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Funny, when we got to Phnom Penh on Sunday the airport felt much like all the other small international airports we frequent. It was very nondescript; the only distinguishing feature was the sign that told us where we had landed. It was all so ho hum. I anticipated a dreary wait for the flight to Siem Reap. Not so!

First we found ourselves in the wrong queue, after asking two separate airline employees and double checking the English signage… but that has become a very standard “adventure.” Then to our surprise we had to pay a departure tax, for domestic travel… only 6$, but I was taken by surprise, and glad that we had the exact change in US dollars please.

But the best part was after our boarding pass had been triple checked to ensure that we had indeed paid the departure tax… after we went up the escalator to the domestic departure terminal… after we had passed thru a simple security check… much less of a check than that for the departure tax. We found ourselves in quite a modern, and if I do say so, pretty gate area. I knew that Siem Reap was THE Cambodian tourist destination, and that it was considered to be “upscale,” but I did not expect what I saw.

The gate reserved for domestic departure to Siem Reap was like a boutique hotel. It had an artisan “made in Cambodia” gift shop with beautiful gift items. The waiting area had flat panel monitors and comfy seats surrounded by an all glass view of the runway, the interior walls painted with bright colors, accented by contemporary murals. There was a small haute cuisine café with tables to compliment the vista… espresso please barista, ooooh and freshly squeezed juice, thank you.

The flight was short sweet and uneventful. It was a propeller plane, something that usually feels a bit more unsteady to me, but the pilot apparently was more skilled, and I barely noted a difference. JK perused the in-flight booklet and I stared out the window at the terrain below. It looked rather bleak and barren, until we reached the area near Siem Reap which was at the edge of Cambodia’s largest lake, Tonle Sap Lake. Suddenly there were dense areas of green jungle.

They served us a snack box of juice, Danish and some savory bun… and the flight was only 30 minutes! OK, it was all in one small box, but it did hit the spot. The flight attendant’s take off and landing seat was in the center aisle directly in front of us (we were in the first seats)…so he initiated conversation. He was, as we continue to find the people of Cambodia, a friendly, personable young man. As we deplaned, they placed there hands together, bowed (as was their custom) and wished us well.

The driver greeted us at the gate and steered us towards the car. Just before we drove away we witnessed the staging area for a tour group of about 50 people. We only wished we had our cameras unpacked. Apparently the tour guide had arranged a trip by tuk tuk to the hotel for all fifty. From our vantage point it looked as if they were readying themselves for a race. Crammed into tuk tuks, two by two, suitcases haphazardly placed in every available space. Bunched together in neat little rows of three tuks, the starting gate stretched on and on forever. We laughed at both them and ourselves… strange breed these tourists.