Welcome to Cambodia! Kick-start of early this year, I make my first visit to the third world country – Cambodia. A smooth flight journey by Jetstar Airline from Singapore to Cambodia, Siem Reap International Airport, I was welcomed by a Cambodian friend of mine, Viti Chay and I am excited and ready to explore the hidden gem in Siem Reap city.
Siem Reap is a town nestled in the north-western side of Cambodia. It is the gateway to the iconic Angkor region. My first time passing by the street of Siem Reap and I am amazed by their nostalgic colonial and Chinese-style architecture and I had a wonderful time experiencing their local historical and cultural attractions.
From the tourist point of view, today I will be sharing the wallet-friendly things to do and places to visit in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Without further ado, let’s check out the 7 things here:
1. Hop on the Tuk-Tuk Ride
The most affordable and comfortable way to travel around town in Cambodia is by Tuk Tuk. However, Tuk Tuk can only drive you within the town distance. If you are travelling out of town, it is still recommend to go for car or van transportation with driver.
Well, are you looking for a Tuk-Tuk driver? Introducing you guys my Cambodian friend, Viti Chay, who is a professional Tuk Tuk driver with excellent tour guide service. He spoke fluent English and treats customers polite and friendly. With his local expertise, I am sure he will definitely guide you along the way to your destination. Feel free to contact him via Facebook.
2. Discover the temples architecture at Angkor Wat
The must- visit attraction place in Siem Reap, Cambodia! Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world offers you the best stunning view during the sunrise. The building was built in the first half of 12 century and it is located about 6km away from the south of Angkor Thom.
Till today, the sculptures and architectural masterpiece in Angkor Wat are still well-maintain. Every step in Angkor Wat leads you to a communication routes entry and exit. The one-day pass to Angkor Wat cost at USD37 (price increase effective from 1 Feb 2017).
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| Nearby attraction: Angkor Thom |
3. Visit the UNESCO site – Ta Prohm Temple
Ta Prohm Temple is one of the most popular tourist attraction places in Siem Reap. This place is listed as the USESCO heritage site in Cambodia. Visitors can experience the hidden jungle atmosphere and there are many great photo opportunities in every dark corner of Ta Prohm Temple. FYI… IS FREE ENTRY!
4. Catch a drink in the Pub Street
Pub Street is the place for your nightlife scene in Siem Reap. Nestled along the pub street, there are lively bars, restaurants, cocktail lounges and nightclubs. The numerous bars are easy accessible for the visitors to relax and catch a drink at the reasonable price of USD $1 – USD $5. Don’t miss out this place!
5. Shopping Heaven at Angkor Night Market
Angkor Night Market is well-known as Siem Reap’s shopping heaven. This outdoor market has more than 200 stalls selling a wide range of traditional clothing, handicrafts and souvenirs as well as handmade bags, wallets and pooches that are made from recycled materials. Do remember to bargain to your best price too! Angkor Night Market opens from 4pm to 12pm daily and it is only 5 minutes walk from the Pub Street.
6. Exploring the Kompong Phluk Floating Village
Although this is somewhere out of the Siem Reap city but it is absolutely worth the time spends to visit. Located 16km away on the southeast part of Siem Reap, welcome to Tonlé Sap Lake – the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
Kampong Phluk is 1 out of the 4 main floating villages that connected to the Tonlé Sap Lake. The houses in Kampong Phluk are built on tall stilts and the surrounding is covered with nature mangrove forest. Likewise, there are mangrove tours for visitors, offered by local women in small boats to have a closer look at the submerged forest and lakeside village life. It’s once in a lifetime! But beware of boat scammer.
7. Get up-close with the Golden Sunset in Tonle Sap
It was a thrilling experience to hop on the speedboat navigating to the middle of the Tonle Sap to catch the golden sunset. I spent about 30 minutes of my life to admire the lovely sunset in Cambodia and it is definitely one of my unforgettable journeys in this trip.
