Siem Reap in Cambodia is the gateway to the country’s famous ruins of Angkor Wat. Situated in the northeastern part of Cambodia, this city has boomed with tourists eager to see one of the biggest religious monuments in the whole world, but the surrounding town itself is also a total gem in its own right. I had a couple days to explore both – here’s what I recommend to a first time visitor!
How to get there: Unbeknownst to me before I got there, Siem Reap is serviced by an international airport with relatively cheap flights from many Asian destinations, both domestic and international. Instead, I dragged my boyfriend on the 8 hour bus ride over land from Bangkok… it was so cheap, like $21 each way (tickets can be bought in person at the bus station or online here) and they were honestly pretty comfortable.
The only downside was the dodgy border crossing at Poipet/Aranyaprathet. It is SCAM. CENTRAL. First, you’ll leave the Thai border, get the exit stamp, and make your way to the Cambodia border, no issue there. Once you cross over in the no-man’s-land between the Thai and Cambodian border… beware! There are fake immigration officers dressed in fake uniforms in fake offices that try to get you to pay them the entrance Cambodian visa fee of $30 USD. We got so close to giving this random guy our money and passports but figured out it was a scam at the last minute and ran away. Another scam we encountered once we found the official immigration office is a 200 baht ‘processing fee.’ This fee is fake, and it is just a bribe. Refuse the fee and they will still give you your visa and you can move on. We researched this border crossing afterwards and found out that it is infamous for scamming tourists, and we heard they call it the “Scambodian Border” – sounds fitting… At least it makes for an entertaining memory right?!
Where to stay: Siem Reap is a really small town, so anywhere you stay will be in prime location. You can find hostel dorms for around $6 per night for a very nice place, even cheaper if you’re willing to sacrifice some amenities. We stayed at Onederz Hostel, 100% recommend it! Most, if not all hostels will have free wifi and many include free breakfast too.
What to do: When you first arrive, spend some time exploring the town to appreciate how charming it really is. Pub Street is a poppin’ location with lively bars and restaurants coming alive at night time – and a fantastic place to meet other like-minded travelers if you’re on your own. Dip your toes into a fish pedicure for $2, try some fried insects that vendors are selling on the street, and overall just embrace the vibrant culture that the city has to offer!
Obviously, though, what you’re coming to Siem Reap for its proximity to Angkor Wat. Built in the first half of the 12th-century, it’s unrivaled in terms of sheer size of the complex where the ancient temple ruins go on and on for literally miles. After a $20 entrance fee, you will be inspired and stunned for both its size and grand, detailed architecture.
It’s located about 4 miles (6 kilometers) outside of Siem Reap, so you’ll have to rent either a bike or a tuktuk to see the complex from town. It depends on your style, but we rented a tuktuk for the day for $20 so we could relax and fully enjoy the temples. We arranged for the driver with our hostel the night before, and he picked us up around 4:00 a.m the next morning. We drove to the ticket center which is located totally outside of Angkor, and then we made it to the complex by sunrise.
One of the most popular things to do here is watch the sunrise in front of Angkor Wat temple with the reflecting pond of water in front of it. It’s truly a SIGHT – so much so that the place was packed with what seemed like everybody in the world who had the same idea as us. It kinda took away from the experience to be surrounded by probably 750-1000 other people all pushing you around for their perfect photo moment, but hey, sometimes that’s what you get when you want to see destinations as famous and incredible as Angkor.
After the sunrise, our tuk tuk driver took us to the most famous temples of the complex, including Angkor Thom, Pre Rup, Banteay Srei, and Ta Prohm, the last of which was undoubtedly the most photogenic of temples in the complex. Imagine trees reclaiming their environment, growing their roots back over the temples and doorways (plus it’s the filming location for Tomb Raider :P). Our driver gave us tons of informational tidbits about the temples and Cambodian history. You’d miss out on this if you were to ride a bike through the temples, and probably end up getting lost ’cause its so massive. About 5 or 6 hours later, we were all temple-d out and got dropped off back at our hostel.
Other tips: Siem Reap’s currency is the USD. Yes, that’s right, the US Dollar. There’s exchange offices here to exchange most other major currencies that you might have, but come with some USD stocked just to be safe. Dress fairly modest at Angkor Wat – supposedly there is a dress code of pants covering the legs and shirts covering at least your shoulders. I saw people breaking the dress code, but to avoid any trouble just pull out your iconic Southeast Asia elephant pants and a comfy t-shirt for the trip. Food here is very cheap – a more upscale restaurants will serve a full meal + drinks for less $10, while you can find street food for $1.50.
Hopefully this gave you some ideas and inspired you to make a visit to Siem Reap and its famous Angkor Temples!
