This post is part of our adventures in Cambodia. For other posts in the series, please click here.
Our final full day in Cambodia we didn’t go to the temples, after four days we wanted a day to see what Siem Reap had to offer in terms of shopping and food and a little relaxation before we headed back to cold Shanghai.
At the big market I bought a T-shirt and a pair of pajama pants (with elephants) and we looked at the spice mixes for the different curries and amoks that are so prevalent in Cambodia. We also luxuriated with some massages to work out the kinks from our climbing the last four days. And – we ate.
We tried to squeeze in all of the restaurants and dishes that we hadn’t had a chance to try yet and managed quite a variety! Here are some of my favorites:
Sour soup was available at most restaurants and it was a basic chicken stock with lots of lime juice. Here’s one sample.
Another place we went had a beautiful sampler platter of different small bites including our third try of fresh spring rolls.
And finally we had Cambodian hot pot for dinner. Cambodian hot pot is like a combination of Korean barbecue where you grill your own meat and Chinese hot pot where you boil the vegetables in broth.

Adding soup to the hot pot while the grill gets hot on top. Noodles and veggies can be seen on the side
The grill is on the top and as the meat grills it drains into the broth below where you cook veggies and noodles.
Our mixed plate to grill included alligator meat and all other kinds of beef, pork, chicken and squid. We ordered a double portion and gobbled it all up.
The final treat we had was fresh mango ice cream before we headed back to the airport and the cold weather of China.
Our trip to Cambodia was a hands down success – we scratched the surface of this welcoming and beautiful country with its myriad of temples, excellent food and friendly people. I would be happy to go back in the future but for now I’ll continue to explore.
Thank you for following along with me as I shared our photos and stories from our trip. Which was your favorite? Where else should I visit?