To bribe or not to bribe?

After nearly three weeks in Thailand I crossed over into Cambodia via a seven hour bus ride. I had read on the internet that it can be tricky to enter the country due to bribes. My advice to you? Stand your ground and refuse to pay.

First break before entering Cambodia. 

It’s true, bribery and fake visa scams are a fact. Apart from that, it was an unforgettable experience for me to enter this country. I immediately sensed a change in the air the minute I neared the border. Being the only African on the bus I certainly got a lot of looks from security. While everyone was processed quickly, I waited for a long time to be attended to while the bus waited. I was frustrated beyond belief, tears rolling down my eyes. At this moment I caught the attention of one immigration officer who asked me how much money I had, how long would I would be staying and where I was going next. He suggested I go to another office where I was met with a bribe request on top of a visa fee.

Cambodian Boarder.

They certainty are not ashamed for asking. I told them I had no extra money. They gave me back my passport and I sat down again and waited for another officer but I didn’t relent about paying extra. This was my worst experience on a border crossing since I started travelling. While everyone on the bus got their visa in about 30 mins, mine took about 90.

Driving into rural Cambodia reminded me a bit of rural areas in Uganda. Cambodia is not as developed as Thailand, so things were a bit different. We arrived in Siem Reap at around 6 pm. I was excited to be in a new environment. After having a difficult time entering the city, the people themselves were so nice. I set out to explore a little bit of Siem Reap at night. They have a Pub street which I really liked. There were many different kinds of restaurants and pubs with a good vibe. Cambodia is cheaper compared to Thailand in terms of food prices with bigger potions.

Some street art.

The pub street.

Siem Reap Night Market.

Later I took a stroll into the night market which I really liked because the prices seemed reasonable.

After wandering around a bit, I had to get back to my hostel but my phone was dead. I found out I walked 2 km away from my hostel until I found a good Samaritan to help me check on his map where I was. Luckily enough, he decided to drop me back to my hostel on his bike.

The good Samaritan.

The following day I woke up at 3:45 am to visit the famous Angkor Wat Temple and other renowned places of worship. I had a one day pass but you can also get a 3 day pass to see all the many temples. It was so cold in the wee hours of the morning riding behind a tuk tuk. The rider took me and another partner to go buy the tickets for the entrance. After getting the tickets we rode for about 40 mins or so to Angkor Wat. It was still dark when we arrived but it was beautiful waiting for the sun to rise behind the temple. We were unlucky for it was cloudy that morning but other than that, it was still spectacular to see the largest religious monument in the world. It was first built as a Hindu temple as a tribute to the god Vishnu but later on gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. Our tour lasted 90 minutes.

In front of the temple.

Angkor Wat.

From there we headed on to Angkor Thom, another beautiful ancient temple which was the last Capital city of the Khmer empire established in the 12th century. The temple is uniquely built with face towers at each entrance.

One of the face tours.

Angkor Thom temple.

One of the many entrances to the temple.

The last temple I saw was Ta Prohm. The movie “Tomb Raider” was filmed there. It was so amazing with giant trees growing out of the walls with most of it in distinguished ruins. I was so amazed by this and it’s a good spot for taking photos. This is one of Ankor's most popular temples and it was designated a UNESCO site in 1992.

Selfie at the famous location.

Tomb raider location.

Ta Prohm.

Amazing huge roots protruding the temple walls.

After all these three temples, I decided it was time to take a break since it was scotching hot. I relaxed all afternoon before I went out later in the pub with a friend. I did not spend much time in Siem Reap because I had less time in cambodia. But there are some things to do there like visiting the Land mine museum, floating village and enjoying a cooking class. 

My next blog post will take you to Banlung!

Pai, the hidden gem.

The town of Pai located in northern Thailand was the last destination in this country. My plan was to go to Chiang Rai but I was told along the way that Pai was the real deal. This is why I never make solid plans as you never know how things will change along the way. 

The public mini van from Chiang Mai to Pai took about 3 hours. Some travel by motorbikes but be sure to know how to ride; the route has many sharp turns and can be quite disconcerting if you’re not a seasoned rider. The scenery of the mountains with lush green emerald was an amazing sight!

The view of Pai.

I soon learned Pai is a laid-back town that’s ideal for walking with crisp, clean air. My favourite part was the night market in the walking street. It’s such a colourful slice of Thai life with ample cafes, bars, shopping and food. The good thing about northern Thailand is that it’s cheaper than the south.

The walking street.

Shops on the walking street.

Got a toe ring made from a coin.

My favourite garlic bread stall.

The next day I had planned with my friend to go sightseeing around Pai. Pai is best explored on a motorbike. We started our day by going to visit the temple on the hill (Wat Phra Tat Mae Yen) which has a big Buddha that’s quite impressive. Once you climb to the temple’s peak there’s a beautiful view of Pai which is stunning. If you get the chance, go during sunset.

Excited to start exploring.

Budha

Our next destination was the Pai Land Split. It’s so cool, literally a crack in the ground caused by an earthquake back in 2008. The land belongs to a farmer and the tear is 2 meters wide and 11 meters deep. You can actually walk through the split for about 15 minutes. After the experience you can enjoy ice cold drinks from a wild fruit that the farmer grows. 

Entrance to the land split.

The split in the earth.

Sunny day the Land Split.

We went on ahead to the Pabok waterfall. Bring your swim trunks as you can go for a swim or just chill on the rocks since it’s very cool here. The water was quite cold for me. We took a few photos and later headed to the Memorial Bridge. 

The Memorial Bridge was built during the world war by the Japanese and it is made of steel and wood. At the moment it is only used as walking bridge but it’s a picturesque spot for photos and to have a good view of the river. 

Pabok Waterfall.

The memorial bridge.

We got on our bike again off to the Pai Canyon. The Canyon is said to be most beautiful during the sunset. We got there a bit early and waited for the sun to make its descent. It’s less hot during that time so it was a nice respite from the heat.

Beautiful sunset at the Pai Canyon.

Pai Canyon

Exploring the canyon

Pai has some parties and events going on every month. While there I heard about a “jungle party” at an unknown location. We were driven to a forest-like place by the organisers, quite fun but very cold in the night. Pai is way colder because of its location in the mountains.   

There are more things you can check out that I did not get chance to see because of time constraints, like The Pai Hot Springs and some ominous caves which are 35km away from the town.

 Make sure Pai is on your list when exploring Thailand. It is beautiful, peaceful and serene.