Kratie to Siam Reap traveling

Though it is possible to make it in one long day, traveling from the Kratie to the Siam Reap town took us 3 days, as we wanted to make it easier for the kids. And, naturally, for us too.

We had scheduled and pre-booked a one night stops at not much interesting, ordinary and less travelled provincial towns of Stung Treng and Preah Vihear*. The difference of not having many foreign travellers (especially not those with small kids) was quite apparent. Just walking through the streets made us the centre of attention. For a while, not intensive, but still visible.

So having typical breakfast (or rather the "let's taste it all" one: baguette, fresh sugar cane squash, some unidentified fresh vegetable with chilli, fried rice with chicken bones, coconut and sticky rice sweets and fried fish) was quite a fun.

Especially when your creative kid uses the rest of the fish as a toy and is naturally playing with it while walking through the market. (By the way, it's pretty easy, you just connect what's left from the head and tail with couple of toothpicks.)

These might have been quite comfortable and ordinary days (without any highlights and sightseeing) if we do not meet our good friends Matej and Bara just by lucky coincidence and one day before we had planned to do so. They just came to the Cambodia, after traveling through the Laos, already sitting in the bus we have decided to travel from the Stung Treng.

This was a great news for everyone. Tadeas was instantly happy to have someone new to show his collection of the Ninjago characters, to play and fight with. And we were happy to have some help, distraction and change. And an opportunity to have a good chat, fun and some drinks (especially Lukas and Matej).

Both Tad and Oliv already manage to "survive" the road travel pretty well. Sometimes some unpleasant, tired or bored moments come up but in general they have learned to spend the travel time by sleeping (especially Oliv), playing games and watching short movies on mobile, doing their books "homeworks", listening audiobooks and songs for kids or just by looking out of the window.

Travel facts:

Kratie to Stung Treng: minibus, 6$/seat, 3h30m;

Stung Treng to Preah Vihear: Sorya company bus, 6$/seat, 3h30m;

Preah Vihear to Siam Reap: van, 5$/seat, 4h

Sleep:

Savet 1 Guesthouse (Stung Treng), spacious Family room, 2*dbl bed, private bathroom, AC, hot water for 25$/night. Great value for money if the construction of a new house just very close to it is not so noisy in the early morning. 8/10

Sokha home (Preah Vihear), spacious 1*dbl+1*sngl bed, private bathroom, AC, hot water. 30$/night. Good accomodation but quite far (1,5km) from the "centre". 8/10

*Same name as the famous temple, but actually still quite far from it as that is at Cambodian/Thai border.