Sihanoukville a Secret Gem

Sihanoukville, located on a peninsula some 155 miles southwest of Phnom Penh, has become a jealously guarded secret of savvy travelers. This still pristine resort on the Gulf of Thailand boasts

click images to enlarge

beautiful beaches and crystalline waters. Offshore islands offer excellent dive sites and some of the world's finest big game fishing.

Sihanoukville is also renowned for its excellent cuisine featuring superb seafood. We embarked on the most popular shore excursion offered by Princess Cruises, Wat Krom, Villages & Market.  This is a land of contrasts with old and new mixed together in close proximity.

After an early breakfast we met at the Wheelhouse Lounge at 7:30 am.  Our motor coach drove through the streets of Cambodia to our first stop at Khmer village to see a typical house. We toured the kitchen, which was on the lower level, and then climbed some rickety stairs to the upper level, which houses the living / sleeping area. This stop really showed the poverty of typical families.

Khmer Fishing Village

Our guide pointed out the spirit house, a shrine to the protective spirit of a place that is found in the Southeast Asian countries of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Most houses and businesses have a spirit house placed in an auspicious spot, most often in a corner of the property. The location may be chosen after consultation with a Brahmin priest. The spirit house is normally in the form of a miniature house or temple, and is mounted on a pillar or on a dais.

The house is intended to provide a shelter for spirits that could cause problems for the people if not appeased. The shrines often include images of people and animals. Votive offerings are left at the house to propitiate the spirits. More elaborate installations include an altar for this purpose.

Local Grammar School Visit

Next we stopped at a grammar school to visit with some local children.  They sang "If you are happy and you know it clap your hands" in their native tongue.  We learned that gifts of pens would be a special treat for the children.  We wish we'd known that ahead of time as we would have packed some school supplies.  Just across the street from the school is new construction of a high-rise.

You don't need to understand the language to get the meaning of this song. During our cruise vacation to Southeast Asia, we stopped in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. We visited a local grammar school where we were greeted with this song.

Psar Lu Market &

War Memorial

Sihanoukville's marketplace, Psar Lu Market, was the third stop on our tour. Our guide led the way through the many stalls and then we had free time to shop or simply roam. The marketplace is quite dirty and congested, with cars and motorcycles attempting to get through the pedestrian traffic.

Police attempted to control traffic at the main street, but it was pretty hopeless. Our guide bought flowers to bring as a gift for Buddha at the temple.

Continuing past Victory Hill and Independence Square the next stop was for a photo opportunity at the War Memorial, commemorating Cambodia's war dead.

Wat Krom

Wat Krom, the Buddhist temple at the base of Sihanouk Mountain was the main attraction on this tour. Its name is a literal description of its location as "Wat" means temple and "Krom" means "lower." The temple features excellent views of the sea and a small chapel dedicated to Ya-Mao, a local deity.

Sihanoukville Beach

Finally we had an hour to swim, explore, or have some refreshments at Sihanoukville Beach resort hotel. Some people went to the main building for a meal, others had a massage on the beach, while others relaxed with a drink or went for a refreshing swim.  A bonus was they had free Wi-fi for those interested in catching up with emails or sharing on their social media sites.

This was an enjoyable excursion.  It showed the many faces of Cambodia, from the poor to the new wealth. There are many construction projects underway, funded mainly by China investments.

Click on the image to the leftt for more Blog posts about this trip.

Related Album:

Khmer Village
Cambodia School
Psar Lu Market
Cambodia War Memorial
Wat Krom
Sihanoukville Beach

Additional photos can be found on our Southeast Asia Shutterfly page

View Our Other Shutterfly Share Pages

Follow Us On

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat 

Strasbourg Shopping

click images to enlarge

Attention Moms & Dads

Grandmas & Grandpas

Are you looking for something unique to bring back home for the kids in your life?   How about a stuffed Stork or Gingerbread Man?

Don't forget something for yourself as well, like one of these beautiful lace scarves.

As you walk through the streets of Strasbourg, you'll find stands like the ones pictured here with unique gifts to please your family and friends.  You can even get your holiday shopping done early - tuck your gifts away until the holidays.


Looking for a Snack?

You are on a cruise and there's never enough to eat - right?  Of course there's plenty to eat, but it's OK to try some of the local favorites as well, such as these Bretzels or Nougats.



 Market Day in Strasbourg

Sometimes it is fun just "window" shopping.   What's it like to go to the market in Strasbourg?   Here are just a few of the items that you could bring home from the outdoor markets.  If we didn't have plenty of food on the ship, we would have been tempted to bring some of these fruits back to our cabin.

 
^{Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:}

Strasbourg - Grill Lunch

Strasbourg - Maginot Line

Strasbourg - Canal Boat Tour

Strasbourg - Walking Tour

Strasbourg - Cathedral

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

River Cruise Companies Praying for Rain

Christmas Markets 

on Rhine & Danube Rivers

This is a popular time of year for river cruising along the Rhine and Danube Rivers in Europe.   Passengers experience the joy and magic of the holiday season as they cruise along Europe’s majestic waterways during this most festive time of year.

River Water Levels Low

In this picture you see a river cruise ship preparing to pass under one of the many bridges of Europe.   River vessels are designed to navigate the narrow waterways and have the ability to lower any protruding portion of the ship, the bridge for example, so that it can pass safely under bridges.   Currently the water levels of many rivers in Europe are quite low providing a completely different challenge for operators.

Praying for Rain

Due to the unseasonably low water levels, some passengers have had to switch ships halfway through their cruise; others found themselves "cruising by bus" as rivers became impassable. The situation has passengers and tour operators praying for rain so that the remaining cruise itineraries before Christmas can operate as scheduled.  Those prayers might be answered as the forecast calls for rain in the coming week and water levels should start to rise.

Current Situation

AMAWATERWAYS

Operating as scheduled according to their website

Avalon Waterways

Avalon Panorama on the Danube has not been impacted

Unwiorld 

S.S. Antoinette  December 7 voyage began the river cruise in Basel aboard River Princess and passengers  will transfer to S.S. Antoinette in Strasbourg on December 9 for the remainder of the cruise. 

Viking River Cruises

Last week's cruises switched to hotel / bus around Budapest;  

Viking Legend and Viking Prestige passengers will switch ships between Regensburg and Passau/Melk.;

Rhine cruises will have to swap to bus tours between Heidelberg and Basel. 

Conditions are improving and next week's cruises should need fewer alterations if any.

Just as in Hurricane season, the cruise lines monitor the situation and make adjustments in the interest of safety for passengers, crews, and ships.  In many cases, compensation is provided for changes, despite the fact that the situation is really totally out of the cruise line's control.  Cruise lines are communicating directly with impacted passengers and their agents.

Holiday Market Cruising
 
Despite the challenges that are present this year, the experience is still great.  Imagine walking through town squares glowing with thousands of lights,  smelling freshly baked gingerbread and other delights. Picture rows of wooden stands filled to the brim with hand-blown glass ornaments, handcrafted toys, and nutcrackers of all different shapes and sizes. Friendly shopkeepers help you select that special gift for someone back home.

You'll discover the holiday traditions and experience how the Europeans have been celebrating the yuletide seasons for centuries.  All your senses will be engaged as you round out your experience with the merry sounds of Christmas carolers singing joyfully in their native tongues.

The Holiday Market cruising season is drawing to a close quickly this year, but why not plan a trip for next year.  We'd be happy to help you decide which river cruise meets your wants and pocket book.