This was not the most well thought-out bike trip. Looking back, I should have simply flown to Cambodia, backpacked around, and flown back. After all, I was working full time, and it was a major effort to even get four weeks off (unpaid). And then preparing the bicycle and gear and getting it on the airplane was a major effort. I was exhausted and stressed out before my plane had even left the ground in Taipei.

However, all that got done, and I found myself at the airport in Phnom Penh with a flat-tire-prone bicycle. I spent a few days exploring Cambodia’s capital city (including a trip to the Killing Fields), and then I set off for a bike ride that took me to the coast at Sihanoukville and then north to Siam Reap to check out Angkor Wat. I found Angkor Wat so fascinating that I abandoned my plans to cycle more of the country. Instead, I stayed in Siem Reap longer and then took a bus back to Phnom Penh for my return  flight to Taipei. Despite the unexpected challenges, it was a good trip, and I’d love to return to Cambodia someday.