Bizarre Food: Grasshoppers and More | Cambodia

The last time I posted about bizarre food was tarantula in Cambodia. You would think that would be extent of our strange eats, but there was even more! We asked our tuk-tuk driver, MJ, to take us somewhere we could eat something strange in Siem Reap. He said he knew of a place that we could eat crickets. We couldn't turn down the opportunity and asked him to take us there!

When we arrived to the nondescript corner of a random street, we saw the piles of items lined up on the sidewalk. There wasn't a person in sight and understandably so. I think tourists are not on the search for strange eats like this. There were crickets, grasshoppers, beetles and even dried snake. I think any creepy thing you could think of was cooked and ready to eat!

Initially, we only wanted to try the grasshoppers, but we decided to be adventurous and order a variety. I mean, might as well, you never know when you'll have the chance again. I will say that for a moment I freaked out. I was holding the bag of bugs and I looked down. For a split second, I imagined them all alive and slithering about. I quickly got over it and we dug into that bag o' bugs.

Surprisingly, they weren't bad. It's not my favorite thing in the world, but it's definitley worth trying. I was most keen on the crickets and grasshoppers, but could've passed on the snake and beetles. All I know is that if something happens and we run out of other protein sources, I could survive on insects!

Pre Rup | Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Pre Rup, which means "turn the body", was probably my favorite temple in the Angkor Wat complex. It's not one of the popular temples and it's a little out of the way.  It was built in 961 or 962 and dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva. When we visited, there weren't that many people. There were only a handful of tourists and even smaller amount of Khmer people trying to sell crafts. I think the main reason I liked Pre Rup was the because of the lack of people. Markus and I were able to explore freely. I hate feeling rushed when I'm traveling and I felt that at some of the other sites. Since there weren't heaps of people in the way, I was able to have a relaxing and enlightening experience.

Miss Wong Cocktail Bar | Siem Reap, Cambodia

While in Siem Reap, Markus and I wanted to try and find unique and interesting places to eat. As much as I love Korea, it still lacks a lot of the comforts of home. There is a lack of cocktail bars, western food and even authentic Asian foods. While researching Cambodia, I stumbled upon Miss Wong Cocktail Bar. It's described as a "a taste of vintage Shanghai." I scoured the reviews, which were mostly positive, and scanned through all the photos. It seemed like the perfect place to spend an evening and we marked it as a must see.

After a tiring day at Angkor Wat, Markus and I decided to venture out to Pub Street, a very popular tourist area, and eat at Miss Wong. We weren't sure how to get there, so we hired a tuk-tuk to take us there. The driver left us on the street and pointed down an alley. I turned and saw red lanterns and umbrellas and knew we were at the right place. We walked in and I felt like I was in heaven. The ambiance and atmosphere was amazing. It was a bit dark, but not in a seedy, creepy way. There was a great mix of locals and tourists and I could tell that it was a very popular place.

Markus and I went a bit crazy and ordered heaps of drinks and food. The great thing about Cambodia is that everything is crazy cheap. Meals are as low as $2 and cocktails can be $1. It's a travelers dream come true. Miss Wong is a bit more classy so drinks were around $5 and the food was anywhere from $3 - $6. It was great. The drinks were pretty good, but not the best I've had. I enjoyed all of our food, but my favorite was the dessert. It was a sort of sticky red bean pudding. I can't really remember exactly, but what I do remember is that I was really satisfied with it.

Overall, I really enjoyed Miss Wong. It's probably in my top 10 best bars in the world and I've been to quite a few. So, if you find yourself in Siem Reap, Cambodia make sure you visit Miss Wong! You won't regret it, promise.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

I really loved Cambodia and our short time there. It's an amazing country with the friendliest people I've ever come across. Sometimes, as a traveler, it's easy to forget how kind and genuine people can be. Considering their violent history, Cambodians are easily the nicest people I've ever met. It was refreshing to be around them and made our vacation even better.

The first three days of our trip we decided to temple hop at Angkor Wat near Siem Reap. Angkor Wat is "the" place to see and it's absolutely massive. It is the largest religious monument in the world and dates back to the early 12th century. It began as a Hindu temple and later converted to Buddhism.

There was so much to see, even on the main roads to the temples. Many of the temples had streets lined with statues and huge carved entrances. We stopped for a few minutes to admire the detailed work and avoid some of the crowds. It was a perfect sample of what was to come.