Siem Reap, Cambodia ~

After Phuket, my next stop on my tour of Southeast Asia was to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see the temples of Angkor, the most famous tourist attraction in Cambodia. Siem Reap, which is the capital of the country, is a trendy destination with many hotels and restaurants; however, the city still has severe poverty in various areas I witnessed.

My companions Sharry, Tarni, and I arrived early in the morning at Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport. It was reasonably easy to get through immigration, and there weren’t any long lines. We quickly located our provided transportation by the hotel we were staying at, but before we made our way there, we went to exchange our Dollars to Riels (Cambodian money). One thing I must admit during that process, I left a new bottle of water in the car next to my luggage and when I came back it was gone. I asked the driver about it, and he told me his friend took it. I know it’s just a bottle of water, but it’s the principle of the matter. Just Ask. We knew to take precautions with our belongings, but that was a rude awakening to watch them even closer.

We were also told to be careful with your phones, cameras, and other personal belongings while riding in the Tuk Tuks because it can easily be snatch by riders. It was the same thing for our travels to Vietnam too. Always be mindful of everything no matter where you travel.

All in all Siem Reap was an extraordinary trip! I enjoyed my stay there despite having a few hiccups. Next time, I will be prepared better for sure!

Take a look at what we did!

J7 Hotel

We spent two days in Siem Reap and stayed at the new J7 Hotel. The hotel was very close to the main attractions. It was very good-looking and sophisticated, but we were relocated to another room because of the air conditioner not working right in our original room which eventually broke and leaked all over the floor. The hotel staff later apologized after the long debacle and sent us some wine.

The hotel is beautiful at night, but there are a lot of mosquitoes because of the still water around the premises. Mosquitoes in Siem Reap are something else period, so be ready for that! Again, the hotel is relatively new, so the staff is not adequately trained quite well yet, but you will enjoy your overall stay.

http://www.j7hotel.com/

Exploring The City

The first day, we explored the city and purchased our tickets at the Angkor Enterprise Center for a tour of the Angkor Archaeological Park. We got tickets for the next day since it’s pretty much an all-day event. There are three types of entrance tickets: One day visit ($37), Three days visit ($62), and Seven days visit ($72). A photo ID is required, and you have to set up your own transportation to the temples as well. We found an all-day tour guide right in the center for $50 and paid our Tuk Tuk driver a little extra to bring us around the next day.

After, we viewed the city some more and stopped at a Buddhist temple. The temple was fascinating with the artwork. It told the story of Buddha along all the walls and used neon colors for sculptures in the central part of the temple.

Buddhist Temple

We started to get hungry, so we chose to go to the Red Piano Restaurant, well-known for it’s “Tomb Raider” cocktail initiated by Angelina Jolie. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to drink one! I’m upset with myself for not trying it. However, the food was delicious! I had the Beef “Lok Lak” with rice.

Now, Siem Reap nightlife has a few things you can do like hitting a few clubs and bars on Pub Street, but I wouldn’t go looking to wild out as one would do in Bangkok or Phuket. It is very subdued compared to those places. You can also do some shopping and see shows in the Night Markets. We caught a Lady-Boy show while getting a 30-minute foot massage for $2! Talk about a deal, huh!

Night Market

The Red Piano

Pub Street

Angkor Night Market

Hard Rock Cafe Angkor

My cousin Tarni is a collector of Hard Rock memorabilia. No matter what country, she has to go to one! We ate at Hard Rock Cafe our last night in Cambodia. Tarni and Sharry were already over Asian cuisine, and we were just getting started! Haha! But to be honest, the native food wasn’t sitting right with our stomachs throughout our tour of Southeast Asia, so we kept it simple for parts of our trip.

Here is our Tuk Tuk driver! He was so kind. I forgot his name! Shame on me!

Temples of Angkor

The next day we had to be up very early to catch the sunrise behind the Angkor Wat Temple, a very popular thing to do while there. Our tour guide Thim said it’s best to start early rather than later to tour the temples because of fewer people, and it gets scorching hot during the day, which is not a lie! Like my cousin, Tarni said, “She could have sworn she seen the Devil walk by with a fan!” Haha! Seriously, the sun is ridiculous over there! I’m a lover of sunshine, and even I had to pull out my umbrella for shade! I thought Egypt was hot, but Siem Reap wins by a long shot!

If you are going to take a tour of the temples, PLEASE prepare yourself! Don’t try to be cute like we did. Wear the proper shoes, hats, loose clothing, bring towels, and plenty of water! Furthermore, the temples have strict rules. Ladies and gentlemen make sure you wear a t-shirt or bring a sweater. They will not let you into some areas even if you have a shawl. My cousin Tarni and I learned that the hard way. I think we paid $12 each for a cheap skirt that we made into shawls. Also, wear long pants, shorts, or skirts pass your knees.

Besides the heat, you will enjoy the incredible views! Walking amongst all that history is just too much to describe! You have to see for yourself. I will never forget it! I want to go again to tour more temples we didn’t get a chance to explore! We only toured four because of heat, but I’ll be ready next trip. Maybe I can be the next Tomb Raider! Ha!