As the last few days of our Cambodian visa quickly trickled down, we sat through several bus journeys only to 1. Ride on a flimsy bamboo bridge before it collapses, 2. Take the chance to see some of the 80 or so critically endangered irrawady dolphins living in the Mekong in Kratie and 3. Backtrack past Kampong Cham and all the way to Phnom Penh. Whether that was going to be worth the 20 or so back breaking bus hours or not, we did not know. But the most surprising part was the bum gun that we came across in our hotel.

The first pleasant surprise along the way was the Reasmey Cheanich Hotel in Kampong Cham. A well deserved little slice of luxury! We found it by stumbling on the TripAdvisor reviews, but it seems to be brand new and not have much presence online yet. Honestly, after four weeks in Cambodia we have only stayed in one other place as nice as this – and it cost a dollar more per night. Yep, this hotel room cost us 9$/night for a twin room. We even had a kettle! What a treat for Richard’s little British heart. Unfortunately, only coffee was provided – no tea bags – but nobodies’ perfect.

The hotel is on a quiet side street, but a short walk to the riverfront cafes and bars. Take a bike and go ride on the bamboo bridge.

Reasmey Cheanich’s only flaw – and it’s more of a warning to others – is that the bum gun in the bathroom has more pressure than a stressed out fire hydrant. Seriously, I almost lost an eye. Tread lightly with the bum gun. And… Beware of slippery floors 😉