Siem Reap

Tourist Destinations in Cambodia

Located between rice paddies and flanking the Siem Reap River, the small provincial capital of Siem Reap serves as the gateway to the millennium-old temple ruins of the Khmer Empire, Angkor Wat. Being a tourist destination for over 100 years, Siem Reap has plentiful accommodation, ranging from simpler guesthouses around the old market to five-star resorts nearer the airport.

The town is actually the result of a conglomeration of several small villages built around several pagodas and subsequently united under the French and Siem Reap's architecture reflects their influence. Despite its rural location, the town has a healthy nightlife and good restaurants are not hard to find.

Where to Stay in Siem Reap

Siem Reap has hotels and resorts at the best rates, from five-star resorts such as Amansara or Angkor Howard Hotel, to budget accommodation like Angkor Riverside Hotel or La Noria Guesthouse, you are sure to find the accommodation you are looking for. There is plenty of midrange accommodation to choose from and depending on your needs and plans or even your budget you won't be let down. The town has been playing host to travellers for over 100 years and you can be sure that the locals are past masters at the art of hospitality.

Siem Reap Tours & Excursions

Siem Reap is not only the closest ‘big’ city to Angkor Wat; it also has a lot to offer in a matter of excursions. From an exciting balloon tour above Angkor to a visit to the flooded forest, it's educational, it's entertaining, and it’s worth a visit! There are several half-day biking tours in which to explore the area along with opportunities to meet local artists and artisans. Siem Reap is not only about the wonderful temples – it is an entity in its own right so go one, get out and discover it!

Angkor Wat

There are about 60 temple ruins in the Siem Reap area alone so you need to choose according to your schedule and level of interest. On the "must see" list are the legendary ruins of Angkor Wat, the giant faces of Bayon and the Giant tree at Ta Prom. The famous South Gate of Angkor Thom can be seen on route to Bayon. Angkor Thom has some interesting terraces and the massive "temple-mountain of Baphuon and Phimeanakas is worth seeing.
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Siem Reap Attractions

The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia. During the monsoon season between June and October the Tonlé Sap River reverses its flow and runs in the opposite direction, filling the Tonlé Sap Lake. The Tonlé Sap River is the only river in the world that flows in both directions. Trips out to the lake are best in rainy season because the mangrove swamps are dried up at other times. But there are many other attractions in and around the area such as the intriguingly named 'River of the thousand Lingas'.

Activities in Siem Reap

Siem Reap is very close to the ancient city of Angkor, which attracts roughly half of all the visitors to Cambodia, so it is well supplied with good restaurants and accommodation, as well as the growing number of fun activities for visitors: golf, horseback riding, Khmer cooking. Try flying over the area in either a hot air balloon or a helicopter – you'll never think the same way about this area after such an experience.

Dining in Siem Reap

Siem Reap has risen to the occasion with an impressive array of quality restaurants serving not only Khmer dishes but a huge choice of other Asian and international cuisines. To find one that’s just right for you, take a stroll along Pub St and Sivatha Blvd near the Old Market. You'll find every type of cuisine here catering for the steady flow of visitors to the nearby temples and ruins and the town is all the more rich, culinary wise, for it. Try our recommendations below for some of the best eateries in Siem Reap.

Nightlife in Siem Reap

Most visitors to Siem Reap are more interested in daytime visits to the nearby temples than nightlife but there are several good nightspots worth checking out. There is an Angkor Night Market, selling local handicrafts while most of the popular bars are close to the old market and the river, down the appropriately named 'Pub Street' and the two best nightlife places on this street are The Angkor What? (the area's nightlife pioneer) and The Temple Club, a full-on dance affair.

Siem Reap Shopping

Only Phnom Penh has better shopping than Siem Reap and that's really saying something. Siem Reap has two main markets: the Central Market and the Old Market. Here, bargaining and haggling skills will be needed as you negotiate prices for the many items on sale such as glassware, freshwater pearls, natural Cambodian silk, and bed covers. You can get tailor-made suits and dresses along with blouses and hats at the three-storey boutique Samatoa.