I posted the following to my socials back on the 16th of September, just before we all crashed after a huge day of travelling, and quick look around Siem Reap to get our bearings.
"We made it! Out of bed at around 2am this morning, off to Perth International Airport, with access to the Aspire Lounge (courtesy of Mel) making things go a little more easily. Two flights, some pig trotter at Singapore Airport and well over half a day later and we were on the ground in Siem Reap. Stairs and a short walk across the tarmac sure brought back some familiar and so much missed memories of a time gone by. We checked into our hotel and headed down to Pub Street for a feed and a few drinks before a few big days exploring Siem Reap and the various temples around here, including Angkor Wat."
The bar at the Aspire Lounge happened to have the perfect view of our plane waiting to take us on to our first stop at Singapore Airport. We loved the Aspire Lounge, the staff were great, the only slight disappointment was that it was not open at the advertised '3 hours before boarding', instead opening at just after 4am leaving ourselves and a few other customers confused.
Mel is a confirmed Hard Rock Cafe addict, with a huge memorabilia collection to go with that addiction, and one of our goals on this trip was to get to all three of the Hard Rock Cafe locations in Cambodia (Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Phnom Penh Airport). Here she is missing out on a fourth location at Singapores' Changi Airport by a couple of weeks.
During our Changi Airport we had just enough time to get ourselves over to the Straits Food Village, a Hawker style food court inside the airports T2 building, here I went for the Pork Trotters and a roti style dish on the side. The Straits Food Village sets a very high (yet quick cheap) bar for any other airport dining experience to match.
On the upper level of Singapore Changi Airports T2 building is a Sunflower Garden. Here are Lori and Mikah with some of the garden.
Our travel companions Mel and Ken, also posting with some sunflowers at Singapore Changi Airport. This really is one of the most layover friendly airports you'll find.
On the deck in Siem Reap. In just a couple of weeks, all international flights into Siem Reap will transition to the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and these old signs and buildings won't be popping up in photos anymore.
Disembarking in Siem Reap. There was a definite touch of nostalgia here, no airbridge, just that slap in the face from that wonderful tropical heat and humidity and a walk across the tarmac to the arrivals lounge. It's a rare experience that is getting rarer these days and I will certainly miss it when it's gone.
Mikah, Mel, Ken and Lori in Pub Street, Siem Reap. This is the traditional party area of Siem Reap, a couple of blocks of bars and restaurants (as well as a couple of laneways nearby) that have been home to Siem Reaps nightlife scene for several years, although as we found, there are other parts of town that have plenty to offer in that regard too.
The Angkor What? Bar in Siem Reap's Pub Street is one of the older bars here and claims to have been 'Promoting Irresponsible Drinking Since 1998' - so of course we had to stop in for a drink.
Myself, shot by Mikah at Angkor What? Bar on Siem Reap's Pub Street. Mikah would occasionally grab the camera and take a few shots during the trip, and I'm liking the way she's developing her photography.
We have been using the hashtag #GRSWLD2023 during the trip, so keep an eye out for that on social media while you're waiting for the next blog post.
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May 6th, 2016.
Our last day here in Bali. I think I sweated up the last of whatever has been giving me grief overnight, waking up dripping wet with sweat a couple of times during the night. I ended up using the room towels as sheets to get back to sleep, but in the morning I woke up feeling 100% better. I was even able to have bacon and eggs on toast for breakfast today.
Canon PowerShot G1 X - 1/400 @ f/9, 15.1 mm (ISO 320) Approximate location: Jalan Danau Tamblingan 118, near Gang Penjor Agung, Sanur, Kota Denpasar, Bali
After breakfast, we took a last walk down Jl. Danau Tamblingan, where I snapped the above photo of a little excitement for the workers building the new Popular Express outlet, part of the Pepito group. (The new store opened around 3 weeks after we got home from Bali)
Canon PowerShot G1 X - 1/60 @ f/9, 15.1 mm (ISO 320) Approximate location: Jalan Danau Tamblingan, near Gang Penjor Agung, Sanur, Kota Denpasar, Bali
We kept walking south to the roundabout at the intersection with Jl. Danau Poso in South Sanur. The walk takes you through the main restaurant and shopping strip in Sanur, past Hardy's, past the local village lands and the old Hyatt Resort, one of the original hotels in Sanur, but now undergoing major renovations, something has has been going on for a couple of years, and looks to have a few more to go. Further south you come upon another shopping and restaurant strip, which includes one of the more well known restaurants in Sanur, Massimo's, said to be one of the best Italian restaurants on the island. We stopped in here to grab some gelato for the walk back. I was blown away by the lemon sorbet, and also rather impressed by the strawberry sorbet and mango frozen yoghurt.
Canon PowerShot G1 X - 1/60 @ f/7.1, 15.1 mm (ISO 400) Approximate location: Jalan Danau Tamblingan 97, Kota Denpasar, Bali
We ate our treats from Massimo's on the walk north, and stopped in at Grocer & Grind, the new Sanur location we'd read about while at their Seminyak location. This time we both ordered the chicken Caesar salad and a smoothie to wash it down.
Canon PowerShot G1 X - 1/8 @ f/4, 15.1 mm (ISO 800) Approximate location: Jalan Danau Tamblingan 152, Kota Denpasar, Bali
By now we were running a little short on time, so hightailed it back to the hotel to pack our bags. Lori had mostly finished packing hers, but I had yet to start. We gave the remaining 1/3 of a bottle of the Gilbey's Gin I'd picked up at Hardy's shortly after we arrived in Sanur, and the remaining cans of tonic water to the first hotel guest to walk past while we were packing. I never did find a shop in Bali that sold anything bigger than a 300mL can of tonic water.
Canon PowerShot G1 X - 1/2000 @ f/4, 15.1 mm (ISO 800) Approximate location: Jalan Danau Tamblingan 152, Kota Denpasar, Bali
Lori had arranged a pre-arranged a driver to pick us up at the hotel and take us to the airport for 150k rp, leaving at 4pm, and it was now about quarter to 4, so we locked up our bags and headed out to reception, where we paid our bar tab, said goodbye to the wonderful staff here, and checked out. We hopped in the car and got on our way, but before long we were making a stop of the service station I'd had to make an emergency visit to the other day. Back out on the bypass and it wasn't long before we hit some heavy traffic, but thankfully, we made it to the new toll road without too much trouble. The toll road takes you from the bypass, almost directly to the airport, and for 11k rp, it shaves about half an hour off the trip on an average day, probably at least an hour on todays journey.
Canon PowerShot G1 X - 1/5 @ f/6.3, 15.888 mm (ISO 800) Approximate location: Terminal Internasional, Ngurah Rai Airport, Kabupaten Badung, Bali
At the airport we made our way through the first security check, check in, another security check in case you've acquired anything you shouldn't have since the last security check (make you wonder how secure the place actually is) and on to the passport and departure tax check (although departure tax is included in your ticket price now) and made our way to "Last Wave" for a bite to eat. Like most airport food, it's a little overpriced, but still cheaper than home, and they do brag about having beer as cold as your ex-girfriends heart. I wouldn't know if that's true, as I had a luke warm Coke Zero instead.
The flight home was a little bumpy, but otherwise pretty uneventful. Even the trip through Perth airport was pretty quick this time, with the Quarantine counters fully staffed tonight, and due to the poor weather, and not many people wanting to be in the CBD tonight, most of the Uber drivers in Perth were hanging out at the airport when we walked outside, so our ride home arrived as soon as I booked it.
