Our journey to Phatthalung begins with a train ride from Malaysia. However, this is not a direct one-train-journey that takes you from KL to Phatthalung, but rather 2 different train rides and a minivan ride. 

In the past, it is much more convenient to travel to Hatyai on the overnight sleeper train (the old Intercity Express Trains) which operates from Singapore to Hatyai (it would have been fantastic for people like me who stay in Singapore). This has since been terminated since 19th May 2016, and replaced with ETS which only operates from Gemas to Padang Besar.

Bangkok.  

Phuket. 

Krabi. 

Hatyai. 

Chiang Mai. 

I bet these are the places that first come across your mind whenever Thailand is mentioned. For a country which measures approximately 513,000 km2, it is the world’s 50th-largest country, and the third largest in South East Asia after Indonesia and Myanmar. They may be most famous for the beautiful beaches of Krabi and Phuket islands, the cheap shopping deals in the bustling capital city of Bangkok and the scenic mountainous Chiang Mai up at the North, but the Land of Smile with 76 provinces in total has a lot more to offer.

Though the southern provinces like Krabi, Phuket, and Trang spells sandy beaches (while the northern provinces like Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son offers mountains and highlands), there’s a hidden gem right in between Trang and Songkhla – a quiet little province called Phatthalung. 

I literally never heard of Phatthalung when MJ suggested this place to me back in 2016. Mr. Google wasn’t so helpful either, as information online is very limited. Unlike Chiang Mai (which I later visited in October 2017 – link) which spoilt us which its abundance of attractions, the only sure thing I know about Phatthalung (during the time when this trip is conceived) is Thale Noi. In fact, Thale Noi was what drawn me to this place, but surprisingly this quiet little town became one of my favourite place to visit in Thailand. You’ll see why, as I talk more about it. 

How to get there?

There’s no airport in Phatthalung, and the nearest airport is located 60 kilometres west of Phatthalung in Trang, followed by Hat Yai, just over 100 kilometres to the south. Of the two airports, I would suggest flying into Hatyai then take a two-hour train to Phatthalung for as low as 18 Baht (SGD0.74 / RM2.34). 

For fellow Malaysian, rejoice as we have ETS train from Malaysia to Padang Besar, and from there you can cross the border to Hatyai then take the train to Phatthalung. Read this guide for more information on the ETS train to Padang Besar and the train journey from Hatyai to Phatthalung.

If you are not flying to Trang or Hatyai, you can also access Phatthalung via other cities such as Bangkok, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Phuket or Krabi. However, the journey may be painstakingly long as you would need to endure long hours bus or train rides. In Bangkok, trains depart for Phattalung at 1pm, 2.45pm, 3.10pm, 3.35pm and 10.50pm with fares ranging from around 250 baht for a hard seat in third class; 430 baht for a soft second-class seat; and a minimum of 530 baht for a sleeper. Buses from Bangkok costs around 595 to 700 baht, depending on which you choose, and the ride takes around 13 hours.

Where to stay

The main attraction of Phatthalung is Thale Noi, which is located 30 km north of Phattalung town. To enjoy Phatthalung to its fullest, I would recommend spending at least one night in that area. The resorts in that area are after all cheap and food served in their restaurant are cheap and nice. 

During our visit, we stayed at Sai Klong Song Lae, which was just located at the lake side, facing the west. On the evening of our arrival, we immersed ourselves into the golden sunset while enjoying our meal. The next day, we hired longtail boat tour for the lake, not just for birdwatching but also for the fantastic view of sunrise, buffaloes and sea of lotuses. We stayed two nights in the same resorts and had our dinner there for two consecutive nights even though we ventured out to Patthalung town in the afternoon. Considering there’s little night life in the town (most shops closed around 5-6pm), staying in the heart of town ultimately wasn’t any more favourable. 

Do note though that the people there do not normally speak English. This small quite place is after all off the foreigner radar and is normally welcoming local tourists. An exception is the more established Sri Pak Pra Resort, where the receptionists and some staffs speak a little English. The place is also aesthetically designed. Unfortunately, it was fully booked for an event during the weekend of our visit. Fortunately, Sai Klong Song Lae which is just several kilometres away was equally good albeit a more simplistic design. 

Getting around

Thale Noi can be reached by public minibuses for 70 Baht (SGD2.88 / RM9.10) per person. The bus departs every 30 minutes from Phatthalung’s bus station between 6am to 6pm. What comes as a surprise is that hiring a songthaew is cheaper as we were charged only 40 Baht (SGD1.65 / RM 5.20) per person (do note that they charge per head instead of per ride). A ride out from the resort to the town is 50 Baht (SGD2.06 / RM6.50) per person as the driver needs to drive in from the town. 

Besides that, the bus station is also inconveniently located six kilometres away from the train station. 

For our tour around Phatthalung town to visit caves and temples, we hired the same driver and managed to get a package of 740 Baht (83 Baht per person / SGD3.38 / RM10.69) to cover the ride out from the resort to all the attractions around Phatthalung town (excluding the ride back to the resort for 40 Baht per person). 

Phatthalung train station is the best place to get a songthaew. They don’t park in front of the train station but the drivers usually wait in front of Phatthalung train station for business. They are not pushy and almost all of them don’t speak English at all. Just asked around for songthaew and surely someone will approach you. Alternatively, the train station’s staffs are quite helpful as they will point you to the right direction. 

The night market and Wat Khuha Sawan is just around the train station, which you can explored on foot. Otherwise, motorbike taxis are everywhere in front of the train station, so you can easily fetch one to take you there. 

Neighbouring cities

Trang

The nearest place to side track from Phatthalung is Trang, which is about 60 kilometres away. Minibuses depart every 30 minutes from 6.30am to 6pm. The ride takes only an hour and costs 60 Baht per person. Places of interest include Ko Muk’s “Emerald Cave”, Ko Kradan’s sublime sand and reefs, and Ko Sukorn’s pastoral villages. 

Hatyai

Hatyai is about 100 kilometres away and is the most convenience gateway to Phatthalung. Minibuses depart every 15 minutes from 5am to 6pm The ride takes close to 3 hours and costs 80 Baht per person. There in Hatyai, one can shop till you drop or take other train to Malaysia or Bangkok. Trains also run from Phatthalung to Hatyai (southbound) at a very cheap price for only 18 Baht in just 2 hours.   

Songkhla

There are also minibuses which depart hourly from 7am to 6pm for 100 baht and take around two hours, if you are keen to visit Samila Beach and Khu Khut Waterfowl Park.

Others

Sungai Kolok (Malaysia border): Regular buses depart at 12.30pm and 2.30pm for 275 baht and take close to six hours.

Nakhon Si Thammarat: Minibuses depart every half-hour from 8am to 5pm for 100 baht and take less than two hours.

Surat Thani: Minibuses depart every two hours from 8am to 4pm for 180 baht and take 3.5 hours.

Phuket: Regular buses (with WiFi!) depart roughly every 1.5 hours from 7.30am to 3.30pm for 215 baht and take more than six hours. These also service Krabi for 120 baht.

Sample itinerary

Here’s a sample itinerary for your reference: 

Day 0 (link)

How I did it:

We visited Phatthalung during a 4-day long weekend (Hari Raya Haji + Malaysia National Day), so to make most of our visit there, we took a late night ETS train from KL Sentral to Padang Besar. The train departs around 11.30pm and reached Padang Besar 5 hours later. 

Lodging: None (sleep on the train)

How you can do it:

The seat on a ETS train is straight-up hard seat, so if you don’t fancy a 5-hour train ride on this position, you may consider flying into Hatyai instead, either on Day 0 evening, after work (no need to apply leave) or Day 1 morning (saving one night’s accommodation). This is also more desirable if the flight ticket goes on sales. 

Day 1 (link)

How I did it:

We reached Padang Besar at dawn and hired a minivan to bring us across the border. The driver dropped us at Hatyai train station, where we boarded the train to Phatthalung. We reached Phatthalung at noon, and after lunch, we hired a songthaew to take us to our resort at Thale Noi. We spent the whole afternoon in the resort, basically doing nothing but napping and chit-chatting as most of us were sleep-deprived. We enjoyed a sunset-view dinner and called it a day. 

Lodging: Sai Klong Song Lae

How you can do it:

Alternatively, you can wait for the shuttle train from Padang Besar to Hatyai but the first train only departs from 9.55am (Malaysia time) so you’ll need to wait for 5 hours.  As for the rest of the day, you may want to visit Wat Khuha Sawan which is just within walking distance from Phatthalung train station, before hiring a songthaew to get you to the resort. 

Day 2 (link)

How I did it:

We woke up at the wee hour of next morning for our Thale Noi boat tour. The tour was pre-arranged with the resort staffs when we checked in on Day 1. Following the boat tour, we visited Wat Wang,  Khao Ok Thalu, Wat KhuhaSawan and Tham Malai. By evening, we split into two groups, with one group headed towards the night market while the other went for Thai traditional massage. We ended the night with board games in the resort. 

Lodging: Sai Klong Song Lae

How you can do it:

As Thale Noi is the highlight of the entire trip, you surely wouldn’t want to miss this. The entire tour will end around 9-10am, and you can then head out for other attractions. If you have visited Wat Khuha Sawan the day before, you would have more time to spend in the evening to get a good Thai massage. Once you are done, you can stroll along the Night Market, and settle your dinner before going back to the resort.

Alternatively, you may choose to stay in the center of the town to save the transport cost back to the resort. 

Day 3

How I did it:

As we covered Phatthalung in Day 1 and 2, we decided to take the train to Khao Chai Son which is only a couple of stations away, on the way back to Hatyai. After checking out from the resort, we once again have the songthaew driver pick us up and dropped us at the train station. From there we walked around to find breakfast, and did some last-minute shopping of Thai local beauty products, before boarding the train to Khao Chai Son. 3 of our friends were more interested to shop at Hatyai, so they took the train all the way back to Hatyai instead. With the limited time we have, the rest of us visited Khao Chai Son hotspring and Numyen Cave. We head took the train back to Hatyai, where we had our dinner at the Night Market and called it a day. 

Lodging: WE Hostel

How you can do it:

If you are not keen to visit Khao Chai Son, or spend a full day at the tourist-packed Hatyai, you may travel westbound to Trang, which is only one hour away by minibus. Be sure though to depart early, so you get fill in your day with activities, spend a night there and fly out from Trang the next day. 

Day 4

How I did it:

The last for us was merely a traveling day on the train. We woke up early, checked out from the hotel, and took the shuttle train from Hatyai to Padang Besar. We then boarded the ETS in the afternoon and headed back to KL, reaching around dinner time. 

How you can do it:

We took the afternoon train from Padang Besar back to KL, so our time in Hatyai was relatively short. You may choose a later train, so that you can explore more of Hatyai, or schedule an evening flight back home.

If you have spent the night at Trang, you can then fly out from Trang airport, or alternatively, travel back to Hatyai in the morning and take a later train back to Malaysia. However, I think Trang is worth to explore in more than 1 day, so unless you have 5 days for this entire trip, I’d recommend keeping Trang for another time. 

Cost breakdown

ETS train (KL-Padang Besar-KL): RM 178

Transport (Pd. Besar-Hatyai-Pd. Besar):   RM 25

Transport (Hatyai-Phatthalung-Hatyai): RM 37

Accommodation (3 nights): RM 151

Tour and entrance ticket: RM 27

Meal: RM 120

Shopping: RM 59

Massage: RM 18

Total: RM 615

You can stretch as low as RM500 by:

1. Getting ETS Gold instead of ETS Platinum for the train back to KL – save RM26

2. Not getting a massage and not buying any beauty products and souvenir – save RM77

3. Spending lesser on food (we kinda overspent on our last night dinner at Hatyai night market) – judgemental 

4. Securing a promo flight ticket to Hatyai if it is cheaper than the ETS train ticket – judgemental

Epilogue

Phatthalung was a place I have never heard of, and one which I never thought of ever visiting. Once again, it proves how much more to this world we are unaware of, and how much more we could learn from traveling. I thought I know about Thailand, yet a small little town, 100km away from Hat Yai still amazed me with what it has to offer.

Related entries:

How To Travel By ETS and SRT to Hatyai and Phatthalung

Day 2 - Thale Noi
Day 2 - Temples of Phatthalung
Day 3 and 4 - Khao Chai Son, Hatyai and journey home

What is Arts & Lights

Called Arts & Lights, which is quite self-explanatory, it is an art exhibition featuring lights installations and colourful pop-up art. Dubbed the Malaysia’s first interactive pop-up art and technology experience (which I kind of doubt so), this exhibition is organised by Mah Sing Group. Most Malaysian would know what Mah Sing is, but for those of you foreign readers who didn’t, Mah Sing Group is a Malaysian-listed real estate developer with notable projects around Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Bahru. 

So why is a real estate company suddenly organising an art exhibition? Set within the space of 3000 sq m in Icon City, one can easily guess that it’s a marketing strategy by the group to advertise their properties. As if it’s not obvious enough, the exhibition are divided into different rooms named after their properties. Think: Southville, Ventura, Meridin, Vertica, Vista and D’sara. Sounds familiar? There are even properties models placed next to the queue. 

I personally think it’s a smart move by the marketing team. Have to give it to them. If you have never heard of those properties before, now you have. And I bet, you will start to pay slightly more attention to the group’s properties from now on.

Year 2017 is about to come to an end, and we are just a couple of days away from a brand new year. A new year means another 365 days to catch up to my dreams, another 365 days to achieve new goals for the year, and to re-achieve old ones I’ve yet to fulfil. But before we started sketching new goals, here’s a throwback to what I’ve achieved (and what not) throughout Year 2017. 

I first heard of Gunung Stong back in 2016, when a friend suggesting climbing it due to the beautiful Jelawang waterfall. Unfortunately, the plan never went through as it was towards the end of the year and that the mountain was closed temporarily due to raining season. I later found out that the mountain can be conquered together with two other mountains in proximity – Baha and Ayam. Together the hike is named “BAS” (Baha – Ayam – Stong).

Located about 15km away (about 15min drive) from Tampin town, Gua Batu Maloi is a water cave located in Hutan Lipur Gua Batu Maloi.  Neither formed by dissolution of limestone or other geological process, Gua Batu Maloi is not a “real cave”. Made up of congregation of huge boulders and rock formation, two rivers, one from Gunung Tampin and another from Gunung Datuk, snakes their way across the stacked granite boulders. The rocks block which goes about one km in length, block each other, with sunlight fighting to creep through the cave opening, dimly “lighting up” the dark cave chambers.

Gunung Datuk, or Mount Datuk, is a mountain in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, with an elevation of 884m. About 100km from Kuala Lumpur and 50km from Melaka, it’s a popular one-day hiking destination for KL-ite and Malaccans due it is proximity from these cities.

I bet these are what come across your mind when Cambodia is mentioned. Despite Phnom Penh being its capital city, Siem Reap remains the major tourist destination in Cambodia. In fact, Angkor Wat has become the symbol of Cambodia that it appears its national flag, like how Canada has got maple on hers.

Flip through travel magazines and articles and I’m sure you’ve seen Siem Reap hogging a spot on the list of cheapest place to travel to. But is it?

With the depreciation of ringgit against US Dollar in recent years, a place where everything is quoted in US Dollar is no longer “cheap”. Nonetheless, Cambodia is still in South East Asia, and therefore, it’s still pretty much affordable. Well, at least for now.

Here’s how you can do Siem Reap in 4 days for less than USD160 (excluding flight ticket):

Day  1(link)

Take the morning flight to Siem Reap and check into a hotel or backpacker hostel. Arriving early on Day 1 allows more time for you to do the following:

Optional:

1. Free sunset. If you buy your ticket in the evening after 5pm, your ticket will be valid for the next day. On the same evening, you can also watch the sunset for free, earning you an extra sunset opportunity. If you were to enter before 5pm, the ticket will be activated, wasting one day off your ticket validity, so do take note!

2. Tonle Sap and floating village. If three days is more than enough for you to watch sunset, you may want to utilise your afternoon by visiting Tonle Sap and the floating village. Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia, and is the second most-visited place in Siem Reap, after Angkor Archaeological Park. The two closest village are Kompong Phlouk and Kompong Khleang, with the latter being less touristy. However, do note that this attraction is a hit or miss among travellers. There are people who were awed by the beauty of the place, but others had criticised it for being a tourist scam.

Ps: I did not visit Tonle Sap, and hence be prepared to spend over US$160 if you do decide on that

Day 2 (link)

Wake up early the next day, to make it for sunrise at Angkor Wat. However, after sunrise, I reckon that you leave Angkor Wat and proceed to the next temple. Reason? Most visitors would make their way to the temple, and you wouldn’t want to squirm your way into the crowd. Leave Angkor Wat for the end of the day.

Do the Small Circuit tour in a clock-wise direction, starting from Bayon, then proceed to Thommanon and Chau Say Thevoda, Ta Keo, Ta Phrom, Banteay Kdei and Sras Shrang, Prasat Kravan and completing the circuit with Angkor Wat.

End the day with sunset at Angkor Wat, with the temple basking in golden sunlight. Alternatively, if you had seen Angkor Wat sunset on Day 1, you can go to a different location (Phnom Bakheng, Pre Rup, Sras Shrang). Otherwise, you may forget about the sunset and fully utilise your time to explore Angkor Wat in depth.

Day 3 (link)

If you are a sucker for sunrise, or still be able to wake up before dawn, head off for sunrise at another location – i.e. Phnom Bakheng which is conveniently along the circuit. After sunrise, continue your day with the Grand Circuit tour (also in a clock-wise direction), starting with the rest of Angkor Thom (Baphuon, Elephant Terrace, Terrace of Leper King, Royal Palace and Phimeanakas), then Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup.

Since the last temple would be Pre Rup, you can planned your time to have it end close to sunset, as Pre Rup is another famous location for sunset. Alternatively, if you end your Pre Rup temple rather early (in my case, around 3pm), you may consider heading to Phnom Bakheng for its famed sunset. Only 300 visitors are allowed access at any one time to preserve the temple from potential damage, so going early (reaching as early as 4pm) ensures that you could get a spot.

If sunset is not your thing, you can opt to visit other farther temple which is not located along both circuits – i.e. Banteay Samrei, Bakhong, Phnom Kulen, or simple go back to the hotel for some rest.

Day 4 (link)

Having done the small circuit and grand circuit, you are left with another day of your 3-days Angkor Pass. The third day is to venture a little farther. Depending on the distance, your mode of transport and the time you spent at each temple, you may be able to cover minimum of two temples up to a maximum of 4-5 temples. I’ve only covered Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea, simply because I’ve only have enough cash on hand for the tuk-tuk ride covering these two places.

Depending on the time of your flight home, you may want add Koh Ker into the list, since it’s on the same road to Beng Mealea. However, do note that Beng Mealea and Koh Ker is not included in the Angkor Pass, and a separate fee is imposed - $5 for Beng Mealea, US$10 for Koh Ker. You will also need to bargain with the tuk-tuk driver beforehand, coming to an agreement, as any last-minute change may not work in your favour. You will also need to factor in the travelling time to make sure you won’t miss your flight.

Otherwise, if you have not been to Tonle Sap on your first day, you can fit this into your itinerary (forgoing Koh Ker of course).

Ps: I did not visit Tonle Sap and Koh Ker, and hence be prepared to spend over US$160 if you do decide on these

Note: You have probably realised that I am suggesting a 4-day itinerary, despite having done my own trip in 5days. Well, technically speaking, my return flight was in a morning flight, so there were no activities for that day. If you can get a late afternoon or evening flight out of Siem Reap, it would be more perfect, as 4 days is more than enough, in my opinion.

Night activities

My sample itinerary above does not include any night activities, but if you are keen, these are some interesting (but not cheap) shows you may want to catch:

1. Phare, The Cambodian Circus Show

2. Apsara Theatre

3. Bamboo Stage

Ps: Inclusion of the above-mentioned shows will exceed the suggested budget of US$160

Tuk-tuk or e-bike?

Both are excellent mode of transportation in Siem Reap. Tuk-tuk works best for group of 2-4 people since you can split the costs, whereas e-bike makes more economical sense for solo backpackers. Green e-bike rent their bikes for US$10 per 24 hours, whereas a tuk-tuk ride for a day to Angkor Archaeological Park may costs around US$12-20, with additional US$5 for sunrise or sunset (means additional US$10 for both).

However, e-bike is only feasible for Angkor Archaeological Park, since there is no charging point out of the Small Circuit and Grand Circuit. You will need a car or tuk-tuk to visit farther temples, i.e. Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea. I paid US$37 for the ride to these two temples, which was arranged through the hotel.

Accommodation

There are plenty of backpacker hostel and budget hotels in town. Like other South East Asia countries, you can probably just walk in during non-peak period, to find the best deal in town. If you are not comfortable walking in to find the best deal in town, and would like to secure place in advance, look out for promo deals on Agoda.com, Hotels.com, and Booking.com. I booked four nights at Oasis Capsule Hostel for US$7 per night, for a 4-bed mixed dorm.

Airport transfer

If you book a tuk tuk or a bike ride to the city from the airport, it will cost you US$6 (as at Dec 2016). Some hotel (like mine) offer to book on your behalf for a cheap price. I received an email from my hotel that I can book through them for only US$4, or US$6 for midnight or early morning ride. Therefore, it might be wiser to check with your hotel, if they could arrange airport transfer for you.

Besides, some tuk tuk driver from the airport will offer you their package for small circuit and grand circuit. Some of them can get pretty persistent, and doesn’t take rejection so well (like in my case).

Angkor Pass

The following are prices for the admission ticket (which still applies to me, at the time of my visit):

1-day pass US$20

3-days pass US$40

7-days pass US$60

However, w.e.f. 1st February 2017, the entrance tickets had increased in price. The new price is now:

1-day pass US$37

3-days pass US$62

7-days pass US$72

The multi day tickets do no need to be used in consecutive days. For example, the 3-days ticket is valid for any 3 days within a week, the 7-days ticket for any 7 days within a month.

Tip: Buy your ticket in the evening after 5pm. From this time, onwards your ticket will be valid for the next day. On the same evening, you can also watch the sunset at Angkor Park for free.

Meals in Siem Reap

Despite being a South East Asia country, the food in Siem Reap is not cheap. A simple meal in Siem Reap town will costs you at least you US$2-3. A meal in Angkor Park on the other hand, might costs as much as US$7. Instead of dining there, I bought snacks from convenient store and brought along during my tour. Yes, I’m such a cheapskate!

Cost breakdown

Accommodation: US$28 (4 nights)

Entrance ticket: US$45 (3-days pass + Beng Mealea)

E-bike: US$20 (2 days)

Tuk-tuk: US$37 (to Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei)

Airport transfer: US$12

Meal: US$18

Total: US$160

Even if you were to factor in the increase in the entrance ticket, you would still be able to do Angkor Wat in US$180. Not bad, considering how expensive this city is in comparison to other SEA travel destination. I’m glad that I was able to do this trip before the price hike.

Epilogue

Traveling within South East Asia has always been wallet-friendly. However, the depreciation of Malaysian Ringgit against US Dollar, and the price adjustment of the temple pass made Siem Reap less affordable than before, since everything in Cambodia is priced in USD. Nonetheless, it is still possible to stretch your budget and minimise your spending by doing extensive home work. Besides that, traveling in a group of 2-4 persons is also cheaper than doing it solo. Good luck, planning your next trip to Siem Reap!

• 4 Days Siem Reap Itinerary In Less Than USD160
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 1): Old Market, Night Market and Pub Street
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 2): Angkor Small Circuit
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 3): Angkor Grand Circuit
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 4 & 5): Banteay Srei & Beng Mealea

Day 4 (23/12/2016) : Banteay Srei & Beng Mealea

Taking a tuk tuk ride

I initially arranged for the tuk tuk driver to pick me up at 8am, but fearing that the journey might actually take longer than the estimated one hour, I decided to ask the driver to come at 7am. As Banteay Srei is also part of Angkor Archaeological Park, we once again needed to pass by the security guard who checked my temple pass and validated it by punching a hole on it. With the third punch on my 3-days pass, I’ve now fully utilise it and therefore, any further re-entrance will be denied. The entire journey to Banteay Srei took approximately 1 hour 15 minutes by tuk tuk.
   

On a tuk tuk ride

Personal thought: 

I’m glad that I decided to take a tuk tuk ride for this, because, oh man, the temples are so far away, that even taking a tuk tuk doesn’t make the journey very fast. Renting a car and driver would be too expensive for solo traveller and cycling is almost impossible. E-bike would be risky since there is no charging point along the way. A motorcycle would be the second best alternative if only I know how to ride one and actually own a license. Therefore, tuk-tuk is the best option to go for.

Scenic view along the way

Banteay Srei

Opening hours: 7.30am until 5.00pm

Visited: 8.30am to 9.30am

Beating the crowd strategy: Fail!

About Banteay Srei:

Banteay Srei

About 36km away from Siem Reap town, and approximately 20km northeast of Angkor Wat, lies Banteay Srei, a Hindu temple completed in the year 967, some 150 years before Angkor Wat. Banteay Srei, never a royal temple, is thought to have been built by a guru of the king and it is believed that this lack of a royal go-ahead is one of the reasons why it is so small. The temple is also miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. The doorways are hardly high enough for an elementary school kid to pass through. 

Though small in size, Banteay Srei shines with its outstanding carvings. The carvings cover an incredible amount of the temple’s surface and the reliefs are often deep. This is because the temple is made of red sandstones. As with many Khmer temples, the main sections of Banteay Srei were built of laterite, but instead of the carving being done into a plaster coating normally layered onto the stone, the temple was faced with red sandstone and the carvings done into that. As red sandstone is relatively soft, it is as good as carving on wood, making carving much easier. This resulted in elaborate, detailed, decorative wall carvings which are still observable today, as compared to other temples.

Finest carvings on the pediment

Almost every available space on the temples walls are carved with relief carvings. The pediments which are larger in comparison to entrances are also carved with whole depicted scenes from ancient Hindu tales. For the first time in the history of Khmer architecture, whole scenes of mythological subject-matter are depicted on the pediments. The temple is extremely popular with tourists, and is widely praised as the "jewel of Khmer art”. It is said that the reliefs on this temple are so delicate that they could only have been carved by the hand of a woman. This could be the reason it is called Banteay Srei which means “citadel of the women”. 

Carvings on the pediment

Fun fact: When the French came across the site in 1914, it was totally covered by forest and partly buried by earth. It didn’t take them long to realise they’d stumbled upon an outstanding find, so outstanding in fact that French author Andre Lalraux decided to take a chunk of the temple home with him. He cut out over a tonne of the finest apsaras and other carvings and carted them back to Phnom Penh where he planned to surreptitiously freight his plunder back to France. Fortunately, he was arrested and sentenced to a couple of years in prison and the carvings were saved. Oddly, he never serves his term and was even later appointed Minister of Culture under Charles de Gaulle.

My thoughts: 

I have heard so much rave about this place prior to my visit, which got my expectation sky-rocketed. Knowing beforehand that this place is a tourist hotspot, I even arrange my transport to an hour earlier than originally schedule. However, it turned out that I wasn’t early enough. I reach the site around 8.30 in the morning and the place is already jam-packed with tourists.



Every spot stands a tourist waiting for their travel companion to take a photo of them. I could hardly get a photo without being photobombed. And, I didn’t even intend to take photo of myself. In addition to that, it was difficult to manoeuvre without crossing paths with another tourist, and that took away my viewing pleasure, despite being surrounded with beautiful carvings. 

In the center of the temple, lies three towers with short corridors. The six stairways leading up to the towers’ platforms were each guarded by two kneeling statues of human figures with animal heads. The figures are now replaced with replicas, with the originals having been stolen or removed to museums. However, this entire section is closed for tourist, possibly to prevent any damages that could possibly been done due to overwhelming crowds. Ropes were in place to guard off this section and visitors can only view from afar. This is my favourite part of Banteay Srei, and I was lucky that I brought along my kits lens which enables me to zoom in for a snap. 

Restricted area with human figures with animal heads

I think I would have enjoyed my time there better if I had come much earlier to beat the crowd and have the whole place to myself. After spending an hour there, I took off and hurried to Beng Mealea, dying to escape this overcrowded temple, praying hard that Beng Mealea wouldn’t turned out like this.

An overcrowded spot is an ideal place to be lonely

Beng Mealea

Opening hours: 7.00am until 5.30pm

Visited: 11.00pm to 2.30pm

Beating the crowd strategy: Somewhat success!

Beng Mealea

 About Beng Mealea:

77km away from Siem Reap town, and 50km away from Banteay Srei, the journey to Beng Mealea took me approximately 2 hours. Beng Mealea, which lies about 40km east of the main group of Angkor temples, is not considered part of the Angkor complex, and a separate admission ticket is needed at an affordable price of $5. Previously, it was difficult to reach, but a road was built to the temple complex of Koh Ker which passes Beng Mealea. A ticketing counter is located along the road where you can get a ticket either to Beng Mealea ($5) or Koh Ker ($10). 

Entwined roots

The history of the temple is unknown but since its architectural style is identical to that of Angkor Wat, scholars had assumed that it was built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Smaller in size than Angkor Wat, Beng Mealea nonetheless ranks among the Khmer empire's larger temples. The temple was built as a Hindu temple, but there are some carvings depicting Buddhist motifs were also found.




Unlike the other temples in Angkor complex, this one is unrestored and is not rehabilitated. The temple used to be utterly consumed by jungle, but some of the dense foliage has been cut back and cleaned up in recent years. Despite that, getting in and around the temple is a hands-on activity. The entire site looks as if it was struck by an earthquake, as piles of stones blocks from what once used be tall towers piled up haphazardly all over the courtyard. The sandstones were covered with mosses and trees and roots grow out of the cracks in the walls, with roots and branched entwined with each other. 

The crumbling structure makes traversing the site an adventure in itself as you climb over piles of fallen rubbles, clambering over collapsed walls and edging your way along a ledge, only to stumble upon a new section of the temple. Be prepared to be amused with the intimidating size of this ruin as it is as large of the central part of Angkor Wat. One can easily spent hours here. It’s such a joy to explore the temple, and there is definitely no rush to return to civilisation.

Collapsed rubble

At some point, you will feel like you are on a treasure hunt or an India Jones adventures as you occasionally come across sandstones blocks among the fallen debris, each of them carved of Hindu or Buddhist motifs.

Trees growing out of walls

A guard approached me during my visit, offering to lead me around, but I politely declined his offer since I wanted some me-time after being “mentally harassed” at Banteay Srei. This is however good news to those who needed someone to guide them through the temples, not confident to do them by their own.

The guard who approached me

These guards hang around the entrance to the temples and will certainly lead in you even without you having to ask for it. Just politely decline them like I did if you prefer to have some solo Indiana Jones experience. And if you do engage their help, please remember to tip them.  

My thoughts:

I arrived at Beng Mealea at 11am and was blessed to have the entire place almost to myself, with only a few other visitors in the temples. Though the sun is still high up, the sunlight was struggling to break through the trees. As nature took its course on this “abandoned”, unrestored ruins, The entire complex, as a result, gives off a mysterious, rustic vibe.

Consumed by jungle

This is something that Ta Prohm, the famed jungle temple at Angkor, was supposed to offer. However, Ta Prohm has now been an overly commercialised temple in Angkor complex, with an endless sea of tour bus passengers checking in every day, and long queues forming at the most photogenic spots where the roots intertwine around temple columns. Due to both nature and human impact, many of the galleries in Ta Phrom now have metal braces and supports on them, and access to some areas is prohibited. 

Prior to my visit, some of my friends had mentioned to me that this is their favourite temples. I did some googling and was immediately sold to put this place into my itinerary, willing to travel 1.5 hours just to get here. I had high hopes for this place, and the outcome truly didn’t disappoint. 

Seeing is believing

The journey on the tuk tuk was not boring despite taking 1.5 hours from Banteay Srei. Passing through the countryside of orange dirt roads and endless farms and paddy fields, I was entertained throughout the entire ride. So if you loved the Ta Prohm then don’t miss Beng Mealea while it is still secluded and hidden far away from tourists buses. Inevitably, sooner or later, they will come and Beng Mealea may turned into another Ta Phrom. But let’s hope that nature triumphs in the end, as the jungle continues to consume the temple, blending the temple and jungle into one and keeping this place mysterious. 

Last night in Siem Reap

Leaving Beng Mealea after a good 3.5 hours in there, the journey back to the hotel took a little over 2 hours. It was almost 5 by the time I reached. After taking a shower, I headed out for an early dinner with Khiem, another hotel guest who is also from Singapore, riding on his rented bike to a nearby local restaurant. The owner doesn’t speak English and we don’t speak Khmer, but fortunately for us, they provided us with English translated menu and we ordered by pointing to the menu. We ordered two dishes to share which costs us US$6 in total. 

Stir-fry chicken with pineapple

Despite being a restaurant away from the bustling Pub Street, the food here was priced similarly. Khiem and I had a theory where all the restaurants (even roadside stalls) had an agreement to charge tourists at such a price range. We were pretty sure the locals are given different set of menu, priced differently. Otherwise, how would the local people afford such expensive meals? 

Potato in salted plum soup

After dinner, Khiem dropped me at the hotel, where I continue to walk on my own, towards Pub Street and the Night Market, while he, on the other hand, headed back to the room to get some rest. It was my last night in Siem Reap and I didn’t want to waste my remaining hours in the hotel room. But there isn’t much to explore, so again I head over to Pub Street. Remembering that I have not tried some of the street snacks, and I still have some money with me, I decided to buy the Num Kruok, a kind of coconut rice cake. It costs US$1 and comes in 7pieces – 4 savoury, 3 sweet. 

Num Kruok

I’m not sure what was put into the savoury ones, but I dislike the taste of it. The sweet ones come with canned sweet corns, which the taste was bearable but still too sweet for my liking. There’s really nothing much at Pub Street since I’ve roamed around since Day 1, and so I made my way to the Night Market, to look for some Christmas gift. There’s nothing much there at the Night Market, except for street snacks, local souvenirs and really cheap basic t-shirts that costs only US$1 per piece. I ended up not buying those shirts even though I was tempted to do so. Ended up with only a mango shake while browsing through local souvenirs, before heading back to the hotel to call it a day.

Lost Soul Fish Incident

(Remark: In Cantonese, “lost soul fish” is used to describe a scatterbrain, whom carelessness and forgetfulness causes a series of misfortune to oneself and others)

Just as I thought that I was doing just fine for the day without any unfortunate incident, something happened. And of all the places I went that day, it decided to take place at my favourite secret hideout --- Beng Mealea.

It doesn’t take long for me to “lost my soul” after minutes of stepping into this ancient temple. As I climbed over heaps of stone blocks, towards a narrow alleyway, I took out my camera to snap some photo of my surroundings, simple because I was mesmerised by the beauty of this ruins. I took a quick snap before I tried covering my lens with the lens cap, and that’s when nightmare happened --- I lost grip of the cap, it fell off my hands, and slipped through the boulders. *gasp* There were no one around and I was not able to move those heavy blocks by myself. It was deep inside, and I was also afraid to find any creepy creatures if I were to retrieve that cap, so I decided to leave it there instead. *cries bucket*

Lost my lens cap here

Lesson learnt: Never ever play with your camera when you are climbing over heaps of collapsed stone blocks. I’m lucky that I only dropped my lens cap and not the whole camera. I’m not so positive that I would still enjoy exploring the temple if that were to happen.  

Day 5 (24/12/2016) : Oasis Capsule Hotel – Siem Reap International Airport – KLIA2

It’s time to say goodbye

My flight back to Kuala Lumpur the next morning was 8.35am. I booked the same tuk tuk through hotel at the rate US$6 (midnight/early morning rate) since it is early morning. I woke up at 6 in the morning and by the time I was ready by 6.30pm, the tuk tuk driver had arrived. The journey to the airport again took 30minutes and I reached the airport at 7am. By the time I cleared immigration, I still had one hour before scheduled departure, but it is always better to be late than risk missing your flight. The plane took off at 8.34am and I reached KLIA2 at 11.40am, officially ending my secret solo backpacking trip to Siem Reap. 

Epilogue:

I’ve heard a lot about both Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea prior to my visit and I’ve had high expectations. However, when I finally did get to see the temples with own eyes, one fell short of my expectation, while the other exceeded it. It’s amazing how your mood can be destroyed for the day just because a place you heard so much about was swarmed with crowds leaving you turned off, and how your mood can be subsequently lifted up again when you come across a beautiful place, even if you have already heard about its rave, oh well… because it exceeded whatsoever expectation you had.  After all, expectation is the key of one’s satisfaction or disappointment. 

It’s good when your low expectations are met, but it’s greater when your high expectations are exceeded

• 4 Days Siem Reap Itinerary In Less Than USD160
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 1): Old Market, Night Market and Pub Street
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 2): Angkor Small Circuit
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 3): Angkor Grand Circuit