My First Solo Trip to Cambodia From Vietnam
My first solo trip to Cambodia didn’t start as a dream trip.
It started as a rule.
At that time, I didn’t have temporary residence in Vietnam yet. I was relying on a business visa, and because of Vietnam’s immigration rules, I needed to exit the country.
The nearest country was Cambodia.
So I did what a lot of expats and teachers quietly do in the beginning. I booked a bus and did a border crossing.
From Ho Chi Minh City, you can ride a bus that will take you to Phnom Penh (the capital), or to Siem Reap where Angkor Wat is. (I’ll talk about Angkor Wat in another post.)
But this time, I chose Phnom Penh.
And the moment I arrived, I felt the difference.
Ho Chi Minh City has a pulse that never really stops. Phnom Penh felt more laid back. More relaxed. A little softer.
There were temples. Tourists, of course. But there was also space.
Space to walk.
Space to sit.
Space to hear your own thoughts.
The first time I felt truly solo
This was the first solo travel that I really felt solo.
Not “solo” like you’re technically alone but still following a plan someone else made.
Solo like: you own your time.
You own your moment.
You choose when to leave, when to stop, when to sit down, when to change your mind.
And that kind of freedom can feel quiet at first.
Then it starts to feel powerful.
Because when no one is with you, you also can’t hide behind anyone.
You have to meet yourself.
A hostel, an iced coffee, and a new dream
I still remember one specific scene.
I was in a hostel, on the second floor, in their restaurant. I was looking down the street facing the Tonlé Sap River.
I had an iced coffee.
And in that quiet moment, I felt something begin.
This was the beginning of a new dream. Not completely new, but different.
I wanted to become a travel blogger.
I wanted to write my travel stories and share them with the world, even if no one would probably read it (I laugh now, but I was serious).
And suddenly my mind was full of questions.
Who is my niche?
What stories should I share?
Should I buy a domain?
What will be the name of my blog?
I thought of thewalkingstreet.
WanderGetLost.
Or just my name as a brand.
Will someone read it?
Will I become successful?
Should I start a vlog instead?
Can I do it?
It was overwhelming.
Because all I wanted was simple.
I wanted to share my stories.
My photos that never got posted. The ones I kept to myself, like I was gatekeeping my own life.
And yet, my brain was already trying to turn it into a performance.
A strategy.
A “right way.”
Wat Langka and the first time my mind went quiet
Good thing Phnom Penh has a lot of temples.
I visited one called Wat Langka .
It’s not as famous as Angkor Wat, but it became one of my favorites.
It felt peaceful in a way I didn’t know I needed.
I remember sitting down around 4 p.m. I started meditating.
Then I opened my eyes and realized it was already around 6 p.m.
I honestly thought I had only closed my eyes for a few minutes.
I didn’t know much about meditation back then.
All I did was listen to the monks’ chants and let the calm aura around me hold my chaotic mind.
Because my mind was chaotic.
I wanted answers.
I wanted the Buddha to answer all my questions in life.
But of course it doesn’t work like that.
It doesn’t answer you directly.
It’s more like this: deep in your heart and mind, the answer is already there.
And in that temple, in that quiet, it felt like I knew what to do.
I didn’t need to overthink it.
My instincts would guide me.
That moment was surreal.
I learned to be present.
To focus on who I am.
To focus on the inner self, not what the outside world tells us to do.
The photo that taught me what matters
Solo travel gives you a lot of realizations.
You appreciate more because you own your time, your moment.
And it also makes you do funny things.
There was one moment when I wanted to take a photo of me walking along the street with the temple in the background.
I found a good spot near a bench.
But I didn’t have anyone to take my photo.
And I didn’t have a tripod.
So I relied on a tree and the timer on my camera.
I had to do it many times. So many times.
I couldn’t get the perfect shot.
And it was so funny because passersby were looking at me. I thought maybe they were thinking I was crazy.
But when I looked at the photos later and tried to choose what to post, I realized something.
It’s not the perfect shot that’s important.
It’s the candid moment.
The story behind the photo.
The funny memory that lingers.
What Phnom Penh gave me
Phnom Penh became a place full of memories for me.
Walking and discovering it alone was unforgettable.
And I know there are things you need to learn, discover, and experience about this city that deserve their own space.
I’ll share more in another post, a guide to discover Phnom Penh not as a tourist, but as a traveler.
But for now, this is what I want to leave you with.
Sometimes the trip that changes your life is not the one you planned for.
Sometimes it’s the one you took because you had to.
And on the other side of the border, you find something simple.
A quieter mind.
A clearer instinct.
A new dream that finally feels like it belongs to you.
The “First Solo Trip” Calm Plan
If you’re about to take your first solo trip (or your first trip that feels truly solo), here’s a gentle plan you can copy.
Choose one anchor spot for thinking. A cafe, a hostel balcony, a riverside bench. Somewhere you can return to.
Pick one peaceful place. A temple, a park, a museum, a quiet street. Let your nervous system settle.
Write your questions down, then circle one. Your mind will ask ten things. Choose one next step you can actually do.
Take one photo for the memory, not the feed. The story matters more than the perfection.
End the day with one sentence. "Today I learned that…" This is how you keep the trip with you.
If you’re building a travel life that has to fit around work and real responsibilities, you don’t need to do it perfectly. You just need a rhythm you can return to.