After walking around for quite some time and (still couldn't find the food areas), I started turning circles and wondering if I'm lost. Didn't get touristy photos too but I was amazed at the quality of the imitation goods sold there.



A few turns later, just when I was about to lose hope, I saw the entrance to a slightly crowded area and decided to try my luck.

I WAS FINALLY IN THE FOOD AREA!

Went to take a look around and realised that I have no idea what most of the foods are.. so scaredy cat me just settled for a cup of iced lemon tea.
The grilled items look good but I just had my braces and it would be difficult to bite so I skipped them too. Will definitely give those a try on my next visit. REGRETS. REGRETS.

So if you are planning for a food trip and considering braces, better do it after your trip or at least one month before said trip.

Central Market Phnom Penh (Phsar Thmei)
Kampuchea Krom, St 128, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Operating Hours: 0700-1800 everyday

Built approximately 150 years ago, the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh is made up of several buildings and pagodas that serve different purposes.
It is currently still inhabited by the royal family but part of it is open to the public, turning it into one of the main tourist spots in Phnom Penh.





(from Snapchat)

There's actually a small garden outside the royal palace where locals gather in the evening when the weather is not that hot.
Surprisingly, there are lots of pigeons around. Was waiting for my friends when a girl who looked about 4 years old tried to sell me a bag of corn to feed the birds. She couldn't speak English and I had to politely refuse in my poor Khmer language. We ended up sitting around and pushing the bag of corn towards each other. I felt bad but what good would that do?





Cambodia is hugely affected by Buddhism and Hinduism. There's a whole mural depicting the Reamker, a Cambodian epic based on Ramayana (Ramayana being on of the things I studied in high school and somehow got stuck). Parts of the mural were being reconstructed but the paintings were quite detailed.





The entrance tickets cost 40,000riels ($10) for foreigners. Welp.
At this point, it is best if you get a tourguide that could be found near the ticketing counter.

Photography isn't allowed in the interiors of most buildings there but the handcrafted idols, jewellery, and decorations look so exquisite and fine.



Even the gates were crafted beautifully. I'm always fascinated by intricate ornaments and decorations despite my practice with spatial design.



Unfortunately, we didn't get to visit that much as it was raining that evening (rainy season just started in Cambodia so I got cheaper flights but enough time to visit and walk around).
The cloudy weather did allow some dramatic shots though.

Definitely a must-visit if you're into delicate designs, history, and/or art in general.
Must-see? The silver pagodas. They are just spectacular.

(another Snapchat quality, oops)



Special thanks to my Toyo and Sive, my friends/tourguides in black, for the entrance ticket, short tours, and food tours. Not sure what I'd do by myself seeing this was actually my first trip alone.

Remember what I said about the abundance of pigeons? The park is just next to the Mekong river, probably the reason why it's a good place to chill (same for pigeons).

Technically I visited the outsides of the palace a couple of times after that and it was really nice to just sit there and enjoy the moment, looking at tourists and locals alike.



The tiles at the Royal Palace park was so photogenic, I couldn't resist. That pop of colour is precisely what I didn't pack for my trip.
Also, drop by the National Museum located nearby if you have the time.

Royal Palace Phnom Penh
(Sothearos) between Street 240 & 184, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Opening Hours: 0800-1030; 1400-1700 everyday

Next post coming up real soon! Will try to finish this series by the end of this week as there's a lot of catching up to do and not to mention some other projects.

Despite having visited the Sachenhausen Concentration Camp in Berlin last year, I stepped foot into the Choeung Ek Killing Fields about 17km away from the centre of Phnom Penh.
The place was highly recommended to me by some friends and also the multiple travel articles I've scrolled through.

Prior to visiting Cambodia, I have to admit that I didn't know that much about the country aside from the Angkorian Empire facts that were hammered into my head during my high school days.

Hired a tuktuk for the trip (return trip from my guesthouse which is located in near the city centre). Standard price for a round trip is approximately $15-$20. Lucky you if you get any deals below $15. The trip is approximately an hour from the city centre via tuktuk.
The tuktuk driver will wait outside the area.

"You sure or not? One week? Got things to do meh."
"Aiyo, no need go so long lah.. Nothing one."

That was what I initially thought when we settled on a one week trip to Khao Yai last December (I know it's been half a year since then but still... it's a nice place)

Most of you might not know but I've been writing articles for Goody25.com. For the Chinese version of this post, click here. I guess that's one of the ways to continue practicing my written Chinese after high school.

Khao Yai is part of a national park in Nakhon Ratchasima (a.k.a. Khorat), located approximately 3 hours away from Bangkok. December is probably the best time to travel there as the weather is cooler.
It is possible to travel there on a tight budget as things are not too expensive over there.



Day 1: K.O.-ed



We had some issues with the trip from Don Mueng Airport in Thailand to our resort in Khao Yai. Clearing customs took a little more than an hour, and we were all starving by the time we got on the van so we made a lunch stop which delayed our trip to Saraburi Sunflower field and it was cancelled in the end.

The two van drivers are from Bangkok so they were not quite familiar with the area so we also spent a good deal of time getting lost but thankfully we managed to find the resort around 8pm.

At least they had A&W.. and sunsets there are magnificent (#nofilter).



Day 2: Chocolate Factory, Lookkai Restaurant, Primo Piazza
What a blunder! Turns out that the Chocolate Factory wasn't actually a legit factory producing different kinds of chocolate, like this one here.
It was actually a chocolate-themed restaurant WITH a mini workstation. Not complaining though, the chocolate is good.



Model of the day going for that Korean look but had to hurry in cause it was scorching hot outside.



We got some chocolates (there were so many to choose from!). Flavours include Earl Grey, Pistachio, and Passionfruit.




We also visited some other stores and cafes nearby.
Only watched an episode of MLP so far but still.. they are a sensation (hah).



I'm guessing that this is a second-hand store. Too much going on though. You could practically find everything from action figures, to clothes and bags, to pots and pans.