Cambodia - After thoughts & Tips

Our Cambodian trip was such an eye opening experience.  We truly enjoyed each and every one of the Cambodian people and children that we encountered. 

• Cambodia is definitely a country in need.  There are many ways to give and many debates on what is the best way to help. 
  Some people give donations, some volunteer, others may bring supplies to schools or orphanages....
  It could be very overwhelming and paralyzing when you try to figure out which organization and in what capacity you would like to give.  After returning from the trip and some researches, "Friends without Boarder" that funds Angkor Hospital for Children and "Landmines Blows" are two organizations that we decided to support as a way of giving back to Cambodia.  

• I regret that I did not think of bringing gummy bear vitamins with me.  They would be great treats that actually have some nutritional value for all Cambodian Children we met.

• Websites I found useful for trip planning:
• Trip adivsor forum
• Canby Publications
• 背包客棧

• For those who are debating whether to hire a guide or not, I would strongly advice to hire a guide for one day first and then decide if you would like to continue using his/her service. 

• Tuk Tuk is the best means of transportation within Siem Reap and the Angkor Park area.  It was so much fun! Definitely highly recommended.  Our tuk tuk driver, Bunlong truly enhanced the overall experience for us.  He was very reliable, punctual and we felt that he always had our best interest at heart. 
  For those of you who need a tuk tuk driver recommendation, please contact him via email at bun_angkor@yahoo.com and give him our warmest regards. 

• Bring extra batteries and memory cards for your digital camera.  We took over a thousand photos in 5 days. A tripod is also a good idea if you want to take many sunrise and sunset shoots.  

• To prevent getting sick from food, we avoided the tap water and took Pro-Biotics pills everyday.
  (Hans is also convinced that daily beer intake helped, but I don't know if there is a scientific proof to his theory.)  

For those of you who are planning on visiting Cambodia, I hope you come with an open mind and open heart.
I am sure the journey will be as enriching and rewarding to you as it was for us.