It’s time to wrap up my trip to Cambodia and Japan. What starts with the intention of joining friends in Japan and evolves into a side trip to Cambodia. This has been a jam packed trip full of variety! If you’ve spent anytime to read through the trip, Thank You! If you haven’t and want to, you can find the whole trip here. Let’s Go!
Top 3 Highlights
Highlight #1: Travelling with Friends
One of the primary reasons for going on this trip is to hang out with Antetokounmpo and Lebron in Japan. So being able to travel with my friends in another country is by far the #1 highlight of this trip. Though our time in Tokyo together is short, we still get to explore Tokyo Disneyland and enjoy some tasty (and fancy) meals together over the course of a few days! As great as it is to explore the world on my own, being able to experience life with those close to me is that much better. I’m grateful to have friends that are willing to let me tag along and share great memories with me!
Highlight #2: Apopo Hero Rats
One would think that the highlight of visiting Siem Reap would be Angkor Wat. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly worthy of a highlight. However, what surprised me is my brief visit to Apopo. It’s not a huge tourist attraction, the visitor centre isn’t very expansive and you’re done in an hour. But the unique mix of “weird” and meaningful resonates with me. Using African rats as a means to clear mine fields is such an odd concept. Yet it is so very effective. I was really impressed with both the method of mine clearing and also the good work they’re doing for the people of Cambodia. I didn’t think I would end up being a fan of rats but somehow a visit to Apopo changed that.
Highlight #3: Suzuka
I struggled with choosing just one highlight from Nagoya. Ultimately I ended up with my visit to Suzuka. This is the main reason I chose to make Nagoya my Japanese point of entry. For followers of this blog, you’ll know that I’ve been on a small “side quest” to visit Formula One tracks whilst on my travels. So doing a day trip out to Suzuka circuit was at the top of my list. What surprised me is its not just an empty track when there isn’t an event going on. There’s a whole amusement park built around the site, so even when there isn’t racing, people can visit and enjoy the grounds. I enjoyed exploring the different parts of the grounds which is why this is my third highlight!
Favourite Meal
It’s hard to pick just meal to highlight, but I think my ramen meal at Men Mitsui will be it! After a long and exhaustive day at Tokyo Disneyland. I really wanted a warm comforting bowl of ramen. I’m glad to find Men Mitsui because after this meal, I didn’t get a chance to revisit it since every other time they were closed. The broth and noodles were both excellent and after a long day outside, this really really hit the spot!
If I could change the itinerary…
There is absolutely nothing wrong with my visit to Laos. But in retrospect, I probably should have exercised some restraint and stuck with just Cambodia and Japan for this trip. Seeing how close Laos is it to Thailand and Cambodia, I had a strong desire to “drop by” and “check another country” off the list. My justification is that I can “sample” and if I’m not a fan, I can at least say I’ve been. But if I like it, I have a head start for planning a future trip. In adding Laos, I incurred extra travel time and cost. And while my time there was enjoyable, after two very long travel days I don’t know if I maximized my time there. If I had went straight to Cambodia, I would have an extra day to settle down at my resort and not add an extra day of travel logistics. Ultimately, I’m still glad I have a sense of what Laos is and I’m happy to report I’d like to make it an actual travel destination now. But I don’t think I did it justice visiting it for less than 24 hours and that’s the part of the itinerary for this trip I would change.
What surprised me?
I didn’t know what to expect upon arriving in Cambodia. Prior to this visit, my only travel experiences with South East Asia were in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Siem Reap has a different feel to those places, so I was a bit tentative. It didn’t take long before Cambodia grew on me. From the hospitality to the food to the culture. I really really enjoyed my time and it exceeded my expectations. It has just the right mix of creature comforts and unique cultural experiences to make it a very desirable destination. I’ve already found myself telling others that it’s likely a place I’m planning a return trip to sooner rather than later.
One memorable story from this trip
On my first long travel day I make mention of a hectic story at Bangkok Airport. So here it is! Upon landing in Bangkok, I head to an airport connection desk to have my onward boarding pass printed. In line in front of me are three wheelchair passengers with their airport attendants assisting them. They’re talking to the ticketing staff sorting out their boarding passes. Meanwhile, one of the ticketing staff sees me and motions for me to her desk. I head over with my carry on luggage and we start the process. After a minute or two, I look back and notice that my carry on luggage is gone along with the wheelchair contingent! A panic sets in, the ticketing agent suspects the attendant probably took it. They tell me their gate and I start running through the airport like a mad man to get my luggage back. After a sprint I find them and they apologize. But then I then need to hoof it back because I realize they have my passport! I make it back to the counter, and the staff thankfully had set everything aside for me.
Sufficed to say it was a jolt after a long travel day and some unexpected cardio in an airport!
Did I pack appropriately?
From a clothing point of view, I did pack appropriately. But what I didn’t anticipate this time is catching a small cold halfway through the trip. I ended up with a cough which isn’t great when you’re travelling with friends and on busy subway trains with lots of other people. So I needed to pick up some medication, cough drops and masks while in Japan. In past years, I’d have a few masks tucked away (as a post Covid precaution). But this trip I didn’t bring them along. I also brought painkillers and allergy medicine but didn’t think to bring cold and flue medicine. Looking back this is actually something I clocked in Morocco as well. Clearly I haven’t learned my lesson, I have now added this to my packing list.
Regrets?
I think my main regret is not fully maximizing my time in Tokyo. One of the sentiments I have with regards to Tokyo is that I feel more and more “Tokyo’d” out these days. I’ve been fortunate to visit this city often and on this past trip, I may have used the excused of being “done” with Tokyo a bit too liberally. There is still so much to this city to see and even though I have experienced a lot already, there is still so much more to it. I don’t need to do all the touristy things anymore. I don’t need to find the “hidden gems” or latest eateries. But on one of my last days here all I did was walk along the Sumida River. I had no aim or place I needed to be and I really enjoyed it. There are locals out for jogs, walking their pets and enjoying the weather. And I did the same. I think moving forward, even though I feel a destination may be a repeat, simply “being” in a city can offer unexpected value.
Advice for people considering similar trips/destinations?
This specific itinerary is difficult to make work. I don’t think many would pair Cambodia with Japan on a trip. As individual destinations they are both wonderful and unique in their own ways. I’ve already gushed about Cambodia above and would highly recommend that you put it on the list. In a world where affordability increasingly enters the conversation. A destination like Cambodia makes a lot of sense. They have a budding tourism infrastructure that is itching to welcome more and more travellers. The hospitality is second to none and there is a little bit of everything for everyone there.
Meanwhile Japan is probably the top destination for a majority of travellers. Everyone I know is either going to Japan or has gone in the past year. However, I would like to put fourth Nagoya as a place to add to the list. While not usually on the radar compared to Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto. What you’ll find is the same big city feel without the crowds of tourists of the other main destinations. Granted you’re not going to get all “touristy” things in Nagoya. But I would argue that you get a more authentic Japanese metropolitan feel going to Nagoya sans tourists. Plus you’re only an hour train ride from the other major cities and a lot of other major attractions.
Final thoughts?
Starting to seek out travelling with others, one of the things I recognize is that destinations would no longer be fully my own. However, this trip shows that even though my primary goal is to meet up with my friends. I still have some autotomy to explore new places and get the best of both worlds. I have also learned that I may be getting to a point where “reaching” for too much in an itinerary is starting to feel like diminishing returns. Maybe this is an evolution in my travel style but something to keep an eye on for sure!
Regardless, I remain ever so grateful for this ability to explore this beautiful world we live in. I’m appreciative that I am able to do so and this time am very happy to be able to do so with my friends and have memories we can talk about for years to come. Onward to the next trip!