A small selection of some of our favourite photos from January’s Cambodia Overland Tour – mainly taken by Chet, Dan and Mark but many thanks to anyone else who contributed.
Some of our group had begun the trip in Saigon with a Mekong Delta tour and journey upriver to Phnom Penh – Tim had kicked off his trip in Laos – but these pics cover the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap section with a few extra images from Keith and Celia’s Battambang adventure.
Lunch on the road by the lake at Prei Pross, Kampong Thom Province Since Joanne is absent from the photo, we’d assume she was the photographer. By the same logic, the below must have been one of Chet’s.
Post-sunrise group shot at Angkor Wat 
Day two of the temple programme – looks like Phnom Bakheng Temple in the background And the iconic doorway at the ‘Tomb Raider’ temple, Prasat Ta Prohm. (Very lucky to have the much-photographed location to themselves.)
The iconic Ta Prohm backdrop Next up, a gratuitous food shot – local lunch in the cafe next door to the hotel in Siem Reap. Serves, Khmer, Lao and Thai dishes and this one’s an excellent pat kra pao, minced pork with holy basil and chillies.
Local lunch Last but certainly not least for Siem Reap was Tim’s remarkable Burns Day extravaganza with faux Khmer haggis and Khmer kramar scarves substituted for kilts. (All this at 7 in the morning.)
Next up, Mark and Dan were out checking more obscure temple sites while the group was out with Angkor guide Chet. Below, Dan is checking out 11th-century colonettes at the little-known Banteay Kbal Chen site. (Which oddly translates at the Citadel of the Chinese Head!?)
Ancient vestiges at Banteay Kbal Chen Another of Dan – this time hard at work on the picturesque boat journey down the Sangkar River from Siem Reap to Battambang. Tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.
On the Sangkar River, Western Cambodia Somewhat regrettable incident in Battambang as Keith tries to make off with Bun’s tuk-tuk. Fortunately, order was quickly restored and we were able to proceed with the ‘cottage industries and local livelihoods’ tour.
Battambang: tuk-tuk tour of surrounding villages Return journey to Phnom Penh began with an early morning ride on the famous ‘Bamboo Train‘. (Which Keith didn’t attempt to steal!) Not sure what he’s signalling there.
Battambang’s bamboo train Followed by a stop a the pre-Angkorian, 9th-century temple of Kampong Preah. Well-preserved, picturesque location but rarely visited.
The 9th-century Prasat Kampong Preah, Kampong Chhnang Province The final one – still on our trip back to Phnom Penh – was Celia and Keith scouring an ancient temple mound for fragments of brick or stone. None were found, but traces of an ancient moat confirmed the location as a former temple site.
Tuol Khok Prasat Kampong Chhnang Thanks to all involved for making the Cambodia Overland tour a fun and hopefully enjoyable one!
