Siem Reap Area

The name "Siem Reap" means "Defeat of Siam" and refers to the past, bloody history with Cambodia's neighbor to the West, Thailand. Despite its violent history and to help pull the country out of the abject poverty brought about by the Khmer Rouge era, the Kingdom of Cambodia has lately been concentrating on increasing its tourist trade. In 2007, foreign visitors surpassed the 2 million mark for the first time. Since the death of Pol Pot in 1998, the Khmer government has focused on increasing tourism and has targeted a goal of 10 million visitors per year. In order to reach that goal, the Siem Reap Province has been highly targeted as the premier tourist destination in the country. Rediscovered by the French in the early 19th century, the Angkor ruins, the most famous of which is Angkor Wat, is the foremost tourist destination in the area.

Highlights of Siem Reap

• Apsara Cultural Dance Show
• Floating Village
• Angkor temples
• Cambodia Land Mine Museum
• Central Market

Historical Sites

Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is the central feature of the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the magnificent remains of the Khmer civilization. Thousands of feet of wall space are covered with intricate carvings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology.

Angkor Thom
This magnificent inner royal city was built by the end of the 12th century and is renowned for its temple grounds and towering southern gate.

Bayon
The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Buddhist King, the Bayon stands at the centre of the ancient capital, Angkor Thom. The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the many stone faces on the towers around its central peak.

Banteay Srei
A 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, and features elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. These remarkably well-preserved carvings caused the temple to be known as "The Temple of Women."

Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm is the temple featured in the "Tomb Raider" movie and was built in the late 12th & 13th centuries. Unlike most of the temples in the Angkor region, Ta Prohm has been left in the same condition in which it was found; with trees growing from the ruins and surrounded by jungle.

Activities

Traditional Khmer Dancing
In classical Cambodian dance, women, dressed in brightly colored costumes with elaborate headdresses, perform slow, graceful movements accompanied by a percussive ensemble. Many of the dances involve performing a fragment of the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic that is one and a half times as long as the Odyssey.

Cambodia Land Mine Museum
Founded by Aki Ra, a former member of the Khmer Rouge army, this museum is dedicated to informing visitors of the danger still represented by landmines in Cambodia today. Mr. Ra has adopted more than 20 landmine victims, offering them a home and a chance at education. For more than 20 years, Mr. Ra has worked to demine the Cambodian countryside, using only a pointed stick.

Central Market
The Central Market of Siem Reap is a bustling area in the old part of town where tourists and locals alike can find local Khmer crafts, clothing, jewelry and sample local cuisine.

Places to Stay

Hostels
There are a wide variety of places to stay in Siem Reap. To search for hostels online with full descriptions, photos and availability features, please click here. The $2 reservation fee will be waived when booking through this site.

Places to Eat

There are many interesting, unique and cheap restaurants in Siem Reap.

The Red Piano
The Red Piano's claim to fame is that Angelina Jolie ate there during the filming of "Tomb Raider" and invented a cocktail (called, ironically, the "Tomb Raider"). However, the restaurant, offering up both Western fare and Khmer specialties, is a great place to get a hearty meal for less than $10 USD.

Dead Fish Tower Inn
This restaurant, built on rickety platforms rising 3+ stories features a "scary items" page on their menu featuring brains, organs and other interesting Khmer and Southeast Asian delicacies, as well as Western fare and "standard" Asian food. Be sure to check out the crocodile pit in the back of the restaurant or participate in the nightly Khmer dancing or singing!

Getting Around

The easiest way to get around in Siem Reap is by "tuk tuk." Be sure to haggle with the drivers before getting in the tuk tuk. Standard fare is about $1 USD around town for as many people as you can fit. $6-10 USD is more than enough to rent you a tuk tuk and driver for the day. You can also hire a bicycle for about $1.50 USD for 24 hours.

Moving On

Air
Seim Reap airport is the busiest airport in Cambodia. You can get direct flights to Siem Reap from many Southeast Asian cities such as Phnom Penh, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hanoi and Taipei.