Siem Reap & Angkor Wat: Ancient Temples, Modern Mischief
Ancient temples, jungle-wrapped ruins, and a city full of heart. Siem Reap is where history and warmth go hand in hand. As the gateway to the iconic Angkor Wat, this Cambodian gem offers breathtaking sunrise moments alongside a culture shaped by resilience, tradition, and incredibly welcoming locals. We’ll show you the must-see temples and the everyday experiences that make Siem Reap feel as memorable as it is magical.
I had a week to spend traveling after my Bali yoga retreat, and Peggy had a week to join me. Where can we go for one week and feel like we saw and did enough? The answer in Southeast Asia was Cambodia. But we would still have to narrow it down to one area, Siem Reap.
Sister Side Note (ssn) – If you remember, we did this a couple of years ago in Malaysia! The week wasn’t long enough but we did a damn good job!
The first time I said the words out loud ‘we are going to Cambodia’ I had to check myself. Was that right? Were we really going to Cambodia? I mean, really, who goes to Cambodia besides Cambodians?
It turns out, a lot of the rest of the world know about this secret gem of a country and visit there. It is just us Americans who are missing out.
Many of us remember the horrors of the Pol Pok era of Cambodia and The Killing Fields, and have been wary of Cambodia since that time. We had an overwhelming desire to see Angkor Wat Temple, so off we went for one week in Siem Reap.
ssn – Angkor Wat is must-do on many travel lists, we like this one: 100 most beautiful places to visit
The Plan
I fly to Siem Reap the morning after my retreat. Peggy flies in the day before and gets spa treatments to kill time until I get there. We opted to just focus on Siem Reap on this trip. Phnom Penh was just too far (5.5hrs) to spend a day traveling there and a day traveling back. I say traveling back because flights to the US from Phnom Penh were difficult (compared to Siem Reap, which were relatively easy.)
And we do not regret this decision.
We knew we would need at least two half-days just for visiting the Angkor Wat Temple complex. Plus there are lotus farms, and the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake, and more. So our research and planning confirmed our decision that we could spend a week in Siem Reap and not miss anything on our list.
So, off we go.
Side Note to Start
Your sisters did try to make this into a day drinking and/or speakeasy trip. And while drinking was plentiful in Siem Reap, and Pub Street was fantastic, we found that speakeasies, aka ‘hidden bars’ were anything but hidden. We made the decision that there were far too many bars on Pub Street to really throw our cred behind specific ones for a post when we couldn’t consider any of these speakeasies. So we would bypass any day-drinking/speakeasy blogs for Cambodia.
HOWEVER, we absolutely loved ASANA Old Wooden House bar. It is high up on our list of cool bars we have been to. I had Little Sweet made with gin, wild ginger, sugarcane, and turmeric. It ranks as one of the best cocktails I have had this year. This is our one big recommendation of places to not miss for drinking in Siem Reap.
Angkor Wat
This is the biggest draw to Cambodia and Siem Reap, specifically. Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious monument. The name translates to City of Temples; it symbolizes the home of the gods. With 5 central towers representing the peaks of Mount Meru and surrounded by a massive moat. It was built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu (the Hindu God of protection) but later became a Buddhist site.
Cambodian religious views have swayed between Hinduism and Buddhism for centuries depending on the leadership views. Angkor Wat was abandoned in the early 15th century and was rediscovered after the French colonial regime was established in 1863.
The entire Angkor Wat site spans over 400 acres, but the entire Angkor archeological park covers 248 square miles. So we really recommend breaking this up over two days instead of rushing through it all in one, long day.
If possible, do not miss sunrise at Angkor Wat. Yes, this will require an early morning wake-up to get out there in time, but it is very worth it. For those that have done Haleakalā in Hawaii for sunrise, this is a similar experience with the crowds, only much warmer.
Angkor Wat is a UNESCO World Heritage site, for those that track their UNESCO visits. It is slightly mind-blowing given the size, the age, and the details of the construction. The outer walls feature long carved surfaces telling the stories of war, peace, and daily life – many of the carvings have been immaculately preserved (or in some cases, restored), and are fascinating to follow.
For historical and archeological fans, Angkor Wat is a not to be missed site.
Ta Prohm
Many of you will know this temple. You will know it by simply two words: Lara Croft.
This is the temple that Lara Croft visits in Tomb Raider. The one with the tree roots engulfing the stone walls, and large trees growing in and out and over the temple.
Built in 1100s to honor the king’s mother (King Jayavarman VII, if you are interested). After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 15th century the temple was abandoned and neglected for centuries.
As it was built without the use of mortar, the jungle crept in over the years and allowed it to become one with the landscape. Restoration efforts have left Ta Prohm largely as it was been found to demonstrate the power of nature, with only stabilization and site access being points of restoration.
In other words, it is insanely cool. Rewatch the movie, then go see this temple. It is absolutely amazing.
ssn – we literally watched the movie the night before our visit in the hotel room in order to prepare ourselves! We’ve started to make this a little tradition – we did the same in Colombia when we watched Romancing the Stone.
Bayon & Angkor Thom
The Bayon temple known as “the many faces temple” should be visited before Ta Prohm, simply because it is cool on its own, but pales in comparison to the coolness of Ta Prohm.
Built by the same king (Jayavarman VII, there will not be a test at the end) as Ta Prohm, the Bayon Temple features 54 towers adorned with over 200 massive stone faces. Could be Buddha, could be the King, the faces are known for the “smiling” expressions emoting a peaceful feeling to followers. The site is under restoration but has a definite feeling of a sacred space. It is incredible to walk through the maze of narrow corridors and steep stairs (we eventually nope’d out of the last set of stairs).
Thom is closer to Angkor Wat, so it will be a natural second stop on your way to Ta Prohm. There are great carvings, and unique features to Angkor Thom, so do not skip it in favor of rushing to the ultra-cool Ta Prohm. It is worth your time to make the stop and traverse the unique features of this stone temple.
How to See the Temples
These three temples (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm) were grouped together into the “Small Circuit Tour”. We hired a private tour through our hotel, and it was a fantastic deal compared to Viator/Trip Advisor. We paid $35 USD for an air-conditioned car (a tuk tuk would have been $19, a van was $55). Added $10 for sunrise on the first day. An additional $50 per day for an English-speaking guide. Typically, these would have been accomplished in one day, roughly 5 hours.
A “Big Circuit Tour” was available, with 3-4 other temples. We opted not to do this.
The Small and Big Circuit Tours both require an Angkor Wat entry ticket that you should purchase in advance, here. Tickets are available in 1, 3, or 7 days. A single ticket covers both circuits.
Banteay Srei Temple
Known as the Pink Temple, or Lady Temple. I have had a great time referring to it as my special “Lady Temple”. Alternately called “Citadel of the Women”, it is constructed of pink sandstone and is the only temple of its kind at Angkor Wat. Smaller than the imposing structures of the male deities, Banteay Srei is single story. It lies about 20 km from the main Angkor complex and is far less visited. Therefore, less crowded than the bigger temples for Angkor Wat. This tour was a $20 add on to our Small Circuit Tour.
The original build is inscribed as 22 April 967 A.D., making it among the oldest of the temple complexes, it was discovered in 1914, and restoration was the first use of anastylosis, the process of using the original structural elements in the restoration. The carvings pay tribute to many devatas (minor female deities) and exist in greater detail than many of the other structures in the complex. Walls are adorned with many intricate carvings and great elaborate story telling designs. The temple was dedicated to Shiva and many of the carvings are centered around him. The details contained in this temple were amazingly beautiful.
We recommend visiting Banteay Srei at the beginning of your day two, as it is a drive from Angkor Wat. Due to its low profile, it does not have the shade of the larger temples and can get hot in the afternoon sun.
Beyond Temples
There are other options in Siem Reap if temples and history do not appeal to you. First off, shopping and spa treatments are cheap. The street food is delicious. Pub Street and the Night Markets provide fantastic fun nightlife.
Our other three must-see experiences are the Rat Museum (yes, really, hear us out on this), the lotus silk farms, and the Tonle Sap floating village.
Apopo Rat Museum
Yes, rats! We did this tour in an hour and were amazed. Siem Reap is where they train rats to locate land mines in the country. Rats are light enough to not set off the land mines, unlike humans and dogs. The museum has a tour where they explain the training process and show you a demonstration. And they are a kind of kangaroo rat, so they are fluffier and cuter than the sewer rats we see in America.
These rats are now used in 12 different countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe to detect unexploded land mines. They have saved countless lives (and limbs) and are considered heroes for the work they perform. The program has cleared over 170,000 landmines and other explosives and returned over 143 million square meters of land for safe use in local communities. Their impact has affected over 2.8 million people.
Rats can clear the area the size of a tennis court in just about 30 minutes. The previous way with people with metal detectors took up to four days.
Please visit apopo.org for more information and donate to adopt one of these rats.
Visit the Lotus Silk Farms
Lotus are my favorite flowers. Lotus flowers grow out of the mud and into these gorgeous bright colored, multi-layered flowers. And this was my big to-do for this trip. The lotus fields are gorgeous.
The Lotus Silk Farms offer tours and show how they process lotus stems to form silk fibers that are woven into scarves and fabric. They use the petals for tea, the seeds for jewelry and the leaves for coloring dyes. They make use of all the different parts, so the waste is minimal.
The farms train and employ local village women providing a much-needed source of income that stays within the community and helps supply economic stability for its residents.
Tonle Sap Lake and the Floating Village
Full disclosure, we visited at the end of the dry season, so the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake was not floating. In fact, it was much like coastal towns that prepare for hurricanes by having building houses on stilts.
We hired our new friend Cowboy Tuk Tuk to see sunset over the lake. Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
Houses stood 15 feet up on stilts, and we learned that during the rainy season the lake will rise 6-9 meters in height, giving these houses the appearance of floating on the lake. Boats line the shores in dry dock essentially just waiting for the rain.
We did go out to the lake, which does exist at a lower level, and experienced a beautiful sunset with beers and a local family having a beach party.
I was struck by how happy lake life was for the locals. Living close to poverty levels, they fished for dinner and grew their own vegetables and rice, and they were all so happy, warm, and welcoming to two women who spoke not a single word of their language.
Kids ran through the streets playing, adults gathered around their open fire barbeques to cook the catch of the day and enjoy a few Angkor beers.
Life is happier and easier for those that keep it simple.
And Speaking of our new Friend
Cowboy Tuk Tuk on TikTok and Instagram, and also known as the Cambodian Cowboy, our new friend provides beer, water, and Karaoke on his Tuk Tuk tours.
Tuk Tuk Karaoke Night 1
We hired him to take us to the lake for sunset. We sang, we drank beers, we stopped and saw crocodiles and frog farms and had the best night. So much so that we hired him for the second night to take us to the lotus farms (the next night crocs and frogs were replaced with ducks).
He is kind, informative, helpful, and most of all fun. And screams Yee-Haw often and loudly, please do not hold back in joining him every time.
Tuk Tuk Karaoke Night 2
He texted us the morning before our second tour and asked if we would be interested in providing notebooks and pens to local children for school. We had learned on our temple tour that school was free, but kids couldn’t go if they couldn’t afford uniforms and school supplies – thus perpetuating the cycle of the poor stay poor because of a lack of access to education.
We were an absolute yes to helping these children. Cowboy picked us up and took us to a local market to purchase notebooks and pens and then took us to a local village to distribute them. He blasted his music so the kids all knew he was coming. They lined up single-file, he has taught them all to say “thank you” in English, it was adorable.
We were heartbroken to realize that we didn’t buy enough, and we ran out of supplies before we got to the far end of the village. Next time we know, buy more than enough!!!
We do highly recommend booking our Cowboy Tuk Tuk but prepare ahead of time an amazing playlist of easy to sing-along songs to belt out loudly as your travel to the countryside.
Where to stay in Siem Reap
We broke up our trip into two stays. Thank you Chase Rewards for the credit so that we can afford to stay at the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor.
Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor
While Raffles is usually beyond our typical budget, Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor is one of the most affordable in the luxury line of hotels. And it was so worth the price tag.
The service is impeccable, the concierge, the bartenders, the pool, the spa, every staff member was helpful and friendly and make the Raffles as good as it is. It was glorious and amazing to be waited on for two days. The pool was huge, and came with pool side service including mosquito spray, sunscreen, body oils, hand fans, and a little bell to ring for our pool boy. The décor was upscale tropical, jungle vibes, from the elephant bar to the lobby, it was relaxed and calming, you just wanted to hang out in the lobby and feel spoiled.
They offer several free classes over the course of the week, including how to make the famous Raffles Sling (Siem Reap edition, although the original Singapore Sling is on the menu), a morning Buddhist blessing, yoga class, and a gin lesson.
And the buffet, holy cow, instead of chaffing dishes they had hot plates with La Creuset Dutch ovens for the hot food, that level of fancy. They had a crepe station, egg station, and a congee station. The fruit and pastries were fresh and rotated out periodically to maintain freshness. Suffice to say, one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in.
If it is in your budget, we cannot stress enough how much you need to be spoiled at Raffles.
Le Grande Indochine Hotel
The Hotel
However, that said, if your budget requires a little more grace and space, our second hotel was Le Grande Indochine, and it was incredible. A gorgeous white, open-air lobby, connected to the pool and bar area, you feel special upon entry. Smaller and more intimate than the Raffles, we cannot brag enough about how amazing our new Cambodian sister, Luna, was. She booked us our temple tours, including securing a guide fluent in English, she booked our spa treatments, and followed up to make sure everything was satisfactory. They give you the WhatsApp number to the lobby, for convenience of whatever you need from them. The entire staff was friendly and helpful, Luna became family.
Spa Services and More
But the spa treatment, holy cow! Ok, first off, I did mention the low cost of all things in Siem Reap (outside of the Raffles), Peggy’s day one spa experience was so good, I was required to repeat it the next day. For the two-hour experience of a body scrub and hour-long massage, $32. And it was an incredible massage (side note: if you get the healing scrub, the yellow one, shower off REALLY well, because I had to toss a shirt and live with a permanently yellow stained white bra).
If you love a good massage, this one had an interesting highlight that we don’t get most places, it was almost intuitive – it was not do this on one side and then do this on the other side, each side, each limb, was treated individually, and felt like (I was face down) she was writing little blessings on each one to put the oil on, and then the massage on top of that. I left feeling very special (and wondering if we were now betrothed), relaxed and pampered, I will miss my lovely masseuse forever. But seriously, if nothing else convinces you to go to Cambodia – Go for the cheap spa treatments (yes, even cheaper than Bali)!
ssn – my 3-hour treatment was only $50!! And possibly the best massage I’ve ever had in my life.
In Conclusion
Cambodia is hot, really hot. And humid. But Siem Reap is dry and dusty during the dry season. You will want to be indoors or poolside in the afternoons.
Tuk Tuks are a major mode of transportation for all your touristy needs; they are cheap and fun but not air conditioned.
Cambodians are among the nicest people we have encountered in our travels. They are warm and welcoming, and the service people we encountered couldn’t do enough to help us.
The food is excellent and cheap, do not be afraid to try it all.
Spa treatments are excellent and cheap and may or may not come with a marriage proposal.
US Dollars are the common currency. Prices are listed in USD; it is widely accepted and is even given in the ATMs.
There is a reason the rest of the world loves this country for a vacation spot, and we highly recommend Americans recognize this underrated spot and give them a visit.
Other Southeast Asia Adventures
