I have visited Angkor and Siem Reap twice now. While I don’t feel a need to run back and visit again soon (I saw a TON of temples last time I visited), I know I will be back in that neck of the woods again at some point in my life.
Cambodia is a place I loved from the moment I stepped foot on its red dirt and into its arm-pit like heat and humidity.

Angkor and Siem Reap

Twice have I gone to Siem Reap, of course as the jumping off point for the Angkor Archaeological Sites. The first time I only got to spend a couple of days there and checked Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm off the list and knew I had to come back and see more. The second time I went back we spent a few days out there and I have seen a good number of the temples at this point and I don’t feel a need to go back very soon, but I know I’ll be back eventually. There’s just something magical about all the temples.

One of the “idyllic” things every guidebook will tell you that you must do is sunrise over Angkor Wat. I have done this and it was worth it, but here are a few things you should know:

1. It will be crowded. Very crowded.

2. Find a tuk-tuk or taxi driver to claim for the time you’re in Siem Reap and have them take you out to buy your Angkor Pass the evening before. With that said, this gets you a bonus if you buy your pass at 4:30pm, you can go in right at 5pm and not count it as a day on your pass.

3. You don’t have to be right up on the moat with everyone else there for the sunrise. Tay and I opted to sit inside the South Library. We sat in one of the door ways and snuggled up to wait for the sun to come up.

4. You will have to be up super early as the sun rises about 5-5:30am. Suck it up, night owls.

One of the most fun things we did at Angkor Wat?

The first evening in Siem Reap we ran out and bought our entrance tickets and did the sunset at Angkor Wat since we wouldn’t have to count it as a ‘day’ on our pass. We went to the East Side of the temple and watched the sun go part the way down and then headed inside, where we climbed up to the top of the complex and continued watching the sun go down from there.

Over the next days we definitely templed outselves out. Tay thought they were all starting to look them same.

Some of my favorites were Beng Mealea, Banteay Srei, Ta Som, Ta Prohm and of course Angkor Wat. There are so many to see. You could spend days out there.

Here are few things I will share with you after my experiences in the Angkor temples, to hopefully make yours better:

1. It’s crowded all day! ALL DAY! And you will be constantly stampeded by Korean and Japanese tour groups. You’ll just have to get used to it. Don’t let it ruin your experience there. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not.

2. It’s hot. As fuck. Plan to bring or buy lots of water. The sun is relentless here.

3. If you can afford the time, visit over the course of several days. Don’t try to see too many temples in one day.

4. Bring something to cover up with. If you want to go to the summit of Angkor Wat (they let this slide when we climbed to the top in the evening), knees and elbows must be covered, so bring a sarong.

And then here is some other handy advice on visiting Angkor and Siem Reap:

Where to Sleep?

Back in Siem Reap there are tons of hostels and budget hotels. There’s even some options for high end accommodation if that’s what you’re looking for. A hostel bed you should expect to pay $1-20. (You get roughly 4,050 Cambodian Riels to 1 USD, but since Cambodia likes to wheel and deal in the US Dollar I will list prices in dollars). A budget hotel you can expect anywhere from $10-30 per night. Expect to pay closer to the $30 per night if you want a pool. Both stays I’ve had in Siem Reap I’ve stayed at the Prum Bayon. No frills, but a good room and a pool for $27 a night ($13.50 when you divide the cost between the two of us staying the night).

Food

There are plenty of vendors and even a few restaurants to eat at while visiting the temples inside the park. The vendors you can expect to pay $2-4 for a meal. Back in Siem Reap there are tons of food options. The most expensive meal Tay and I had the second time I went to Siem Reap was $16 at Cambodian BBQ on Pub Street, that was where I first tried crocodile. There are tons of restaurants lining Pub Street.

Some of my favorite dishes I ate in this area were: Lok Lak Beef, Amok, Lap Khmer, Nom Banh Chok, and of course that above mentioned croc. Oddly enough there is a Mexican restaurant called Viva in Siem Reap, and given the fact that it is located sooo far from Mexico it isn’t the most ‘authentic’… but hey, they serve pretty tasty Mexican food.

Tuk Tuks/Taxis/Bicycles

Expect to pay $15-20 per day to have a tuk tuk take you around to the temples you want to see. Every time I’ve been I just find a guy and make a deal with him and have him drive you around for the entirety of your stay. The tuk tuk driver (he went by Spiderman) we had while I was visiting the second time would even see us out in the evening and tell us to come find him when we wanted to go home and he’d give us a ride.

Of course you can opt to spend more for a taxi. On my first visit I was traveling with my whiny ex-boyfriend who refused to ride around in a tuk tuk because his Mommy told him it wasn’t safe. (I rode in a few without him, haha). We paid about $30 a day for a taxi and some comfy AC blasting on us between temples.

Then there’s the hardcore. The people who rent bikes and have a go at the temples. You guys are crazy (but mostly I’m impressed). I consider myself to be a fit person and I do love riding bikes, but there is no way in hell you’d find me peddling some of those distances to get temple to temple under the brutal Cambodian sun! Anyways, you will find bike rentals around town for $2-5 per day.

Angkor Entrance Permits

Head over to the main entrance at Angkor, your tuk tuk driver will know what you’re talking about. Entrance fees are $20 for a one day pass, $40 for a three day pass and a week long pass is $60. Like I said somewhere above, if you go pick up your permit at 4:30pm the evening before, you will be allowed entrance to the park at 5pm and it will not count as one of your days.

Have you been to Angkor and Siem Reap? What did you think?

 

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This entry was posted in Asia, Travel Advice

• Angkor
• Angkor Thom
• Angkor Wat
• cambodia
• Siem Reap
• Ta Prohm