Siem is very popular among tourists because of the Angkor, which is a series of temples holding great architectural and historical values among the locals and tourists.
This place is very affordable if you are planning to stay here for a couple of days to visit all around Siem Reap. Siem Reap has its own airport and it also connects travelers to other places, that’s a reason it welcomes a lot of tourists from worldwide.
This place offers you a lot of places to visit including temples, historical sites, and museums. Apart from historical places, you can also enjoy the night market, the pub street, and a wide range of restaurants and bars offering affordable yet delicious traditional as well as exotic food.
Things to do in Siem Riep:
1. Angkor National Museum:
This is a place where can know about a lot about the history of the Siem Reap. This museum is based on Khmer Civilization and the Majesty of Angkor.
As you move inside the gallery you will see the displays are based on themes such as era, religion, and royalty. Further, you will see another gallery of a Thousand Buddhas with a large number of images.
The major attractions of this museum are an early 13th-century seated Buddha sheltered by a Naga, a 7th-century standing Vishnu, and an amazing 10th-century lintel from the temple of Banteay Srei.
The air-conditioned museum lets you escape the hot sun outside. Touch-screen video players and commentary systems provide brief information, while $5 audio tours offer detailed knowledge.
At the end of your tour, you will find a few cafes and stalls to buy the souvenir. The museum opens from 8:30 in the morning to 6 in the evening. The ticket costs $12 for adults and $6 for children below 12.
2. Artisans Angkor – Les Chantiers Ecoles:
Les Chantier Echoles is a school that teaches wood and stone carving techniques, traditional silk painting, lacquerware, and other artisan skills to young Cambodians who are impoverished.
This school has a beautiful shop named Artisans Angkor from where you can buy everything from the Angkorian-era statues to household furnishing made up of stone and wood.
The money from the shop goes back to the funding of the school to teach more young Cambodians. You can have a free guided tour of the schools and the shop from 7:30 in the morning to 6 in the evening.
3. Angkor Wat, Siem Reap:
Angkor Wat is about 5.6 kilometers away from Siem Reap. It is an ancient city in Cambodia that was the center of the Khmer empire. There are lots of temples and buildings to visit.
The must-visit temples in this city are Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Phrom, and Angkor Thom. Apart from temples, places that attract lots of tourists include Elephant Terrace, East Mebon, Preah Khan, Pre Rup, Preah Ko, and Srah Srang.
To enter the Angkor Wat Temples you have to buy a pass. There are 4 types of passes, a 1-day pass for $37, a 3-day pass for USD 62, 7-day pass for $72. To save time you can hire a tuk-tuk, which will take you to all the renowned places.
4. Pub Street, Siem Reap:
If you are a booze enthusiast traveller and finding something apart from temples in Siem Reap, then this place is for you. Visiting and walking on this street after 6 pm is very popular among the tourists.
You will find lots of shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars on this street. The beauty of this market is enhanced at night because of the lighting.
This is also a family place there are deg\signated areas for smokers and the pavement and main road are well maintained and clean. You can also enjoy bartering, live music, and body massage.
5. Night market, Siem Reap:
After the sunset, visiting the night market can give you a lot of good memories of Siem Reap. Here at the night market, you will find many cafes, restaurants, pubs, and vendors selling local food.
The lighting in the market enhances its beauty to the peak. You will also find vendors selling attractive souvenirs and handicrafts.
Getting a fish massage, buzzing with tourists, and being sandwiched by the souvenir shops and the public are only a few things to do in the night market, you can do a lot more.
6. Me Chrey, Siem Reap:
This is a floating village in the Tonle Sap River. It is about 9 kilometres away from the Siem Reap. On the trip to this floating village, you will get a chance to have a closer look at the culture and lifestyle of the locals of Siem Reap.
You will see lots of people planting rice plants and collecting fishing from the nets because these are the main occupations of the locals here.
To witness the live fishing it is advised to visit this place early in the morning. You can also have a boat ride here, which will take you around the village for about $20.
7. Toal bird sanctuary:
If you are bored visiting temples and historical places and searching for an adventurous place to visit, here you go. This bird sanctuary spreads in 42000 hectares.
This bird sanctuary is located in the Tonle Sap biosphere reserve. Toal bird sanctuary is a house for many migratory waterbirds coming over from all around the world.
On your visit to this bird sanctuary, you can spot many birds including black-headed ibis, painted storks, milky storks, spot-billed pelicans, fish eagles, and many more.
To view most of these birds you must visit in the dry season between December and March. The entry pass costs about USD 25 per person. Boat tours are also available here.
Places to eat in Siem Reap:
1. Wild restaurant:
This is a versatile restaurant. Here, you can ask for fast food, spicy traditional dishes, and healthy food too. This place offers 13 kinds of rolls. It also serves delicious Khmer cuisine.
In healthy alternatives, you can try Amok, a combination of coconut cream and fresh fish. The specialities of this place are spring roll and duck roll.
This restaurant opens from 5 in the evening to 11 in the night.
2. Marum:
This restaurant provides you with a garden setting. They serve a wide range of traditional and exotic cuisines. As you will enter the ambience you will be impressed with the environment and vibes. They serve delicious food made by experienced chefs using fresh spices.
Their specialty is in Cambodian-tapas-styled dishes. The mus-try includes lotus, jackfruit, and coriander hummus with toasted baguette, red ant,s and beef stir-fried with kaffir lime leaves and chilli.
Banana fritters with palm sugar caramel and lemongrass galangal ice cream are must-try desserts of this restaurant.
3. Fresh fruit factory:
You will find this place very innovative and fruity. They serve a wide range of dishes made of fresh and fruity juices. This place is popular for its innovative dishes and affordability.
You can have high-calorie smoothie bowls. The must-try dishes are French toast, pancakes with mango, and passion fruit. This restaurant opens at 11 in the morning and closes at 7 in the evening.
How to reach Siem Riep:
Reach Siem Reap by flight:
Siem Reap has its own airport. You can take a direct flight to Siem Reap or you can fly to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. From Phnom Penh catch a bus to reach Siem Reap.
The distance between Siem reap and Phnom Penh is about 143 miles.
Reach Siem Reap by road:
To reach Siem Reap you can catch a bus or mini-bus from the nearby cities such as Kompong Thom, Phnom Penh, and Battambang.