The 12 Best Things to Do in Siem Reap, Cambodia

1. Overview

Siem Reap is the second-largest city in the country, located in northwestern Cambodia on the shores of Tonlé Sap Lake. The climate in Siem Reap is not too different from Vietnam. In this area, there are also two distinct seasons, the rainy season and the dry season, with an average annual temperature of about 27 degrees Celsius. Siem Reap is a famous tourist city in Cambodia, annually attracting millions of tourists from all over the world.

Siem Reap tourism will take you to the land of pagodas and ancient architecture that has stood proudly over time, along with the culture and history that still exist today. You will discover all the interesting features of this city through the thousand-year-old ancient features of the Angkor temples, the charming Apsara dances, and the vibrant nightlife here. Not only that, visitors can enjoy extremely special dishes made from insects. When you come to Siem Reap, you will experience the best.

2. The top best things to do in Siem Reap,Cambodia

2.1. Explore Angkor Wat in Siem Reap

You will be able to see firsthand the vast architectural complex of the temple, preserved almost completely in the world at Angkor Wat. The entire architectural complex stands out and features ancient sculpture.

The towers, temples, reliefs, and immense corridors are all made of boulders, stacked on top of each other to look very natural, even on the roof of the dome. Decorative patterns with stone, such as statues of Buddha, dancers, warriors, and lotus images illustrating the epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, are very vivid and soft.

The Angkor temple area is about 400 km2 wide and has many large and small temples. The top 4 most beautiful temples in the Angkor Wat Complex are: Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm Temple, and Ta Keo Temple.

• • Open: 5:00 a.m – 17:00 p.m

• Ticket price to visit Angkor Wat

All visitors, except Cambodians, to Angkor are required to buy tickets. There are three ticket classes with the following prices: 

• 1 day ticket: 37 USD 
• 3-day ticket: 62 USD (valid for 1 week) 
• 7-day ticket: 72 USD (valid for 1 month).

2.2. Visiting the Angkor National Museum 

The Angkor National Museum is an archaeological museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, and presentation of Angkor artifacts and also to providing information and education about the art and culture of the Khmer civilization, with a collection mainly dating from the Khmer Empire’s Angkor period around the 9th to 14th centuries.

The Angkor National Museum consists of eight indoor galleries displaying a wide range of architectural and artistic treasures from Angkor. Multimedia technology shows the history, culture, and life of Angkor from many different angles. Exhibits include touchscreen videos, epic commentary, and the chance to experience a panoramic sunrise at Angkor Wat.

• Address: 968 Vithei, Charles De Gaulle, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Tel: (+85) 563 966 601 
• Open: 08:30 a.m – 18:00 p.m
• Ticket price: 12 USD/person. Hire a guide for 5 USD/person.

2.3. See a performance at the Phare Circus

In Siem Reap, you can relax by buying tickets to see the circus at Phare, a famous circus in the area. Performances at Phare often have a combination of traditional and modern culture, suitable for children and adults. Admire the renowned artists of the Phare Ponleu Selpak arts and social center and its blend of theater, music, dance, and acrobatics.

Phare, the Cambodian Circus, combines theater, music, dance, and modern circus art to tell unique Cambodian stories from recent history, folklore, and modern society. Phare artists are students and graduates from Phare Ponleu Selpak’s vocational training center in Battambang.

• Address: Phare Circus, south of Sok San intersection, Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Open: 08:00 p.m
• Price: 18 USD/ticket.

2.4. Angkor Biodiversity Conservation Center 

The Angkor Center for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) was established in 2003 by Allwetterzoo Münster in collaboration with the Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP) and with the support of Dr. Goetz. This is one of the first nature conservation centers in Cambodia, located in Phnom Kulen National Park, about 50 kilometers north of Siem Reap town. ACCB aims to contribute to wildlife conservation and biodiversity in Cambodia.

The Biodiversity Center offers two day tours: one at 9 a.m. and one at 13 p.m. On this tour, knowledgeable and passionate guides will explain how they rehabilitate fish, hedgehogs, birds, and other animals so they can return to the wild.

• Address: Kbal Spean Phnom Kulen National Park, Siem Reap Cambodia
• Open: 8:00 a.m – 15:00 p.m
• Tel: (+85) 599 604 017
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACCBCambodia/

2.5. Visiting Wat Preah Prom Rath 

Wat Preah Prom Rath is a Buddhist temple built in the 12th century on beautiful grounds in Siem Reap. Wat Preah Prom Rath is located on the waterfront near the Old Market, and the distance to most hotels in town is comfortable walking. Besides the many statues on the temple grounds, you’ll also find colorful murals and beautifully decorated rooms.

This is an active temple, and you can see Buddhist monks making offerings and praying inside the temple. What is famous here is the large sleeping Buddha in the main temple, built in 1500. They have done some extensions to the main building, and now you will see an academic temple.

• Address: Opposite Temple Coffee & Bakery, Pokambor Ave, Krong Siem Reap
• Tel: (+85) 512 327 655
• See more:
  

2.6. Seeing Apsara dance

Apsara is a Cambodian court dance art form, that is recognized by Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World. The dance is very popular with tourists when coming to Cambodia.

Currently, in addition to serving the royal court, there are 300 Apsara dancers performing for tourists near and far at restaurants, hotels and theaters. Apsara is a traditional dance honoring the supreme god, praising merit and expressing the wishes of the people.

On weekends or festivals crowded with tourists, you can watch Apsara dance in front of major temples in central Siem Reap. Or you can just watch Apsara’s performance with dinner at Khmer restaurants.

• Recommended address: 298 Street 22, Wat Bo Village, Sangkat Sala Kamroeuk, Siem Reap City, Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Ticket price: 20 USD – 40 USD/person
• Open: 19:30 p.m – 21:00 p.m

2.7. Camping in Phnom Kulen

The most popular place in Phnom Kulen National Park is Phnom Kulen Mountain, located 48 km from Siem Reap and known by the Khmer as “God’s Mountain” and the most sacred mountain in the country.

Camping in Phnom Kulen will certainly be a memorable experience, as there is a long trail to walk from the foot of the mountain to the top. Waterfalls, picnic areas, and temples can be found along the trail. The park includes more than 30 caves, once where locals worshiped Lord Shiva in Hinduism.

The most notable attractions in Phnom Kulen National Park are the archaeological site of Kbal Spean, Lingas River, Chup Preah, Preah Ang Thom Temple, Preah Ang Temple, etc.

2.8. Exploring the Cambodian Traditional Culture Village

Cambodia Cultural Village is located in Siem Reap and is both an amusement park and a place to help you learn about this country’s culture. Here, visitors have the opportunity to visit many unique cultural features in the exhibits. Besides, people also regularly organize events and performances such as traditional wedding ceremonies and umbrella dances. 

Cambodia Cultural Village, which has been operating for more than 13 years, has been attracting the attention of many tourists with the architectural works of ancient Khmer villages with stone carvings and wooden houses. These are mysterious gates for you to discover the traditions and beliefs of the Khmer people, the people living in Cambodia.

2.9. Traveling Siem Reap by hot air balloon

A little new to the trip by experiencing the view of the Angkor temples from above by hot air balloon. Instead of walking to see Angkor Wat, visitors can choose to take a hot air balloon to see the whole relic from above, with a ticket price of 15 USD for 15 minutes.

You will be flying in the air at an altitude of 200 meters through the clouds, circling around, and landing. Although it only lasts 15 minutes, it is enough for you to admire the brilliant picture of the Angkor temple complex, Siem Reap city, the beautiful Cambodian countryside with rice fields, villages, and Baray, a work of irrigation dating back to the 10th century with many unexplored functions. This will definitely be a highlight of your visit to Angkor.

2.10. Massaging the foot with a fish

In Siem Reap, besides the traditional massage service, there is also an interesting fish foot massage service.

The foot massages that the specialist serves are the fish. The fish used for foot massages for tourists are quite small fish. They are raised by people to serve customers.

These little fish will help visitors nibble dead cells on your skin. Please rest assured that it does not cause pain. This massage also helps visitors avoid some skin diseases.

Fish massage parlors grow close to both sides of the road on Pub Street and charge only 2 USD, including a non-alcoholic drink.

2.11. Shopping at Angkor Night Market

Angkor Night Market is very busy and vibrant and is considered the main shopping destination when visitors come to Siem Reap. The highlight of this night market is the image of 200 bamboo huts selling a wide range of clothing and handicraft products from the local community and NGOs. Established in 2007 with the goal of preserving and protecting traditional Khmer handicrafts and improving the lives of Khmer people, each bamboo hut in the Angkor night market offers only one type of good, such as silk paintings, recycled bags, silver or copper, etc.

Entering the market, visitors will be attracted by the shops with a variety of goods such as clothes, jewelry, and souvenirs such as Buddha statues, Bayon statues, Apsaras, bandanas, silverware, Angkorian-shaped terracotta, etc., at extremely affordable prices of only 1-2 USD.  After shopping, visitors should enjoy the food and drink here to feel better about the cuisine as well as the daily behavior of Cambodians.

• Address: Off Sivatha Boulevard, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
• Open: 18:00 a.m – 0:00 p.m.

2.12. Enjoying the food

In Siem Reap, visitors can find a variety of dishes, from traditional Cambodian dishes to Filipino dishes, that meet the needs of diners. And definitely, visitors must try the dish once it is made from insects. 

Some dishes you should try when coming to Siem Reap, Cambodia: Fried crickets with chili, Nam Vang noodle soup, Stir-fried ant with beef, Fish amok, Com Lam, Tomyam papaya salad, Nom Banh Chok fish curry noodles, Banh mi jaggery beef, jaggery tea, etc, with prices from 1 USD to 3 USD per dish.

3. Conclusion

Above are Metta Voyage‘s suggestions on what to do when coming to Siem Reap, Cambodia to help you have interesting experiences during your trip. If you have any questions or want to find out more information about your trip, you can contact us right away.

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