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Best of 2012: Travel Highlights From Another Year Grand Touring. Looking over Lake Wakatipu from Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown, New Zealand. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Best of 2012: Travel Highlights From Another Year Grand Touring

Here’s a look back at the best of 2012 travel highlights from another year grand touring – from the bathtub of New Zealand’s beautiful Matakauri Lodge no less – a year in which our travels focused largely on Asia and Australasia.

It was a year in which we seemed to continuously be doing journeys, by rail, road, sea, and air; a year in which we seemed to do a lot of learning and in which we did a lot of doing, from hiking and biking and cruising and touring to learning about classical music and contemporary art, as well as doing a lot of cooking and eating! In some ways it was a year that gave more of a nod to the old grand tour days than to the more contemporary style of grand touring we’ve been doing in recent years. Here’s some of our travel highlights from the year.

SYDNEY

A breathtakingly beautiful harbour and beaches, gorgeous parks and gardens, some of the world’s best restaurants and small bars, a buzzing Chinatown and inner-city ‘burbs, atmospheric historic quarters, and compelling art, architecture, music, culture, and festivals… 2012 was the year we were reminded that Sydney really does have it all and deserves to be at the top of all those world’s best places lists people keep putting it on. Since 1998, when we first moved overseas to Abu Dhabi, people have continually asked us if we missed our hometown Sydney, and we always seemed baffled by their dismay when we said we didn’t. Now we understand why – going back was one of the travel highlights of the year.

NEW ZEALAND

The dramatic beauty of the Remarkables, Lake Wanaka and Milford Sound, the wonderful wine region of Central Otago, the creativity and resilience of Christchurch and its colourful new pop-up city, the rich Maori culture of Lake Taupo, the lovely luxury lodges with their lavish style and superlative service, the country’s fantastic food and wine, and the friendly, easygoing people… after an all-too-short trip doing the Relais & Chateaux Route du Bonheur with Air New Zealand, which saw us staying at Huka Lodge, Whare Kea Lodge, Otahuna Lodge, and Matakauri Lodge, we were left wondering why we had postponed a trip to New Zealand for so long. We loved it so much we’re already making plans to return in 2013.

HANOI

Gritty, elegant, chaotic and exotic, Hanoi is the quintessential Asian city. Here life is lived on the streets more intensely than any other Asian capital. The first night we arrived, Terence, who’d gone out to forage for food while I stayed in and worked, returned and said “You’re going to love it here – this is our kind of city!” And it is. Six weeks later we’re still here. The restaurants may be crap and it’s true many taxi drivers and vendors seem out to try to rip off foreigners, but the street food is fantastic, the old town incredibly atmospheric, and for every person out to take advantage, there’s a good-hearted soul with a warm smile who seems intent to make amends.

MALAYSIAN BORNEO

Wide winding rivers, towering trees, lush rainforest, and wildlife galore – from the russet-furred Proboscis monkeys with their big noses to the colossal Orang-utans with their enormous heads – Malaysian Borneo was an absolute delight for us animal and nature lovers to discover. The culture and history was one of the travel highlights too, from the different indigenous groups such as the Rungus with their vibrant costumes, music and dances, to the architecture of their breezy traditional longhouses. And then there was the food, of which the cuisine of Kota Kinabalu was the highlight, with its superb spicy seafood and creamy bowls of curry laksa. And let’s not get started on the lovely lovely people. We did most of the trip with Orion Expeditions; our first cruise, it was a fascinating experience. More on that soon too.

HALONG BAY, VIETNAM

Vietnam’s UNESCO World Heritage listed Halong Bay with its 2,000-odd limestone karsts jutting spectacularly out of the jade-coloured sea in the Gulf of Tonkin is a place I’ve desperately wanted to go, since – as corny as this sounds – seeing the French film Indochine at a film festival in 1992. That it took me twenty years to get here – and Terence and I have travelled to 70 countries since – probably says something about the importance we place on bucket lists (i.e. none). I was prepared to be disappointed, having heard about the pollution and the colossal number of boats operating on the bay, and we had awful weather for five out of six days. It’s winter after all. But on the day that the weather was good, Halong Bay was absolutely gorgeous. It was so glorious I’d return in a heartbeat. In spring next time.

BANGKOK

We’ve spent so much time in the Thai capital in recent years that it’s practically our second home, a place we settle into for four months or pass through for four days, a place we go to write about, as much as we use as a base from which to bounce to other places for assignments. Bangkok is a city we know well and feel at home in, yet it’s a city that we’re still discovering. And that’s what makes it so endlessly fascinating for us, that each time we visit we peel back another layer of what must be one of Asia’s most complex cities and one of our favourites.

ORIENT EXPRESS EASTERN & ORIENTAL

We’ve always loved train travel, yet a few disappointing train journeys in Europe had us wondering whether the romance of train travel was dead. Fortunately Orient Express’ Eastern & Oriental train and the Epic Thailand trip we recently did restored our faith in rail travel. From the lavish train itself to our spacious and extremely comfortable cabin, from the delicious food and impeccable service to the range of whistle-stop tours (from market walks to winery visits), the attention to detail was impressive. If you’re only going to do one luxury train journey in your life, make it this – another of the travel highlights of the year. Our stories on the trip are coming soon.

ORANGE, NSW, AUSTRALIA

A weekend in Orange eating wonderful food, quaffing top quality cool climate wines, and driving through ruggedly beautiful landscapes confirmed our suspicions it’s a wine destination to watch. A few hours west of Sydney, Orange is a typical country New South Wales town with wide streets, big old corner pubs and bakeries selling meat pies. But it also has a wonderful farmer’s market, terrific local produce – from Mandagery Creek Venison to Abilene Grove Olive Oil — excellent restaurants such as Bistro Ceello and Racine at La Colline winery, and some of Australia’s most exciting wines from wineries such as Angullong, Printhie and Philip Shaw.

PHNOM PENH

If Bangkok feels like a second home, it’s because this year we made our primary base Phnom Penh. Well, that’s not exactly true yet. We moved there and stayed a month only to find ourselves having to head back to Thailand to do the Orient Express and then to Vietnam on assignment. And we loved it so much here in Vietnam we extended our one-month trip to what could ultimately be four months. From here we’re headed back to the Cambodian capital to finally establish a ‘home’. As pulsating as Phnom Penh felt when we first visited in 2011, it feels low-key compared to Bangkok and will feel positively sleepy after Hanoi. But it’s the fact that it must be Asia’s most laidback little capital that we find most appealing.

We’ve got more stories to come from all of those places in 2013. Thank you for joining us here this year and we’re looking forward to seeing you back in 2013 – a year with some changes afoot for Grantourismo, which by the way turns three years old today!

Happy New Year!

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About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

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Comments

  1. Leanne says

    January 4, 2013 at 2:55 pm

    We too travelled to Hanoi and Halong Bay this year (along with Sapa, Hue and Hoi An) and also had some time in Orange and nearby Milthorpe (love!) at the beginning of the year.

    You’ve travelled some miles this year! Always enjoy your updates.

    I actually stopped by to review your posts on Phnom Phen and Siem Reap as currently planning some time there with the family in April this year and love your insights.

    Have a great year!

  2. Red Hunt says

    January 8, 2013 at 2:29 pm

    That’s a pretty super list of destinations…I love how you enjoyed Phnom Penh so much, that is one of my favourite cities in Asia…I’d happily be there over Bangkok! ;)

  3. Nico says

    January 13, 2013 at 10:16 pm

    Some great places to visit. It’s nice to see that you like Vietnam, because I’ve heard very mixed reports about the country.

  4. Wil says

    January 22, 2013 at 3:01 pm

    Quite a busy year! I hope my travels one day live up to that.

  5. Lara Dunston says

    January 25, 2013 at 2:16 pm

    Great travellers think alike it seems ;)

    We probably travelled fewer miles in 2012 than previous years in fact. We kept track for a couple of years – 2010 was a big one; I recall a friend (or maybe a GT reader) figuring out we’d been a quarter of the way to the moon that year.

    Do let us know if we can help more with Cambodia tips. April is one of the hottest months there, so stay hydrated.

    Thanks for the kind words :)

  6. Lara Dunston says

    January 25, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    We do like Phnom Penh a lot, but it’s not an easy city to live in. We actually prefer Bangkok but Phnom Penh suits us more for a whole lot of reasons. Bangkok has too many distractions for starters. Thanks for dropping by!

  7. Lara Dunston says

    January 25, 2013 at 2:27 pm

    We do like Vietnam – and we especially like the food!

    We understand now why it gets mixed reports. Vietnam *is* a challenging place to visit – it’s not easy to be here in the way it is in Thailand.

    Every day here we find things we both love and dislike about it. Yes, it’s true that people do try to rip off foreigners, and on the whole locals are not particularly friendly, but at the same time there are honest people who treat foreigners in the same way they treat locals. It’s not ‘the land of smiles’ – people tend to scowl more than smile – but the rare occasion we do get a spontaneous smile, it gives us hope.

    It’s to do with education as far as I can see. We’re privileged in our work to get to meet artists and musicians and performers, and everyone we’ve met in the creative/artistic fields has been just lovely.

    I think the traffic chaos, the insane driving, and the general madness on the streets – all of which represents a disregard for other human beings – is the thing that frustrates me the most. Again, that can be resolved through education – and a police force that actually polices.

    But for us the positive things outweigh the negative. We wouldn’t move to Hanoi, but we’d definitely return for a visit in the future. It’s an extraordinary city in so many ways.

  8. Lara Dunston says

    January 25, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    Yes it was! I think we’re still recovering and not yet ready for another year. But if we say we need a holiday, the usual response is “but every day’s a holiday for you guys!” So we’ve stopped complaining. Enjoy your travels!

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About Grantourismo

Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

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It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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