A few photos from our recent Cambodia Overland tour: good trip, great bunch of travellers and we think, (hope), much fun had by all! First up a colourful collection of hats on the fried spider and grub vendors in Kompong Cham Province’s Skuon Town – on route for Siem Reap.
Get your ‘fresh’ spiders here! The rainy season weather held out well for us too with just a few late afternoon/evening showers providing little or no inconvenience but leaving the advantages of their being fewer tourists around, lusher countryside and more water in rivers and lakes.
A break in the hot and sticky Beng Melea Temple Our half-day trip to the remote and spectacular site of Beng Melea Temple proved successful with much clambering over walls and squeezing through passages allowing us to avoid the crowds and get some good photo vantage points. as well as some exercise after all those rich Khmer curries!
Going Underground, Beng Melea
The vast ruins of Beng Melea do involve a bit of scrambling Andy, our temporary boat driver, takes the helm under Top’s watchful eye on our trip down the picturesque Sangkar River from Siem Reap to Battambang.
Top, with Andy – our relief boat captain on the Sangkar River Whilst Carole takes it in easy and gets nautical in a hammock….
Carole in a hammock during the boat trip to Battambang …and Dan enjoys the spectacular scenery.
And Dan in the same boat though he did have the excuse of having done his back in! Despite the rainy season being a generally quieter period the year for birdlife, (many of the waterbirds only migrate here in winter months), we were lucky enough to spot two grey-headed fish eagles, several kites, two species of kingfisher and myriad weaver birds with their beautifully crafted, spectacular riverside nests.
Weaverbird and intricate nests on the banks of the Sangkar Arriving in Battambang we did our traditional, cottage industries tour in some of the villages surrounding town including fresh noodle making with the chance to taste the wares afterwards!
Local style noodles, Battambang After two nights in Battambang Town, we headed back to Phnom Penh with a stop at the lively riverside town of Kompong Chhnang. The somewhat precarious footbridge linking residential areas to the town’s market proved challenging for some!
Slightly precarious bridge at Kompong Chhnang Always a popular stop though and this fascinating and vibrant town on the banks of the Tonle Sap River provides a wealth of photo opportunities plus the chance to interact with the locals for whom foreign visitors are still very much a novelty.
The riverfront at Kompong Chnang Cheers to all involved, glad you enjoyed the tour and thanks for being such a fun group! All Cambodia Overland photos were taken on a 2015 tour and posted with the permission of all involved.
