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Gateway to Angkor Wat, this small resort town of Siem Reap proudly boasts off a plethora of interesting tourist hot spots, food, and activities which visitors can partake in during their short stay here. This is a place where you will hardly find time to take a short breather because Siem Reap offers so much to see, do, eat and buy.
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Top 7 Places to See and Try on Your Tuk Tuk Ride around Siem Reap Gateway to Angkor Wat, this small resort town of Siem Reap proudly boasts off a plethora of interesting tourist hot spots, food, and activities which visitors can partake in during their short stay here. This is a place where you will hardly find time to take a short breather because Siem Reap offers so much to see, do, eat and buy. Despite unmeasured and indescribable atrocities meted out by the cruel rulers and chieftains of Khmer Rouge, the Cambodians have managed to ride the trying times and emerged out as winners. Now, hard times are a thing of the past. The country is gradually mending the broken straws and pulling the nation back on its feet, even though the scars are still fresh. Places like Siem Reap did experience a rapid growth recently and surfaced as the liveliest town that offers facilities which are required to support tourism on a grand scale. In fact, Siem Reap is considered the unofficial tourism capital of Cambodia. Visiting Siem Reap is easy with our recommended tour packages. The first thing that will welcome you here in Siem Reap is the long line of tuk-tuks awaiting tourist arrivals at the airport as well as at every street corner around town. Riding one is fun and jumpy, but a tuk-tuk ride is easy and definitely the cheapest way to navigate through the winding lanes and narrow streets of the city. One piece of advice though – Do not forget to bargain the ride rates before hopping into one of these teeny vehicles! Siem Reap – Gateway to Angkor Wat Seam Reap is an ancient town which has quite a strong history to tell-tale. The small town witnessed a rapid growth following the first wave of tourists’ arrivals, only after the French took control in 1907. The temples of Angkor was once Asia’s leading tourist attraction and welcomed renowned visitors like Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Kennedy. But, the reign of Khyber Rouge put a stop to its earnings from international tourism. However, post-Khmer Rouge, Siem Reap woke up again from its slumber and started the long climb back up the travelers’ bucket list. The resort town welcomed nearly 1,939,550 and 2,590,815 International and Domestic tourists in 2018 respectively, but in 2019, Cambodia experienced an 11% drop in the number of foreign tourists to the famed Angkor Archeological Park. Nevertheless, the beautiful landscapes of the town and architectural brilliance of Angkor are reasons strong enough to make you pack your bags and head out for your Cambodian trip to Siem Reap. Here is everything you need to see and try at Siem Reap Catch the sunrise at 500 acres Angkor complex The temple of Angkor Wat has already been recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO and has been the hot archaeological spot for diggers in Southeast Asia. This massive religious complex that extends over an area of more than 500 acres is about 50 times larger than Machu Picchu. And, Angkor complex had been the center of the Khmer Kingdom for centuries. This massive complex shelters standing examples of the then Khmer architecture – Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Preah Khan and Ta Prohm are imbued with symbolic significance as well. And, this is the very place from where you can take a quick snap of the brilliant sunrise peeking from behind the 12th century old temple, Angkor’s iconic towers.
The Bayon temple, on the other hand, has more than 2000 giant faces to marvel which are carved carefully into its 54 towers. And, who can forget about the mysterious stegosaurus carved into Ta Prohm’s walls that had baffled the historians for years? Again, Ta Prohm will serve as the perfect background for your memorable Insta-worthy snap as it did for the 2001 Hollywood flick, Lara Croft- Tomb Raider. A few things to keep-in-mind Even though you will get to see the temple mostly in ruins but it is a temple nevertheless. Entry into the temple complex is restricted and only if your knees, shoulders, and tops of your arms are covered. It is all about showing respect to this place of worship. Offer prayers at Phnom Kulen National Park This National Park is located about 50 km from Siem Reap at Cambodia’s most sacred Phnom Kulen Mountain. This is the very place where Jayavarman II had declared himself Chakravartin and laid down the foundation of Khmer Empire sometime in 802 AD. It is a notable place of pilgrimage that draws locals on weekends and religious days in numbers. Followers make their way to the temple built atop the mountain to offer prayers to the deity. The park has some interesting spots to see, such as – •The archaeological site of the Kbal Spean, also known as the ‘Valley of a thousand Lingas’ has many figures of Yoni, Linga, and others daintily carved into the rocks of the river bed. •The terrace of Sdach Kamlun which was once covered with Lava, stands as a plain terrace today, with the ruins of a small temple made out of bricks lying at the center of the open space. •The 8-meter tall statue of Preah Ang Thom, the worshipping God for Phnom Kulen, depicts the reclining Buddha attaining nirvana and is carved into a huge sandstone boulder. •Two main waterfalls in Phnom Kulen including swimming and picnic spots lining the edge of the water will make your visit to this National Park worthy of your time and money. Float with the floating villages at Tonle Sap Lake Imagine spending your days floating in the river? The people of Chong Kheas, Kampong Phluk, Kampong Khleang, and Mechrey float all through their lives – they live in floating houses, study at floating schools and eat at floating restaurants. These fascinating stilted and floating villages at Tonle Sap Lake have emerged as one of the hot spots to visit during your stay at Siem Reap. The houses are well-structured on tall, thin stilts, thereby keeping the occupants dry during the rainy season. Bargain hard for souvenirs at Phsar Chas This famous market in the city of Siem Reap is quite popular among tourists who visit here to take home souvenirs for their family and friends. Goods like apparels, silverware, silk, wood and stone carvings, Buddha statues as well as a wide assortment of other items are available at pocket-friendly rates, provided you do have the capability to win the bargain against the witty salesmen. And, while you pick up your choicest goodies, you can consider tasting the rare Cambodian specialities. The stalls have an ala carte of gourmet delights to taste such as a wide variety of rice dishes, dried fish and pork sausages, green vegetables and fresh fruits, fermented fish paste or Prahok, baguettes and spiced frogs, different types of Khmer soups as well as red chilli slices and peanuts.
Get tricked at ArtBox Trick Eye Museum What could be best than witnessing some of the world-renowned heritage sites without sweating in the scorching heat or getting drenched in the pouring rain? ArtBox Trick Eye Museum at Siem Reap is undoubtedly the biggest and technologically advanced trick art museum in the world that welcomes 5 million tourists every year. And, guess what, paintings come alive at 7 Wonder Hall that hosts a 3D Mapping Light Show. The ArtBox Trick Art Museum is actually an artistic field that draws 2D pictures stereoscopically, thereby, bringing the images back to life. The entrée fees are a lot cheaper than you think, especially if you happen to be a Cambodian local. Learn about landmines at Landmine Museum The Cambodian Landmine Museum is located just 25 km north of Siem Reap, near to Banteay Srey Temple in Angkor National Park. The museum owners aim at raising awareness and educating people about the importance of clearing landmines in Cambodia where nearly millions of landmines that exist even to this day. The country was torn by American bombings, Vietnamese occupation and the brutal reign of Khmer Rouge. Cambodia is one of the heavily mined countries in the world and there are places which awaits mine clearance even to this day. Landmines and UXOs in backyards, rice fields, and even roads leading to schools are living threats to human lives here. Dozens are killed or heavily injured every year but it is said that the country will not be free of this danger lurking at every footstep for several decades to come. The Landmine Museum is an exhibition of Cambodia’s tormented past and scary present. Sample the Khmer delights on a Street Food Tour Tasting the local delights and living the local life is what defines a true traveler. The big restaurants will always serve you dishes that you can purchase anywhere around the world. But, it is the local street food vendors that will make you taste the authentic Cambodian flavors. Here, you will get an ala carte of food items to select and order, right from grilled seafood to delicious pork and rice or sumptuous noodle dishes. Sweet marinated pork and num banh chok or Khmer noodles are must-try dishes that are available in these otherwise shabby food shacks. And, if you are up for a bit of a gourmet-adventure, then do try deep-fried tarantulas, stuffed frogs, crickets and other bugs that form a part of Cambodian palate. Also, don’t forget to pluck and bite into the delicious pink Dragon Fruit from Happy Dragon Farm. Banteay Srei farm is home to these cactus-like plants that bear such insanely sweet and tangy fruits you simply cannot afford to miss out on your trip to Siem Reap. The picturesque landscapes and the simplicity of the Cambodians will melt your heart, the local dishes will tantalize your taste buds, and the beautiful handwork of Angkor artisans at Les Chantiers Ecoles will make you spend a few coffers from your pocket. Enjoy the serenity of Mother Nature and the warm hospitality of the simple Cambodian locals during your small getaway to Siem Reap and freeze your moments in your camera forever. Write to us about your trip. Travel happy!
