Siem Reap Guide

Greetings from Siem Reap! It was an extremely long and tiring journey from Ha Tien, Vietnam as we tried to keep the trip as low-cost as possible. Nonetheless, I was very glad that we included Siew Reap (and Angkor Wat) as part of the itinerary and made all the way here. It is such a beautiful city with a deep soul, continue reading to find out why.

Transport

Again, we took a minivan from Ha Tien to Phnom Penh, which is the capital of Cambodia. The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable given there were 6 or 7 of us squeezing at the back of the vehicle. I suffered quite a bit as I couldn't place my feet properly, imagine that you couldn't move your feet for hours! We breezed through the border crossing, well, unexpectedly. Once we reached Phnom Penh in the evening, we were given about 2 hours to settle our dinner before boarding another overnight bus to Siem Reap. It's such a shame that we didn't get to explore Phnom Penh at all due to our tight schedule. In summary, the entire journey from Ha Tien to Siem Reap took almost one day and one night. We strongly advise you to choose flight route if you have a sufficient budget as this would definitely save you a lot of time and energy.

Tuk tuk is the most common transportation mode witin Siem Reap, and bargaining is a must to get a proper deals, unless you don't mind being "scammed".

Stepping in another country. Hello, Cambodia!

Accommodation
Bou Savy Guest House
Location-wise, there are indeed better options as this place is not near to the night market whereby tourists usually hang out at night. I couldn't complain much given the attractive price tag at 22 dollars per night and a satisfatory room (cleanliness is my top priority).

Food
To be honest, we didn't come with great expectation given we pretty much knew nothing about local food. Were lazy to do research beforehand. But it turned out that there was a good variety of food options in Siem Reap, including Western cuisine that caters to those who do not enjoy local flavours.

For people who are more adventurous, night market is a good place to explore as we managed to try some delicious street food there. Honourary mention went to milkshakes that never fail to cheer us up on a bright sunny day. It could be as affordable as 1 USD per cup if you buy from random stalls on the street, how could we resist? We even tried some exotic and fun flavours such as jackfruit and durian.

A random local restaurant recommended by our tuk tuk driver. Sorry that I didn't note the name down.

Simple fried noodles, but our cravings satisfied.

Cambodia version of roti prata. Banana flavour checked.

Look out for good alcohol deals on the street. We managed to get 1-for-1 deal for our cocktails.

We were too exhausted to venture out after our morning trip to Angkor Wat. Luckily the guesthouse serves some decent food, though noting too spectacular.

We were totally addicted to the milkshakes, owing to the hot and humid weather here.

Simple breakfast prepared by the guest house.

Activities
Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour
Everyone travles here for the magnificent Angkor Wat, hence, I am not going to elaborate much about this World Heritage site. Hiring a tuk tuk driver is the easiest way. This can be done by getting quotes from random drivers you meet on the street or simply asking the hotel staff to do the booking. Depending on the number of hours and range of attractions covered, the prices can vary substantially. The price go even higher if you would like to get an English-speaking tour guide.

We do advise your to start your trip early so you won't be stuck in the queue at the entrance for too long. Believe me, you wouldn't want to miss the spectacular sunrise. We were fasciniated by the beautiful Khmer architecture, mainly built in sandstones, that had survived multiple centuries. We spent about half day in Angkor Wat, which I thought it was insufficient, but it worked well for us as we were literally "killed" by the scorching hot weather and felt burned out by noon.

On the way to Angkor Wat early in the morning. Beautiful scene captured from the tuk tuk.

Our passes to access to Angkor Wat.

The precious moment that everyone had been waiting for. It was totally breathtaking that it left us speechless.

One of my favourite photos from the trip. A red outfit stood out among the ruins.

Visit Angkor Museum
Another common activity to do here. However, it would be hard to appreciate the history if you do not have a tour guide with you.

Catch a Movie at Your Personal Cinema
Visit Angkor Cinema for a really cool experience at your own private room. You get to pick the move you are interested in and have the whole room to yourself and your friends! A good way to kill time on a hot and humid day. Click here for more details.