Cambodia

Although Siem Reap, my sole destination in Cambodia, could hardly be considered the cultural capital of Cambodia, you can get at least a little insight into the people, food and general feel of the country. The food, labelled by the restaurants as Khmer, is fantastic and somehow, implacably distinct from that of Thailand. Noodles, fried rice, and curries still dominate, however and the prices are even better than Thailand ($1 for noodles at street stands, $2 for dishes at hole-in-the-walls, $4 at nicer places). And the street food is amazing! I had a little marinated-sausage-and-vegetable baguette that was so good, I had to get another an hour later. An oddity about Cambodia is that they mostly use the US dollar, though they have an official currency, the Riel, which is used as change though it is in the form of paper money (at the rate of 4,000 Riels to one dollar). The country feels quite safe (the days of the Khmer Rouge are long gone), though you'll get an offer for a tuk-tuk ride every ten seconds walking down the street. Since there is nothing to do in Siem Reap but see the temples during the day, a bunch of fun bars have popped up serving $3.50 pitchers.

Places:
1. Siem Reap
?. Pnomh Phen
?. Sihanoukville

Sights:
1. Angkor Wat (Ruin)

Beer of Cambodia: Since they brew a lot of beers here for major companies, they have decent, if unoriginal, selection at good prices, including their national beer, Angkor Beer, the standard good lager. Grade: B-.

Ice Cream of Cambodia: They basically have none to speak of but the packaged varieties at minimarts with the same brands as elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Nothing good, but what can you do? Grade: D-.

Exchange Rate: N/A.

Time Spent: 2 days, 3 nights only in Siem Reap.

Optimum Time Spent: 2-3 weeks. While Siem Reap and Angkor Wat are the star attractions, Cambodia has more to offer, but not having been there myself, I can't give too many specifics.

Best Season:

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