Bat Cave of Battambang

Every night shortly before sunset, a mesmerizing spectacle unfolds at a cave in western Cambodia. Over a million bats initiate a symphony of high-pitched shrieking in anticipation for the night's feast. Quick as a flash, they come streaming out of the large opening of their cavern dwelling, and do not stop their procession for over an hour. Locals bring their children to witness the event. Everyone stares up in awe. I motorbiked over here with some other backpackers and we joined in with the gawking crowds.  Too bad none of us remembered to bring a Batman costume. Well, there's always next time...

Mystical Angkor

So many temples dot the landscape of Asia that I thought I'd seen it all, that I was completely "templed out". Accordingly, I didn't raise my expectations ahead of visiting Cambodia's Angkor Wat. But I was wrong. The ancient temples of Angkor are astonishing. I was overcome by a sense of child-like wonder, totally in awe that such a place could exist on Earth. I consider myself fortunate to have visited in the height of the rainy season, when few tourists are around and nature is at its most vivid, adding an extra layer of mysticism to a place that is already as mystical as any. While pictures cannot adequately express the feeling of being submerged in the jungle amongst the ruins, I hope they provide some clue. Please have a look and leave a comment!

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The Mekong Runs Deep

Any travel guidebook on Southeast Asia will issue stern warnings on visiting the region during the monsoon season. Getting from place to place can be a challenge, they say, and carefully laid tourist plans can be ruined by unpredictable weather. Yet here I was, arriving in one of the least developed countries in the region, right in time for the peak of the wet season. Cambodians have been through a lot in recent history, I said to myself. Surely I can handle a little bit of rain!