Siem Reap is known as the town of Angkor Wat temples and hundreds of ruins in the surrounding area. Imagine! Going to see the temples every day!
The question I have been frequently asked as a guide is whether there is anything else to see or to do beside the temples. This article will help you with places to visit and things to do other than the temple visits.
1. Exhibition - REFLECTION ON ANGKOR is a fine art photography by John McDemott@ McDemott gallery FCC. The best black and white photos. Open hour - 10 am to 10 pm.
2. ANGKOR NATIONAL MUSEUM - a big building contains 8 galleries display chronologically artifacts from the beginning of Angkor period to the falls. It would take about 2 to 3 hours to visit around. Admission fee 12 dollars/pax. Open hour- 8.30 am to 6 pm.
3. Entertainment - CAMBODIAN TRADITIONAL DANCE at Kulen restaurant or Angkor Village theater. There are 5 different traditional shows perform epic of Ramayana, and folk dance accompanied with Asian buffet dinner. Cost 12 dollars / head. Open hour - 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
4. ARTISAN D’ANGKOR - a Cambodian fine art and craft. Visit their workshop with free guide tour, wood and stone carving, silver plated and silk painting. BEST handmade crafts. Open hour - 7.30 am to 6 pm.
5. ANGKOR SILK FARM - is a weaving work shop and museum. Visit their gallery with free guided tour to understand the life cycle of the silk worms and weaving process of Cambodian silk. Just about 20 mins drive from town.
6. KHMER CERAMIC FINE ART CENTER - Experience getting your hands dirty to make pottery bronze and clay classes; make your own piece!
7. QUAD BIKE - a fun drive on a dirt road to see much more of the country side and local villages.
8. PLAY GOLF - in 3 different golf courses. The best one is designed by Nick Faldo call Angkor Golf Course.
9. Visit local market- PSA LEU is the biggest local market. It is where you can find everything any anything. It is colourful, welcoming and very photogenic.
10. WATER BLESSING - Get yourself cleaned off the bad day with a short ritual ceremony (perhaps 10 mins) of a water blessing from a Buddhist monk with appropriate chanting. Leave some 10 bucks donation to the monk before you leave the temple.
Image Details and Licenses: https://flic.kr/p/pgo9ME (Lovyna Kamawu, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/gMo4TF (Barb Mayer, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/3cq3Tp (chee.hong, CC BY 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/8V9hvH (Pigalle, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/6vMzcV (Dennis Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/i7kAN1 (Luc Forsyth, CC BY-NC 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/j5bBNZ (Dana McMahan CC BY-NC 2.0)