‘I watched the sun rise at Angkor Wat and it was totally worth it’

I finally arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It’s a lovely town and I felt completely safe wandering around on my own, even after dark.

There are heaps of wonderful places to eat. I stayed at the Shinta Mani Shack, which was lovely. They put little vases of lotus flowers everywhere and the smell was beautiful. They take all their staff locally, train them and then find them employment in other hotels, so it’s an ongoing way to help young Cambodians.

As soon as I sat down by the pool the staff rushed out with awesome little fruit ice blocks. You’ve got to love such attentive service.

I made my way to Angkor Wat. I recommend arriving for dawn and entering through the east gate. You get the full force of the sunrise from there and there is nothing quite like it. Seeing the sunrise is one of he most popular and spectacular things to do, but you need to be a little bit organised.

You also want to make sure that the weather will provide you with the best sunrise. Sounds obvious, but it’s true. Who wants to get out of bed early in the morning to stand in the dark only to have the skies turn grey?

Purchasing your ticket in advance should also ensure you don’t waste time queuing for a pass in the morning.

While the sunrise is lovely, be sure to walk your way through the temple while the temperatures are low. It’s surprising how many people don’t go beyond the Churning of the Ocean of Milk on the eastern inner wall. Yet there are so many views from the other side, and the morning sun lights them all up.