Meet our friends in Siem Reap - So much more than Angkor Wat!

Yes, we are back in Siem Reap! This is or favorite town in Cambodia, and through the next few episodes I think you are going to understand why. This whole town is built around Angkor Wat as a tourist attraction, and so there are many expats living in Siem Reap, working in the tourist industry, just like our friends Katrine and Simen.
Many tourists that come to Siem Reap will stay 3 or 4 days to see the temples, have a walk through town, the old market and pup street. There are so many more things to do here that we would have never known about if it werent for Simen and Katrine.
The first time we came to Siem Reap was in 2023. We had a plan to stay a few days to see the temples and we didnt really have more of a plan than that, apart form visiting some Norwegians we got a tip was running a guesthouse there. It was fully booked when we planned on visiting, so we booked another hotel and went over to visit. We were greeted with open arms and we became very good friends in just a few minutes! So much so, that Katrine invited us to go to Nesat with them a few days later. And so we did!
We had so much fun together that we simply dropped Vietnam from our itinerary and just stayed in Cambodia! We got to see so many cool things that we never would have experienced if it hadnt been for Katrine and Simen, and that is exactly why we found it so easy to book tickets to go back and have some more fun, less than a year later! In the next few episodes we’ll show you the life in Siem Reap and take you along on a bunch of the tours available at the Babel Hotels and you’ll also get a peak into the environmental work being done by Babel and their many collaborators.
We visited Tonle Sap, West Baraj, Koh Ker and we also got to go on a village tour with Joy, one of Babels wonderful tuktuk drivers. Excursions like this really lets you see how the people are living and what they are struggling with, what they enjoy and how their culture shapes their lives. As a bonus, we got to see a bunch of cool cars passing through Siem Reap and we’ll be posting videos from each and every one of these, so remember to subscribe to our channel, if you dont want to miss out!
Thank you so much for watching:)
Eyvind, Barbro, Ask and Ylva
Links:
Babel Website - www.babelsiemreap.com/
Babel Guesthouse KZbin - ‪@babelsiemreapguesthouse1368‬
Babel Guesthouse Instagram - ‪@babelguesthousesiemreap2942‬
Babel Boutique Instagram - @babelboutiquehotel

[@hf..7271]

On behalf of all Cambodia we are so grateful for the work you’ve done for our country with an open heart ! Thank you so much ! Bless load ! 💜💜🙏🙏🥰🥰🫶🏻🫶🏻🌺🥗

[@welikethislife]

Thank you🥰 We love Cambodia🇰🇭❤️

[@NopKolap]

I'm Cambodian 🇰🇭💚🙏. I'm really happy Thank you so much for your Love My country 🇰🇭💚💚💚🙏👍💐👏🏻👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾👏🏿

[@welikethislife]

Thank you😊🙏🏼 We love Cambodia😁❤️🇰🇭

[@rickyney6670]

Wow! I am impressed with the effort to stop the use of plastic. Thank you!

[@welikethislife]

Yes, we are also inspired by this work! Thank you😊🙏🏼

[@borachhay7201]

Cool place and I will check it out when I return to Siem Reap ❤

[@welikethislife]

Cool! I think you will enjoy it😁🇰🇭

[@laykhom3212]

Love your video because of your understanding about life in general ❤Thanks for visiting Cambodia 🇰🇭 and love from California

[@welikethislife]

Thank you, that is so nice😊 It was our pleassure😊 Love back from 🇳🇴

[@Kosalsom]

Love ❤

[@welikethislife]

Thank you, and ❤️ in return😊🙏🏼❤️🇰🇭

[@mhouse1572]

Great 👍 thanks to caring

[@welikethislife]

Thank you😊🙏🏼🇰🇭

[@karens6725]

So good to see that you've enjoyed your trip. I can't wait to go back.

[@welikethislife]

ThNk you😊🙏🏼 We also can’t wait😁🇰🇭

[@howardouk1056]

Amazing thing they’re doing to help out with the environment and trash

[@welikethislife]

Yes, we totally agree👏🏼😊

[@parislim853]

I like you and your family

[@welikethislife]

Thank you so much😁🙏🏼

[@gregmcallister3893]

Outstanding evolution in modern video. It sure is amazing how quickly they grow.

[@welikethislife]

Sure is! Thanks for watching, Greg😁🙏🏼

[@LenkaMcCarthy-ig3eu]

Thank you so much for the inspiration. We booked the Babel Guest House for later this year, straight after watching this video. Looking forward to the following episodes.

[@welikethislife]

Oh, that is so cool😃 You are going to love it😊

[@songmakara1]

I can see the BIG HEART🥰

[@welikethislife]

Thank you so much 🥰🇰🇭🙏🏼

[@km2100]

Awesome video!! Love the 360 shots. Thank you for showing how Babel is making a difference in Cambodia regarding the impacts of plastic on the environment. As Cambodia is developing with gazillion of products on the markets, trash will happen and can be a huge problem if it is not taken care of. I'm not sure if the Cambodian government is doing something about it, but every province in Cambodia should have billboards to remind people not to liter. Also teachers at elementary schools should teach youngsters the importance of the environment and how trash can affect it. Youngsters should be taught how to recycle and not liter.

[@welikethislife]

Thank you😊🙏🏼 Yes, education and information is good, and there are so many different people working on this problem! There is hope, for sure😊

[@rickyney6670]

Thank you for your input. I also troubled to see the litters everywhere. You have a great suggestion about the solution. I am in complete agreement with you that education is the key. However, I don’t think the guy running the country have the desire or the will to do anything about it. The Cambodian government is running by a former Khmer Rough thug who is only interested in power. After the longest serving prime minister in the world, now he is transferring the power to his son. I want to finish my thought by leaving you a quote by Lord Acton, “Power tend to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

[@welikethislife]

Again, we completely agree. This time about the challenge. 😐

[@KhmerMinnesnowta]

I had a chace to visit this historical place back in mid 60s with my family as a teenager before the civil war erupted . Only memory lives on. I left the country back in 1979 after I had to live through the genocide under Pol Pot killing madness. Most of my family members did not survive as we were forced to move out of the Phnom Penh City in 1975 to work in the rice fields and cannals. My first return trip was in 1995 when the country first officially open up to the world to search for my surviving family members. I've returned to visit my sole surviving sister every year for the last ten years since my retirement from US to heal the past. It's very safe to visit Cambodia now as the country has come a long way since the prolonged civil war was officially ended upruptly in 1998. Be mindful of your surroundings . Be kind whenever possible. It's always possible as life is short to do the things we don't love doing. Happy and safe travels from a genocide survivor ✌️

[@welikethislife]

Wow, it is unbelievable what you have been through. And that this happened in a country so full of smiles and kindness is equally unbelievable. I am glad you got to come back when it all ended, and that you have your sister to visit. We always feel safe in Cambodia and we are looking forward to visit again😊🇰🇭 Thank you for your advice and for sharing your story😊🙏🏼

[@rickyney6670]

Greeting from Las Vegas! I am also a killing survivor. I also lost many of my relatives during the Khmer Rouge era’s. It was a bitter past no survivors want to talk about. After the civil war and followed by Vietnamese invasion, I thought Cambodia will finally be able to taste the light of freedom when the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia sponsored the election. Sadly to say that did not come to past. The remnants of that bitter past still remain today. The current leaders were mostly part of the Khmer Rouge members and were installed into power by Vietnamese invaders. Cambodia got out from the killing field but slipped into dictatorship, kleptocracy, corruption and deforestation. I hope one day soon Cambodia will be free from an I internal incompetent leaders and external foreign domination such as China.

[@welikethislife]

Thank you for sharing this🙏🏼 We completely share your concerns and hope❤️

[@rachhitchheun9560]

Enjoy my country support you ❤

[@welikethislife]

Thank you so much😁🙏🏼 We love Cambodia🤩🇰🇭

[@longhea5471]

Hello welcome Everyone you Theyare Thanks Combodia

[@welikethislife]

Thank you so much😁🙏🏼 We love Cambodia❤️🇰🇭

[@tharymano8558]

អរគុណបង🙏💗

[@welikethislife]

Thank you too😊🙏🏼❤️

[@chhivhun995]

Welcome to Cambodia.thank you so much.love your videos ❤❤

[@welikethislife]

Thank you😊🙏🏼 We love Cambodia😁🇰🇭❤️

[@crblxck3185]

great video, information and inspiration

[@welikethislife]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much😊🙏🏼

[@Lachelip]

I will look up and stay at babel questhouse next i go to SR

[@welikethislife]

That is so nice! Say hello from us when you do😁

[@sukikom2259]

Beautiful video. Thanks for sharing ❤❤

[@welikethislife]

Thank you so much for watching😊🙏🏼

[@hengteng]

nice❤❤

[@welikethislife]

Thank you! Cheers! 😊🙏🏼

[@ThePrahok884]

❤❤❤🇰🇭💙​ 🇳🇴

[@welikethislife]

😁❤️🙏🏼🇰🇭

[@sohinkhun6241]

❤💙💖

[@welikethislife]

😊🙏🏼

[@sohinkhun6241]

@@welikethislife 💙❤️🥰💖🙏

[@wcfields4469]

I love your cause. Plastic is so bad.

[@welikethislife]

Thank you😊🙏🏼 Totally agree!

[@oemcheat8502]

Welcome to Cambodia ❤

[@welikethislife]

Thank you😁🙏🏼 We love it❤️🇰🇭

[@vuthycheychan8239]

Je réside en France et récemment j'ai fais un voyage en Afrique du sud:il y a un village où les habitants essaient adopter une existence écologique y compris concernant l'hygiène.Des toilettes et sans papiers de toilette:vous passerez un moment de solitude 😂

[@kolapyellow7631]

Yes, trash is a big problem in the country.

[@welikethislife]

Yes! Hopefully it will be better soon😊🇰🇭

[@samedikoch3371]

🇰🇭🇺🇸❤️👍 !

[@welikethislife]

😁🙏🏼🇰🇭