Siem Reap, Cambodia: The Hit or Miss List
Here’s where we tell you about the places we stayed, things we did, restaurants we went to and if they were hot or not. Or something like that.
CAMBODIA OVERALL
We really, really loved Cambodia. It frequently gets mentioned when people ask about our travels.
The Good: It’s under-developed, but still pretty tourist friendly. Many of the locals speak English, and while it’s slightly limited, it’s still enough to communicate pretty well. Currency is in both USD and Riels (KHR), though most tourists pay in USD as that’s what the ATMs spit out. Getting around the country by bus is reliable, but time consuming. Thankfully there are more and more flights popping up by Air Asia and the likes. And, it’s still pretty cheap when it comes to food, drink and hotels.
The Bad: There are TONS of street hawkers. You have to be strong in saying no unless you want to get repeatedly harassed. Also, the cute kids usually don’t get the money so there’s that… If you’re traveling overland, be prepared for the border crossing. We wrote about it here. You’ll definitely want to apply for an eVisa in advance to reduce stress.
The Ugly: Sex tourism here is almost as prevalent, or at least as visible as in Thailand. You’ll frequently spot old, unattractive Western dudes with young, beautiful Khmers.
WHAT WE DID IN SIEM REAP
Check out Angkor Wat, see the Cambodian Circus, lounge in an amazing pool, hang out on Pub Street, enjoy cheap massages, see the massive lake, visit Bang Malea.
Looking for pictures? Head on over to our Flickr.
ACTIVITIES
Angkor Wat Temples / Activity
(Tourism of Cambodia Website)
It’s as beautiful as the pictures allow you to believe. Yes, really. Don’t bother hiring a guide (It’s not about the language barrier, it’s just that there’s not a whole lot known about the history of Angkor Wat so it’s rather disappointing) but do hire a tuk tuk driver and negotiate for a day rate. We loved Klinn (on Facebook here) who we found through our hotel Dyna Boutique Hotel (more on that below.) If you only have a short period of time, you can do a single day pass, but we ended up going with the 3 day pass, which you don’t have to use on consecutive days. Day 1 we took our time exploring the temples further away, Day 2 we did the main Angkor Wat temple and then our Day 3 we used at the end of our Siem Reap stay, on our last night, to go back and see the main temple again, this time for sunset! (More on Angkor Wat & Bang Malea temples in this blog post.)
Beng Mealea / Activity
(TripAdvisor, Tourism of Cambodia Website)
We loved Angkor Wat because it was epic and beautiful and just as we had imagined it. But then someone told us about Beng Mealea and described it as an Indiana Jones version of Angkor Wat, which pretty much perfectly describes it. A few hours out of Siem Reap, we took a tuk-tuk and loved the open air drive, getting to soak in local Khmer culture… while listening to The Brighton Omnicom radio show. (Slightly unrelated, but I highly recommend checking out The Brighton Omnicom.) Once you’re there, there are plenty of local “guides” that will walk around, show you which vines you can swing on and, best of all, take your picture! Definitely don’t miss this one. (More on Beng Mealea and Angkor Wat temples in this blog post.)
Cheap Massages / Activity
It’s true. You can get a 30 minute massage AND a can of Angkor beer for $3 on Pub Street. They can be hit or miss, but the Khmers are generally good at taking direction (harder, softer, etc.) Get one every day. You deserve it ;)
Phare, the Cambodian Circus / Activity
(TripAdvisor) (Website)
PPS, the organization which puts on the show, is a non-profit art & theatre program designed for children and community members with rough backgrounds. The program features the circus stuff you’ll recognize, but with a local Cambodian twist. (The story line is projected onto a screen above the performers, with English translations so you can follow along.) Afterwards you’re invited to come down and chat with the performers — Faris even learned a new juggling trick! Shows are nightly and cost around $15.
Tonle Sap: The Big Lake / Activity
(TripAdvisor, Website)
Eh, I’d recommend skipping this one. It’s a massive lake with floating homes. It’s pretty expensive ($30 USD/person), the prices are non-negotiable and our “captains” were between 8 and 10 years old. After taking us to a school where they asked us to buy a $50USD bag of rice to donate (we declined), they also tried to get us to go to an orphanage. (Big no no!) At one point when we hopped off to visit a store, our boat floated away and at another point the engine died and we almost didn’t make it back with any light left! It was more funny than scary, but we didn’t leave feeling like we’d seen anything special.
Angkor Night Market / Activity
(TripAdvisor)
If you head out towards Pub Street at night, it will be hard to miss the Angkor Night Market. We had a blast wandering through and looking at all the chatchkas. If you’re continuing on your trip, it’s not worth grabbing too much here as you can find plenty of the same in other SE Asian countries for about the same price. The one thing we wish we had bought when we were here was a painting of Angkor Wat. There are plenty for under $20 on canvases that could be rolled up, but we were hesitant as we weren’t sure it would fare very well for the months of traveling afterwards.
FOOD
Chamkar Vegetarian Restaurant / Food
(TripAdvisor, Website)
Off of Pub Street in “The Passage,” which is part of Old Market, we had the most delicious Khmer Wedding Day Dip at Chamkar. This is/was hands down my favorite Cambodian dish. Imagine something like crunchy peanut butter + mushrooms + red curry paste + lime + cilantro and some spicy red peppers thrown on top. They also had delicious wine, which is all too rare in Asia. It’s technically a vegetarian restaurant, but you won’t find yourself missing meat.
The Blue Pumpkin / Food
(TripAdvisor)
The Blue Pumpkin has a few locations in Cambodia and they are known for their gelato & ice cream. We were more impressed with their salads, which are pretty rare in Asia! We also loved their curry. You’ll pay Western or close to Western prices, but the food is solid and they offer indoor air conditioning if you’re into that kind of thing. We heard the breakfast croissants were awesome, but didn’t make it back to try them since our hotel included a free breakfast. Oh! And they have free wifi.
Viva / Food
(TripAdvisor)
This Mexican place just off of Pub Street offers great tacos and cheap margaritas combined with a good ambiance. The music isn’t blasting too much, there are always specials worth taking advantage of and food is served fairly quickly. It’s not the most amazing Mexican food you’ll have, but then again you aren’t in Cambodia for Mexican food. It does offer a little variety if you have been leaning towards more traditional Asian food and are looking for a break.
Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Guest House / Food, Place to Stay
(TripAdvisor)
We didn’t stay here, but had to stop by when we saw they offered Guinness and a Sunday roast. Like many places in the Pub Street area, food is cheap and wifi is plentiful. We saw a sign boasting live music, but no one happened to be playing while we were there. Great place to people watch, meet fellow travelers and grab a pint of beer.
In Touch Bar & Restaurant / Drinks, Live Music
(TripAdvisor)
Plenty of drink choices at cheap prices, but the real reason you want to check this place out is the live music. Occasionally they’ll invite people from the audience to sing along with them, but mostly they cover American hits. I’m not convinced they know what they’re singing/saying, but they sound good and it makes for a pleasantly entertaining evening. It’s not necessarily worth seeking out, but if you’re looking for some live music and stumble upon it, it’s worth wandering in.
PLACES TO STAY
Dyna Boutique Hotel / Place to Stay, Guide
(Website, TripAdvisor, Agoda)
This was one of our favorite places we stayed. The hotel was beautiful and the staff was always kind and helpful. Our room had both an indoor and outdoor bathroom, including a bathtub that was big enough to be considered a plunge pool. Air conditioning was great and while the hotel wasn’t walking distance to Pub Street, there were free Tuk-Tuks for several times of day. We also ended up meeting Klinn, a tuk-tuk driver who is staff at Dyna. We hired him to take us around Angkor Wat, Bang Malea and, of course, Pub Street.
Looking for pictures? Head on over to our Flickr.
