FollowNew Continent. New Country. Prepping & Preparing! Cambodia.
three weeks away from going to a new land. i’ve started pulling out potential appropriate work clothes for my Habitat for Humanity house build in Phnom Penh and have made a pilgrimage to REI to buy “roughing it” stuff. ya know, like a clothes line because i’ll be washing my unmentionables in my hotel sink. this is a very UNLOLA-LIKE adventure.
this money belt is sexy and you know it!
BUT before you worry too much that i won’t make it out of Cambodia alive, i want to reassure you that while i’ll be working for the first week of my trip, the second week will be filled with touring and staying at VERY LOLA-LIKE places.
i’ll have the best of both worlds. GIVING & GETTING! i have a feeling i’ll be getting more than giving. like getting gratitude. getting a sense of accomplishment. getting new friendships. AND certainly getting mosquito bites! (this is my biggest fear – i’m a mosquito magnet!!)
allow me to show you my roughing it supplies
no wait! there’s more…
what IS all this stuff, you ask?
hand sanitizer. prescriptions for malaria & a potential bout with stomach troubles. tissues for potty breaks. sunblock. all kinds of mosquito stuff including something to treat my clothes with. electrolytes. a headlamp. (yes. you read that right) what the hell have i gotten myself into?
AND i bought extra travel insurance yesterday. ya know, should my bag get lost or stolen. should i have to leave Cambodia because of an emergency back home. emergency evacuation insurance. medical stuff including dismemberment & death. YEP i’m insured even for the double “D”.
OK enough drama! now let me show you my posh stays
in Siem Reap i’ll be spending a couple heavenly nights at La Residence d’Angkor that i booked through my favorite & trusted luxe travel site – Jetsetter!
Overlooking Siem Reap’s shady, lazy river and a 10-minute stroll from the bite-sized town’s bright and buzzing central market, this Khmer-styled Orient Express hotel, decked out in varnished teak, split bamboo, gleaming silk and natural cotton, provides sophisticated comfort without forgetting to be cozy. A short tuk tuk ride from the jungle-buried ruins of Angkor Wat, the large pool, superb restaurant, sweeping grounds and spa form a welcome haven after a hard day’s visiting temples. YOU FEEL RELIEVED NOW, RIGHT?!
then there’s a few nights where i’m still working out where i’ll be staying…AND THEN i go to 4 Rivers Floating Lodge in Tatai. also booked through Jetsetter. this is glamping at its best!! how could i go wrong?!
Like a rare butterfly, Cambodia has emerged from a troubled past to show off its beauty.
Away from the tourist trail to ancient civilisations there is another country… a land of unspoilt virgin forest, rare orchids and fragrant frangipani, the startling colours and calls of birds of paradise, secretive jungle creatures and a perfumed air of peace and solitude.
This ecological miracle deserves an environmentally friendly resort that captures the imagination while offering the luxury and high-end facilities of a four-star boutique resort.
Peaceful seclusion, privacy, luxury, exclusivity… I SAY YES!
i may return home dismembered but i’ll be refreshed by posh stays and beautiful nature!
XO – lola
I think that what you are doing is SO cool. I am very curious about your experience – I think I would really enjoy doing something like that. Love the silverlining, i.e. the lux stay at the end.
How many suitcases are you taking?
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted…Summer cocktails, anyone? Mojitos and Sangria onboard
i hope i’m taking just one suitcase, Mrs. O. AND i’m hoping it’s not my big one. i’m trying to not look like a spaz coming to Cambodia to work! BUT…alas, you’ve seen my supplies. it may be the jumbo suitcase! 🙂
you know i’ll fill you in on the whole experience. i think it’s healthy to go somewhere with lots of needs & give back. AND then reward yourself too!
This make me smile to no end. This is why we’re traveling BFFs. I’m down with helping others as I am roughing it, but I’m going to need some creature comforts (read: massages, soft toilet paper, and air conditioning) when I’m done. Go LOLA!
Leah Travels recently posted…Top Three Travel Memories
HAHAHA yes! we are in agreement on all fronts my traveling PIC. i’m looking forward to my fish flesh-eating pedi in Siem Reap already. HA! 😉
First of all, KUDOS for the Habitat for Humanity. It’s similar to WOOOFING in experience and I’ve always wanted to do that. Go Lola! But, as I will say, I’m a camping girl but more of a glamping girl, so I agree that I need some “treats” at the end of the stay, so I’m eager to know your thoughts of the Orient Express hotel. Have a BALL my dear xoxo
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thank you Charu! i’m so excited for all of my trip. the “roughing it” and the princess part. i think i will fall in love with Cambodia. i feel so lucky to be able to be a part of something so meaningful. i will definitely let you know about the Orient Express property.
Lola, clean clothes and toilet paper are over-rated! Enjoy Cambodia – an awesome trip you are taking every which way!!!
Raul (ilivetotravel in Twitter) recently posted…Photo of the Week – Into Moldova
YES Raul! so so excited about all of it. it will be good for me to be reminded how lucky i am to have so many comforts at my fingertips on a daily basis. i welcome it!
Awesome and I am proud of you!
Raul (ilivetotravel in Twitter) recently posted…The Land of Re-Born Churches and Monasteries
Excellent itinerary … And a big phooey to whomever thinks toilet paper and a change of clothing plus lux accomodations are over-rated. Looking forward to your story & photos on return.
Thank you! i can’t wait to share all that i experience and learn. good, bad & truly fabulous!
Lola with a fanny pack??!! You’re right, this is going to be a totally un-Lola adventure! I bet you’re excited and it’s really coming up!
Pola (@jettingaround) recently posted…Photo(s) of the Week: Mountains in Boulder, Colorado
SO SO excited. still a lot to do. i have no idea what i’m getting myself into and it’s exhilarating!
We are SO excited for you. It’s great that you get to travel and also give back. Please tell us that you’re at least bringing the boa with you. 🙂 We can’t wait to hear all about your trip, it’s something that we’re hoping to do in the future.
Tawny- Captain and Clark recently posted…Chasing our fortunes at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory [video]
hey C&C maybe we can do one together next time?!?! not only is the boa going but i’ll be handing out the first (and probably only) identical one to mine to my roomie for the trip. she loves hot pink even more than me, i think – if you can believe!!
Bringing tissue with you is a good call! Can’t wait to see the pictures of your posh stays and of course, the HOH house.
thank you Diana. i will be snapping pictures and it’ll be my pleasure to share them with the world! come back around and see what all i end up doing.
Oh Lola,
I just looked and I couldn’t locate a bright pink money belt. But you’re working that nude one anyway! Have a wonderful, safe trip!
xoxo
haha Mrs. H! love it. yeah…that money belt is the bomb. soon enough i’ll have all the sexy ladies donning one! NOT 😉
cannot wait to follow along on your big adventure!
the lazy travelers recently posted…laws to travel by – #21
cannot wait to share them with you! feels like i need to move the earth to make this trip possible but once on that plane, well, all will be taken care of and i’ll just roll with the punches when i get there – if need be.
ok – Jetsetter….good to know that’s Lola’s choice… but for some reason I think the adventures from the early part of the trip will be the ones you remember and cherish most.
stay adventurous, Craig
Craig Zabransky recently posted…Sunset Sunday – Kota Kinbalu, Malaysia on the island of Borneo
you know what, Craig, i think you are right. it’s just my control-freak side intervening…i needed to know i’d have something that was just my speed involved in this trip. it’s like entering chaos for me. it’s entirely UNKNOWN and going with a Jetsetter property is my lifeline. BUT i do agree with you. the people i touch and affect will be far more meaningful than the posh stays and the things i “had to” control for my comfort! 🙂
When I return to Asia I will bring the clothes on my back and that is it as far as a wardrobe. You can buy everything you need there for amazingly cheap and fitted. The clothes you buy there fit the weather too.
Traveling Ted recently posted…Life after dropping out of Nomadic Samuel’s top 100 travel blogs
Ted, i admire you. I AM A GIRL. we pretty much always overpack yet plan to shop. BUT i’m hitting the ground running so need at least appropriate clothes for the build. can’t wait to tell you what i gave away in order to fit my new purchases into my suitcase!
I never thought I’d see “dismembered” and “refreshed” so beautifully stated in a blog post, let alone put together in a single sentence. 😉
You’re going to have a great time, Lauren!
fotoeins | Henry recently posted…I can Cantonese; therefore I can eat
thanks so much, Henry. i only pray that i will not be dismembered BUT will be refreshed. i’m not certain of either fate at this point!! i look forward to sharing my adventures either and all ways! AND thanks for the well wishes!! xo
It is gonna be so much fun for you, honey! Apart from all the supplies, mosquito repellent and malaria stuff 🙂
crazy sexy fun traveler recently posted…VIEWS OF NEW YORK CITY FROM CIRCLE LINE CRUISE
i think so too, Alex!! can’t wait to share with you how it went in Spain!! 🙂