Siem Reap is probably one of the best-known towns of Cambodia. It has a bustling, hip Pub Street; it boasts having the Angkor temples at its doorstep; and it has many touristy attractions about town. We certainly enjoyed staying there. Our hotel was situated not too far from the Pub Street (which is its actual name on the maps too), lined with many pubs, clubs, and restaurants. A short walk in the other direction leads one to the Royal Gardens and Palace, surrounded by the most established and expensive hotels in the area.

We had only arrived in the afternoon, and so we decided to have a quiet day and explore the area near and in the Pub Street. It was fun; the place has a lot of energy and people all about. We had an amazing pizza, which made us very happy. The very large night market is just off Pub Street, and so we walked through it to look at all the merchant’s wares. We retired for the night, watching a David Attenborough documentary before dosing off.

One thing must be said about Cambodia: if one does not have a sack of cash, you’ll actually have a hard time keeping busy all day. It’s a little disappointing, but every single place asks an entrance fee, and every activity has a large fee attached to it. So on most days, William and I just walk around, sight-seeing and opting for all the free-of-charge activities we can find. This means rather relaxed days that end in pitchers of beer during the late afternoon and nice suppers. The diary entries for this country will probably not be as interesting; but at least we can say that we enjoyed the country very much.

The first day in Siem Reap was one of those: we did a recommended walk along the river, seeing a 10th-century wat and eating at a local’s little shop. After escaping the midday sun, we headed out to discover the famous beer gardens of the town. It was an interesting experience - Khmer music blasting through mounted speakers, pitchers of beer being served, and locals ordering sumptuous meals. We ventured to try barbecued frogs, which were very tasty indeed. We soon left the busy place and had supper near our hotel, before turning in for the night.

Friday was a special day: we would finally explore the vast complexes of temples that make up the legendary historic ruins of Cambodia. Having rented a tandem bicycle, we were determined to complete the big circuit of the Angkor temple ruins, which covered about 26 km. Rising just before the sun came up, we climbed onto our bicycle and rode to the first main temple on a road lined with the most tranquil stretch of forests. It was so beautiful, seeing the early morning light break through the deep green leaves and shrubbery.

We unfortunately missed the actual sunrise (unforeseen ticketing issues), but arrived at Angkor Wat just afterwards. This temple is the largest religious structure on our planet, and one of the few still in use today. It was almost dream-like, walking in the corridors and between the walls of this ancient building. We perched on some nearby fallen rocks to enjoy a very unusual breakfast of slightly stale croissants and dry slices of bread (picnic food is a tricky thing to organize in Cambodia), before exploring the expansive gardens that roll down into the massive moat that was dug around the temple walls.

Our next stop on the cycling tour was Angkor Thom, which was actually an ancient city with some of the most beautiful temples. Bayon, the temple with the many faces in the topmost mounds on the building, was stupendous. I wish I could paint the experience we had in a more vivid, justifying way. Imagine cycling for a few kilometres at a time along gorgeous jungle roads, with ancient temple ruins jutting out from the greenery, whilst stopping at the ones you have marked for your little trip and exploring their grounds. We saw the most interesting architecture, and the grandest display of the force nature uses to reclaim its spot. There were massive, sky-high trees sprouting up from rooftops; little trees forcing their roots onto fallen walls; and walkways taken over by plants and grasses. The temples were very well restored and maintained though, with nice paths recommended for exploring.

To mention every temple we visited, and every fascinating symbol or sight we saw, would take too long. It was one of the most memorable experiences William and I will ever have together: the two of us on a tandem bicycle, making our way from one massive temple ruin to the next, enjoying the incredible jungle beauty surrounding us, and being amazed at what ancient civilizations were capable of. Every now and then we would stop for some water, and another slice of our brown bread loaf. It was in incredibly hot and humid day. We laughed a lot at our little adventure – two budget travellers trying to enjoy life whilst saving money where they can!

Unfortunately, the journey home was a very trying one. Not being very experienced cyclers, our behinds were very tender from cycling all day; and so the journey proved a very painful one! We made a beeline for a guesthouse that allowed patrons of the restaurant to enjoy the swimming pool, and so cooled off from the rather decent workout we had had (we covered about 40 km of cycling).

I however had an unexpected turn for the worst, when i suddenly fell ill from the sun exposure and other familiar health issues. That evening was not too pleasant, for we were both exhausted, whilst I sat shivering and then glowing like a light-bulb from heat exhaustion. But all in all, we had had such a fun and successful day at the ruins of the Angkor temples.

Saturday we spent the day resting (I baldy needed it), getting a massage, and having late afternoon beers; before climbing onto our night bus. It was the worst bus William and i have ever ridden on. We barely slept a wink, for there were about 10 mosquitoes licking at our toes, not enough legroom for William to lie straight, and very narrow ‘beds’ that one had to share with your neighbour. When we finally arrived in Phnom Penh, we were quite a sight to behold.