Have you heard about Siem Reap? Probably not.
What about Angkor Wat? Yes, the largest temple in the world; a temple complex that is equal to the size of 300 Football fields.
This magnificent temple is located in Siem Reap. The city also has an international airport, making it easy for tourists to visit the temple.
In this blog, you will know about
- Cambodian currency
- Transportation around the city
- Temples around Siem Reap
- Siem Reap’s Nightlife
- Tourism in Siem Reap
- How to reach Siem Reap
↪️ Download your free Siem Reap city guidebook ↩️
Blog Contents
1. Cambodian Currency
The official currency of Cambodia is Cambodian Riel (KHR). But US Dollars (USD) are widely accepted. Almost every exchange center, ATMs readily give out USD. We nearly didn’t use KHR during our entire trip. Here are the approximate exchange prices
- USD (1 $) ~ 4100 KHR
- Indian rupee (1 ₹) ~ 57 KHR
- Euro (1 €) ~ 4500 KHR
Every shop quotes the prices only in USD. When you buy something and if the return amount is less than one USD, then the shopkeeper returns in KHR. Hence, I started getting a few KHRs during my stay.
In short, all the values lesser than one USD you get it back as KHR. Read the last part of my Poland post to know general tips while exchanging currency.
2. Transportation around Siem Reap
Tuk-Tuks are the goto mode in this city and can accommodate up to 4 people. Compared to a Taxi they are slow but you get to experience the authenticity of the city. If you can’t bear the summer heat, then better choose Taxis over Tuk-Tuks.
Many tuk-tuk providers offer pre-booking services online. I searched many websites, finally booked one through Phally. He quoted a price of 70 US $ for a total of 4 people. The price included 3 complete days of transport around Siem Reap with unlimited cold bottled water.
We agreed on this deal a few months before my travel. Upon arrival, Phally’s brother drove us around for 3 days. He received the money only at the end of the third day. I highly recommend this tuk-tuk driver. You can easily reach him via email.
3. Temples in and around Siem Reap, Cambodia
I spent 3 days touring the city in a tuk-tuk. Apart from the main temple Angkor Wat, there are more than 50 temples that keep you busy for more than a week. But do remember that these temples are non-functioning. They are more like remains and ruins from the past.
My guide showed me a map that had temples list. I was blown away by that. Tuk-Tuks classify these temples as small circuits and large circuit temples depending on how far these temples are from the Angkor Wat. The whole city has temples scattered with great historic importance. But don’t worry. You just need a single ticket to enter most of the temples in this region. It’s the Angkor Pass, your gateway in Siem Reap.
4. Siem Reap Nightlife
If you think that this city is only for temples, then you are wrong. Siem Reap is a whole new world completely once the sunsets. Little did I know about this when I was at Siem Reap.
The Pub street
Pub street of Siem Reap is the action center one has to be at night. This 100m stretch is lit with colorful lights, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and adult entertainment. Visiting religious sites the whole day and partying at night. What a contrasting day that would be!
My experience was similar to Pub crawling in Madrid, Walking street in Pattaya.
Throughout my walk, I could see many massage centers, fish foot massage, and other services. You just need to pay 6 $/hour of body massage.
Cambodia is a hot and humid country. You can’t miss the attractive Ice cream points and fresh juice stalls.
Angkor night Market
Walk a few hundred more meters from Pub street; the Angkor night market awaits you. This place is a shopping paradise. So one can easily spend hours shopping, collecting souvenirs and gifts. You would never run out of options.
Just like any other city bargain as much as possible. Sellers quote a normal T-shirt at 15 $ but we can easily buy it for 4 or 5 $. You will mostly find only kids selling. So it’s easy to bargain and they easily accept the price you bargain. For someone who is a beginner in bargaining, try with Siem Reap first.
5. Siem Reap Tourism
The country enjoys tourists all year round. But I recommend visiting in February or March as the weather is much cooler and favorable during this period. Cambodians survive only on tourism. Throughout our trip, locals of all age groups were selling clothes, fruits, souvenirs, artifacts, paintings, etc.
But the worst thing was seeing little girls of age groups between 10-15 selling rather than going to school. I felt I was back in time. Deep-rooted corruption has made Cambodia one of the poorest countries.
Regarding safety, I felt the place was very safe. Except for a few petty crimes, Cambodia is pretty safe for tourists
6. Two ways to reach Siem Reap
Flight
A cheap flight deal from Kuala Lumpur motivated me to visit Angkor Wat. Cambodia offers Visa On Arrival for Indian citizens. So just carry a passport size photo and get Visa upon arrival at the airport.
Siem Reap International Airport is located 7km away from the main city. You can either grab a taxi or a tuk-tuk to reach the city centre. They cost about 6-8 $. My accommodation was through Booking.com. The price also included airport pick up. Once we came out of the airport, the tuk-tuk driver greeted and drove us to our stay.
Road
You could also reach Siem Reap by road. There are many tour agents who offer a trip from Thailand. Combining the two countries would be a good deal. Ideally, the bus journey from Bangkok to Siem Reap must last 8-11 hours and costs 32 $. The tickets are available online too. Read wander lush travel blog to know more details.
After the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Angkor Wat in Siem Reap is my favorite. I wish to travel again. Siem Reap was one city where I had zero complaints. The main reasons being
- Friendly, welcoming locals
- Cheap and tasty food
- Affordable accommodation, transport
- Pretty safe travel
- Rich history
Pack your bags, fly to Siem Reap right now!!
Overall experience:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
Time of visit: April 2019
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries ” – Aldous Huxley