December 1 - 6, 2017

Schedcation 7.0 was in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I arrived a day or two after the rest of our team because I had tickets to see Bill Murray in Portland (amazing, btw). Siem Reap was a city I enjoyed from short trips before, but really grew to appreciate more each day of this trip. It’s affordable, has lots of good food, and the people are kind.

We rented out the entire hotel at Angkor Orchid for our stay. We had the freedom to have meet ups at the long dining table, in hotel rooms with the a/c blasting, and even in the swimming pool. The location was within walking distance of tons of restaurants or a $1-per-person tuk tuk ride if we were feeling lazy and/or the sun was uncomfortably hot. 

Especially with the ease of using US dollars, I could spend a lot of time in this city, exploring new restaurants and cafes every day. I came back December 12 - 14 to work and play with T + K at Hillocks Hotel & Spa – fill that place with all my friends and that’s my dream for retirement.

When in Siem Reap, of course visit the temples, but also try:

- Renting an e-bike. We rented one for $10/person a day at Green e-bike – just remember to bring your passport! Wear a face mask and ride out to the rice paddies; you’ll feel like you’re in a totally new place.

- Ask a tuk tuk to take you out to Kampong Pluk (long wooden stilt houses, mangroves, floating forest, and floating village) on the large river/lake, Tonle Sap. The sunset at the end is gorgeous! You’ll read a lot of mixed reviews online, but honestly, sometimes I just like a change of pace. You’ll negotiate a price with the tuk tuk beforehand but be prepared to pay for the boat ($20/person) and paddle boat ($5/person) yourself. 

And, yeah, I paid $5 for my paddle boat driver’s snacks; they still called me cheap. It’s a scam but not worth getting angry over.