Siem Reap

Set in the northwest of Cambodia, booming Siem Reap town is the leaping off point for the magnificent temples of World Heritage-listed Angkor. In the space of a decade the town has exploded from a relatively small backwater to the fastest growing settlement in the nation.

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 – 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 $3 flophouses to $3000-plus a night luxury hotels.

Most tourists tend to visit the ruins in the morning and late afternoon, taking a break back in town during the middle of the day when the heat and poor light detract from the temples. The easiest way to visit is to hire a motodop by the day, although you can also go by bicycle, bus, car, helicopter and even hot-air balloon.

 

Back in Siem Reap, visitors tend to spend their time lying around their guesthouse and splashing in a pool if they're lucky, sipping or supping in one of the town's many stylish (and some not-so-stylish) bars and restaurants, seeing the minor sites and shopping.

Spas are springing up to tend to ruin-weary legs and dust-encrusted faces, some sumptuous but even streetside massage places do fine jobs to rejuvenate travellers. Even those with a minimal interest in ruins will easily be occupied for a couple of days, while if piles of rocks are your thing, you could end up spending a month here.

Mass tourism has well and truly arrived to this part of Cambodia. The city is a transportation hub, with many people coming through here en route to Phnom Penh, Poipet (then Thailand) or by boat to Battambang. Siem Reap's international airport now takes in more tourists daily than the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

Siem Reap province is also home to an array of other ruins, such as Beng Mealea and Bantaey Srei. Ruins aside, the province is expansive, running along the north coast of the Tonle Sap and north to Oddar Meanchey province. Few visitors get around here.

Add to scrapbook

 

 

  Search for accommodation

Search for guesthouses & hotels
where in Cambodia?
Angkor Anlong Veng Ban Lung Battambang Bokor National Park Kampot Kep Ko Kong Ko Sdach Ko Tonsay Kompong Cham Kompong Chhnang Kratie Phnom Penh Phnom Udong Sen Monorom Siem Reap Sihanoukville Stung Treng Takeo

Sort results by:
Travelfish ranking (best first)
Price (cheapest first)
Name (A-Z)
Show only properties bookable online

Sponsored listings

Recommended reading

 » Spas, shopping and seers in Siem Reap
 » Angkorian traffic woes
 » Malaria in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam
 » How do I get from Bangkok to Siem Reap?
 » Five special hotels in Cambodia
 » How do I get from Siem Reap to Ko Chang?
 » Cheap flights in Asia with the Discovery Airpass

 

Siem Reap reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Not a soul has had a thing to say about this place -- why don't you get the ball rolling?

Have your say

 

 

 

Vision: Siem Reap