Hey Reader,

We cannot tell you just how much we love Siem Reap and the amazing archaeological site at Angkor.

That's a lie: we can, but this email got so long that we broke it into two parts.

Today, we'll cover getting to Siem Reap, finding our favorite food, and our visit to the Siem Reap Butterfly Paradise. On Friday, we're sending a ✨ special edition ✨ for Siem Reap part two: everything you need to know about visiting the magical ancient city of Angkor.

If you're being forwarded this email, make sure to subscribe so that you don't miss Angkor's stunning historical temples! This week has all our favorite recommendations, so you don't want to miss it.

Subscribe to Pete and Perry's Emails!

​

---

​

Perry’s Travel Diary

Getting to Siem Reap

We used Giant Ibis again to travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. The journey took about six hours, and the experience was similar to our Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh trip.

Along the way, we stopped at the most beautiful rest stop in the Cambodian countryside for lunch.

​

---

​

Pete’s Travel Diary

You have to eat at Tevy's Place

By far, our favorite meal in Southeast Asia was at Tevy’s Place. Perry picked this restaurant out of a hat (actually, Google Maps) when we got off the bus in Siem Reap.

The owner, Tevy, takes care of her mother while operating a small business making the best fried spring rolls and curry you’ve ever had. We ate at Tevy’s place daily, and at times, twice daily.

Perry and I had not encountered a lot of food in southeast Asia that drew our attention quite like the spring rolls. They blew our minds and we immediately decided we would eat breakfast there the next day. The food is budget-friendly and affordable - $10-13 for a complete meal for two, including a beer and appetizer or dessert. Entrees alone are $3-5. The waitresses are attentive and keep the place clean.

We tried most of the menu and liked every single thing. The traditional Khmer curry was rich and flavorful. The Fish Amok is delicious. We were wary of seafood after our last encounter with bad seafood in Da Nang, but the closest we came to being ill from eating at Tevy’s is when we ate too much and then decided the chocolate cake also sounded good. It was criminally good, and they almost had to roll us home after overeating.

A defiant confession: I don’t like cake. I like cheesecake because it's just cheese in the shape of a cake. But I LOVED the chocolate cake at Tevy’s. My whole family eschews regular cake for cheesecake because we have our priorities straight (and Mom makes a to-die-for cheesecake). But for this time in this random restaurant in a strange land, I enjoyed the chocolate cake.

Tevy supports women in the workforce and has a translated copy of her story at the table for you to read. Tevy’s biggest take away, other than the fried spring rolls, is self-empowerment. Her father and siblings were lost during the Cambodian genocide. She does not ask for pity or donations - just that you enjoy her food and support small businesses.

There are lots of expats who frequent this restaurant as well as Irish teachers who have relocated to Cambodia to help educate school children. Naturally, the Irish know a good meal and bring good cheer with them.

We met Cecil, an Irishman and regular at Tevy’s Place. As is true of the Irish, he knows how to make anyone feel welcome and noted that every dollar spent helps the family and workers tremendously. We like Cecil, you will like Cecil, we all like Cecil.

See Beyond Borders

Tevy’s place is involved with a non-profit organization called See Beyond Borders, which is supported by organizations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. As 90% of teachers were murdered by the Khmer Rouge, Ireland now brings teachers and educators to Cambodia to aid in the education of Cambodia’s children. No greater investment can be made in a people or country than ensuring a good education. If you are interested in learning more about or making a small donation to See Beyond Borders, follow these links: SeeBeyondBorders and SeeBeyondBorders Ireland

​

---

​

Perry’s Travel Diary

Also in Siem Reap

We visited Butterfly Paradise on our first full day in Siem Reap. It was an excellent butterfly farm that supports a local orphanage. The woman working the front desk was one of the orphans, and she is now thriving as an adult with two cute kids of her own. She was happy to have us chat with her while we waited for the rain to stop!

Pete loves butterflies, both in the wild and as part of his mounted insect collection. Butterfly Paradise is a great place to visit if you also have a butterfly enthusiast in your life. They had a large population of butterflies that were native to the area, so we were able to later identify some of the species that we spotted in the "wild" at Angkor.

Admission was $7.50 per person for foreigners.

Be warned: the dirt road leading up to the Butterfly Paradise is rough. I was impressed that both of our Tuk Tuks made it.

After our visit, we took a tuk tuk to the Angkor ticket office so we'd be ready to go the next day.

​

---

​

Itinerary

Hotel

We stayed at the Lub.D, and WOW, what a gem! Our private room was basically new construction for only $20/night, booked via Hostelworld. When we went to extend our stay for a sixth day, it was only $17/night at the front desk. The hotel has a lovely pool and on-site restaurant. We enjoyed being at the Lub.D when we weren’t exploring. I have a video tour over on Instagram.​

Transportation

• We highly recommend that you use Mao, our wonderful tuk tuk driver, for all your transportation needs. Contact him via Whatsapp: +855 17 476 626
• ​PassApp is another option for quick trips, as is Grab.
• If all else fails, tuk tuk drivers are standing on every corner and outside every hotel. Bargain hard and agree to a price up front.

Food

• ​Tevy’s Place - 'Nuf said. Try the Cambodian classics: Beef Lok Lak (stir fried beef serviced with rice and a fried egg), Fish Amok (fish in a coconut curry sauce), and Khmer Curry (a savory and slightly spicy curry with your choice of meat).
• ​Sister Srey - Coffee shop and western-style food.
• ​Miss Wong Cocktail Bar - Cocktails and Chinese dim sum. We enjoyed the dumplings.
• ​JOMNO - Fantastic for a fancy meal. We loved the Cambodian appetizer sampler platter. I had a great beef tenderloin and Pete tried the Fish Amok.

Currency

• Cambodia uses the US Dollar.
• We brought enough cash with us to cover our trip. You will need pristine US dollar bills without tears, writing, or staining. Even the smallest tear resulted in our bills being returned to us. In the US, banks can exchange damaged bills with the Federal Reserve, but Cambodian banks cannot.
• Change is given in Cambodian Riel. Riels are also used for inexpensive items less than $1 USD.
• Credit cards are not widely accepted.

​

---

​

Travel Tip of the Week

Forget about quart-sized baggies

And buy this instead.​

After the last ZipLoc I somehow stole from an airport broke, I needed a TSA-compliant clear plastic bag to keep my toiletries in. And I never had the oddly specific quart-sized baggies on hand at home.

This sturdy, clear toiletry bag with a real zipper is TSA-approved and yet somehow larger than a plastic baggie, so I can keep all of my toiletries - not just my liquids - in it. It has held up through a year of business and personal travel without breaking down.

It's $7.99 for a pack of three. Easy decision. Keep one and give the others as stocking stuffers this Christmas!

​

---

​

If you enjoyed this newsletter, we’d love it if you would share us with your friends. ​

​
​

Until next time,

Pete and Perry