Temples & Tuk Tuks: Travels in Cambodia

by Lydia Laube

Markets, beaches, mountains, killing fields, temples, and restaurants are among the stopovers in this travel memoir of a woman's journeys through Cambodia. A mode of transportation called the tuk tuk and distinctive dinner menus that serve such appetizing dishes as “Soap” and “A Fried Monk” are described with a writer's eye for detail and insight into Cambodian culture. This compelling narrative offers an inspiring tale of a woman's experience traveling solo in an ancient, beautiful country that has only recently been opened to tourists.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Asia, Memoir

184 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Lydia Laube never says no to adventure, whether that means galloping a horse across the Mongolian plains or hopping on a cargo ship to Madagascar. Born into the farming community of Caltowie in the mid-north of South Australia, Lydia trained as a nurse in Adelaide, then set off to see the world. Her debut book, 'Behind the Veil: An Australian nurse in Saudi Arabia', was an instant bestseller, and she has become one of Australia's favourite travel writers. 'From Burma to Myanmar' is Lydia's ninth travel yarn.

Between winter escapes to the sun, Lydia Laube shares a small house in Adelaide with a large cat with attitude.

Reviews

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laube managed quite a writing career for herself, spinning her far-flung holidays into travelogue after travelogue. I read Behind the Veil (in which she took a temporary job in Saudi Arabia) some time ago, and I was curious about Temples & Tuk Tuks because I've found so little travel literature covering Cambodia.

The energy is good here, but on the whole I think I would have preferred this—and would be more likely to continue with Laube's books—had Laube been living and working in the countries (in this case Cambodia) she visited rather than just visiting; as far as I can tell, Saudi Arabia is the only country for which that was the case. Because Laube was here and there and all over the place in Cambodia, that makes it hard to get to know individual characters and their stories; instead, a large amount of the book's real estate is dedicated to descriptions of the guest houses she stayed in and meals she ate. And that's...fine...but not really where the stories I'm interested in are.

If there's anyone out there going from country to country as a travelling nurse...please go find yourself a publisher, because I'd read the hell out of that memoir series.

[Coffeeboss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting as far as cultural and practical information (as I'm planning to go to Cambodia this winter), but as far as style, it kind of felt very day by day by day reporting, as though someone's blog got published as book. Still, one of the few travelogues out there about Cambodia, so worth picking up if you are interested in visiting the country.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but not great. On the other hand, there aren't all that many books out there on modern Cambodia

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this because it had an Adelaide author, but it was kind of like "Eat, Pray, Love" but with no plot and the only consistent character is our intrepid narrator. Good for her for travelling on her own and if I knew her personally I would probably look at her pictures and smile but as a book to read it really went nowhere. It was like a huge marathon of a blog post that went on and on and on and while Laube has a relatively likeable voice (only sometimes precious like when she refers to Sally Forth) she doesn't seem to have mastered the art of what to leave out.

Another problem for me is this is very much a white, wealthy tourist's view of "the world is my oyster" where other cultures and even horrendous poverty is pretty much entertainment put on for us privileged Westerners and even though she finds that the Cambodians are generous and kindly people (she goes on about that) there is a tone of "the funny little natives were nice to me". There is also a lot about the price of things, I understand that that is a major consideration when travelling but in terms of the unreflective, exploitive tourist role that comes across as mean-minded. I think Edward Said would be more scathing than I am, but I was uncomfortable being on this side of the line that is drawn.

Then (and this is probably just what travel writing always is) there's no plot, the narrative meanders all over Cambodia going nowhere- there is no sort of self-awakening (at least she didn't fake up something) no relationships, no real conflict it is just the second-hand tourist freak-show of someone's travels. I found that pretty tedious but I guess some people might like it. I like my non-fiction to be more analytical and incisive and I like my fiction to have plot and character so this was sort of...well you would skim read the blog posts if this was your friend.

If you like the "photo-album" (no actual photos though) approach to travel memoirs this I suppose is as good as any. I'm ready to move on.

[Rachel E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting facts about the places she visits, basically a travel diary otherwise.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as history goes, Temples & Tuk tuks: Travels in Cambodia does a fine job in presenting parts of Cambodias struggle torn past. As far as writing and narration goes: too many paragraphs on ravaged roads, a few similar meals too much and definitely too many 'loos'.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only gave this three stars as I found it useful since I am soon travelling to Cambodia, otherwise it would have been two stars as it was a bit a case of "I did this, then I did this then this then this then this".

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most literary of travel narratives, but still interesting.

[Gail Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read about touring Cambodia. I'm not sure I'd want to go it alone the way that she did.