The Megaleg didn’t disappoint as it delivered one of the hardest and longest legs of the race so far! Only six teams raced through the streets of Hyderabad, India while smog checking auto rickshaws, decoding a hidden message, utilizing augmented reality at ancient tombs, searching through an abyss of bangles and setting a 108 foot table at Taj Falaknuma Palace. The Megaleg tested each team’s ability to rise to the challenge but ultimately Kaylynn and Haley couldn’t overcome a terrible taxi ride on top of two yields and were eliminated from the race. Only the Mine 5 remain as teams travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia where a double U-turn awaits them to shake things up.
Phil unveiling the Double U-Turn in Cambodia.
If you haven’t caught up on the previous episodes of season 32, be sure to watch the episodes on CBS All Access and then tune in TONIGHT at 8PM/7C for an all-new episode of The Amazing Race!
Cambodia has been on our list of destinations to visit, ever since we started traveling together because it’s home to the largest religious structure in the world, Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat
With a land area of 402 acres, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is known as the most noteworthy landmark in Cambodia and may or may not be making an appearance in the upcoming leg of The Amazing Race.
Before flying to the city of Siem Reap we did our fair share of research and learned that the official language is Khmer which is spoken by 13 million people in Cambodia. Unfortunately for us, this was not one of the languages we learned prior to the Race but wrote down key phrases that we could attempt to become familiar with. Although we are visiting Siem Reap, it is not the capital. The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh and located southeast of Siem Reap.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Located in these cities, and all throughout the country, the ancient and modern civilizations collide, creating opportunities of adventure for travelers. Despite Cambodia being considered one of the least developed countries by the United Nations, it doesn’t diminish the beauty of the culture and its people. This “Kingdom of Wonder” enchants more than two million international visitors each year with its warm and infectious hospitality which is something to be celebrated.
Stepping off the plane, we immediately made our way to the city center to search for a motorbike that needed to be connected to a cart which carried the Travelocity Roaming Gnome.
Traversing a leg of The Amazing Race with the Travelocity Roaming Gnome is every super fan’s dream and we were thrilled that we would be able to race with a third teammate in Cambodia. We’re not sure if the Travelocity Roaming Gnome helped us much on this leg, however, it was really cool to be able to bring it along to each of the challenges throughout this leg of The Race.
As we’ve previously mentioned, the cultural experiences along The Race impact you in indescribable ways. Traveling by boat on Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, we made our way through a floating village to an ancient floating Buddhist temple.
We donated a large basket full of food, water and various items as an offering to the local community and placed it inside the temple with the Buddhist monks after receiving a blessing. Being able to deliver a gift to the community that welcomed us with open arms was a highlight in the race so far. The floating village was incredible to see and although we were in race mode, it was a human moment that we will never forget.
We stayed in the floating village for the detour where we built a floating garden full of vegetable plants that would help provide resources to the surrounding village. This challenge was taxing because we were exposed to the heat of the sun as we got down and dirty in the dirt. Riding our boat through the floating village after completing our garden allowed us to soak up the community we were immersed in.
The village on Tonle Sap was phenomenal to see, kids swimming in the lake, family homes layered with hammocks, and the warmest people we have encountered on the race all waving at us as we passed by. While we did one one side of the detour, a few teams decided to do the other. Enjoy this EXCLUSIVE Sneak Peek for Out Traveler of us performing the gardening task of the Detour:
The pit stop on this leg of the race is inside the phenomenal Angkor Wat, a sight everyone should see in their lifetime. This ancient 12th century structure is lined with incredible temples, beautiful sculptures, and swarms of monkeys playing in the trees.
One of the coolest things you can see within the temples are these massive trees and vines growing through the bases and walls of the temples. There are no words to describe how magnificent the views of Angkor Wat were. It was a major highlight in terms of historical sites we saw during season 32 and something we will never forget.
From beginning the leg with assembling a motorbike, riding through the floating village, and ending at Angkor Wat, each aspect of this leg of the race showcased the magnificent culture that Cambodia has to offer travelers. This episode promises to be full of incredible sites as well as an intense drama as the final double U-turn makes an appearance during this leg. Which of the five teams will get U-turned, if any, and which team from the Mine 5 will be eliminated? Be sure to watch the next episode of The Amazing Race unfold TONIGHT on CBS at 8PM/7C.
Sneak Peek #2:
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