Lady’s Siem Reap Travel Guide

Today I want to share my Siem Reap travel guide with you. Full of centuries-old temples like the mighty Angkor Wat, this Cambodian city is legendary. The rich culture and deep history of the area beckoned me for so long I finally answered the siren call and traveled to Southeast Asia this week.

Siem Reap Travel

I arrived in Cambodia, my 83rd country, in the evening. After getting a visa and clearing customs at Siem Reap International Airport, I met the driver from my accommodation outside the arrivals hall.

Where to Stay in Siem Reap

It was a five-minute drive to the Anantara Angkor Resort, a luxury property in Siem Reap that had offered me a complimentary room for two nights.

When I arrived at the hotel, I was shown the beautiful outdoor courtyard, airy restaurant, spa, and swimming pool.

From there I went to my room, which was spacious and contained a large bed, two lounging sofas, a desk, a TV, and a bathroom with a shower and an enormous bathtub.

The outer wall was all windows, one of which opened onto a private terrace that overlooked the pool. It was lovely.

Unfortunately, I didn’t spend long at the Anantara Angkor Resort. With only two days to create my Siem Reap travel guide, I had to maximize my time at the main attraction: the temples.

Siem Reap Travel: Angkor Wat

On my first morning in Siem Reap, I woke up at 4:30am and was on the road in a hotel tuk tuk by 5am.

I bought my visitor pass at an already crowded entry gate to the Angkor Archaeological Park, then proceeded to the first stop of the day: Angkor Wat.

Watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat was one of the most memorable things I’ve done on my travels. The towering cones of the temple were thrown into relief as the sky went from inky blue to light purple to bright pink.

Hundreds of people lined the reflecting pool in front of the complex to photograph Angkor Wat at the first light of day.

After the sun came up I spent time exploring the large temple complex, then hopped back in my tuk tuk to visit several others.

Other Temples in Siem Reap

First there was Bayon, a beautiful temple in the ancient royal city of Angkor Thom. Near it were the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King, and the smaller Phimeanakas temple.

From Angkor Thom I traveled north to Preah Khan, a beautiful crumbling temple with a long series of doorways that decreased in size as they went.

Retracing my steps, I visited two small temples, Thommanon and Chau Say Thevoda. They were located across the street from one another right outside Angkor Thom.

Those were followed by a visit to Ta Keo and Ta Prohm. The latter was where where most of the iconic tree-in-temple photos of Siem Reap are taken.

Over the course of many centuries, trees had grown up through the temple walls of Ta Prohm and many others, engulfing them in roots that looked like the legs of giant elephants.

The result was picture-pretty, but perilous for the temples. Many are undergoing restoration work to ensure no further damage is done.

After visiting Ta Prohm, my driver took me to a restaurant along the rectangular Srah Srang lake. My heaping plate of vegetable fried rice was greasy but filling, and welcome after a long morning of temple climbing in Cambodia.

The next morning I was back on the temple trail for my Siem Reap travel guide. But this time my agenda was different. I was off to see some of the more remote temples to the north of the Angkor Archaeological Park.

The first stop was Banteay Srei, which was also called the Ladies’ Temple. Dating back to the 10th century, the small temple was renowned for its intricate carvings.

After visiting the temple, I passed by rows of market vendors making palm sugar and long strings of houses built on stilts until I reached the final temple of my Siem Reap travels: Pre Rup.

The structure was stunning in its height and detail, and I felt no small sense of vertigo as I scaled the steep steps to the top.

Siem Reap City

After spending my mornings seeing the temples for my Siem Reap travel guide, I needed a bit of a break. This came in two forms: the city and the hotel.

The main part of town was located a five-minute drive from the Anantara Angkor Resort, and I availed myself of the hotel’s complimentary tuk tuk service several times.

The Siem Reap city center was large and bustling, and there was no shortage of shops, restaurants, and bars to choose from.

I visited night markets and day markets, boutiques like Wild Poppy on Alley West, and Pub Street, with its famous late-night watering holes.

I dined at Siem Reap restaurants like the traditional Khmer Kitchen and ate foods like pumpkin curry and green mango salad with dried snake.

I walked by innumerable fish pedicure tanks and massage chairs, all of which were right out on the sidewalk providing easy access to participants and easy people-watching to passers by.

Siem Reap Massage

Back at the Anantara Angkor Resort, I enjoyed a traditional Khmer massage at the spa.

It was different from any massage I’ve ever had in that I was fully clothed in a loose fitting tunic and trousers, and the therapist used a combination of stretching and kneading techniques.

It was pleasantly invigorating, and I felt great afterwards.

Siem Reap Travel

I did not, however, feel great about the prospect of leaving Siem Reap.

My two days there had been enjoyable, and I couldn’t help wanting to discover more temples, more of the city, and more relaxing experiences inside and outside the hotel.

But it was time to leave Siem Reap and Cambodia, and travel to the next destination on my Southeast Asia trip: the enchanting city of Luang Prabang, Laos. To be continued…

Find this post helpful? Buy me a coffee!

New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email.

Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links. At no cost to you, I earn a small commission when you click on them and make a purchase. It doesn’t affect the way you shop, and it’s a great way to support the A Lady in London blog.

Pin it!