Beautiful Siem Reap!

Siem Reap was charming, like a breath of fresh air! We were booked in the “Two Dragons Guesthouse” and one look at the place and we were in love. Two Dragons is a cozy little guesthouse tucked away in a small lane in Siem Reap. It is away from the din and bustle of the old market and the "Pub street" and so one can spend the night in peace and tranquility and wake up to sounds of traditional Khmer music every morning.

The place is run by Gordon Sharpless - an American married to a Thai. Gordon is the author of “www.talesofasia.com” - which is quite easily the most comprehensive guide to Cambodia. Gordon is sort of a walking, talking guide on anything and everything related to Cambodia. An extensively traveled gentleman, his experience was of great help to us and we kept asking for his recommendations on a lot of things.

We had the second biggest room in the guesthouse and it was an absolute delight. We had opted for a fan room and it was a lovely, spacious room with all modern amenities like a fridge, ensuite bathroom with hot shower, a TV and two huge beds which could comfortably accommodate two people on one. We paid 22USD per night for this room. There was a very interesting menu in the room where the first few pages were dedicated to food and the last few pages to hilarious signs which were actually observed at hotels around the world. It is a good testament of the sense of humor of the owner.

Two Dragons has a wonderful café where we spent a lot of time in between our temple visits. The restaurant serves up delicious thai, khmer and European delicacies. The breakfast options are named – Big Dragon breakfast, little dragon breakfast and baby dragon breakfast. Mind you, the Big Dragon is exactly that – BIG. What I liked best was their Hot Chocolate. It was to die for. According to my non-vegetarian friend the Lok Lak - which is a beef preparation is quite nice as well.

We could only spend one evening on the famous pub street in Siem Reap because the temples would tire us a lot. But it was a treat. I simply loved the place. Influences of European culture are quite predominant in the fabric of Siem Reap. Absolutely not to be missed is the Angkor What? bar. The name of this place had intrigued us since the time we were leaving for our trip. So Angkor What? was on our list since the very beginning. And our excitement paid off quite well!Angkor What? is a crazily done up place. Bright colours on the walls and patrons are given markers so the graffitti on the walls is generated by the patrons. The music is popular rock. It’s a great place for people watching and the drinks are economical too – atleast compared to India.

Angkor What? is only a bar, so we had to search for a place to satisfy our rumbling tummies and we found heaven at Red Piano. It is a tastefully done up restaurant which serves up really nice pasta. The restaurant has a special cocktail dedicated to Angelina Jolie and you will find many other influences of Ms Jolie there. The food and the ambience are truly amazing. We took up a table overlooking the street and enjoyed some really nice wine and food there.

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