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10-days Indochina Express Nov 10-18, 2002 (Angkor Wat & River Kwai Death Railway)

Group Photo

The group consisted of 14 pax with the usual majority of 11 ladies and 3 men led by Yong Lee Min. Here's the report of the trip.

10 Nov 2002 Sun - Left KLIA at 0935hrs for arriving in Phnom Penh Cambodia at 1025hrs. We were met at the airport by our guide Inn and taken to the Chong Euk killing fields outside the city. Later we lunched at Psar Tuol Tom Pong aka Russian Market. Garments and backpacks, all made for export in Cambodia were bought at bargain prices. A popular buy was the zip-off pants by Columbia and hip-bags by Lowe Alpine and North Face. We then visited the Tuol Selng Prison, the extermination center during Pol Pot rule, the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Overnight (ON) Phnom Penh.

Mon - Departed at 0800hrs by express boat to Siem Reap. The 4-5 hours journey across the Tonle Sap Lake traverses diverse river scenery and village life. Arrived Siem Reap around noon and the rest of the day was free to browse about the town. ON Siem Reap.

Tue - Full day Angkor Wat Tour - starting with the main temple Angkor Wat, then the multi-faced Bayon Temple and the jungle-cladded Ta Prohm Temple. We finished off the long day at the elevated Phnom Bakheng for a sunset view of the Angkor Wat together with a few hundred visitors. ON Siem Reap.

Wed - Most of the group opted for a bicycle tour of Siem Reap and its surrounds. We visited a stone carving workshops, local markets, fields of growing rice, etc.. Three members opted for another day at the other temples of the Angkor including the less visited Banteay Srei, located 21 km out of town. ON Siem Reap.

    
Reflections of Angkor Wat / Faces of Bayon

Thu - A hard day's journey today. We left in a 25 seater bus for the 150kms 6hrs trip to the Thai-Cambodian border. We stopped over at the Cambodian Silk Center in Pauk to watch the whole process of making silk from silkworms up to manual looms. From the border it was another 3 hours to our hotel in Bangkok. ON Bangkok.

Fri - We travelled by chartered van firstly to Damnon Saduak Floating market - the largest in Thailand, where we stopped to smell the water and whatever is in it! Then its off for lunch at Nakhon Pathom temple, reputed to be the tallest Budhhist monument in the world. We arrived in Kanchanaburi in the afternoon to visit the Bridge Over River Kwai and the Chung Kai Allied War Cemetery. ON Kancanaburi.

Sat - Full-day tour of Kancanaburi began with a visit to a Karen village for an elephant safari and bamboo rafting on the River Kwai. Next was the Sai Yok waterfall and lunch, followed by a good cold and hot soak at the Hin Dat hotsprings. Later we visited the Hellfire Pass and a ride on the Death Railway from Namtok. Finally the day ended with a visit to the Tiger Temple with photos taken with full-grown untethered tigers out in the open. Kancanaburi.

Sun -.Morning return to Bangkok, and we arrive just as the sprawling Chatuchak Weekend Market was stirring. Half of the group left shortly after while the rest stayed the whole day shopping and eating in Chatuchak. ON Bangkok.

Mon - Most of the rest left in the morning while another five opted to extend the trip to Sukhothai, Chieng Mai and Ayuthaya, but that's another story.

  
Tiger Temple / Elephant safari

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