Day 1: Travel Day
It was first a 16 hour flight from JFK to Taipei, then a short layover but long enough for me to shower and freshen up before the next flight. Our second flight was a 4 hour flight from Taipei to Bangkok. Once in Bangkok, we had to pass the immigration to get our checked luggages before checking in to our third flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap which was only an hour.
Day 2: Arriving in Siem Reap
It was already in the late evening when we arrived in Siem Reap. It wasn’t a hassle to obtain the Cambodian Visa on Arrival in the airport. After we collected our luggages we were greeted by our driver. The ride from the airport to our hotel was a short ride. I’d say around 20 minutes. When we arrived at the hotel my husband was exhausted and jet-lagged, so he went to get ready to bed without having dinner. On the other hand, my mom and I were starving, so we headed to the hotel restaurant to have dinner. We went to bed after our first meal in Cambodia.
Day 3: Angkor Wat
Thanks to our jet-lag we were able to wake up for our early tour today. We woke up at 5am naturally and were ready to start the day before the sunrise. The meeting time for our tour was at 7:45am. We were able to enjoy an extensive à la carte breakfast at the hotel before the pick-up.
Our delightful tour guide and driver picked us up for our small-group day tour to see Angkor Wat and other temples. Our first stop was the Hindu then turned Buddhist temple Angkor Wat. It’s been on my bucket list for years, and this January we decided to book a trip to Siem Reap and Bangkok during our Thanksgiving holidays. Being there in person was truly breathtaking. We also visited Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider movie site,) and Bayon. All were built around 800 + years ago and surprisingly well preserved. We also got to enjoy delicious Khmer cuisine for lunch during the tour.
Day 4: Birthday Celebration
Today we relaxed for my mom’s birthday. I scheduled us spa and facial appointments in the hotel. We did herbal compress massage for 2 hours followed by a one hour moisture facial. Herbal compress is our favorite type of Southeast Asian massage. After our spa appointment we went to this chic hip vegan cafe/restaurant in town called Vibe. We had their coconut acai bowl, smoothies, and burgers. They were absolutely amazing!
We headed back to the hotel to chill and read by the pool. We went to this wonderful restaurant, Malis Restaurant, for mom’s birthday dinner celebration. I booked and contacted the restaurant weeks before the arrival, and they did a great job surprising my mom with the cake and accommodating us. The food was beyond amazing (they have a ton of vegetarian/vegan options,) and ambience was beautiful. It was such a unforgettable night.
Day 5: Rainy Day & Pub Street
It rained on and off throughout the day which made it hard for us to explore the city or outdoor. Originally we wanted to go biking, but the rain made it impossible, so we decided to spend the day in our lovely hotel. By night the rain stopped, so we decided to spend the last night checking out the famous Pub Street and Night Market. Unfortunately I got a light fever that night so my body was feeling discomforting. But I’m glad we got to visit Pub Street as it was fun to people watching and chit chatting in a vibrant setting. We also did a little shopping at the boutiques around the area.
Day 6: Bangkok
It was sad to leave Siem Reap and our beautiful hotel. We had had a fantastic 4 day stay. The people in Siem Reap were so friendly. The hotel staff were helpful and welcoming. I highly recommend Viroth’s Hotel and Siem Reap!
We arrived at our Bangkok hotel quick and easy. After checking in to our room, we went straight to Siam Paragon and the mall area. After dinner we were all feeling exhausted from the traveling, and I was still recovering from my cold/fever, so we decided to had an early bed time.
Day 7: Meeting a Friend
One of my best friends from college is from and currently living in Bangkok. Since he had to work, I was happy that we were able to meet for dinner. During the day we explored the Sukhumvit district and had brunch at Broccoli Revolution, a trendy vegan spot nestled in the fashionable modern part of Bangkok.
In the afternoon we visited Jim Thompson House and had a guided tour. It’s a beautiful rich place where one should definitely visit while in town. For afternoon tea we went to Roast located in The EmQuartier Mall, we also got picked up by my friend for dinner from there.
My friend took us to a Thai restaurant in the Sukhumvit district. The food was top notch, we ordered way too much for 4 people but we finished all the dishes including desserts! It was so nice to catch up with my bff as I hadn’t seen him for 2 years.
Day 8: Long Layover in Taiwan
Before our flight we had some time to walk around the Siam area. We stumble upon this newly open restaurant called Air Space, located in Groove @ Central World. The interior, service and food were incredible. We departed Bangkok late in the afternoon for Taipei. As we had a 22 hour layover in Taiwan, we headed to my home town, Taichung, overnight. It was already late when we arrived at my mom’s place so we went to bed.
Day 9: Errands and Airport
I was able to get my hair done with my hairdresser this morning. We managed to run errands and do some shopping before leaving for our 7pm flight. We were also super grateful for being able to have a little bit of Taiwanese food for breakfast and lunch.
** All photos are mine
