Travel Blog | Thailand and Cambodia | Part Four
NOTE: Our trip to Thailand and Cambodia took place in November 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. For current guidelines, please click here for Thailand and for Cambodia, click here.
Hi friends!
If you’ve reached this point, I’ll assume you’ve finished the first three parts of our Thailand and Cambodia blog posts.
Part Four details our stay final two days in Phuket (including our tour of Phang Nga Bay), our ‘layover day’ in Bangkok, and our return trip to Phoenix, Arizona.
OUR DAILY ITINERARY:
Day 1, Friday (11/15/2019) – Travel Day (Phoenix to Seattle; Seattle to Seoul)
Day 2, Saturday (11/16/2019) – Travel Day (Arrive in Seoul; Seoul to Bangkok; Arrive at hotel)
Day 3, Sunday (11/17/2019) – All day in Bangkok, Thailand
Day 4, Monday (11/18/2019) – All day in Bangkok, Thailand
Day 5, Tuesday (11/19/2019) – Bangkok to Siem Reap by air; Siem Reap to Battambang by private van
Day 6, Wednesday (11/20/2019) – Spend morning and early afternoon in Battambang; Leave for Siem Reap by private van at 3:00PM
Day 7, Thursday (11/21/2019) –All day in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Day 8, Friday (11/22/2019) – All day in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Day 9, Saturday (11/23/2019) – All day in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Day 10, Sunday (11/24/2019) – Siem Reap to Phuket via AirAsia
Day 11, Monday (11/25/2019) – All day in Phuket, Thailand
Day 12, Tuesday (11/26/2019) – All day in Phuket, Thailand
Day 13, Wednesday (11/27/2019) – All day in Phuket, Thailand
Day 14, Thursday (11/28/2019) – All day in Phuket, Thailand
Day 15, Friday (11/29/2019) – Phuket to Bangkok via Thai Airways
Day 16, Saturday (11/30/2019) – Travel Day (Bangkok to Seoul; Seoul to Los Angeles; Los Angeles to Phoenix)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH
PHUKET
We woke up around 5am to get ready for our fun filled day with Phuket Sail Tours (PST). I checked the Weather app many times before we got to Phuket to determine whether we would have to sit out this tour, but thank goodness we didn’t experience any rain or thunderstorms today. The December 2004 tsunami that devastated Phuket and other Asian countries was forefront in my mind. However, the only rain we experienced in Phuket was on our last day, and it was just for 30 minutes (and we were safe at our hotel). So don’t pay attention to the Weather app folks – except maybe to determine the temperature for any given day.
I booked the Phang Nga Bay by Speedboat with PST via email in September (http://www.phuketsailtours.com). This is an all-day tour which begins at 8am (arriving at the office for check in) and ends at 4:30pm (return to the pier/office). They were very professional and answered all questions promptly. I was pleasantly surprised they didn’t require a deposit to book; PST uses an honor system. The cost for the four of us was 17,600 Baht (~$565 USD).
Jacqueline and I have motion sickness and were worried about being in a speedboat, but we needn’t have stressed. We took Dramamine and wore the Sea-band wristbands the day of the tour and didn’t have any issues.
We were picked up by the driver from Phuket Sail Tours (PST) at 6:40am. There was already one passenger in the van and the driver made another stop for two other passengers. We arrived at the PST office around 8am to check in and pay for our tour. We met our guide Wai, who gave us info on what to expect during the day. We were also offered a continental breakfast and told to take a bathroom break before we walked to the pier. From there we boarded a shuttle bus to where the boat was docked, got on, and were off by 8:30am.
The speedboat is loud and goes FAST! It was a thrilling ride for sure. I can’t imagine falling off the speedboat, so wore the life vest willingly.
Our first stop was to the Krabi Province for some gorgeous views. We didn’t get off here; the boat idled while we took turns taking photos of the surrounding areas.
The next stop was a ‘drive by’ of the bird’s nest cave for photo ops. Since the bird’s nests are considered a highly valuable commodity, the guardian of the nests lives here full time to prevent poachers from stealing them. The bird’s nest is made from their saliva, and are harvested to be used for medicinal purposes. The Chinese often use it in bird’s nest soup, and charge accordingly.
We reached Kudu Island (Ko Yao Noi) at 9:45am, where we stopped to relax and swim for an hour. The boat parked at a beautiful lagoon, which is surrounded by jutting limestone towers that rise out of the water. We were given bamboo mats to relax on the small sandy beach, and were also treated to a picnic breakfast of fried chicken, fresh fruits, and juice/soda.
We got this spot to ourselves for a bit before another boat dropped off their passengers. However, it was still peaceful and not crowded, so really enjoyed our time here.
We left Kudu Island at 10:45am for Hong Island. After a brief info session by Wai, we were led two each to a waiting canoe, each with its own paddle man. This affords us the ability to enjoy the views without having to worry about paddling and straying off the path.
The boat didn’t dock, so it was a bit tricky getting onto the canoe. We didn’t wear the life vest, so I was afraid of falling into the water. Kevin would have had to jump in to save me from drowning since I don’t know how to swim. :P
We spent about 30 minutes canoeing in and around caves, the mangrove forest, and limestone formations.
Next the speedboat took us to Khao Phing Kan, a pair of islands located in Phang Nga Bay. The small needle-shaped island is called Tapu, but is better known as James Bond Island because of the 1974 movie, 'The Man with the Golden Gun'. We didn’t go ashore because of the crowds, but we got to take some photos of the area from the boat. Honestly, I didn’t feel we missed out on much by not going ashore – crowds in an area such as this isn’t an enjoyable prospect.
We arrived at our next stop, the Kho Panyi Village (Muslim Floating Village) around 12:15pm. Kho Panyi is a fishing village of over 1,500 people built entirely over the water on stilts. Here we were treated to a delicious lunch of Massuman curry (one of the best I’ve had), stir fried vegetables, breaded shrimp and chicken, stir-fried chicken with cashews, sweet and sour fish, French fries, steamed rice, and Tom Kha Guy (chicken and coconut soup). Service was friendly and quick. Wai took care of the ordering and everything we needed. I had to ask for a small plate of sliced chili – of course I needed some heat with my food!
I did a bit of shopping at the various stalls while the others finished eating. I bought two maxi dresses for $20 USD.
After lunch Wai gave us a guided tour of the village and gave us a detailed history of how the village came to be. According to Phuket.com, there are about 1,600 people from 360 families who live permanently on the island. Everyone is a descendant, directly or indirectly, of Toh Baboo and his family and friends, who left their homeland in Indonesia by boat to settle on Koh Panyee some 200 years ago. Toh Baboo and the other two families made a vow to each other that if one of them found a place where there were lots of fish and where everyone could live, they would signal the others by raising a flag on a mountain as high as possible, so that the others could see it and join them. Toh Baboo discovered the island with its abundance of fish and, true to his promise, raised a flag atop its soaring cliff. That's how the island got the name, Koh Panyee – the Island of the Flag.
Kevin’s favorite part of the village is the floating football (soccer) field – mine is the classrooms full of little kids. We finished at the village around 1:15pm and were off to our next destination.
We stopped by Kao Kee-un (Drawing Mountain) to view and take photos of the ancient cave paintings. According to Wai, these paintings are roughly 1,500 years old. There’s supposed to be fish, dolphins, a dancing lady, a merman, monkeys, mythical spirit guardians, among others. Can you spot any?
Our last stop for the day was at Phanak Island, and we arrived here around 2pm. Wai explained that we were going to walk through the dark cave to get to the hidden Mangrove Hong on the other side. He gave each of us a small flashlight and asked everyone to help light the way and to stick close to each other. It was wet and pretty dark in the cave, and with water up past our ankles, having the water shoes on really helped. I wasn’t able to film us going into the cave because Wai wanted us to get to the other side as quickly as possible. It was such a magical experience to walk through the dark cave and see daylight as we enter the ‘Hong’.
Top Left Photo: Passengers on our speedboat exiting onto the beach.
Top Right Photo: The entrance to the cave is just around that first turn. Thank goodness the tide was low at that time; otherwise, we would not have been able to enter the cave.
Bottom Left Photo: This photo was taken after we entered the Mangrove Hong. That’s the cave tunnel we exited from.
Bottom Right Photo: Mangroves! When the tide is high, we wouldn’t have been able to get to this area.
As you can see by the video, the cave tunnel is pretty dark, and at one point the water was up to our knees. The ceiling of is pretty low, so we had to bend for most of the trek. At the 2:15minute mark Wai showed us why this is called the ‘diamond cave’. Wai said that awhile back the formations were more impressive and there were more ‘diamonds’, but unfortunately, people (mainly tourists) kept touching them, which kills the ‘shine’.
After we exited the cave around 2:51pm, we were given time to hang out and swim. Unfortunately, two people got stung by jellyfish, so everyone opted to leave early and we were on our way back to Phuket by 3:15pm.
We arrived back at the pier in Phuket around 3:30pm and back at PST’s office shortly thereafter. We loved our experience with PST, Wai, and his crew! They never rushed us and we got plenty of time to spend at each location. Honestly, I don’t consider 4,400 Baht per person (~$150 USD) expensive for the experience we had today. We got to see and do so much! I highly recommend booking your tour via @phuketsailtours and definitely booking the Phi Phi Islands tour with them the next time we visit Phuket!
By 3:50pm we were back in our van for the return trip to the hotel. We were dropped off last, so arrived at the DoubleTree around 5:30pm.
We decided on Indian food for dinner this evening, so we ended up at Tandoori Flames around 7pm. Tandoori Flames is less than a 5min walk from our hotel and bills itself as the only fine dining establishment in Patong Beach. We didn’t have a reservation, but were seated fairly quickly as the restaurant was only half full.
We really liked the ambiance here, and I personally enjoyed the Bollywood videos on the TV in the background – lends to the authentic atmosphere.
The restaurant has an extensive menu, and everything looked good! I ordered the Paneer Tikka Masala for my entrée (279 Baht; $8.95 USD) and a Mango Lassi (129 Baht; $4.14 USD). Kevin ordered the vegetable samosas (169 Baht / $5.42 USD), Butter Chicken entrée (339 Baht; $10.87 USD), and two cans of Coke (78 Baht; $2.50 USD). Andrew ordered the Lamb Vindaloo (399 Baht; $12.80 USD) and a Mai Tai (159 Baht; $5.10 USD). Jacqueline ordered the Onion Bhajis (159 Baht /$5.10 USD), Tandoori Mushrooms (279 Baht / $8.95 USD), and two glasses of house white wine (298 Baht; $9.56 USD). We also got two orders of garlic naan (158 Baht; $5.07 USD) and two orders of yellow basmati rice (258 Baht; $8.27 USD) to share.
Everyone loved the food, the ambiance, and the service. Our waitress was Gauri, who was new to the restaurant, but very sweet and always served us with a smile. The owner came by to chat with us to get feedback, and to tease Gauri about her service. Although the food is kinda pricey for Thailand, I highly recommend Tandoori Flames for a nice dinner in Patong Beach.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH
PHUKET
Around 7am we went to the hotel’s restaurant for the buffet breakfast. Kevin’s parents prepaid for us at the hotel’s front desk, so it was $10 USD per person instead of the $20 USD/pp had we paid at the restaurant. This morning I had some dim sum, fresh fruits, a couple of pastries, a couple pieces of spicy fried chicken, and a latte.
During breakfast we discussed what to do for the day. Andrew and Jacqueline decided to hang out at Patong Beach and get a massage, while Kevin and I opted to grab a Tuk Tuk to go see some sights.
You can rent a couple of chairs and an umbrella for 200 Baht ($6.50 USD) for the day, get a massage on the beach, and do water activities like parasailing and riding a jet ski.
There are many Tuk Tuks and air conditioned car/van taxis lining the main road, so you’ll have plenty of options for transportation. We chose one of the Tuk Tuks because we wanted to feel the fresh air and have unobstructed views during our ride. The driver offered to take us around to see popular tourist sites for several hours, for a rate of 1,400 Baht ($44 USD). The Tuk Tuk is outfitted with huge speakers, so we fist pumped to dance music as we traversed the roads of Phuket. I rather liked it. :)
We left Patong Beach at 10am, and arrived at our first stop, Karon viewpoint, around 10:30am. This lookout is very popular, and I can definitely see why. There is no fee to hang out here, and it’s actually a very romantic spot to just hang out with my boo. We had to wait our turn for photos at a few spots, but for the most part, the place didn’t feel crowded and we found a few secluded spots to just hang out. We spent about half an hour here taking in the views before we hopped on the Tuk Tuk for a ride to the next stop.
Next up was Big Buddha, which is about nine miles from Karon Viewpoint (~30min drive). It was a long trek uphill (even by car) to reach the Big Buddha complex, and some choose to walk/hike up the hill, which is about three miles. The hill has curves, and parts of it requires steep climbs. On a hot and sunny day (like the day we visited), I’m sure it’s uncomfortable. We saw a few couples on our way up and they were totally drenched in sweat. Even our Tuk Tuk struggled to chug along at certain points – not sure if our weight had anything to do with it, ha! Along the way are restaurants and snack stands. We didn’t stop at any, but considering their location, I’m sure the views are amazing.
To get an idea of the steep climb, at the 0:33 second mark in the video you can see the Big Buddha at the top (not so big this far away). That is a FAR walk/hike - no thanks!
Our driver dropped us off at the front. The site is open seven days a week and does not charge an entrance fee. Since this is a religious site, please dress respectively. Complimentary sarongs are available if you need a cover up. It was cool in the Tuk Tuk because we were in the shade and there are no windows. However, once we got out, we really felt the heat, so decided to stop by the souvenir shop near the entrance to buy a couple of ice cream bars to cool down. We also purchased a couple of souvenirs to support the temple.
We were pleasantly surprised to find out as we were leaving that complimentary food was offered. I’m not sure if this was a daily or frequent offering, but it was definitely appreciated. Okay, so they didn’t hold back on the spices, which I LOVED!!! The food we tried was fresh and delicious. Kevin tried the Pad Thai (mild), while I had the curried noodles and papaya salad with noodles – both very spicy! Complimentary bottled water was also provided.
We finished around 12:45pm and left to find our Tuk Tuk driver, who was parked in the lot and was napping. We decided not to visit Wat Chalong because we were hot and tired and at this point and just wanted to get back to the hotel and relax. We knew he was worried about having to reduce the agreed upon fare, but we gave him the full 1,400 Baht anyway. We were back at Patong Beach around 1pm.
We relaxed in room and packed for tomorrow’s return to Bangkok. Around 1:45pm it started to rain heavily. Although it was cloudy on and off throughout the day, we didn’t expect any rain, so the heavy downpour was a bit of a surprise. Kevin’s parents were at the beach and getting a massage when the downpour happened. There was heavy rain for a good 20 minutes before it tapered off to a light drizzle, and the sun was back out around 3pm. I’m so thankful we didn’t experience any rain during our visits to the Elephant Sanctuary and Phang Nga Bay earlier in the week.
Around 4:30pm we ventured out to grab an early dinner, and decided on the Sweet Restaurant, which is less than a 5min walk from our hotel. The restaurant is run by an Australian, so the menu offers a mix of Thai & Western dishes. We checked in and decided to sit inside for some shade. Soon thereafter the waitress came by with a damp towel for each of us (I used it to wipe my hands), as well as hand sanitizer.
We got two orders of egg rolls (four total) to share (130 Baht / $2.05 USD). They came out piping hot and were delicious! I ordered the Asian omelet and stir-fried morning glory combo (150 Baht / $4.75 USD), two things I ate often in my childhood – comfort food for sure. I also ordered a side of steamed rice (10 Baht / $.35 USD) and a can of Sprite. Kevin ordered the sweet and sour chicken (125 Baht / $3.95 USD) and a Singha draft beer. Jacqueline and Andrew ordered the Massaman chicken curry to share (125 Baht / $3.95 USD), a Singha draft beer for Andrew, and a glass of house white wine for Jacqueline. We also ordered three sides of steamed rice (30 Baht / $.95 USD).
After dinner Kevin and his parents went to grab some drinks at Blah Blah, one of the DoubleTree’s bars. I went back to the hotel to visit the tour desk to purchase four VIP tickets to catch the 7:30pm showing of the Simon Cabaret. The VIP tickets are inclusive of roundtrip transportation and was 1,100 Baht per person ($36.40 USD).
We met up with the Simon Cabaret driver at 6:30pm in the hotel lobby. We shared the van with six other passengers also staying at the DoubleTree. We were on the road by 6:40pm and arrived at venue around 6:55pm. We had time to kill, so went to the venue bar and ordered a cocktail each. I have to admit the cocktails I’ve tried in Asia have been disappointing. To wit, tonight I ordered a mango martini and got something that looked like a blended mango margarita, which was served in a glass used for mojitos. The cocktail was weak, and just tasted like a mango smoothie. Kevin ordered a margarita and his cocktail was served in a martini glass – go figure!!!
Seating began at 7:20pm, and we got row J, seats 45, 46, 47, and 48. Although not central, we still got good views of the stage. The show started at 7:40pm, lasted until 8:40pm, and was full of elaborate costumes and dancing. The performers lip sync to the songs, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment because their dancing and costumes more than made up for it. The main ladies are quite gorgeous! There is a mix of Asian and English songs. So if you don’t already know, the ‘ladies’ are better known as ladyboys, aka male-to-female transgendered individuals. Honestly, some are so gorgeous and look exactly like natural females – you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
After the show, guests have the option of taking photos with the performers, for 100 Baht for each ladyboy! If you pose with two ladies, you’d better shell out 200 Baht; they will definitely let you know.J Kevin was too shy to pose with the ladies, but I kinda made him, because when will he get the chance to do this again anytime soon?! You can see by the smile on his face that he enjoyed it, haha! Those girls are gorgeous and they’re so tall!
After the photos, we were ushered back to our van. It was pouring rain at this point, but we made it safely back to the hotel around 9pm.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH
PHUKET TO BANGKOK
We woke up around 5am to finish packing and headed to breakfast at 6am. I love walking around the property in the early morning before the rest of the world wakes up. I checked us out at 7am and hung out at the room until bellhop came for our bags at 7:20am.
One of the bellhop guys arranged for a van taxi to take us to the airport for 1,200 Baht ($38 USD). A car tax will cost 800 Baht ($25 USD). We were on the road by 7:35am and arrived at the airport at 8:30am. We had to go through security check before entering the check in/bag drop off area. It was a quick check in process since the airport is small.
Our flight was scheduled to board at 10:25am, but we didn’t board until 10:55am. We were in the air by 11:20am and arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) at 12:40pm. I love flying with Bangkok Airways because the planes are bigger and newer, and the service is better. Although it was a short flight, we were given bottled water and a hot and delicious snack – Chicken Thai Curry Tortilla (like a chimichanga).
Once we picked up our luggage from baggage claim, we ordered an electric SUV taxi for our short trip to At Residence Suvarnabhumi. Although it was pricier than a regular taxi, we didn’t want to wait in the long line. The hotel is less than three miles from the airport, and cost us 220 Baht ($7 USD). We arrived at 1:45pm, were checked in fairly quickly, and received tickets for complimentary welcome drinks (juice) and a plate of fresh fruit for each room (to be redeemed at the onsite café).
I booked two rooms in September for us and unfortunately only one Villa was available. The other room was a Suite double-bed non-smoking room. The total for both rooms, for one night, was $108 USD. I was going to book two rooms at the Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel (connected to the airport), but couldn’t justify the $150 cost per room. We only needed a place to relax for several hours before we had to head to check in for our return flight at 10pm.
The hotel is clean and has a pool, staff are all friendly and professional, and the location is perfect for airport access. I highly recommend this hotel if you have several hours to an overnight layover in Bangkok. It’s far from Bangkok’s city center, so just keep this in mind if you’re looking at this hotel for a stay longer than overnight.
As you can see by the video, the villas are like little cabins…so cute! Our villa was clean and most importantly, has air-conditioning and strong wi-fi.
Once we cooled down a bit and were settled in our respective rooms, we met up at the onsite restaurant at 3:30pm to have a late lunch. The restaurant looks unassuming, but it’s clean and I was pleasantly surprised by the vast menu offering lots of authentic dishes. Prices are cheap for the quality of the dishes and the service was quick and friendly.
We redeemed our tickets for the free orange juice and two fruit plates, and got two orders of the Royal crispy shrimp egg rolls as appetizers to share (119 Baht each order / $3.80 USD).
I ordered the stir-fried red chili paste with morning glory and crispy pork (99 Baht / $3.15 USD), as well as a bottle of the Hoegaarden Rosee. Oh my gosh, my favorite beer mixed with the flavor of Rosee – it was so good! Unfortunately, they don’t sell this in the U.S. The stir-fry was spicy and delicious – such a treat!
Kevin ordered the stir-fried crispy pork with roasted cashews, chili, and vegetables (129 Baht / $4 USD) and a large bottle of beer.
Andrew ordered the Isaan-style spicy and crispy salmon with Thai herbs (259 Baht / $8.20 USD) and a large bottle of beer.
Jacqueline ordered the fried cashews (79 Baht / $2.50 USD), has a glass of beer, and just noshed on the shrimp egg rolls and fruit.
Around 5:30pm we walked to the Paseo Mall to browse around. The mall is about a 10min walk from the hotel. This mall was full of locals, and there were street food vendors aplenty. There was even a ‘petting zoo’ for kids.
We checked out of the hotel around 9pm and took the shuttle (fare included with cost of room) for a quick 10min ride to Suvarnabhumi Airport. The international departure area was full of people – I’ve never seen a busier airport in my life! From check in, to going through passport control and the security checkpoint, we got to our gate around 10:30pm. We had almost two hours to kill until we can board our flight, so we walked around and shopped for a bit before we ended up at a Thai restaurant to grab some dinner. The service was bad and the food was meh, and for the life of me, I cannot recall the name.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH
TRAVEL DAY
BANGKOK, THAILAND TO SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
SEOUL TO LOS ANGELES, TO PHOENIX
Bangkok (BKK) to Seoul (ICN), Operated by Korean Air: 4 Hours 25 Minutes
Boarding began at 12:30am and the plane departed the terminal at 1:15am. About an hour into the flight, we were offered meal (breakfast) and beverage service. I close the Omelette meal, which came with sliced fresh fruit, as well as water and tangerine juice. We arrived in Seoul around 8:15am (5:15am BKK).
We had a 6hr layover at ICN, so we had plenty of time to kill.
The airport offers Free Transit Tours ranging from one to five hours, so this is a good option if you have time 6+ hours to spare before your connecting flight. Tours can be booked at any of the tour desks located inside the airport, and you’ll need to present a passport and boarding pass/air ticket. You will also have to go through customs and immigration before you can leave the airport for the tour – your passport will be stamped.
We decided to stay at the airport, so Jacqueline and I spent a couple of hours browsing the many duty free shops, while Kevin and Andrew hung out on the fourth floor at the Relaxation lounge area. There are complimentary sleeping pods on the fourth floor, inside a darkened room, which Jacqueline and Andrew used for a couple of hours.
Around noon we made our way to the food court and ordered lunch at the self-serve kiosk. I ordered the beef bulgogi meal, which came with rice and banchan. Kevin and his parents ordered fried chicken and beer from Chimac Hunter. The kiosk dispenses beepers for each order…pretty neat.
Seoul, Korea (ICN) to Los Angeles, California (LAX), Operated by Korean Air: 10 Hours 55 Minutes
We boarded for our flight to Los Angeles at 2pm, and per usual, on each of our seats was a pillow, blanket, headset, and a pair of slippers. The plane taxied out of the gate at 2:45pm, and we were up in air by 2:57pm. This time I used the footrest and trust me – it really helped to make the long plane ride to LA a lot easier on my knees.
The first meal (dinner) and beverage service was offered less than an hour into our flight (3:30pm). We were offered a choice of beef stew, chicken curry, or seafood with noodles in spicy oyster sauce. I chose the latter (it was delicious), as well as red wine and water.
I have a hard time sleeping on planes, so after the meal I ended up watching a couple of movie offered by the airline and some pre-recorded Netflix shows on my iPad. As with most international flights, Korean Air offer many complimentary movies, songs, TV shows, and games – plenty to keep you occupied.
The second meal (breakfast) and beverage service was offered at 6:30am LA (11:30pm Seoul time), a couple of hours before arrival in Los Angeles. I chose the tomato soufflé & vegetable ragout, while Kevin chose the omelette and potatoes. Each meal came with water, juice, yogurt, and sliced fresh fruit.
We arrived at LAX around 8:30am local time. There was a ton of people at the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and it took us a long time to get through the customs and border protection area. Remember to grab your luggage from baggage claim before going through customs, because you won’t be able to afterwards.
It was a short walk outside to get to Terminal 3 (Domestic), where we checked in our luggage for our flight to Phoenix. We had about four hours to kill before our next flight, so other than grabbing lunch at Shake Shack, we hung out near our gate. This was the tail of the Thanksgiving holiday, so the terminal was full of passengers returning home – it was packed to the brim. Luckily we were able to find seats together and pretty much napped for a couple of hours.
Los Angeles, California (LAX) to Phoenix, Arizona (PHX), Operated by Delta Airlines: 1 Hour 6 Minutes
Boarding started at 2:15pm, and we were on the plane by 2:45pm. The plane departed Los Angeles at 3:08pm and we arrived in Phoenix at 5:21pm (4:21pm LA time). We were able to retrieve our luggage by 5:15pm Phoenix time. Andrew took a shuttle to grab the truck and picked us up curbside, and had Kevin and I home by 6:30pm before they headed to their house in San Tan Valley.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Thailand and Cambodia and highly recommend these beautiful countries as vacation destinations. No bias, but the people of Thailand and Cambodia are some of the most sweet and generous you’ll ever encounter anywhere. My experience was more special because I was able to show Kevin and his parents around and introduce them to the beauty of each country – as well as introduce them to my family in Battambang.
It breaks my heart that several weeks after we were back home, the Coronavirus pandemic occurred. I feel lucky that we didn’t catch the virus while traveling to/from Thailand and Cambodia, but worry a lot about the people there, especially my relatives. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by COVID-19 – sending you all virtual hugs.
Kevin and I definitely plan on visiting Thailand and Cambodia again in the near future once things get back to normal because we love the people, food, and beauty of each country so much.