Siem Reap

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Introduction

Motorcycle Monk - Siem Reap

© All Rights Reserved andymoore

Siem Reap owes much of its popularity as a tourist destination to the fact that it is the gateway to Angkor Wat, one of Cambodia's prime attractions. Thanks to the ancient temples nearby, Siem Reap has turned into a focal point of Cambodian tourism, with dozens of hotels and guesthouses springing up over the past couple decades.

Siem Reap itself features a combination of Khmer, Chinese and colonial architectural styles. Old Market is one of the town's more vibrant, traditional areas.

Siem Reap is also the capital of the province Siem Reap.

Neighbourhoods

• Psar Chaa is the square at the centre of downtown. Most of the city slowly radiates from from Psar Chaa. The river runs roughly north south with most of the city on the west side of the river. Lately Siem Reap has started to sprawl out and fare amount of some of the larger more expensive resorts are now located on the outskirts of the city, most of what travellers need is located in the downtown area near Psar Chaa including accommodation for any budget or comfort need.

Sights and Activities

• Angkor is the ancient city that is home to Angkor Wat and possibly one of the most famous tourist sights in the world. This place is why Siem Reap is on the map.
• Tonle Sap is the largest lake in south east Asia and short day trip from Siem Reap.
• Land Mine Museum is a good small outdoor museum located over the river that gives a history of land mine removal in Cambodia. It is also small charity meant to help children that are the victims of land mines.
• War Museum is a great large outdoor museum with left over weapons from the war. There is everything from old AK-47s to tanks and artillery cannons. The tour guides are veterans of the revolution and tell a very personal and moving story about the weapons and the affects they had on the Cambodian people.
• Angkor National Museum is a new and large museum, cost entrance: $12 camera: $2.

Events and Festivals

• Bon Oum Took Boat Festival is every October/November and attarcts thousands of Khmers to watch amazing boat racing on the river
• Angkor Half Marathon is a yearly half marathon in December that runs through the temples of Angkor Wat. The money raised is donated to several local charities.

Weather

Siem Reap has a hot and humid tropical climate. It is dominated by the wet southwest monsoon from May to October and the dry northeast monsoon from November to April. Temperatures are between 23 and 26 degrees at night, and 30 to 35 degrees during the day most of the year, but April sees temperatures of 40 degrees occasionally. September and October are the wettest months. The best time of year to visit is during the dry cool season from mid December to mid February.

Getting There

By Plane

Angkor International Airport (REP) just outside of Siem Reap has direct daily flights to almsot every major city in Asia including Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

By Car

It is possible to hire a car to get to and from Siem Reap and the Thai border and Phnom Penh.

By Bus

The buses going west towards Thailand are on very bad roads and it is worth hiring a car. The buses going east towards Phnom Penh drive on excellent roads making them the cheapest and easiest option for going to any location in the eastern part of the country.

By Boat

Although it is still possible to take the boat to Phnom Penh most people don't do it anymore. It leaves very early in the morning and takes all day. Lastly the cost of taking the boat is about 5 times more then taking a bus.

Getting around

Tuk Tuk driver called Nats..

© All Rights Reserved geranddebs

By Car

Although most people do not hire a car to take them around the ruins it is possible to do. Remember that most cars are old and pretty run down so might not be that comfortable.

By Foot

If staying in a hotel or guesthouse near the city center walking around is the best way to get around town. To get out to any of the sights transport has to be arranged or a bike needs to be hired.

Motorbike/Tuk-Tuk

There are countless motorbikes and tuk-tuks around town to be hired. Remember to bargain the rate down no matter what. Tuk-tuks can be hired for about 10 to 15 dollars a day and motorbikes for about half the price. Remember that the shade on the back of a tuk-tuk can be really nice when the sun is high in the sky. It is no longer possible to hire a motorbike without a driver for the day to go around Angkor.

By Bike

Renting a bike and biking around Angkor is a possibility. Just remember that it can get very hot during the day and shade can sometimes be hard to find. Also Angkor is a large city so it is easy to get lost. On the plus side it is nice to enjoy the ruins with out the load noise of a motor roaring away all day.

Eat

Around the downtown area there are several western restaurants around the downtown area. Remember that most guesthouses have restaurants attached to them but it is good to branch out and spread the wealth. If looking for local food there is an open air market just south of downtown near the Popular Guesthouse.

Drink

Siem Reap actually has a great nightlife! There are many different kinds of bars for the different kinds of travellers. There are nicer high pubs and rowdy backpacker dives. There is even one bar that has Pol Pots toilet seat! The best thing to do is walk around the Psar Chaa and walk into a place. New watering holes pop up frequently, although some of the old trusty bars have remained. There are even some Cambodian discos located around town that can give an interesting insight into modern Khmer nightlife.

Sleep

In the last 10 years the options for sleeping in Siem Reap have grown unbelievably. There are now countless guesthouses, hotels and resorts to choose from. Be careful because buses from Bangkok tend to try to put new arrivals in hotels way outside the city center. The better and more popular places are very closer to downtown. New places open up every week.

Budget

• Popular Guesthouse (Phone:(855) 12 916165 , Email: chom@camnet.com.kh, Address: #033, group 10, Viheachin Village, Svaydangkum commune) - Is a good backpacker guesthouse located just south of downtown. Although the staff can be a bit distant at times the rooms are good and there is a nice rooftop restaurant that is nice for meeting people.

Here is a more complete list with ratings by travellers:

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Markt in Siem Reap 3

© All Rights Reserved irezumi

Most options for working in Siem Reap are half volunteer English teaching positions. Although it is possible to find the occasional western waitress or bartender working in a downtown pub. Some foreigners liked Siem Reap so much they just opened up there own guesthouse, restaurant or bar.

Volunteer

• SAGE Foundation Schools - Near Siem Reap welcome volunteer to help for one week or longer. They mainly need English teachers, no experience required.

Learn

Currently the only way to study in Siem Reap would be to arrange a study abroad program with a third party organization. This is because the current universities in Siem Reap do not have programs for foreigners.

Keep Connected

Internet

There are several small internet bars located around the downtown area. Most places have pretty good connection speed but don't do anything more then basic email. If looking for a faster connection it better to just wait till being in a bigger city.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

There are several international phone centers near downtown. Also many hotels sometimes have international phone cards that are a good rate.

Post

Most hotels and guesthouses will sell stamps and mail postcards. For larger packages it is better to wait till going to Phnom Penh.