I managed to get up at 5:30am, get picked up at 6am, and reach Battambang by boat. It took 7 hours. The first few hours were very scenic and pretty, as we crossed one of Asia’s biggest lakes, and motored through a bird sanctuary. I had some energy and it wasn’t too hot. After 4 hours, I was starting to tire.
We had a 15-minute lunch stop on a floating restaurant, and then it was back on the boat. At that point, a couple recognized me from Nepal. We had both stayed at the same guest house in Chomrung during our Annapurna Sanctuary treks.
Post-lunch sections of the waterway were narrow, requiring we lower curtains on both sides of the boat to prevent decapitation by branches. During these sections, it was darker and hotter within the boat. The dim orange lighting, combined with shadows and the sound of bushes scraping against the curtains likened the atmosphere to that of a slasher movie.
We passed through tons of floating villages. Almost all of the houses were floating, on stilts, or actually converted boats. Little kids would wave from homes, boats, rooftops, and the shore. A few even blew us kisses. I waved back a lot.
Despite the long day, the boat trip was a great way to gain exposure to rural Cambodian life.
About the Author:
Dave is the author of 1526 posts on Go Backpacking.
Dave (Editor-in-Chief) blogged his way around the world from 2007-2009, and then started Travel Blog Success to teach others how to do the same. When not writing, he can be found salsa dancing in Medellin. Follow him on Twitter @rtwdave or look for him on Google+
The Travel Blog Success community offers practical resources and personal support to help you build a better travel blog.
Whether you treat blogging as a hobby, or dream of building a location independent business, you'll learn what's required to create a name for yourself in the online travel world.
Benefits of Joining:
- Personal support from Dave, including site critiques and tips on negotiating advertising deals.
- Ability to learn from others' mistakes, and save yourself time, energy and money.
- Chance to network with other travel bloggers of all levels, from around the world.
Categories: Cambodia
7 Comments
ahhh i love cambodia!
ahhh i love cambodia!
Only 7 hours – it took 12 hours when I did – the water was low, and the last 3/4 hours was done very slow and sometimes we had to back out of the channel and find a new one: and yes it was a bit long! But I got some cool photos too!
I might have steered clear of the boat trip if it weren’t the wet season. Faster boat travel on the rivers – another benefit to traveling off season!
Only 7 hours – it took 12 hours when I did – the water was low, and the last 3/4 hours was done very slow and sometimes we had to back out of the channel and find a new one: and yes it was a bit long! But I got some cool photos too!
Only 7 hours – it took 12 hours when I did – the water was low, and the last 3/4 hours was done very slow and sometimes we had to back out of the channel and find a new one: and yes it was a bit long! But I got some cool photos too!
I might have steered clear of the boat trip if it weren’t the wet season. Faster boat travel on the rivers – another benefit to traveling off season!