Siem Reap

Travel guide

Set in northwest Cambodia, Siem Reap is best known for being home to the incredible Angkor ruins, a sprawling World Heritage-listed complex of ancient temples with the magnificent Angkor Wat as the focal point.

While the complex is surely one of the globe's most amazing historical sites, Siem Reap province is also home to an array of other ruins, such as Beng Mealea and Bantaey Srei. So if ancient temple ruins are your thing, this province -- an expansive piece of flat land, covered in rice fields and brush -- must be explored fully. It runs along the north coast of the Tonle Sap, Cambodia's "Great Lake", and north to Oddar Meanchey province. Few visitors get around to the fringes.

The provincial capital of Siem Reap is also a transportation hub, with many people coming through here en route to Phnom Penh, Poipet (the northwest border crossing to Thailand) or by boat to Battambang.

Siem Reap's international airport now takes in more tourists daily than the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Mass tourism has well and truly arrived to this part of Cambodia.

The town itself is situated three kilometres south of the temple park. Siem Reap has exploded from a relatively small backwater town to the fastest growing settlement in the nation. Annually, more than one million visitors travel through the small city to see the adjacent Angkor ruins. This tourism hub now has three PGA-rated golf courses, the presence of hotels like Sofitel and Raffles, and an airport with 38 international flights arriving daily. Developers scramble to build facilities that complement the impressiveness of Angkor Wat, described by Henri Mahout, the Frenchman who re-alerted the West to it in 1860, as "a rival to that of Solomon and erected by some ancient Michelangelo ... grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome."

The chaotic growth has not always had the best results and some would argue it has all happened far too quickly and unsustainably. No matter what your opinion, Siem Reap is booming and is set to remain a key stop for travellers to Southeast Asia for years to come.

Set astride the Siem Reap River, the town itself is home to a couple of minor sites of interest, some reasonable shopping and hundreds of guesthouses and restaurants. If you're planning on seeing Angkor from anything other than your aircraft seat, you'll be staying here. Take your pick from a full range of accommodation options, from $4 flophouses to $3,000-plus a night luxury hotels.

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Home Sweet Home Guest House
No.111, Wat Bo Village, Salakomroek Commune
From: US$2.00 with HostelWorld

Sweet Dreams Guesthouse
House #0126 Watbo Village
From: US$2.50 with HostelWorld

The King Angkor Villa
:#251, Achamean Street, Steng Thmey Village Svaydangkum Commune
From: US$3.00 with HostelWorld

Happy Guest House
0134 Phum Wat Bo Khum Salakomreuk
From: US$3.00 with HostelWorld

Good Kind Guesthouse
0072,Phum Wat Bo, Khum Salakomreuk
From: US$3.00 with HostelWorld

Popular Guest House
, Siem Reap
From: US$3.00 with Hostelbookers

Bunnath Guesthouse
#446, National road 6 Taphul Village,, Siem Reap
From: US$3.00 with Hostelbookers

13th Villa
HOME 0019 BENGDONPA BILLAGE SLORKRAM COMMUNE
From: US$3.00 with HostelWorld

Jasmine Lodge
Road No 6, 307 Taphul Village Svay Dangum Commune, Siem Reap
From: US$3.50 with Hostelbookers

Lovely guesthouse
Wat bo, 31 Salakamroeuk, Siem reap
From: US$3.91 with Hostelbookers

Siem Reap Rooms Guesthouse
No.38 Group 10, Phsar Krom road Sangkat, Svay Dangkum, Siem Reap
From: US$4.00 with HostelWorld

Popular Guest House
#33, Vihear Chin Village
From: US$4.00 with HostelWorld

Ponloue Angkor Siem Reap Villa
2 minuets walking to Pub Street Old market Sivatha Road , Svay Dangkum
From: US$4.00 with HostelWorld

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Fresh off our Asia travel forum

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Siem Reap reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Siem Reap - what theme do you want?
By DuncanStuart (dabbler - 1 review)
Written on 9th February, 2010 after a visit to Siem Reap in April, 2009
Siem Reap has evolved radically during the last few years. From an awakening rural centre at the gateway of Angkor, it became - especially during 2007-08 - a boom town; a tourism klondike with the number of accommodaiton beds growing, seemingly, exponentially. In 2009 the world economy shrunk and so did tourism numbers.

Siem Reap is a relatively wealthy town, thanks to the tourist dollars, but it resides in one of Cambodia's most acutely poor regions. This fact, combined with the presence of the awe-inspiring collection of Angkor temples gives the destination several facets to its personality. Old: new. Rich: poor. Westernised: traditional. Digital: manual. As a destination it can offer any theme you're looking for.

Looking for a five star, zen massage, fine dining sojourn? Here it is. Some of the hotels are gob-smackingly opulent, and for a local who earns at the poverty mark (at least 30% are below this mark) of $30 per month, then a room-rate equivalent of a year's farming income is beyond comprehension.

Looking for a backpacker destination full of clubs, bars, temples and adventure? You can't beat Siem Reap for all these things. Like all of Cambodia (median population age - 21 compared to 36 in the UK)this is an essentially young place - with clubs, bars, cafes, guest houses, hostels and restuarants that are all very affordable, though they split between the totally westernised Bar Street where security guards stop locals from entering) to the more laid-back more truly local places which are worth checking out.

The poverty of the region presents, or confronts, tourists with the third main theme here - and many visitors end up deciding to visit local schools, orphanages or similar enterprises mostly notable for their heart, their hope and their sheer lack of resource.

This is a personal note, but I've been back a few times, and it seems to me that the things one remembers best about Siem Reap are, first - the temples of course: their story is just astounding. But secondly the people. No, maybe I have that the wrong way round.

If you plan the zen-spa theme, or the Bar Street backpacker experience, well good on you. But if you step outside of your comfort zone in this town, and put yourself in a position of working alongside locals - you'll help them in their goals, and be amply rewarded at a visceral, emotional level that can be quite profound.

Sights & activities   History & culture   Scenery & environment   Eat & drink

Traveller's scene   Romance   Value for money   I'll be back (or not)

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