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 Siem Reap, Cambodia travel tales
Our customers share their travelling experiences in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Read about first hand stories on travel tips and guides, events, entertainment,shopping, food, business and transportation.
Also, you might want to read our
Angkor / Siem Reap city guide,
and Phnom Penh city guide.
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| M Wong |
06 January 2005 |
Stayed at Angkor Diamond Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Must visit the usual temples in Angkor and Bantay Srey - a little bit further out of town but worth the trip. The Landmine Victims Refuge is a sobering place to call in. Favourite restaurants in Siem Reap were Dead Fish Tower, Soup Dragon and IndoChine, the last a bit pricier but ambience made up for it.
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| L Liang |
04 January 2005 |
Stayed at Ta Prohm - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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For a nice place to eat, boh pha hotel restaurant was very good...it was up the river about 10 minute walk from the hotel. It is about 10 dollars per person but it is a very nice restaurant and the food was very good! Do not go to la noria recommended by loney planet...the food was very bad. Be careful about tour guides as well...the hotel called a guide for us but his english was poor and accent difficult to understand. We had to pay him a lot just to ask him to leave after the initial 45minutes.
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| T Liow |
01 January 2005 |
Stayed at City River Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Siem reap is a great getaway from the urban hustle and bustle. With lush rainforest vegetation, temples dating back to 9th Century, rich history and friendly locals, it's a place you will not regret visiting.
MUST VISIT: Ankor Wat, Angkor Thom, Banteay Srei (if you can afford the time), Land Mine Museum, Tonle Sap River,
OK TO MISS: Siemreap Cultural Village (which is essentially a B-grade "theme park").
PREFERED TRANSPORTATION: a "tuk-tuk" which is a motorcyle driven "chariot" comfortable enough for 2 adults. During my entire stay in there, I hired the services of "Ryu-Gen", a warm and good natured tuk-tuk driver who not only provided great transportation service but acted as our "guide" as well. With an open air transport like a tuk-tuk, you are totally in touch with unique ambience of SiemReap - the sights, the sounds, the smell and the dust - awesome!
For those into fine dining, check out Bopha Ankor Restaurant (beside City River Hotel) which provide highly delectable authentic Khmer cuisines!
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| R Beale |
31 December 2004 |
Stayed at Victoria Angkor - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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We arranged for a guide for 2 of the days that we were there and he was great. They arranges an air-conditioned car with a driver and a tour guide (at our hotel the price was $ 150 for 2 days). One can negotiate what kind of schedule you would like with the tour guide.
The first day we visited Angkot Thom in the morning - then came back to the hotel for a break and then went to Angkor Wat in the afternoon (my best temple.)
The following day we went to Banteay Srei which is further away but very pretty and then Ta Prohm which has been overgrown by huge tree roots - very interesting. We had a rest and then went to dinner and a show with typical Cambodian dancing. The day before the temples we went around the town of Siem Reap -to get the feel of the place. Everything is priced in dollars so you don't need local currency. You might be hounded by victims of landmines (once you give money to one person - more appear) but as there is no social security one can understand.
We did eat luch at a place near the hotel called FCC which was very nice and otherwise we ate in the hotel where the food was superb.
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| L Liu yu ping |
31 December 2004 |
Stayed at Princess Angkor Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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If your schedule is tight, the city can be seen in two days, although we stayed three.
Even in winter, December, it is still very hot. Visit the temples in the early morning, and late afternoon.
Two very highly recommended restaurants - Viroth's and Madame Butterfly,
ambience and food at both is excellent. Hire a driver, $20 to $25 per day, but agree at the beginning. Our experience, with two drivers, they returned the next day. We told them where we wanted to go, and their response was to ask for $10.00 more. A must visit is the two locations of Artisans d Angkor, their products are made in Siem Reap. Most of what is sold in the markets comes from Thailand, China, and other countries (although they will tell you that it is Cambodian).
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| D Mcfadden |
27 December 2004 |
Stayed at Borei Angkor Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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We had two nights but only one full day in Siem Reap. Nevertheless, we managed 3 temples - Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, and Angkor Wat, in that order - and felt we had a sense of the place. Ta Prohm is especially atmospheric, and we experienced a lovely red sunset and moonrise at Angkor Wat. Caution: if you're even slightly prone to vertigo, DO NOT CLIMB THE "STEPS" TO THE CENTRAL TOWER AT ANGKOR WAT. It's far steeper than it looks; you need hands as well as feet. Halfway up you'll begin to shake, and coming down (even on the steps with a rail) is much, much worse.
The hotel arranged a car and driver for our day at the temples, which worked out very well, enabling us to see as much as possible, to have a great lunch at the Soup Dragon, and even to have a swim at the hotel during the hottest part of the day. The rest of the time we took tuk-tuks. The hotel also arranged pick up from the airport - very convenient - as well as tickets and transport to the fast boat to Phnom Penh. That early-morning trip past the floating village and then down the Tonle Sap was an experience we wouldn't have missed for the world, but it's probably not for everyone. Trying to get comfortable (not to mention staying safe!) on the rounded metal roof of the boat, with its rivets and its eight-INCH high "protective" railing, was like a five-hour yoga class, and the noise of the engine below was deafening. Can't imagine small children or elderly people enjoying/surviving it. Fabulous views, though, so the ride was a holiday highlight for our family. Caution: larger bags get stored below, so be sure to have your hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirt, etc. with you on the roof of the boat before the journey begins.
We thought the food, the service, and the atmosphere at both the Soup Dragon and the Bopha Angkor restaurant were excellent. We've travelled quite widely in South East Asia, and found Cambodians to be some of the loveliest, gentlest, warmest people we've ever encountered, in spite of their recent horrific past and the country's current problems of mass poverty and persistent corruption. We'd been warned a great deal about how distressing the beggars, especially the amputees and the children, would be, and yes, they are terribly sad, but we also noticed that there were many, many more people trying to earn a living by selling cold drinks, hawking souvenirs, etc, - surely a hopeful sign. Our best advice: buy whatever you can, don't bargain hard, and carry a supply of pencils, pens, small toys, food items, hotel soaps, etc. to give to the children who are begging or selling souvenirs.
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| S De clerck |
14 December 2004 |
Stayed at Angkoriana - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Beng Melea is more then worth the (far) trip, a temple in midst of the jungle, still raw and untouched, different experience. Kbal Spean is not worth the (long) climb, just a few carvings in the riverbed.
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| D Sedgeley |
13 December 2004 |
Stayed at Bopha Angkor - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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In Siem Reap, try the Kampuccino Pizza restaurant for casual meals. Both local and western cuisine are first rate and inexpensive.
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| D Brackett |
03 December 2004 |
Stayed at Mysteres d' Angkor - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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No need to mention that the temples are fabulous - that's why anyone goes there. Hire a local guide and driver. Contribute to the local economy. Even in the "cold" season we found it very hot, so I would say that air con is not optional. A side trip to the Prek Toal Biosphere Reserve on Tonle Sap lake is well worth while both for a change from temples and for a view of the countryside, not to mention that it is a fabulous place for birders. The Cultural Village is also a nice change from temples - you need several hours there to catch a few of the cultural performances on the stages scattered around the site. Khmer food is delicious - similar to Thai but not so fiery.
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| S Taylor |
29 November 2004 |
Stayed at Angkor Diamond Hotel - Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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No matter how little time you have in Siem Reap try your hardest to get out to Beng Mealea. It is quite remote and takes over an hour to get to, but can be incorporated into a dy trip with Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean and a couple of other smaller sights. Being this far out over bad roads Beng Mealea is not swamped by package tours. So you don't have to share the ruins with hundreds of others - we had the place to ourselves. The temple ruin has been left untouched and is completely overrun with jungle - Ta Phrom may have big trees but this has real jungle and a simply wonderful atmosphere. Miss it at your peril...
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