For our 3 year anniversary I decided to push the boat out and enjoy some luxury – after weeks of staying in the cheapest digs available we we’re getting dirty and tired out – so I think it was well deserved. For the price of a shitty Travelodge back home I managed to book into the four star boutique-spa-hotel called villa paradise and believe me, it lived up to its title; luscious tropical gardens surround the swimming pool, complete with Jacuzzi, steam room and in house massage and aromatherapy. Our room had a massive king size bed with a comfortingly soft mattress (something that seems to be reserved for the upper classes round here) and full air con to bring us to a good temperature for the first time since we arrived in Cambodia. We also had a flat screen TV with built in media player and a selection of films and documentaries (of which we watched an informative piece explaining the country’s turbulent history) but even better (according to Kath) was the hairdryer and luxuriously hot water in the shower.
We spent much time relaxing by the pool and making use of the Jacuzzi and sauna in the afternoon and also the following morning, it is a real treat to laze about doing nothing for a change. In the evening of the 26th we visited some bars that we would usually never dare to go to, even going so far as to order red wine and cocktails from the menu (shock horror – I am usually too tight to order anything but the cheapest local beers, even when Heineken is only 20p extra): it was refreshing to have a change, even though I do love the Angkor beer! We had lunch by the riverside in an awesome Mexican restaurant where a massive band were cramped into the balcony in a very comedic fashion – more exciting than this though was the Mexican hot sauce which made my beef fajitas absolutely banging and even more exciting was the Chilean merlot which was probably mediocre shite, but after 8 weeks without wine it had me purring like a cat.
We enjoyed some pampering with a fish spa and massage on the riverfront, which actually was pretty damn cheap anyway, it’s really worth going in for this stuff in Cambodia as massage can be as cheap as $4 per hour. The fish spa was a good laugh as you plunge your dirty feet into a tank full of hungry fishes to have the dry skin eaten away. My feet aren’t so ticklish, so I was ok, but Kath was giggling like a school girl for a long time before she got used to the feeling. There was a small fish tank and big fish tank – Kath opting for the small and me the other. The small fish felt gentle and tickly against you skin whereas some of the big ones were tearing chunks out of my heels- it was crazy – but afterwards my feet didn’t smell like a fat yanks armpit anymore and they also felt smooth and clean. Well worth a go in my opinion and especially good for £2 including a beer!
We finished up with some nice Khmer dinner (frogs legs for me and chicken for Kath) and headed back to the hotel for relaxation. The next morning we took full advantage of the free breakfast, which included some of the nicest fried eggs I’ve ever had, especially enjoying the unlimited free orange juice and coffee. After this we lounged a while by the pool and lived it up in the steam room and Jacuzzi, feeling like Wayne Rooney and Colene (no offence Kath) as we soaked up the sun while getting blasted by 100 different massaging jets.
We are sad to leave the place and go back to normality; I can see why the rich and famous get used to this kind of stuff.
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