Siem Reap

Back in 2009, fresh from my first low-budget trip in Thailand, I started planning for my trip to Cambodia. However, it wasn’t until almost five years later when I finally got myself to Siem Reap.

Angkor Wat

 It was 19° Celsius when we landed. While this may be the average temperature in some countries, I live in a country where the average temperature is 30° Celsius and 25° Celsius is considered cold. My parents went to Cambodia earlier that year, in April, and mum had been quite emphatic with the fact that it was very, very hot. Since it was December, I assumed that the climate would be cool, like the rest of Southeast Asia. My cousin Gill was practical enough to check the weather before we left. However, my sister Tin, brought shorts and flimsy clothes for the trip. Thankfully, there were $2-4 scarves being sold everywhere.

We arrived late at night in Siem Reap and a friendly tuktuk driver met us at the airport, compliments of our hotel. Recommended by mum, we stayed at Gloria Angkor Hotel. It’s a nice small hotel—clean rooms with bathroom ensuite, hot shower, free wifi and breakfast (which you can take anytime of the day). There are probably other cheaper accommodations in Siem Reap but Gloria Angkor was a comfortable option at a good price. We got the package that included a tuktuk for the duration of our stay.

An introduction to Angkor

Although we did our research on which places we wanted to see, our background on Angkor architecture and how Hinduism, Buddhism and Khmer history fits into it was limited. So naturally, our first stop was at the Angkor Archaeological Museum. The museum was an educational experience for me especially since I didn’t know much about Hinduism (Devas, Asuras, Apsaras…) or Khmer architecture (lingas, lintels, gopuras, bas-reliefs…). Among the 8 galleries of the museum, my favorite was the gallery of 1,000 Buddhas. The details of the relics were intricate and of really good quality; it was hard to believe that these were created centuries ago.

We also went to the Silk Farm by Artisan’s d’Angkor on our first day. About 30 minutes from the city center, the silk farm offers a free tour of silk farming, production and weaving. Until I visited the farm, I had no idea how meticulous it was to weave!

Angkor Silk Farm

The temple run

There are a loooooot of temples in Siem Reap. I don’t have enough patience to describe each temple in detail—they’re all available in Wikipedia. And we didn’t go to all the temples, including Beng Mealea, which according to my research, was too far to reach by tuktuk. Nevertheless, with our 3-day Angkor Pass, we visited enough temples to satiate our temple fever.

Let’s start with the most recognizable temple and the main reason I was in Siem Reap: Angkor Wat Built in the 12^th century, Angkor Wat (Temple City) is an engineering wonder (of course I have to say that… I’m an engineer!). Our tuktuk driver dropped us off the East Entrance, where we met a couple of monkeys. We took our time deciphering the bas-reliefs at the eastern gallery and then we climbed the steep stairs to the Bakan, Angkor Wat’s uppermost terrace.

Although Angkor Wat is undeniably grander and more striking, my favorite temple visit was at Preah Khan, probably because we practically had the temple to ourselves when we were there. Preah Khan was mostly ruins with the jungle enveloping the structure. Talking about trees growing out of the structures, Ta Prohm was the most “jungled” among the temples. In terms of carvings and bas-reliefs, I liked Banteay Srei the most. The carvings in Banteay Srei’s red sandstone were of really good quality.

Ta Prohm

Our visit to the Angkor Archaeological Museum before any of our temple visits was definitely a good decision—we were able to appreciate and differentiate the carvings, bas-reliefs and the entire temple structure. Visiting the Angkor Archaeological Park was like stepping into a different era (with a bunch of other tourists).

After our temple fever had lost its heat, we visited the Floating Village at the Tonle Sap Lake. It’s a bit of a tourist trap—you need to pay an additional fee to see the inner village and mangroves, on top of the short motorboat ride. And I bet none of the money goes to the villagers! But the row boat was a nice quiet experience... and something I’ve never done before.

Photo: Tonle Sap

Itinerary

DAY 1 Morning: Angkor National Museum, Royal Residence (Not open to public) and Royal Garden (there’s a shrine nearby), Angkor Silk Farm; Afternoon: Wat Thmey (killing field), sunset at Phnom Bakheng Mountain

DAY 2 Morning: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King); Afternoon: Chau Say Tevoda, Thommanon, Ta Keo (under renovation), Ta Prohm, sunset at Pre Rup temple 

DAY 3 Morning: Sunrise at Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon, Banteay Samre, Banteay Srei; Afternoon: Bantey Kdei, Prasat Cravan 

DAY 4 Morning: Rolous Group (Preah Ko, Bakong, Lolei), Floating Village/Tonle Sap lake; Afternoon:  Tonle Sap lake, Souvenir shopping at Pub Street, Sunset at Phnom Bakheng

 DAY 5 – FREE DAY!

Catching the sunset

Our first attempt to catch the sunset was on our first day, at Phnom Bakheng (Note: When you buy your ticket after ~4:30 PM, the activation date of your ticket will be the next day). We endured the 30 minute hike up the mountain and the long queue to the top of the temple. However, it was too cloudy, so there was no sunset.

Our second attempt was on our second day, at Pre Rup. We stayed for about 2 hours in this temple, hoping to catch the sunset. But again, it was too cloudy.

Our third attempt was catching the sunrise at Angkor Wat (okay, so this isn’t a sunset but let’s categorize it with our sunset attempt anyway…). We woke up 4AM and eagerly waited for a postcard-perfect sunrise at the west entrance, facing Angkor Wat. Ideally, the sun would rise behind the temple with the beautiful reflection of the temple at the lily-filled water basin. Sadly, the clouds were on the way again.

On our fourth day, the last day of our 3-day Angkor Pass, after enduring another hike up hill at Phnom Bakheng… luck was on our side. On our fourth attempt, we finally saw the sun gracefully setting down unto the horizon.

Sunset at Phnom Bakheng

Shopping and Food trips

Since I’m a frugal travel, I don’t really shop or eat much when I travel. However, with my foodie and shopaholic sister in this trip, shopping and eating were in the itinerary. We spent every night at Pub Street, the Old Market or at Siem Reap Art Center Night Market.

Photo: Pub Street

Although we also ate at other local stalls around Siem Reap (that our tuktuk driver recommended), I liked the food at Pub Street area best. The Amok Sampler at Amok Restaurant is a good way to taste the famous Khmer amok, however, it was the loklak that I loved best. We also tried spring rolls and some curry dish at temple bar while enjoying the free Apsara Dance over dinner. Although I’m pretty sure it’s not Cambodian, we also had crocodile pizza at The World Lounge Restaurant. And of course, we didn’t pass the chance of eating some special sort of pizza at Happy Special Pizza. I got quite happy 3 hours later and then after an hour more, maybe a little too happy.

Finale

I have finally stepped foot on the astounding Angkor Wat! Cambodia did not disappoint my expectation. The temples were astonishing and the Cambodians were the friendliest people I’ve met. Why have I been putting off this trip for five years? Shrug. Looking back during the time when I first got into low-budget travels, I thought I needed more than a backpack (a big luggage) to travel. Today, I can fit a lot of things into a 32-liter backpack and it’s enough for me. But then again, whenever I return home, I do carry with me more—that intangible thing that comes with travelling.

Expenses

Category	USD
Transportation	278
Airfare (MNL-SRP-MNL)	236
Taxi, Tuktuk, Toll Fee, etc (MNL, SRP)	6
Travel Tax (MNL, PHP 1620)	36
Accommodation	82
Package ($217/room)	72
Additional night ($30/room)	10
Food	39
Attractions	73
Shopping	14
Personal souvenirs	5
Gifts	9
Others	13
Total	$  499.00

*We also spent about $15 for tips (my sister was in-charge of the tips) 

Detailed Expenses



Siem Reap Photo Gallery