When planning for Siem Reap, I thought that all there really was to see was Angkor Wat. But, boy was I wrong! We were only in Siem Reap for three days, splitting up the third day to take in different sites, but if I could do it again, I would want to see everything that our group saw collectively. That's why I would say spend three full days in Siem Reap. Most of the time because of flights, you'll end up spending two half days and two full days, so here's what I would consider the quickest itinerary where you can see it all (well, still almost, there's always more that you can find).
DAY ONE - HALF DAY (AFTERNOON)
You're probably arriving by plane to Siem Reap, unless you're backpacking across Cambodia, in which case your flight is arriving mid-day. Use the rest of that day to get acclimated with the area and explore!
When reading about the city of Siem Reap, one of the most popular things that always comes up is Pub Street. And it does not disappoint! Make sure to explore the street, but also take time to wander a few blocks off the main drag, because you'll find much lower prices and potentially more authentic Cambodian food. Enjoy a beer or two (or ten) for the average price of about 50 cents USD. (You can find it as cheap at 25 cents per glass though).
We found that there were no bad restaurants or bars (of the ones that we tried) around Pub Street. We bounced around for beers, apps, happy hours, meals, etc. to be able to fit more in our time. Some of those that we tried included The Red Piano (European Food), Angkor What? Bar (REALLY loud, late night bar), Banana Leaf (most amazing live music), and many more that I can't remember the names of. Menus are displayed along the street, with people welcoming you in, so just glance at the menu to make sure there is something that you want before heading inside.
Head a few blocks away from Pub Street to the Old Market or Art Center Market to search for cheap souvenirs, outdoor gear, food, paintings, clothes, or basically anything that you can imagine. I hope you're bag is half empty, because you're going to need space for all the goodies that you will find!
Tips: Shop owners aren't out of control with their first asks on pricing, but there still is room to negotiate (we found it to be around 25-30% discount was where we settled). T-shirts and tank tops should be $2-3USD each. Ladies, you'll need something to cover your knees for the temples, so if you don't have any of the lightweight cotton "elephant pants", pick up a pair for $3USD. The more one-of-a-kind the object, the more expensive it will be, as many things seem to be mass produced around there.
Take a break from the bars and shopping to get your feet pedicured by fish! You can go into one of the many salons where they offer it, but there are also water tanks on the side of the road that are cheaper - we ended up paying 3 dollars each, for an unlimited amount of time (with a free Angkor Wat Beer included). Once you get over the tickling, you'll be thanking me for how soft your feet feel!
The other thing you'll want to make sure to do is set up your tour for tomorrow. There are a few travel agencies, but a lot of the tours are organized through your hotel or hostel. We booked our through our hotel, Saem Siem Reap Hotel, which turned out to be absolutely amazing (and fully pampered). We opted for a tour guide and an air-conditioned van, after melting in the brief hours outside yesterday afternoon.
Tips: First thing to discover when researching Angkor Wat is that the entire complex is referred to as "Angkor Wat" because the largest temple in the complex is "Angkor Wat." So, simply telling a driver that you want to go to Angkor Wat will land you just at the largest temple, when there is much more to see in the entire complex.
DAY TWO
Start your journey through the Angkor Wat Complex with a guided tour of "The Small Circuit", which are the most famous temples from photographed images. Before entering the temple complex, you have to go to a separate ticket office to buy your pass. They offer a one day pass for $20 or a three day pass for $40.
We entered the complex through the South Gate, which is one of the gates that has been sured-up to allow small buses to drive through it. Everything that is carved from these stones has a meaning or significance - on the sides of the path leading to the gates, there are a series on figurines. On one side, the good - depicted notably by the almond shaped eyes - and on the other, the bad - depicted notably by the round eyes - but both sides are holding a snake, doing their part in the tug of war.
The first temple that we headed to was Angkor Thom (Bayon) Temple, which derives its meaning from the Sanskrit, meaning "city or capitol." It is not the first capitol city of Cambodia, but was founded around the year 900. This temple is notable for its face carvings - it has 37 towers, each of which has 4 faces on each side. Try to get a picture nose to nose or kissing one of the faces - lining it up is a lot harder than you would think!
Back in the air-conditioned bus we went to the next temple. (Thank goodness, because I was melting). And our tour included cold water and towels to boot - talk about booking the luxury experience!
The third stop on the tour was a short drive away at Ta Prohm, which was featured in the film "Tomb Raider". It's surrounded by dense jungle, so best visited in the middle of the day, when there is plenty of sunlight to take photographs. Obviously the most popular photography spots are those that were used in the movie, but if you veer a little off the main path through the temple, you'll be able to capture the amazing silk-cotton or thitpok trees. These are actually hollow inside, which is the main reason that the temple walls haven't yet collapsed beneath their weight.
From there, we took a break for lunch. There are a lot of little cafes located around the main Angkor Wat Temple and if you choose to pay a little more for your meal, you can go to one with air-conditioning.
Tips: If you chose to skip lunch or take an early/late one, you'll have a great shot to see temples with far smaller crowds.
The afternoon was spent at the almighty Angkor Wat, which is a large enough temple itself to fill an afternoon. It was actually constructed as a Hindu Temple, but then was converted into a Buddhist Temple in the 12th century. It's the best restored temple in the complex, the country's most visited attraction, and is so well revered that it even appears on the flag.
We actually entered through the backside of it, which gives you a great opportunity to admire the sandstone carving and stonework with view few other visitors around. We walked around the first level on the north side, where we admired the carvings in the galleries and depict stories of good and evil, heaven and hell.
As you make your way up through the three gallery levels to the central tower, make note that these are thought to represent the king, the creator god (Brahma), the moon, and the supreme (Vishnu). There are four staircases that lead up the tower, all of the same steepness, except for the one heading west, which is a more relaxed slope and could only be used by the king. Nowadays, there is a newly-built staircase that visitors use to reach the highest gallery, as not to cause injury using these steep staircases.
After admiring all the apsara dancers carved in stone all day, there is one thing left to do but go see those dancers live! Book dinner and a show with the Koulen Restaurant and Apsara Dance located in Siem Reap. Tickets are just $12 each, which includes an all you can eat buffet that is a mix of Cambodian and Western fare. It's sure to be an experience to remember.
Tips: If you book your ticket further in advance, you're going to get a table closer to the front. Going to the restaurant yourself also helps, and they will show you the physical table that you are picking for the evening. Typically, they put all the Westerners on one side of the room, and all the Asians on the other.
Naturally, we headed back over to Pub Street after the show, but you do you.
DAY THREE
Get to the Angkor Wat Temple in time for sunrise. (We actually did this on Day Two, but I think Day Three would have been better because that day was so long). Unfortunately, this means getting up at an ungodly hour of around 4:30am. You can hire a car or tuk-tuk depending on your group size, but make sure to set it up the night before so your driver will be waiting for you! Needless to say, it might be hard to find one last minute at that hour. Head through the main gates of Angkor Wat, up the trail, and get some stellar photos of the reflection of the temple on the water during the sunrise. Unfortunately, we didn't luck out on a colorful sunrise, but I still enjoyed the experience.
Tips: Head back to your hotel after sunrise and take a nap. Then eat breakfast and head out for the day. Your body will thank you later!
Be your town tour guide and hire a tuk-tuk to take you around the Large Circuit. You'll move a little faster without the guide, and are probably tired of hearing the stories of each place, but each temple is still unique and worth seeing.
You'll start your tour at Sras Srang - which is essentially a giant, man-made lake. Sometimes there are even children on wooden boats trying to sell you are ride out on the lake.
Your second and third stops are at Pre Rup and East Mebon. If you want to make this into a shorter tour, those would be my recommendation to skip, as they're the least memorable. Though the stones are more of a reddish color, which I had not seen on many of the other temples. Pre Rup means "turn the body" and is known to locals because it is commonplace to hold funerals here, where they rotate and release the ashes in various directions as the funeral progresses. East Mebon was built second, made to be in the same style as Pre Rup, but varies notably because of the 2 meter tall free-standing stone elephant on the corners.
Fourth, stop at Ta Som - which has the most amazing photo opportunity on the backside of the temple. There is a large sprug tree which has grown directly over the entry gate. It is so perfect that it looks make-believe.
Fifth is my favorite of the day, Neak Pean, which is a temple located literally half-underwater. You walk along a long trail/pier that seems endless going out to the temple, with almost marshlands on either side. The temple itself is not over the top, but I enjoyed the break and change in temple styles.
And the last stop is at the biggest temple - Preah Khan - meaning "Royal Sword." It's stretched across a long axis, so have your driver drop you off on one side and pick you up on the other. It is relatively unrestored,with only some structural bracing to keep additional walls from collapsing. I enjoyed my walk through this temple as it is fairly uncrowded, with a series of unending halls and galleries, full of unique carvings to explore. Also, you can climb on some of the walls (who knows if its actually allowed, but oh well) to get a great view over the temple.
DAY FOUR - HALF DAY (MORNING)
On the last day, while I was going on my tuk-tuk tour of the Large Circuit, the boys headed to the War Museum, which they could not stop raving about for the rest of the trip. .
For a mere $5 entry fee, you can tour the museum led by a guide. During the tour, you will gain insight into the terrible war that has raged through Cambodia for the last three decades of the 20th century. This was a violent and brutal war, that most people don't know about, even though it happened so recently.
The boys left this tour with a weight in the pit of their stomachs, after being given a tour by a guide who was a child during the war and lost his entire family due to it. They were so impressed with how the people have overcome such drastic tragedy and are still open and giving. It's something that we should all strive to be.
(P.S. Shameless Plug - They also thought the Hard Rock Cafe was great too!)
