Home to the stunning Angkor Wat temple complex, multiple royal palaces, and a gorgeous coastline dotted with pristine white sand beaches, Cambodia sits at the heart of the Mekong Delta. Still a bit mysterious and less touristy than neighboring Thailand, it’s one of the most rewarding — and somewhat undiscovered — places to travel in Southeast Asia.
Travel To Cambodia: Siem Reap and Angkor Wat
Perhaps its crown jewel is the temple complex of Angkor Wat, a vast expanse of temples, pagodas, and other structures built by Khmer kings and designed to honor both the Hindu and Buddhist religions (depending on the era).
Located just outside of Siem Reap, this area is perhaps the most popular tourist spot in Cambodia, and for good reason.
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Siem Reap Highlights
The primary focus of any visit to Siem Reap is almost always the Angkor Wat site, but the city itself is charming, with historically significant hotels (and some more modern boutique options like Shinta Mani Angkor, which we chose), delicious restaurants, and some great artisan-focused markets.
Pick up souvenirs like handmade jewelry, silk pieces, silver trinkets and curios of all kinds, and more. Cambodia also produces a significant amount of the world’s essential oils and fragrances, so it’s a great place to score unique scents and products, and of course you can buy spices, coffee, and tea to take the Khmer flavors home with you.
You can also check out the Royal Residence and the Angkor Museum while you are there, and take a stroll along the Siem Reap river (grab a smoothie or other street food treat from the vendors nearby). See traditional Apsara dance performances or the Phare circus in the evening for some local flavor — you can ask your hotel staff to help you book tickets or just head down to Pub Street and the main night market shopping area and the nightlife will find you.
Angkor Wat itself deserves at least one full day, if not longer. You’ll want to start super early to see the sun rise over the pagodas and the reflecting pools, and from there you can go deeper into the complex and see the various highlights, including the main Angkor Wat pagodas, Angkor Thom, the Bayon temple, and the “Tomb Raider” temple of Ta Prohm that’s slowly being reclaimed by the jungle.
Siem Reap and Angkor Wat Logistics
You’ll want to hire a guide and driver to help you get around quickly (the entire archaeological park is over 400 square kilometers and the distances between temple complexes can be a lot, especially in the tropical heat and humidity) and provide the all-important ice cold water bottles and air-conditioning breaks. Your hotel or travel agent can help arrange this part.
Getting around Siem Reap on your own is fairly simple — just hail a tuk-tuk or Grab (Southeast Asia’s answer to Uber) to the main shopping and dining areas. Or if the heat isn’t too much, you can easily walk around town. That said, you’ll want a driver for Angkor Wat and anything else further afield.
The new Siem Reap airport is located about an hour outside the city, and you can get a visa on arrival if you are from the U.S., the U.K., or the E.U. (along with a number of other countries). Cambodia uses the Riel but many places will accept U.S. dollars — just make sure your bills are new, crisp, unmarked and not damaged.
What to Pack for Angkor Wat and Siem Reap
It’s hot and humid, with occasional tropical downpours. Pack light layers and keep in mind that you’ll need to keep your shoulders and knees respectfully covered at the Angkor Wat site. There are a lot of rocks to clamber over and dirt or gravel paths as well, so think sturdy sneakers or other closed shoes. Sunscreen and bug spray are also a must!
What to Eat in Cambodia
Cambodian cuisine is similar to other Southeast Asian countries, but with some unique flavor profiles (think lemongrass and galangal) and dishes that you shouldn’t miss while you’re in the country like fish amok (a coconut fish curry) and literally anything with Kampot peppers.
Siem Reap Day Trips
Angkor Wat is a day trip in and of itself, but you can venture further for jungle and waterfall trekking, traditional village visits, and more.
Are you considering a trip to Cambodia, or have you already been? Have you been to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat? What did you do, where did you stay, and perhaps most importantly, what did you eat? Let us know in the comments or in our Growing Younger Facebook group!
– Jacqueline Zenn
You may also like to read more of Jacqueline’s travel adventures. See Gloriously Chaotic Bangkok Thailand: Travel Tips, Adventures and How To Navigate and Travel Tips and Adventures in Thailand: Chiang Mai and the Thai Highlands.
Photos: Jacqueline Zenn for Fountain Of 30; Shinta Mani Angkor
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