June 26, 2026

I am generally a cautious traveler. I don't want an accident or fall to take me out of this adventure, I am enjoying so much! On the Island of Siantan, motorbikes are primarily the mode of transport, it is rare to see a car or truck. All ages, males and females motor around the roads at such a civilized pace, I decided if ever a place was safe to try, it was here! My buddy Terri agreed and we decided to start simple and hire rides for  each of us, to go up the hilltop, to a restaurant called Bayview. We saw others get drivers at end of dock and we found a local merchant who spoke english, and she went across the street to a group of men playing dominoes and found 2 who agreed to drive us, after they finished their game. The merchant helped us explain where we wanted to go and we agreed on 50,000 IDR each for the rides, or $2.78 USD!

The ride was sooo smooth - we both had great drivers! It lasted all of 10 minutes and we were hooked!

Our Bayview lunch was delicious - Terri had a local tom yum soup with coconut milk, chicken, egg, rice and veggies and I had another local dish called Mie Goreng Tarempa which was noodles fried egg and chicken and YUMMY!!


The view from BayHill Restaurant was great and the breeze was utterly fantastic! Such a great spot !! We think they should have been reviewed much higher, than La Luna! 

The restaurant building is huge and when you get there, you realize it is because, it is attached to an undercover soccer field.

View more

Turns out our drivers just waited for us in parking lot and field area for the hour we requested for lunch. We were feeling bold so I used google translate to ask them if they would mind taking us back to port a different way, more inland so we could see more of island, say another 15 minutes and we would pay them 100,000 each in lieu of 50,000 IDR. They agreed and we headed off!

My second ride hit a bit of a hiccup when Terri's hat flew off ahead of us. My driver pulled over to retrieve it on a steep slope and we had some awkward moments which sadly this video doesn't capture well. But you can tell that Ooops, sorry, eww, ah & ok all translate! We laughed and all was good!  Like a slow motion twister game! The journey continued and I would do it all again!

APOPO, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 29, 2026
Before coming to Cambodia , I sadly have to admit I was unaware of the landmine problems they face. On our first night in Siem Reap, where we hiked up the hill to try and see the sunset views, there was a small band of men playing instruments and our tuk tuk driver explained to me they were victims of landmine explosions who had lost limbs or their sight and were trying to make money via donations to support their families.

Ta Prohm Temple ( AKA Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 28, 2026
I rallied for our last temple of the morning, because I heard this one was unique and I think it was my favorite. Ta Prohm was built starting in 1186 by King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery and university dedicated to the king's mother. It was left mostly un-restored so that huge banyan and silk cotton trees grow directly over and through the walls. In 2001, the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie was filmed here.

ANGKOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK, CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 28, 2026
Angkor , a UNESCO World Heritage Centre , is one of the most important archaelogical sites in SE Asia . It extends over 400 square km (250 miles). It contains hundreds of distinct structural remains and major temple sites (with around 72 recognized major structures). Below are a few other temple sites we saw. The first two were from a distance, on our sunset hike, the first night.