Siem Reap Travel Answers

One day in Angkor Wat is not enough--it is huge. I was there two days and didn't see all of it. You might cover it in two if you spent longer days than I could. (I got tired.) I don't know how the price of the 3-day pass compares to 2 individual day tickets, as I didn't purchase them. The Bantea Srei temple is about 13 miles north of Angkor Wat. It is much smaller, but definitely worth seeing. It was built in 967 from pink sandstone. Nobody knew it was there until 1914, because it was buried in the jungle by a giant termite mound. Because the temple was protected from the elements for so long, the carvings are in great shape—some are like new. If you go to Bantea Srei, you will pass the landmine museum on the way. I can't tell you exactly what is in it--we didn't stop. I had already been to "the killing fields" and couldn't handle any more death and destruction. Your hotel may be able to help you plan a tour to the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake. The villages move around every season as the water level changes. Houses in the floating villages are on rafts. There is usually a separate building beside it for the kitchen, and they may have floating gardens nearby with vegetables or small fruit trees. Other families may have an attached fish farm or a shed with animals. We saw several floating pigpens! I did tip the tuk-tuk driver, but we were staying outside the downtown area. Look for the Batman tuk-tuk! It makes a fun picture. I always tip in restaurants; but not a large amount. They probably don't make a lot of money, and I'm better off. (since I could afford to come here.) The main dress code for Angkor is sturdy shoes. It is no place for sandals. Other than that, just be respectful. Have fun.

Lucky you! We spent 6 days in Siem Reap and did the three day pass as well. Angkor Wat is the largest of the complexes, but by no means our favourite. The Bayon and Ta Prohm were far more intersting. Beng Mealea, which is a day trip in itself, is overgrown by the jungle, and was probably our favourite. Some folks like the boat tours of Tongle Sap, but these were of no interest to us, and were not running due to low water levels. Some images from our trip: "The Temples at Angkor Thom" - Angkor Wat by GrumpyDiver "Siem Reap and environs" - Phumi Siem Reab by GrumpyDiver

As previous poster mentions, lots to do. You could easily do Angkor for 2 days, going over all the finer points and smaller temples. Beng Melea, Banta Srei are day trips on their own. We combined them both so as to avoid the more expensive cost of driving (usually up to an additional25.00) due to the distance. Unlike Grumpy, we enjoyed Ton Le Sap and found it fascinating. Our guide knew some of the locals and we were able to mingle, perhaps that was part of the enjoyment. I've heard of others who just whiz by the various houses/structures. We personally have gotten "templed out" after a couple of days and 3 days were sufficient for us. It is not an uncommon occurrence at Angkor from what we've heard. There is a night market which is fantastic in Siem Reap. No tipping of drivers is necessary, especially Tuk Tuk. Tipping is a Western concept. We reserve tipping for guides/drivers of tours who have spent all day, day after day driving our group around. Likewise for restaurants. You can round off to nearest dollar (most of Cambodia operates on the US system) if you'd like. Take the 3 day ticket to Angkor. No dress code to enter Angkor however, one should honor culture whenever possible and realize that some of the area is regarded as religious, especially by the monks who frequent and worship there. Read up on some of the cultural do's and don'ts. Finally, relax, breathe. I know it can be daunting going to a new place, especially one as exotic as Cambodia. It is quite easy to navigate and a lot of these questions will answer themselves or be rather obvious once you are there. Read up on our Cambodia pages, I address a lot of tips on there especially on beggars and handing out$$ at will. You will be viewed as a walking ATM. DO NOT FALL FOR IT, especially from kids. If you so fell inclined, buy them a food item at a nearby food stall if one is close by. By handing out money to these kids (who are working for fully capable but lazy adults), you are encouraging an entire generation to grow up thinking it is more profitable to beg for money from tourists than to go to school and get an education! Homer (and Ed)

Great comments by above posters. I spent 3 days in the Angkor area and didn't get templed out. It all depends on your own interests. In Siem Reap, you can easily buy books describing in details about each site, the story and history behind each of them. If you don't plan to hire a guide, definitely buy one and take it along. I found it very helpful. I would head out to the lake to see a different way of life. There is also a museum on land mines, a grim reminder of the country's terrible past.

Please take a look at my Siem Reap and Angkor Wat pages for many useful tips. There is an old market in Siem Reap where you can find many souvenirs in good prices. Both the street vendors and restaurants in the city center offer very nice options of food. Tipping is not compulsory, but if you enjoy the service why not? I would suggest supporting the war veterans in the area. 3 days pass for Angkor Wat is a must. In one day you can only see the tip of the iceberg. Take US dollars in small denominations such as 1 and 5. This will help you a lot during shopping and tipping. Enjoy your journey :)

Please take a look at my Siem Reap and Angkor Wat pages for many useful tips. There is an old market in Siem Reap where you can find many souvenirs in good prices. Both the street vendors and restaurants in the city center offer very nice options of food. Tipping is not compulsory, but if you enjoy the service why not? I would suggest supporting the war veterans in the area. 3 days pass for Angkor Wat is a must. In one day you can only see the tip of the iceberg. Take US dollars in small denominations such as 1 and 5. This will help you a lot during shopping and tipping. Enjoy your journey :)

Eating session? haha seriously it'll be kinda fun if you're hanging out with gang of friend to try out some exotic foods. anyway for those who planning to visit Cambodia, you can apply VISA through here -> http://www.evisaasia.com/

I have a five day itinerary on my Siem Reap web page ("Portal for Angkor Temple Complex But Nice Itself" - Siem Reap by AlbuqRay ). Were I to do it again, I would substitute a day trip to Beng Mealea and Koh Ker on Day 5. I have several shopping and eating reviews on those same pages. I just checked the map for the Motherhome GH. It is a bit of a walk to the Old Market from there. The Angkor Trade Center is a little closer and there are other places to eat along the river (more on the west side). Do not tip tuk tuk drivers for short trips. Just decide the cost before you climb on. If you have a tuk tuk for the day and liked the service, tip another 2-3 USD. I have information on much of this in my Favorite reviews under Siem Reap. I did tip 15-20% at the restaurants also. The amounts are small for us but well appreciated. It did not seem like there was any dress code for the Angkor Temple Complex. I also have a review on the Angkor tickets under the Favorites. BTW, just get your visa-on-arrival at the airport.

Oops, forgot to mention all the discussions with guo_mei_xin in the Siem Reap forum. Just look below your question. She had a similar amount of time, asked many questions, and got many answers.

The answers above are quite true, you should read more about the temples and decide which interests you more, you need not visit all of them. We hired a tour guide to help us explain the rich history of the temples and realize their significance more than by just taking photograph of these structures. Sure you might be templed out as most of them have similarities, but they have distinct features within them. One day for the temples might not be enough, two days would be all right. The price for one day pass is 20$ so if you choose 2 days you'll pay the same if you choose instead the three day pass which costs 40$. You can gauge yourself on your third day if you still want more temples. You must also consider the time of the day when you can get the best view of the temples, sunset at the angkor wat is the best view ive had. You can view my travel pages to see some temples I visited. I also made a few tips here: members.virtualtourist.com/m...

The answers above are quite true, you should read more about the temples and decide which interests you more, you need not visit all of them. We hired a tour guide to help us explain the rich history of the temples and realize their significance more than by just taking photograph of these structures. Sure you might be templed out as most of them have similarities, but they have distinct features within them. One day for the temples might not be enough, two days would be all right. The price for one day pass is 20$ so if you choose 2 days you'll pay the same if you choose instead the three day pass which costs 40$. You can gauge yourself on your third day if you still want more temples. You must also consider the time of the day when you can get the best view of the temples, sunset at the angkor wat is the best view ive had. You can view my travel pages to see some temples I visited. I also made a few tips here: members.virtualtourist.com/m...

Thank you so much for all your replies and input! As a first-time traveler to Siem Reap, I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the tips and advice given to me here. I have been reading up on Siem Reap from all your pages and I have to say, they have made me super excited about my trip! Just two more questions to add... I will be traveling with my siblings and unfortunately, my brother has bad knees. Would he have any trouble making his way around the temples like Angkor, Beng Melea, Koh Ker etc? He has no trouble walking for hours but is rather worried that there will be a lot of tricky paths or stairs to climb... We are also very interested in seeing Angkor Wat during either sunrise/sunset in a hot-air balloon. Has anyone tried this?

Your brother will be fine. There will be a few places he can't go, but there is lots to see without them. I can't climb things either (I am 72 and have arthritis) but I had a good time. There IS a lot of walking, but a lot of it is almost level. It is necessary to go up some steps to get inside various temples, but it was manageable for me. Someone in the group would give me an arm, and that was enough. The stairs in a few places were too high, or too steep, and I just sat them out and waited for the others to come back

To me there are many places with a few stairs to negotiate and some with a lot, but I do agree that there is still much to see without climbing stairs. It really depends on how many stairs he can do. I have a bad knee also, but it was better when I did the Angkor temple complex. I would say that Beng Mealea would be a big problem for him. Banteay Srei and Koh Ker would actually be easier for a person with bad knees. BTW, the only hot air balloon that I know about is tethered. It does not fly around. It just goes up a few hundred feet and right back down. I don't think you get much time in the air. I would check. It may not be worth it. LOL, you should come to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta instead.

Thank you again to everyone for all your help! I will be arriving in Siem Reap on Tuesday and am looking forward to having a wonderful time there! AlbuqRay, I especially enjoyed reading your pages & will definitely try out all the restaurants you reviewed :) I have never been on a hot-air balloon before so I might just go on it in Siem Reap for the thrill of it! Thanks again everyone! :)

Have a fun, safe trip, Venus!