Happy Travel Tuesday!
I am currently in the mountains of the Czech Republic, working at an English camp, so I grabbed one of my first posts from the archives for you. Four years ago now, my cousin and I went on a giant graduation trip to Southeast Asia. We visited South Korea, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in a whirlwind 2 months. This post is from a rural area of Cambodia we visited on a whim.
Enjoy, and I’ll see you next week!
When most people think of Cambodia, they think of Angkor Wat, which IS amazing and should certainly not be missed. However, during my sojourn to Southeast Asia with my cousin, we found ourselves burnt out after the temples of Angkor. Although I found Cambodia to be beautiful and exotic, as one of the poorest countries in the world, the poverty, land-mind victims and mournful children can be hard on the heart (as a fellow traveler on the road said).
So, after the bustle of Siem Reap (the city near Angkor Wat), we traveled to Ratanakiri Province, located in the rural Northeast of the country. While very impoverished, it was so beautiful–we saw waterfalls, elephants, mountains and crater lakes, all marred by the Red Dust of the Ratanakiri (which permanently stained most of my clothes and my backpack, so take heed). It was here that we were able to rent our very own motorcycle. Although I never drove (I can barely handle my mountain bike) it was an exciting way to see the countryside, and the perfect reminder to keep looking for the beauty even when traveling takes its toll.
Each week Bonnie, Jessi, Camila and I choose one post from the previous link-up to feature. Be sure to check out their blogs to see who they chose!
This week I am featuring Tina from Girl Meets Globe and her post about her anniversary trip to Portugal! I love finding new destinations through Travel Tuesday, and I’m so happy Tina posted about Portugal. Portugal doesn’t get a lot of press, but I think it is starting to, and from Tina’s post, this press is well-deserved! The views are breathtaking and the architecture is so unique. Thank you for sharing, Tina!
Ready to link up?
1. SHARE a post about travel! From road trips to trips abroad and from past travels to dream vacations. You can write about travel tips and tricks, favorite places to stay, or anything in between! Just make it about traveling somewhere!
2. GRAB the lovely button above. If you run into trouble, just make sure to mention Bonnie, Amy, Jessi and Camila in a link! 3. LINK-UP goes live every Tuesday at 0800 GMT. Make sure to comment here, on the co-hosts blogs, and visit around!
TIPS:
1. Please only one linked up post per blogger. Save other posts for future link-ups!
2. The last Tuesday of every month will be a themed prompt if you want to join in!
3. HOP around and meet new travel loving bloggers! Check back to visit some of the newer travel posts!
Thanks for featuring me!! You are right, Portugal doesn’t get a lot of press and it is very deserving of it! That place is beautiful!!
Lovely post on Cambodia. The poverty would definitely weigh on my heart!! Any place with elephants in it though is beautiful to me!
Enjoy your time in the Czech mountains!
You deserve it! I’m so inspired to visit Portugal now :). Even though Cambodia was hard, it’s also such a beautiful country!! xo
Cambodia is one of those places I’d love to go but I’m a little concerned about how I’d handle it. “hard on the heart” is the perfect way to describe it. I also have food allergies so traveling outside the normal cities and tourist spots can be tricky without a large stash of granola bars 🙂
I was surprised at how hard it was for me to handle it, although it is a beautiful country. I’m glad I went but I’m hesitant to ever go back. Maybe someday! I’m impressed at how well you manage to travel despite the food allergies–that must be so, so difficult! One of my friends here in the CZ is gluten intolerant and she struggles a lot–this country is all about beer and bread! So I can’t even imagine what you go through. Thank god for granola bars!!!
i can understand why going to cambodia is difficult. my family lives in cambodia so when i visit it is even harder to see relatives live in less than ideal conditions. no one wants to face the consequences of genocide, but it’s a necessary reminder of our history and the lessons we must learn so it doesn’t repeat itself. (the world said ‘never again’ after the holocaust, but genocide happened in cambodia, then bosnia, then rwanda, etc..)
i tried to balance my trip by doing both…some days are difficult (volunteering, or going to the genocide sites) and then other days are relaxing (sihanoukville, kep). if you go with an open mind and heart, i think you can still enjoy your time in cambodia. =)
also, it’s helpful to carry benadryl and EPI pen if you have food allergies. =)
What an experience, and a great graduation trip! I’ve heard a lot about the Angkor area and how it should be seen but it’s super touristy and crowded so it seems like what you did was the best way to see the beauty of the country and what rural life is like. So cool. Have fun in the Krkonose!
It was the BEST graduation trip! 🙂 I’m really glad we left Siem Reap and went to a fairly unknown area. It was much more beautiful and everyone was much friendlier. In Angkor , even though they wanted our money, I felt unwanted, but in Ratanakiri they were so nice. xo
My Dad has in the past worked with some of Cambodia’s NGOs, working with educational programs, and for his job he’s traveled around the country quite a bit, though I don’t know all the names of the regions–they’ve had such a rough past, it’s hard to hear the stories, but they need to be told so that the rest of the world doesn’t forget what happened.
Yes you’re very right. It was really hard to travel there, but it’s such a beautiful country that deserves to have it’s story told!! thanks for your wise words. xo
Lovely post. I’ve travelled a bit in South East Asia but haven’t made it to Cambodia yet – top of the list for me over there now for sure.
Even though it was a struggle for me to visit, I really enjoyed my time there. If you go, make sure to explore other areas outside of Siem Reap and Angkor Wat–why you gotta see Angkor Wat (it’s awesome!) the soul of the country is much more evident in smaller areas. xo
The pictures are lovely. Cambodia is on my list to travel especially since I have a good friend from there. Her family came to the states as a refuge and she would write about how her parents were the only ones to survive during the Khmer Rouge. They had a really rough history. My heart goes to them too.
What a beautiful and sad story. I think it would be a powerful place for you to visit with that kind of connection! Even though it was hard for me to visit there, I’m glad I did and was able to see the beauty there, even after all that tragedy.
Omg I want to go to Cambodia but not sure I can handle the level of hygiene 🙁
It’s a really poor country, but I got much sicker in Thailand than I did there! But I had been in SE Asia for awhile by then so I was probably becoming a little immune 🙂
if you stay in the city it’s not so bad. totally depends on your expectations and also on what areas you are traveling to…
I’d love to visit Cambodia one day – and aside from the cities I think the beautiful countryside is a must! Love your photographs!
Thanks!!! that means so much 🙂 and yes, it’s beautiful countryside for sure! I hope you get to go 🙂 thanks so much for reading! xo
This looks like a load of fun! I must say I’m really sad at the elephant – I kind of always wanted to ride one but the condition they live under is so sad 🙁 Anyhow, on a better note, I hope you’re having a wonderful time in the mountains!
Yes I struggled a lot in SE Asia as I encountered elephants on several occasions–some where they weren’t living in great conditions. I was so naive at the time, I wish I had done more research! I think there are many places, refuges for the elephants, where they have been rescued and are being rehabilitated, so I would love to go back and visit them in those kind of conditions. It is my dream to see an elephant in the wild!
That’s so cool that you went out in the countryside! My boyfriend and I went to Siem Reap, but didn’t have time to really explore.
I’m so glad we did! I didn’t hate Siem Reap but the countryside was much more relaxing.
What a fun trip! Two months traveling around Asia sounds amazing! I’d love to go to Cambodia, but I don’t know if it’s going to make it on to our travel list this go round!
You are in a great position to visit some awesome spots in SE Asia! I would recommend Thailand over Cambodia…but I’m sure you have a list and priorities of your own 😉
I think Thailand will be happening in February! I’ll have to pick your brain!
Oooh exciting! I would love to give you tips!!! I have a million 🙂
Great pictures – especially that last one! I love that you go off the beaten track too.
Thank you! It’s so beautiful there. My cousin randomly heard about this rural area and I’m so glad she did! Off the beaten track is the best!
ohh. i find it so intriguing that you visited Ratanakiri! i’ve been to cambodia twice (my family is from cambodia) but I’ve never visited that region. other than the photos you posted, what did your time there look like, what did you do and explore?
it’s great that you’ve been able to visit where your family is from! Ratanakiri is hard to get to for anyone. We didn’t spend much time there, but the main activity was renting a motorbike and biking out to the beautiful lakes and waterfalls. I would go for the nature, it’s incredible! So wonderful after Siem Reap.