Siem Reap : Finding inner peace in Angkor Wat , Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom.

(Date of Travel : Dec 2011)
I love Siem Reap, Cambodia! Nice people, nice weather (I went in December) and it just feels serene. Travelling in Siem Reap is pretty easy. All you need to do is hire a TukTuk driver (those being pulled by a bicycle). A day will not cost you more than USD$25. However to travel from your hotel to the city centre for instance will cost USD$1 (at most USD$2). American dollar rules here so bring small notes (easier to buy stuff! )

Finding a spot to just laid back and soaked in the peaceful tranquility that is Angkor Wat was surprisingly easy despite the throngs of visitors.

Some temples within Angkor Wat may need a steep climb or two ......but once you reached the top, the view is worth it.

My travelling buddy, Ravi, while I was in Angkor Wat. 

Once you have your filled with Angkor Wat, its time to head to Ta Prohm.

Having trees engulfing the temples create a sense of being transported back to the past. This is truly majestically eerie but at the same time, tranquil.

Having a quick lunch with my very helpful Tuk Tuk driver.

Ta Keo temple.

A smaller site than Angkor Wat, is the beautiful Angkor Thom. Its different, its smaller yet at the same time, it provides you with another sense of being awed standing in a place where at one time was a majestic city.

I highly suggest anyone who goes to Siem Reap to try their Quad Adventure. Click here to visit the tripadvisor site on this MUST DO activity.

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Its an eye opener for urban dweller such as myself to see another aspect of education in a rural setting.  I feel sad looking at the kids but at the same time, they seemed happy given the opportunity to just study.
Its an ironic feeling. If you do take this quad tour, do bring lots of sweets to give to the kids that you will pass by along the roads.

Siem Reap is a beautiful place. The temples are a place of tranquility and its people, ever so friendly.

Its time to put Siem Reap in one of your top destination of great places to visit.

W Hotel - A hotel tucked away at the end of Sentosa Island.

For those of us who frequent Sentosa, we will realize that the island is filled with great beaches and an awesome theme park but many may not know that tucked in the eastern corner of the island is an amazing hotel tucked neatly beside a residential area for boat owners. As you drive (or driven) towards the hotel, you will leave the noises from screaming kids behind and enter another world. A world of the rich and super rich. Here you will find W Residence (owners who most probably also owned the boats along the jetty.) before finally reaching the eastern most point of Sentosa and seeing W Hotel. Check in was fast and quick and the moment you enter your room, you will just love the simple amenities yet useful which you may not find in other hotels.

Rainshower! All hotel must have a rain shower in my humble opinion.

The bathtub has windows to enable watching your favorite shows while soaking in the tub a reality.

The view! I love the view! For that few nights, you can imagine you are one of the W Residence who owns boats parked nicely just outside your apartment. I can dream, can I not?

Charge whatever models of phone/ipads/tablets you possess. Cool if I might add.

Chandeliers along the walkway. Beautiful!

Night view as you find your way to W Hotel. If you are blindfolded and then have the blindfolds remove, you might not guess this is Sentosa.

Lifts with soft sofa. My first!

The lobby has sofas that are just calling you to sit on them!

 

In the morning, walk along the jetty and admire the boats (and imagine it will one day be yours!). The life of the rich and super rich ..... I can't help but feel envious when I was walking here. 

W Hotel will transport you like a dream into the world of the rich. Its quiet and serene and unlike other parts of Sentosa that are filled with screaming people riding the rides at USS, here you will find yourself fully refreshed the next day. 

Alas, in the end you must wake up from your dreams but not before you laze around in their comfy hammock. Till the next time ...... till the next time.