THE GOLDEN BANANA BOUTIQUE HOTEL

We are still in Seam Reap staying at the Golden Banana Boutique Hotel, about 5 minutes from town attractions of restaurants, shops & bars.
Last time we stayed in the GB Resort Hotel but no room this time, not quite as good but still very good value and very comfortable rooms. Our room is on two levels with sitting room downstairs and bedroom upstairs. Unfortunately the TV isn't in bedroom like the resort hotel where all on one level for most rooms. Damn it, but ya can't have everything in life that ya want....... So they say, but will keep trying anyway !

The Food Is Yummy Here As Well.

The Cambodian cuisine is similar to Thai food but there seems to be more use of lemon grass and other aromatic spices. YUM YUM !!!

We've tried a different restaurant each day, there must be hundreds to choose from and the main eat street is closed to traffic at night, making it easier to find a place to suit.

Many look beautifully decorated, we particularly like the Red Piano where she with the lips used to hang out when they were filming that tomb raiding movie.

Monks in the temple

A senior monk and these young ones were keen for photo opportunities, happily posing for all the tourists.

Now In Cambodia

After a wonderful time in Luang Prabang ( can't wait to go back ) we are now back in Siem Reap, near Angkor Wat where we last visited in March this year. Our flight here with Laos Airlines was pretty awful, on a noisy smaller plane ( 60 odd people )
We are staying again at the Golden Banana Hotel which we like very much.
The young staff looking after us are absolutely gorgeous... and i mean gorgeous.. like drop dead type GORGEOUS !!!!.
They are so helpful and sweet to us.
We stay here until Thursday morning then catch a bus to Pnom Phen ( 4-5 hours) after that we go to a beach place called Kep.
This morning we went on taxi tour to Banteay Srei temple about 40 kms from our hotel. It is called the women's temple. why? I don't know yet. It was a very pleasant drive through lush green countryside and this small temple complex was beautiful although not overwhelming like Angkor Wat or others. It was worth the visit.

Banteay Srei (or Banteay Srey)  is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor in Cambodia, at 13.5989 N, 103.9628 E, it lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km (15 miles) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom.[1] Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the "jewel of Khmer art.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banteay_Srei

Luang Prabang We Love It

This is our last day here, we have found this town to be one of the loveliest of places we have ever visited.
The wonderful ambience,the beautifully kept streetscapes, the superb ancient temples, the gorgeous river side setting with mountains in the background, the yummy food, the lovely people, the cool evenings and mornings,the monks procession, the Buddha caves, the royal palace, the peace of not having many vehicles, lovely guest houses and small hotels, the charming laneways..........the flowers......
Well. what more can we say, you must come here soon.

Some shots from our stay in Luang Prabang

Our car awaits to drive us to the airport, a $20 splurge, a five minute drive one way.

View from hotel restaurant

Street gardens

Lanes connecting streets in town are beautifully planted

Euphorbias ar very commonly used here

Temple in Royal palace grounds

Royal palace museum

Ancient Buddhist Wat

Many Buddhas

Even more Buddhas

 

View from restaurant where we had lunch on Mekong River

Our next house....gorgeous !!

We are coming back in November 2010 for an extended stay before it gets too touristed, and before we can no longer afford to travel

Tum tum is yum yum !!!!

We have had some beautiful food here in Luang Prabang, beautiful restaurants in lush tropical settings.
Last night we went to the TUM TUM CHENG restaurant which also has a cooking school.
What we had:

• River weed crackers with sesame seeds

• TUM TUM secret soup ( chicken & pumpkin coconut & spices )  YUM YUM !!!

• Lemon Grass Pork

• Fish cooked in banana leaf with coconut & spices

combined with Beer Lao YUM YUM !!!!

Other food we have sampled.

• Wild mushroom warm salad with spices.

• Buffalo Laos sausages

• Crispy spring rolls

• Laos fish cakes

• Duck Curry

• Beef larp
• various noodle soups for lunch

Most restaurants are very inexpensive, mains about $3 to $6

Our First Destination... Luangphrabang, Laos

Our first stop on this trip after an overnight stop in Bangkok is the ancient capitol of Luangphrabang in Laos. Or is that Luang Prabang ?

After our flight from Sydney to Bangkok we are staying in a hotel near the international airport, it's called the Queens garen resort. It isn't expensive, looks like a three star, we had no urge to stay in Bangkok city central again having been there many times before.

Luang Prabang is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions.
From UNESCO website