Sihanouk Ville

Sihanouk Ville is the main beach destination in Cambodia and is home to many beautiful beaches. When in Sihanouk Ville, you can stay in one of the hostels that Merry Travel has carefully selected. 

We stayed at the Independence Hotel, a bit away from the town center. The hotel has its own private beach, which was empty most of the time! They also have towels and kayaks free of charge.

This is the private beach of the Independence hotel.

A king suite bedroom overlooking the ocean.

Sunset from the beach of the hotel, really beautiful

Restaurant with sea and beach views at dusk.

Traditional boats in Serendipity beach.

Serendipity beach in Sihanouk Ville.

Relaxing moments in Sihanouk Ville. Enjoy a seafood bbq right on the beach!

Song Saa Inspection

After Phnom Penh, we headed south to enjoy some peaceful and relax. Where? In Sihanouk Ville and the islands nearby. Here, long white sand beaches and clear turquoise water are the main features. 

One of the isles we visited was Song Saa private resort. An upmarket hotel for all those seeking for a unique, all inclusive holidays. 

Rooms are exquisite and simple, beautifully decorated in greys, browns and other neutral colors, and have all the amenities you may need.

The bathrooms are as the rooms, simple and beautiful.

Views from a spot in the middle of the island.

Private pool in a jungle villa.

Villas above the water. Is there a better place to spend your honeymoon?

Perfect place to unwind... infinity pool overlooking the ocean.

A nice sport to enjoy a cocktail.

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Second visit to Phnom Penh

Two weeks ago we spent some more days in Phnom Penh to visit a few places that we missed in the first visit.

One was the views from the top of a shopping mall over the city. There used to be a restaurant here, but it’s closed now. However, it’s still possible to enjoy the views.

Very close to the shopping mall is the central market, where you can buy almost everything you can imagine, from clothes, food, jewelery to kitchenware, toys or cell phones.

Another place worth visit is the temple of Wat Phnom. Entry fee is $1 but you will witness the Buddhism feeling inside.

Phnom Penh is a big city where there is always something new and amazing to see and where interacting with local is both easy and enjoyable.

City tour Saigon

During the our days Ho Chi Minh we spend most of the time inside the ITE travel fair, but we could enjoyed a city tour on Saturday, as well as some free time after the busy meetings in the evenings.

We could wander a little bit through the colourfull streets in Saigon. As you can see in the picture, there are motorbikes everywhere! Saigon is said to be the city with the bigger amount of motorbikes in the world! However, it is important to be aware of the fact that there are some thiefs driving this motorbikes, take care of your properties!

One of the highlights of the trip was, no doubt, the dinner we shared with our contact in HCMC. He invited us to a really nice meal and chatted a bit about all kind of things!

As everyone should do when visiting Saigon, we went to see the Cu Chi tunnels. The history behind is cruel and sad, but worth knowing. It is also very interesting and you will have a deeper insight on Vietnam's history.

Another must in Vietnam is trying the national dish "pho", a yummy noodle soup served with different vegetables and meats. Loved it with a cold tea.

Saigon is a modern city where you can find almost everything, from electronics to fashion.

To finish our visit, we went to the War Museum. You will lose track of your life over here. To me, it was one of the most impressive places I have ever been.

And of course, like everywhere else in Asia, do not forget to try some street food and buy a conic hat!

ITE Travel Fair in Ho Chi Minh

Two weeks ago the Merry Travel Team attended the ITE Travel Fair as expected. It turned out to be a succesful experience full of interesting meetings, new contacts and a cultural exchange.

Attending the Cambodia Night. We enjoyed a nice traditional dinner along with a cultural performance.

In the Cambodian area of the travel fair.

Our team in the booth.

The sorroundings of the travel fair. There were expositors from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapur, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillippines, Myanmar, Lao, Egypt, India... and counting!

Phnom Penh still keeps its charm

Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia and is home to about 1.5 million people. It was once considered the most charming city of Indochina, and it is still a lovely city where museums, historical buildings and beautiful temples have their own space.

The capital of Cambodia is located in the confluence of three rives: the Bassac, the Tonle Sap and the Mekong, which you can see in the picture above.

Sorroundings of the Royal Palance. It is not advisable to take close pictures of buddhist monks. Always ask for permission when taking photos. Most of the times they will be more than happier to help you get your dream picture.

A visit to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda is included in all our trips in which we pass through Phnom Penh.

The temples and buildings in the Royal Palace's compounds are really well mantained and especially beautiful.

The Silver Pagoda was given the name because of its floor made up of thousand silver tiles. Photographs can't be taken inside.

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S21 worths a visit. You will be able to see first hand the cruelty of the PolPot regime. I will admit it is a tough, sad visit but it is important to know the history behind Cambodia to understand people's feelings.

Battambang

Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia. Cut by Sangke River through the town centre, is located on a fertile plain that provides much of the rice production of the country.

Merry Travel visits Battambang in some of the tours and we can always craft your own trip or include add-ons.

Suspension bridge near Battambang

The countryside

Phnom Sampeou mountain, where you can see some temples, artifacts from the Pol Pot regime, the killing caves and enjoy incredible views from the top.

Daily bats migration from Phnom Sampeo (at around 17:30-18:00)

Ponleu Phare Selpak Circus. Beautiful show and beautiful organisation and mission behind. Both website and circus shows worth a visit. Ticket: $8 per show. Check timetable before going.

Battambang's night markt, just yummy street food!

The city's best known attraction is the bamboo train. Ride is $10/pax if you go alone or $5/pax for 2 or more people. Allow 1 hour.