My Siem Reap experience; Khmer Masterpieces and much more!

The Angkor Wat complex has always been at the top of my travel bucket list. So last month when I booked my trip out to Asia, Siem Reap definitely was going to be one of my major stops. When I finally got there, this historical Khmer masterpiece clearly lived up to its allure, and so much more!

Day 1

I knew well enough to pre-book my hotel and Siem Reap tour guide before I visited; so on reaching the city from Phnom Penh, everything was totally squared away. The Angkor Complex itself is a short drive out of Siem Reap. Despite playing home base and accommodating millions of tourists every year, Siem Reap was a pleasant surprise with its quiet, and quite chilled out ambience.

As I arrived at Siem Reap midday, I didn’t plan a full trip into the Angkor Complex until the next day. My guide had however planned a sunset tour, which turned out to be extremely memorable. I was picked up around 4:30 PM for the drive out to Phnom Bakheng. From here we climbed to the peak of the temple to watch the sun slowly sinking down over the entire Angkor Complex - really wonderful! We headed back into town just in time for dinner, and I was taken to a local Cambodian restaurant for some delicious chicken curry before being dropped back to the hotel.

Day 2

The next morning, my Siem Reap tour guide picked me up in his fascinating little tuktuk around 7:00 AM, after a nice filling breakfast. He had given me the option of a midday lunch break or to bring along some nibbles and drinks for the day, and I opted for the latter (I had, after all, been waiting my whole life to see the complex!!) So with our supplies for the day all prepped, we headed into the Angkor Archaeological Complex where I bought my one-day ticket (20 USD).

From here we drove through a large portion of the massive complex visiting all the major stops along the way and a few minor temples/ruins as well. Remember, to engage a licensed tour guide; my guide was responsible for some amazingly insightful history lessons about Angkor Wat (the icon of the Angkor Complex), Bayon (the temple with all the carved Buddha faces), Banteay Srei (dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva), Preah Khan, Banteay Kdei (the Citadel) and a number of smaller temples of which, well I lost count after some time! The best part of my tour was the free time to absorb the grandeur of this archeological treasure; I wandered the ruins, climbed where I was allowed and photographed like there was no tomorrow. Some of the temples were quite scary, with extremely narrow and steep steps, but the views from the top were absolutely stunning. Next to Angkor Wat and Bayon, I think my favorite temple complex was Ta Prohm, the temple with a great Banyan tree growing out of it. Though you know all the temples are extremely old, the tree that’s completed rooted into Ta Prohm really helps shows its incredible age!

Day 3

The next day took me in the direction of downtown Siem Reap. Hours of wandering and haggling through stalls selling souvenirs, gemstones and fresh produce ended in my being a proud owner of a beautiful painting and local spices along with a puppet to accompany me back home. A lot of massage parlors around the Old Market offer traditional massages although I went in for something different and indulged in a “fish foot massage”; what a crazy feeling! Yet another Khmer inspired meal of delicious plate Fish Amok and a green pawpaw salad with a few icy cold Angkor Beers of course, was the grand finale to a satisfying day. … Needless to say, I slept incredibly well!

It was then time to pack my bags; I had after all the rest of Asia to explore! I would definitely recommend to any visitor an itinerary of at least three to four days to Siem Reap and the Angkor Complex for an enriching historical and cultural and absolutely unforgettable experience.

Image Details and Licenses: https://flic.kr/p/eHTXWf (Crystian Cruz, CC BY-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/P3yge (TomEats, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/5So61y (Kelvin Chen, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/HghJ9 (Jasvipul Chawla, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/kv6EF6 (Drriss & Marrionn, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/dCiJbF (Rob Sheridan, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/avUf3p (mendhak, CC BY-SA 2.0)