Photo Friday: Central Park Zoo

Central Park Zoo

New York City

December 2013

January 2015 On Instagram

On my list of 101 Goals in 1001 Days, I want to share more of my life through photographs on Instagram. I challenged myself to post at least once a day for a month. While I was on vacation during the month of January and February I snapped a lot of photos. So sharing on social media sites was easy. Although this post is a bit late as we're rounding out the month of February, here is a look at my month on Instagram in January.

I started out my month traveling by train to Xi'an to visit the Terracotta Warriors and explore the rest of this ancient city. Then it was on to Chengdu for a few days to see the Giant Panda Sanctuary and eat some world famous Sichuan food.

From Chengdu I flew to Cambodia for two glorious weeks. I feel in love with the country from the moment I arrived and I know I will be back soon! I spent the first part of my time in Siem Reap exploring the countryside, visiting ancient temples and eating plenty of delicious food.

Then it was on to Phnom Penh for a few days. I took a short 45 minute flight and arrived at the very small open air terminal. Phnom Penh has a much different vibe than Siem Reap, but I enjoyed a few relaxing days in the city. I took a sunset cruise along the Mekong River, learned the traditional Khmere cuisine at a local cooking class, visited the silk islands, and shopped at the local non-profit boutiques. I even took in some of the city history with a visit to the killing fields, Royal Palace and National Museum.

I was really excited to return to Siem Reap for the remainder of my stay in Cambodia. I didn't really have any set plans, but my last few days were filled with plenty of new experiences. I drank plenty of mango shakes, visited the military museum, relaxed in a hammock at the reservoir, watched the sunrise at Angkor Wat, toured the floating village by boat, returned to the ancient temples and dined with a friend in his small village.

As I sort through thousands of photos, I will continue posting about my experiences during this extended vacation. In the mean time, you can follow me along on Instagram to see what I'm up to currently or catch up on some of my trip posts here:

China:

• Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an
• Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang
• Giant Panda Sanctuary
• Chongqing Cygnet
• Photo Friday: Xi'an
• Pullman Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Hotel 

Cambodia:

• Preah Khan
• Ta Keo
• Cambodian Countryside Tour
• Lemongrass Massage and Beauty Spa
• Chanrey Tree

Photo Friday: Indialantic Beach

Indialantic, Florida

May 2012

Pullman Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Hotel

My return flight from Cambodia to Chengdu connected through Guangzhou. I arrived at 10pm and had a 10am flight the following morning to complete my trip. It takes about an hour to travel from the airport to the downtown area of Guangzhou. During my travels through China and Southeast Asia I usually select budget hotels, but this time I chose the airport hotel merely out of convenience. However, the hotel is only a few years old and it is beautiful.  

Airport

Hotel Lobby at Reception

The rooms are large and comfortable. Bathrobes and slippers are provided for use during your stay in addition to a yoga mat and umbrella if the need arises. Bath towels are thick and extra large in size. The water pressure in the shower was the best I've had in awhile and pours out of a rainfall shower head. The bed was so comfortable that I felt as though I was sleeping on a cloud. Plus I was provided with plenty of cushy pillows including curved leg pillows at the end of the bed. The bed was so warm and inviting I had trouble leaving it in the morning and nearly missed my flight.       

My stay was delightful and my only complaint was the bathtub. It looks nice, but was rather small and I couldn't get the water hot enough. Mind you, I had no trouble accessing hot water in the shower. I realize most people don't even care about bath tubs in hotel rooms, but I love soaking in a hot bubble bath to relax. Living in China I don't have a bath tub in my apartment so baths are few and far between. When possible (and budget allows) I book hotels that have a separate tub with the intention of indulging in a hot bath.    

One thing I miss from home is the access to a variety of beauty products. While Sephora is located in a number of cities, their product selection is smaller than in the USA and the price is typically double. The same goes for any other western brand products, beauty or otherwise. So I love it when I stay at a hotel chain that provides name brand beauty products in their rooms. I was delighted that the Pullman in Guangzhou supplies CO Bigelow products. I will be using each of these until the last drop. 

Additionally, Wifi in the hotel is free and there is no pesky code to enter. You simply click the hotel name to connect. The connection was solid, which is unusual in a number of hotels in China.   

Although hotel rates vary depending on the date booked, the price for rooms typically run over $120 USD per night. I booked my stay through www.hotels.com. As I've used the site for my travels throughout China, I had earned a free night which I cashed in for this stay. With the value of my free stay applied, I ended up paying $38 for the night.     

The hotel is beautiful and the room was comfortable. I wish I could've stayed longer! It's not really practical to stay here long term as it's so far from the city center, but I wouldn't mind staying here again under similar circumstances.

Chanrey Tree

On my last day in Siem Reap, Cambodia I had lunch at the Chanrey Tree. It was recommended to me by a local who said the flavors tasted just like traditional Khmere cuisine. Reservations are recommended as it is quite popular, especially for dinner. 

This is the reception area of the restaurant. There is outdoor seating available out front in addition to seating upstairs in an air-conditioned room. The prices are a little higher for Khmere food than you will find in town, but the atmosphere, service and food presentation are far superior. The restaurant is located along the river, a few minutes walk from the pub street area and old market.  

      

I dined upstairs in the air conditioned room. I ordered two of my favorites: a mango shake and fried fresh chicken spring rolls. Plus I tried the seafood with fresh (local) kampot pepper that was served with steamed rice. Everything was delicious and the service was excellent. They do add a 15% service charge to bill, which is only notable because tipping is not as common in Cambodia. 

I had a great meal at Chanrey Tree and I'll be back again next time I'm in Siem Reap. 

 

Do you like tasting the local cuisine when you travel?