights I stayed in there, reason being it is awesome for meeting people.  I met some really cool people there and a lot of people do stay there because of the meeting people factor and the prices and plus it is fun there.

Sihanoukville, otres

Utopia and Monkey republic are both bars, monkey republic is listed in the lonely planet and is owned by and English chap out there.  Both good if you’re a solo traveller but if you want a quiet night sleep I recommend you get a pad at Otres beach, I’m wondering for how long Otres can still remain a relative secret in a rapid developing country.

The rest of accommodation and a rule of thumb as a backpacker, always rock up to the place, wing it, scoop around for best prices and places and even if your not too keen on your first place for that first night wait till you meet people and they suggest they are staying in a good happening place as always you go by word of mouth and get onto good accommodation eventually anyways.  Word of mouth is king on the backpacker circuit.

Bamboo island, nr Sihanoukville

NIGHT LIFE IN SIHANOUKVILLE

Like Thailand’s parties Sihanoukville certainly carries on the trend and produces some banging nightlife, one of the best places in Asia to party and the usual crowd will always end up in JJS bar by the seaside which is always packed and pretty busy till silly o clock in the morning.  Sihanoukville isn’t big at all in the Centre so everyone and everything is in one area.

Sihanoukville also holds a Thailand style island party every now and then that coincides with special events like Christmas, new years or even the end of the month.

sunset on bamboo island

I love the vibe there, it’s a good place to let loose for a week or so and weed is easy to come by.  I ended up staying in Sihanoukville a whooping 11 days! It’s a place you find you will get stuck in because you don’t have to do anything in particular, just take it as it comes, one of the rare places in Asia that still maintains a true backpackers united feeling.  If your short on pennies work is easy to come by, in fact I might be tempted to work there next trip, myself just for fun J

ISLAND EXCURSIONS

Another great little thing you can do in Sihanoukville is go on these little island excursions to deserted little islands with nothing but a few beach bungalows, white sand, warm sea and the sun beating down.  There is no electricity on these islands, they are only powered by a generator and it’s a perfect chance to get away for a couple nights and do absolutely nothing.  No ones on these beaches apart from you and the people that come over to the island with you.

There are a lot of tourist information offices spread about the place where you can enquire about this.  Worth it to get peace and quiet or maybe you met a special lady or boyfriend you want to whisk them away to a romantic island.  Whatever reasons you have its worth it for peace and bliss on a remote island like the ones you see in films.

Bamboo Island

CHARACTER:  8/10

VIBE/ENERGY: 9/10

FUN FACTOR: 9/10

TOURIST FACTOR: 7/10

CHILLOUT FACTOR: 10/10

LOCAL VIBE: 6/10

HASSLE FACTOR: 7/10

PRICES: Cheap! It’s Cambodia!

Overall:  9/10

A beautiful quiet little seaside backpacking gem in the day and a partygoer’s paradise by night, this isn’t a place to see the culture like Angkor wat but it’s still a backpacking gem to get lost in for a while

SIEM REAP

Siem reap is fast becoming a vibrant hustle and bustle style port in Cambodia and for good reason.  As you enter this place you can see big five star hotels being put up, booming businesses and lots of restaurants.

This is because this is without doubt the biggest tourism port in Cambodia because of the mighty Angkor Wat.

Since tourism started coming in around the 2000’s I bet Siem reap has experienced an astronomical boom, which didn’t know what hit them.  It’s not modern but you can see it’s getting that way.  This is a good backpacker port and one you will remember, as Angkor Wat is a highlight of anyone’s trip, considering the fact that most people do the temple more than 1 day, as there is a stupid amount.

That’s right, I thought Angkor Wat was one temple, o no, it’s a massive area that can take a week to look round!

Nighttime is really good fun in Angkor Wat, cheap drinks and cheap food and some good company.

THINGS TO DO (ANGKOR WAT)

Now it amazes me how many people will come to Cambodia and skip Angkor Wat ! It really shocks me that people can travel half the world away and then skip one of the biggest man made wonders on this earth today.  How one of the poorest countries was home to one of the world’s superpowers.  The mystery around Angkor Wat is fascinating in itself, a French explorer set out into the Cambodian jungle on a tomb raider or Indiana jones style trek and started cutting away at the jungle vines and slowly bit by bit he started to uncover traces of a lost ancient Aztec style civilization which had a thriving community and massive temples! If you’re a fan of Indiana jones or this type of films you really are going to love this place.

AINT NO TEMPLES LIKE ANGKOR WAT IN ASIA

It is inevitable that a lot of you will be ‘templed out’ when you get to Cambodia being the sheer size of temples in indo china is astronomical especially in Buddhist Laos but trust me if you save this beauty for last like we did your in for a very nice surprise.  They aren’t anything like your average Asian temples but more of a raiders of the lost ark South American feel.

GETTING TO ANGKOR WAT AND COSTS

Getting to Angkor Wat is great, love the journey.  At time of writing this you could pay a tuck tuck guy $10 to take you there and spend all day driving you round from 8am till 6pm, unbelievable, and this is the beauty of Cambodia.

You will have to haggle with the dude to get you there as they will always try and rip you off.  You will get offers left right and Centre for trips to Angkor wat by tuck tucks so don’t worry.  Most guesthouses will offer this trip as part of your stay.

You pay the tuck tuck driver at the end of the day of course.

Accommodation

Like with most places you just rock up with a vague idea about where to stay, look in lonely planet to get an idea of a place you might like to stay at and when you get off the coach walk over and enquire and have a shop around.

Apologies if my review isn’t professional, as I say I’m not a travel guru but a backpacker giving you my experience and advice without external help from other sources.

What I can tell you is that you will be paying in the region of 2-6 euros for a room per night if you are on a budget conscious package but if you want to splash out on luxury a little in your trip why not, you can get 5 star luxury far cheaper than any western or developed country if you choose to do so.

NIGHTLIFE AND EATING

Anyone who is interested in nightlife will like Siem Reap.  Its vibrant and full of energy and the lights really get burning for the masses, this place has got what it takes to flick anyone’s switch and if it’s a pre Angkor Wat drink or a leaving drink then this is a great place to party.  Ironically the most happening place in town is the Angkor wat bar, Angkor … wat ?

Around Siem Reap there is a vast array of seriously good food, I’m talking grade A seafood and Asian dishes, massive prawns, oysters, spicy noodle soups, this place has it all and you wont be left with an empty stomach.  Indulge in what the locals have to offer, if you fancy western food don’t worry about that also as they cater for this but it will be more expensive and less authentic.  As I say before you probably travelled half the world to get there, its good to broaden your horizons though I do draw the line at cockroaches.

CHARACTER:  10/10 Angkor Wat an ancient lost city can’t have more character than that

VIBE/ENERGY: 7/10

FUN FACTOR: 8/10

TOURIST FACTOR: 10/10

CHILLOUT FACTOR: 5/10

LOCAL VIBE: 5/10

HASSLE FACTOR: 7/10

PRICES: Cheap! It’s Cambodia!

Overall:  8/10

A big backpacker port with a lot of surprises, what happens in Angkor Wat stays in Angkor Wat.  A good mix of culture and fun in this vibrant little port

CAMBODIA OVERALL VERDICT

CHARACTER:  7/10 

VIBE/ENERGY: 7/10

FUN FACTOR: 10/10

TOURIST FACTOR: 10/10

CHILLOUT FACTOR: 9/10

LOCAL VIBE: 9/10 love the locals, not only do they speak good English but they are among the most friendly people i have come across in Asia

HASSLE FACTOR: 9/10 Hassling can get very bad in some parts

PRICES: Cambodia is very cheap in comparison with Thailand, can get by easily on a budget here

Overall:  8/10 with Angkor Wat 7/10 without Angor Wat

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