Siem Reap

Did you know that Angkor Wat is not just one temple but a large complex housing hundreds of individual temples? Read this itinerary to prepare for your visit to this iconic temple complex.

Siem Reap, a charming and dynamic city in northwestern Cambodia, serves as the gateway to the mesmerizing Angkor Wat temple complex and shouldn't be missed on your trip to South east asia. This city was once a small village and has evolved into a bustling center for tourism. You'll find traditional and western style restaurants, an abundance of shops, and vibrant markets. Siem Reap is a fantastic base for visiting the awe-inspiring temples and has become a destination in itself.

When to visit Siem Reap?

The best time to visit Cambodia is during the dry season, which spans from November to April, with the peak months being November to February. This period offers the most pleasant weather with cooler temperatures and minimal rainfall, making it ideal for exploring the country's attractions. Alternatively, the wet season, lasting from May to October, offers lush, green landscapes and lower prices, but you'll need to contend with occasional heavy rainfall and some flooded areas, particularly from June to September.

How to get to Siem Reap?

Early morning at Angkor Wat

We took the bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap as it was an affordable and convenient option. A bus with air conditioning cost us less than 50CAD. This saved us on airport times, luggage fees and allowed us to see the country side. While there was no bathroom on board, we did have plenty of stops, even one at a restaurant.

How to get around Siem Reap?

The easiest way to get around this growing city is much the same as any other areas you visit, hire a tuk tuk for the day! Your hotel can help negotiate a day rate or contact a driver if needed. The majority of the ones we encountered had maps and tour guides printed and on hand to show you the different options for exploration. We were quite happy with our driver as he also had a cooler of water bottles on hand to keep us supplied in the heat.

What to do in Siem Reap?

Day 1: Angkor Wat Big Tour

For your first day in Ankgor Wat, I recommend you visit the most iconic temple and the one the whole complex takes it's name from. Angkor Wat is actually directly translated into City Temple, or a less literal translation being City of Temples. This is the largest religious complex in the world, with 72 large temples, many more minor ones and countless more ruins. We chose to visit the iconic Ankgor Wat itself for sunrise, this meant a 4am wake up, quick zoom in the tuk tuk and a short walk to the temple itself. There are many places to watch the sunrise from depending on the view you want. We choose by the ponds as we had seen stunning photos from this location, however there was some restoration work happening so we could see a lot of scaffolding. If you choose to watch from the pond, be careful where you step as it can get muddy.

After watching the sunrise, we chose to hire a tour guide so we could learn about the temple while exploring it. I would highly recommend this as the temple is very rich in history and there is a lot to absorb. The Khmer King Suryavarman II wanted this temple built as Hindu temple and place of rest for himself. The construction actually took over 3 decades by 100,000 workers at a time, and used 10,000 tonnes of rock. Thankfully they selected the location for the temple complex in part due to it's proximity to a mountain to mine.

While you are exploring the temple, there are numerous motifs and bas reliefs to admire. Unfortunately, age and wars have taken their toll on this beautiful artwork. Many institutions around the world are involved in the restoration, but you will see a lot of damaged areas. There are some symbols that will show up over and over, like Brahama who has 4 heads, Vishnu with 4 arms and the Absara or celestial dancer. Many of these motifs also tell specific stories from the past, our guide was able to explain many of the scenes to us.

After visiting this fantastic temple, which I hope you give yourself a lot of time for, you can check out some of the local shops. There are many places to grab souvenirs, from simple carvings to intricate paintings or traditional dress.

Other temples we visited on this tour:

• South Gate

• Bayan Temple

• Terrace of the Leper King

• Thommanon Temple

• Prasat Ta Keo

• Ta Prohm Temple

• Banteay Kdei Temple

Day 2: Ankgor Wat Small Tour

For our second tour, we chose to visit many of the smaller temples. From the iconic Tomb raider temple (Ta Prohm) to many that are in a state closer to ruin, you will have an abundance to choose from. Some of my favourites from this tour were the ones that had trees growing on them. There are three types of trees that you'll see most amongst the ruins; strangler figs, kapok, and banyan trees. These species are all more on the aggressive side and much clearing has been done to make the temples more accessible.

The temples we chose to visit on this tour were:

• Kravan Temple

• Pre Rup Temple

• Banteay Srei Temple

• Eastern Mebon

• Ta Som Temple

• Preah Khan Temple

• Phnom Bakeng Temple

On this tour we also included a visit to the landmine museum to continue learning about the history in this beautiful country. Founded by Aki Ra, a former child soldier, the museum aims to raise awareness about the pervasive issue of landmines and their impact on the country. Aki Ra transformed his life's trajectory by dedicating himself to the dangerous task of clearing landmines that plagued his homeland. His personal experience, having been conscripted into the Khmer Rouge at a young age, fueled his commitment to making Cambodia safer for future generations. At the museum, you'll view a large collection of defused landmines, unexploded ordnance, and informative displays detailing the history of landmines in Cambodia and the ongoing efforts to eradicate them.

Bonus: Night Market

Siem Reap's Night Market is a vibrant and bustling hub in the heart of the city, offering an opportunity for shopping and dining. As the sun sets and the temperature cools, the market comes to life with a kaleidoscope of colorful stalls and twinkling lights. From traditional Cambodian crafts, such as silk scarves and wood carvings, to handmade jewelry and clothing, the market is a treasure trove of souvenirs and local artistry.

Be careful if you're just browsing, for Cambodian shop owners time = money. They will be offended by "window shopping" or spending extended time without making a purchase.