April 2 – April 13, 2010: The first travel adventure that Michael and I had together, like so many others, was in South East Asia. It was a GAP Adventures Roam Cambodia tour, picked in haste on March 14, 2010, beginning in Bangkok, Thailand on April 4, 2010 and ending in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on April 13, 2010.
UPDATE: Gap Adventures is now GAdventures and the equivalent tour offered today is Cambodia on a Shoestring. Like our tour in 2010, this is a YOLO style trip with a basic service level. We highly recommend GAdventures and have used them for over five trips between the two of us.
Over the next three weeks we booked flights, decided on vaccinations, and procured visas for Vietnam. And then… off we went! A summary of our itinerary follows with links to more detailed posts.
April 2, 2010: Departed Newark, New Jersey, United States.
April 3 – 5, 2010: Arrived Bangkok, Thailand. Had two nights and one day to explore the city before departing with our tour group.
April 5 – 7, 2010: Departed Bangkok, Thailand and crossed the border into Cambodia. Destination: Siem Reap where we spent time exploring the town and Angkor Wat.
April 7 – 9, 2010: Departed Siem Reap and arrived Phnom Penh where we spent time learning about the atrocious history of the Khmer Rouge regime at the Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek.
April 9 – 11, 2010: Departed Phnom Penh and arrived Sihanoukville where we explored the beach town.
April 11 – 12, 2010: Departed Sihanoukville and crossed border to Vietnam. Destination: Cần Thơ where we viewed life on the Mekong river.
April 12 – 13, 2010: Departed Cần Thơ and arrived Ho Chi Minh City where we explored the markets of the city.
April 13, 2010: Departed Hi Chi Minh City, saying good-bye to South East Asia (for now). Arrived Newark, New Jersey, United States.
The whole experience was magical; and the beginning of so much in our lives.
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