South East Asia – Siem Reap, Cambodia – 2024 – Part 27

Yes that is a photo of a tarantula. Our guide, Aorr, asked who wanted to try fried Tarantula, grasshoppers and silkworms. I, of course, said No. I am a picky eater. Clint, of course, said Yes. He tried all three and I tried hard not to gag. People could break the legs off the spider and eat them. Yum? This was on the bus on our way from Phnom Penh,, Cambodia to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We stayed in Siem Reap for a couple of days and we really enjoyed it. On the way, we stopped at a lovely spot on the water and had a BBQ lunch. No spiders were on the menu.

On the way……..

  • A photo out the window
  • A lovely lunch on the waterfront
  • The BBQ

We arrived at Siem Reap, which is where the famous Angkor Wat complex is located. We stayed at the Grand Bayon Hotel, lovely hotel. And it had a pool and a bar so what else do you need? A lot of the rooms on this trip were on the small side so quite often we had to leave our suitcases open on the floor, to dig around for stuff as there was nowhere to put them. But you adapt. We were a short walk to the the Pub Street which is exactly as the name suggests. Lots of pubs, restaurants and stores. There was also a market in this area which was great to walk through. One of the photos below shows the Tomb Raider drink. It’s called this because one of the temples we go to is where some of the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movie was filmed.

  • Market, anyone want a pig head? Anyone?
  • Pub Street
  • Welcome to Pub Street
  • We sat at this spot and it was great, open to the street and lots to look at
  • Crocodile Pizza? We sat at the bar across the street but I noticed they had crocodile pizza
  • Two young kids with a rope tying their bikes together, an accident waiting to happen! lol But they were having fun
  • No thank you
  • Trying different cocktails
  • What we saw while sitting at our table
  • Tomb Raider drink

    We also went to the Phare Circus while we were there. No animals, just people. A tiny bit like Canada’s Cirque du Soleil but on a much smaller scale. It was a fun evening.

    • Welcome sign and lots of food booths to eat at prior to the show
    • The venue

    We were here a couple of days so we were able to go to Pub Street a couple of times. We also were taken by an all female Tuk Tuk company to the New Hope Vocational Training Restaurant for lunch. It was one of the best meals we had on our trip. And for some reason I have no photos. But if you are ever in Cambodia….

    Next post we go to the temples and get up at 430 in the morning to head to Angkor Wat.

    13 thoughts on “South East Asia – Siem Reap, Cambodia – 2024 – Part 27”

    2. So much Cambodian culture all rolled into this post Susan. Like you, I would pass on the tarantula (breaking off the legs to eat them) but Clint was brave. 🙂 I’d pass on the fried snake as well as the pig’s head. Years ago my parents belonged to the Germania Club and as a kid, then a preteen, I had to go with them to New Year’s Eve parties where they had the whole pig in the middle of the table. Freaked me out then as it would now. But as to the BBQ, what animal was BBQ’d, i.e. the rest of that pig? The street of pubs was something, almost kind of out of context to the other more cultural places you’d seen.

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      1. I remember years and years ago ordering fish and the whole thing came, eyes and all. I couldn’t eat it lol I usually will try anything but I have my limits and no pig heads, toads or spiders for me. I was surprised at the number of people on our little tour (16 people) who tried the spider and other 2 items.

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        1. I had the same experience Susan. I stayed with friends of the family in San Juan, Puerto Rico for 10 days at Easter vacation senior year of high school. My parents were not fish eaters to begin wish, maybe canned salmon or tuna – that’s it. We went out to eat and the same thing – I could not deal with the head and eyes. Also traveling with them in Spain, having fish soup (that was a “no” for me) and having to debone your fish. I’m surprised that many people tried the spider and other items (which seemed awful to me too).

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    3. It is fascinating to learn about other cultures. Thank you for sharing. I am truly grateful to learn through your photos and details. I could never imagine eating a tarantula. We had one as a pet when I was a kick. The thought of it breaks my heart. The drinks look yummy. 😃 🥂

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      2. You had a spider as a pet when you were young? I guess because of my aversion to spiders, I couldn’t see one as a pet. My cousin had pet rats though and they were kinda cute to be honest and another cousin had snakes as pets. I love learning about different cultures, it fascinates me to see their way of life, architecture, clothing and all the rest.

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        1. Yes, I loved that spider, and my brother raised rats. I did not have the same affection for them. Learning from a book is fine but actually visiting a location is next level. Thank you!

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