During our stay in Siem Reap, I booked three private tours with a guide through the hotel: to the famous temples of Angkor Wat, to the so-called Kulen Mountain, and to the floating village of Kompong Khleang. Each of these tours deserves its own post, as there is so much to say about them, and you can find the links below.
Visit to the temples of Angkor Wat
More details in the blog post here.
Visit to the Kulen Montain
More details in the blog post here.
Visit to the floating Village of Kompong Khleang
More details in the blog post here.
In addition to the three tours mentioned, here are some other activities to do in Siem Reap:
Going to Phare Circus
I wouldn’t exactly call it a circus, not in the way we’re used to, but rather a theatre, music, and dance performance with lots of juggling and acrobatics.
The Phare Circus is associated with a programme that offers free academic and artistic education to underprivileged communities, enabling youths to pursue a sustainable professional career while also promoting Cambodia’s traditional art and culture.
As a serious person myself, I laughed the entire show from start to finish, and I even let out a few cries of distress when I thought the artists might fall to the ground.
For ticket details, including prices, please visit the website linked here: https://pharecircus.org/
We chose to stay in section B because apparently, some seats in section C may have obstructed views due to support pillars of the circus structure. Although it wasn’t the case on the day we went, as there were plenty of empty seats. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to predict beforehand, considering the availability of seats. The hotel booked the seats for us, and we paid for them via VISA card at the circus ticket office.
Pub Street
Pub Street, as the name suggests, is a street full of bars and restaurants with loud music, and it’s apparently the place to go out at night. At the time we went, it was relatively quiet, but it still reminded me of Khao San Road in Bangkok, albeit with a lot less people and hustle and bustle. Here, you’ll also find many places offering fish massages, which I first saw in Bangkok, and perhaps that’s why it jogged my memory. Maria Rita thought it was funny to see people with their legs stuck in a tank of water with fish, and she was keen to try it. Seven years ago, Hélio and I tried the fish massage, but today I couldn’t bring myself to repeat the experience.
On Pub Street and in the nearby streets of the Night Market, you’ll also find many shops selling local clothing, toys, and crafts, which don’t vary much from one shop to another.
Massages
In Siem Reap streets, there are many Southeast Asian-style spas with one or more rooms filled with chairs lined up on both sides.
We usually go for the Foot massage, which comes at very affordable prices. The traditional Cambodian massage is the Khmer massage, which, like the Thai massage, is based on pressure points but is gentler and painless.
There are also several other spas scattered around the city with a more upscale atmosphere, such as in Kandal Village (see post Shopping in Siem Reap or Where to eat in Siem Reap to know more about Kandal Village). I reckon they’re pricier than the high street ones, but still reasonably priced compared to other regions of the world.
Shopping
There are plenty of markets in Siem Reap to pick up souvenirs of traditional Cambodian local products. See post Shopping in Siem Reap for a complete shopping guide in Siem Reap.
Khmer cookery classes
Another very popular activity, which I would have loved to do if it weren’t for having a young child, is a Khmer cookery classes.
Get more recommendations for tours and excursions from GetYourGuide, or Withlocals.
Tip for choosing guides for your tours
If possible, try to find guides with good references, as this can make a big difference to your tours.
The guide we had on the tours mentioned above was not very good (maybe he had was just starting out?). Apart from showing no enthusiasm in his explanations, he wasn’t remotely interested in making sure we had a good experience. On several occasions he even stepped aside to take selfies (!?). Nevertheless, we kept the guide for all three of our scheduled tours and later left an honest review with the hotel.
On the last tour, to the floating village of Kompong Khleang, the guide was actually more engaged and talked a lot about his childhood memories of fishing with his father on the Tonle Sap Lake. He also talked about his memories of a very sad period in Cambodia’s history, particularly the attacks on his village during the Khmer Rouge´s not so long massacre of the Cambodian people.
For more information regarding the harrowing and tragic period in Cambodian history under the control of the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979), please refer to this source here. This page is from the Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam), which is dedicated to investigating and documenting the crimes and atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Tip for visiting the temples of Angkor Wat
For visits to the Angkor Wat temple complex and other religious sites on the Phnom Kulen Mountain, no shorts or skirts above the knee should be worn, and shoulders should also be covered. In case you haven’t brought trousers or long skirts, fear not, as there are many shopping options available in Siem Reap, more details in the post Shopping in Siem Reap.
Final thoughts on Siem Reap
Siem Reap was a city that amazed me. Comparing it to the other Cambodian city I had seen – Sihanoukville – and from talking to others, it doesn’t reflect the reality of the country at all. Here, everything is well-kept, clean, and organized. You can see that the city has benefited greatly from the investment brought by the popularity of the Angkor Wat temples.
Of course, I hadn’t experienced Siem Reap before Covid, and I imagine it was much more chaotic with mass tourism. But now, I can say that it was a very quiet holiday (just how I like it) and I would also recommend it for a family holiday with children.
Don’t miss all posts about our Cambodia trip here.
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