2013 was jam-packed with activities and I have a lot of backlog posts to catch up. I'll start the ball rolling with my long overdue birthday entry. 

Last year was my 2nd birthday away from home. Together with my travel buddy and cousins, I celebrated my 28th in Siem Reap Cambodia.

Siem Reap, is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. It has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. In the city, there are museums, traditional Apsara dance performances, Cambodian cultural village, souvenir and handycraft shops, silk farms, rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary near the Tonle Sap Lake.

Visiting AngkorWat has always been a part of my bucketlist, though there were few things to consider before making it official - the weather, plane tickets, and availability of my travel buddies. Not to worry about the weather since Cambodia is smoking hot during March. After we set the date, Cebu Pacific and Jetstar seat sale announcements popped in my inbox, and my travel buddies made way for this trip to push through.

Getting a group tour is highly recommended when you visit Siem Reap; this makes your trip free and easy. While searching for one, I stumbled upon Angkor Wat tour drivers. Few of them are on the Internet, showing the services they offer and their rates. Hiring a local Khmer driver is the best choice, and Thera is someone we can recommend. Cambodia is his birth country and he was a teacher before he became a tour guide. He has thorough knowledge about the places we visited, can speak English well, and is very accommodating. 

Cambodia Photo Diary