Today I’m off to a previously unexplored (by me) area of Cambodia. To get there, I first have to fly to Phnom Penh. I chose Bangkok Air because it was cheaper than Thai, which is usually the case where they’re competing on the same route. Although Bangkok Air has its detractors, mainly about their pricing on the routes where they don’t have to compete with another airline, you can’t really fault their service.

Not many people know this, but Bangkok Airways has a lounge in almost every airport that is free for all passengers to use. I know that not many people know about the lounge because the Bangkok one was practically empty while I was waiting for my flight to Phnom Penh. That’s probably because not only does the airline not advertise the service, but the location at Bangkok is rather out of the way and there are no signs pointing you to it until you’re almost there. I think I’ll keep their secret so I can continue enjoying the free cookies, snacks, drinks, internet and magazines in peace.

The lounge isn’t the only thing that impresses about Bangkok Air. They had to use a remote parking space for my plane, so we all had to board buses to get there. Now, all the other airlines that use buses just load everyone on the transports and lets them sort themselves out at the plane. Not Bangkok Air. They used two buses and put those seated in the front of the plane on one bus and those at the back in another. Boldly printed on everyone’s boarding pass was a notice to be at the gate at least 15 minutes before the departure time, and sure enough, at no later than 13 minutes before our scheduled departure, both buses left the terminal. This is all frightfully organized for a Thai airline.

But enough about Bangkok Air. I arrived in Phnom Penh in the evening for a one night stay. I decided to check out the Bougainvillier Hotel based on many positive recommendations. As it is only one night, I’ve taken one of the cheaper rooms, which are smaller and at the back, facing another building. The room is small but not cramped, and very artfully decorated with silks. There’s a new flat screen television on the wall facing the bed, but no telephone. That may just be a temporary oversight, as the room appears to have been newly redecorated. I managed to poke into the larger front rooms, facing the river, for a look. They are substantially bigger, almost palatial for a hotel, and with the river view they would be great for a stay of several days. The hotel was remodeling their lobby, expanding it into the next two buildings by all appearances, so more changes are in the works.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Kep!