Literally every foreign visitor comes to Siem Reap to visit the majestic Angkor Wat. The sight is truly amazing and despite its massive popularity there is a way to beat the crowds.
But Siem Reap itself is also a nice place and it exceeded our expectations. Since you’ll probably be spending a few days in Siem Reap here are a few useful tips and things you should know.
Most travelers come in by plane to Siem Reap International Airport. The journey to city center takes about 20-30 minutes and the taxi should cost around $6-$10 . Make sure you check with your hotel if they offer an airport pick up or shuttle service to get around the city which is in some cases complimentary.
To get around Siem Reap locals primarily use motorbikes. In April 2018 the government’s stance on renting out motorbikes to foreigners is somewhat unclear; some have told us it is illegal some that it is not anymore. Since having a scooter gives you great flexibility, the roads are in solid condition and the way Cambodians drive is surprisingly good, we decided to rent it out ourselves for a few days. It’s best to book it through your hotel and should cost between $10-$15 per day.
It’s fairly easy to get tuk-tuk taxis in the city and in contrast to Bangkok our experience with tuk tuks was positive. Still we prefer to use the Grab app which has been introduced to Siem Reap at the beginning of 2018 and is usually cheaper, faster and often times more reliable than taxis.
Prior on-boarding on our trip around South East Asia we were told that people in Myanmar are the nicest people in the world. From our experience though Cambodians are definitely the most friendly. Always smiling, willing to help and in contrast to what we experienced in Myanmar not always looking to take your money. The service in all hotels, restaurants and bars we went to was the greatest we’ve seen in the last few months. There are also many touristic shops but Cambodian sellers are not as aggressive as in other places and do understand a firm “no, thanks”.
Due to Cambodia’s recent bloody history, poverty in Siem Reap is high and there will be many beggars on the streets of Siem Reap and particularly around Angkor Wat. Children sell you postcards and paintings and so forth. We were warned not to buy those since you then support children selling these items instead of going to school.
Stating the obvious, I know 🙂 We really recommend you to take the 3 day pass and so you will be able to enjoy all the beauties at your own pace. We also found a great way to beat the crowds. Read more on our blog on Angkor Wat here.
Relax
Relaxing after temples is the first thing you need to plan out. You will be tired after exploring and need to plan some time to relax. There are some other activities which you could do such as.
Pottery class
We found this place on TripAdvisor and happy we did. The Angkor Pottery Center is in the South of Siem Reap and it’s a great way to spend the afternoon. Mrs. Hann used to make and sell pottery but realized that tourists do not buy these so much since it’s difficult to take them home. The pottery class has been a success right from the start mostly because of how her openness and kindness. We had a great time learning and listening to her stories and they had PUPPIES 🙂
Restaurants
Most of our meals were actually in the hotels we stayed at. But one place I truly recommend is VIBE Cafe. Hip place serving delicious filling vegan food. There are many options to choose from, our favorite were the Ritual bowl and the Live sandwich. Expect to pay more than elsewhere though since it’s one of the more expensive places around the city. ARTillery is also a good option, as well as Peace Cafe which also provides yoga classes.
Bars and cafes
Pub street is the famous party street of Siem Reap where it gets pretty crazy during the night. We walked there during day time but skipped the party scene in the evening to get some sleep for Angkor Wat.
Chances are you will be pretty tired after your visits of Angkor Wat. The place does get really hot during the day so an afternoon soak in the pool is a must. Luckily Siem Reap is home to many luxury 4-5 star hotels. Since we stayed in 4 different hotels during our stay we can say that there are 2 groups of luxury hotels – small boutique and larger premium hotels. Larger ones have more facilities but smaller ones can feel a bit more personal though service was great in all of these 4 hotels.
Premium large hotel
The hotel has beautiful gardens, large common spaces and feels very spacious. The main advantage compared to other hotels is that it’s closest to Angkor Wat which saves you a few precious minutes when you have to wake up for the sunrise. The hotel has a large breakfast buffet with great Western options like organic cashew nut butter. It’s one of the few hotels that has a gym which was great.
Small boutique luxury hotels
Shinta Mani was designed and is co-owned by the famous architect Bill Bensley. It truly has a unique black and white design and is filled with cool details and features. We had one of the best vegan gourmet dinners and the Indonesian chef really delivered. The great thing was also the breakfast package to go for the temples – we got a lot of fruit and special made filling muesli with almond milk. Yummy!
New hotel with great value in a quiet location just outside of Siem Reap center. Our room was on the ground floor so the pool was just 2 meters away from our bedroom. The staff is also very open and chatty. Getting the typical Khmer scarves as a goodbye present was also a lovely gesture 🙂
Metta Residence & Spa is also new boutique hotel opened in 2017. The location is quiet since it’s just outside the city so it’s great that they have a free shuttle service. The massage was one of the best ones we’ve had during our trip to Asia. We also tried the candlelight romantic dinner which was nice & cheesy if you are into this as much as we are 🙂
US dollar is the preferred currency use in Cambodia and is accepted everywhere. Be aware that some bills may not be accepted – such as the $2 bill or if the bill is really old. ATMs dispense US dollars or Cambodien Riel. Generally though the Cambodian Riel is most of the time given as change. At the time of writing $1 worth about 4,000 Riels.
Tipping is recommended in Siem Reap. Generally a 5% to 15% tip is expected.
Local crafts such as ceramics, wooden products and paintings are popular souvenirs from Siem Reap. In terms of shopping, Siem Reap is probably your go to place. There aren’t any shopping malls in the city. There is one shopping area with exclusive brands (Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors etc.) but prices are significantly higher than in the West.
After Siem Reap it was time to see what the Cambodian beach has to offer – Koh Rong & Koh Rong Samloem.
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Oh that's funny, everyone has been saying the opposite - that in Cambodia everyone is very aggressive and trying to rip you off! I'm heading there in a week or two so we will see :)
We had the best experience in Siem Reap and talked to many others with the same kind of experience, which might not be the rule for other parts of the country. Let me know how it worked for you :)