Angkor & Siem Reap, Cambodia Travel Guide
About Getting Around Attractions Hotels Eats & Nightlife Essentials & Practicals
Intro to Siem Reap & Angkor
So as not to confuse you, to visit the Angkor Wat area and temples (Angkor), you need to lodge and hang out in Siem Reap, the town which services and is adjacent to the Angkor Wat compound. I frequently use the areas interchangeably.
You may know about Cambodia as the country where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie adopted a couple of babies. The traveler will, however, know of Angkor, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. What’s here, why visit and what’s with the family riding the moto-ped above? Mainly, the largest, most famous religious temple in the world, Angkor Wat and its adjoining temples, are located in Angkor, Cambodia. Siem Reap is Angkor’s nearest modern city about 3 miles south and is the resting, dining and drinking ground for tourists visiting Angkor.
If you’ve ever watched Tomb Raider, you’re already familiar with Ta Phrom. Angkor Wat’s sheer size, detailed and symbolic architecture and Ta Phrom’s state of crumbling walls and structures being devoured by bulging, greedy roots of towering trees have fascinated people of all backgrounds over the years. The man-made wonder draws more and more visitors each year. Angkor has become a top travel destination.
There’s a sort of sleepy, dusty and downright unpretentious charm about Angkor and Siem Reap. Example, the family on the moto-ped in the picture above. Siem Reap is a small town with small spots of homes (sometimes made of concrete, sometimes detoriating wood), hotels and stores. Definitely not a metropolitan city yet the exquisite, famous temples and the Old Market make Angkor Wat a must see travel destination. Luckily for the budget traveler, Angkor and Siem Reap, Cambodia are as inexpensive as a travel destination gets. Ironically, the traveler will, in turn, experience a priceless journey among the ruins and relics of Angkor. Many of the dirt roads sit untouched by pavement; streets often don’t have sidewalks or shoulders. Funny thing is, these un-modern throwbacks lend charm to Angkor/Siem Reap. Though Siem Reap is a developing city – and Cambodia a developing country – it’s a fairly accessible place for the handicap or disabled tourist.
You need a passport and visa to get into Cambodia. Visas cost $20 US dollars to get in and $25 to get out. If you’re visiting Cambodia from Thailand, visas can actually be obtained right at the airport. There is no prep work that needs to be done to obtain a visa for Cambodia.