Siem Reap Travel Guide – Visit Siem Reap – Budget Travel In Cambodia

Visit Siem Reap to experience the most visited city in Cambodia, due its proximity to Angkor Wat. There is much more to this city than the incredible temples.

Having started our Cambodian adventure in its capital city, Phnom Penh, we had travelled through quaint and endearing small towns, and stunning tropical islands to arrive at our final destination: Siem Reap.

Siem Reap is Cambodia’s most visited city. Half of the city’s population work in tourism-related employment. The main reason for this is that Siem Reap is the gateway city to the nearby Angkor Wat temples complex, one of the biggest religious sites in the world, covering over 400 acres. Siem Reap is also famous for its arguably less-cultural Pub Street, which is exactly what you’d imagine it to be.

THINGS TO DO IN SIEM REAP | FOOD AND DRINK IN SIEM REAP

How To Get To Siem Reap From Koh Rong

It seemed crazy that we would be on a tropical island in the morning and enjoying a beer in a major city in the evening. From Koh Rong, we took the boat back to Sihanoukville where we had a flight direct to Siem Reap. Our flight departed at 1700 hours, meaning we could take the midday ferry, have a bite to eat in Sihanoukville then head to the airport. We stopped at a place called ‘The Big Easy’ (map) which seemed popular with backpackers and is also a hostel. The food was decent and set us up for our journey ahead.

From here, we ordered a taxi through the local ‘passapp’ application. As had happened before, despite the app quoting $8, the taxi driver refused to take us to the airport at that price and asked for $20. We refused and got out of the taxi so he suddenly dropped his price to $12. We figured this was the best deal we were going to get so we got back in.

Is Sihanoukville Worth Visiting?

We had planned to stop in this city on our way to the islands but we had heard nothing but negative reports and it was easy to see why. So much construction has left the whole city looking a mess. It must be terrible for the residents here to see their city dug up by Chinese investors who want to turn it into a big casino complex.

Sihanoukville Airport

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time. Check-in was easy and we got through security quickly. There was literally nothing to do in the airport. There was one shop and one restaurant and it was very expensive so do not check-in too early. There were only a handful of flights each day and all were domestic so there were no delays. In fact, we managed to set off ahead of schedule.

CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST HOSTELS IN SIEM REAP!

Food And Drink In Siem Reap

Siem Reap seemed cheaper than other places we had visited in Cambodia. You can buy beer from as little as 50c and food from $1. There are plenty of bars and restaurants in Siem Reap for all budgets.

Asana Old Wooden House Cocktail Bar

Located in the old market district is this unique cocktail bar in a traditional Khmer house. All drinks came with a choice of free snacks and the staff were very welcoming. It was a great place to relax with a drink. Map.

Bugs Cafe

Whilst you can buy scorpion and tarantula on pub street, this is a restaurant that uses all kinds of bugs in its recipes. Aimed at tourists, the staff will guide you through the menu to make you more comfortable. Map.

Christa Restaurant & Bar

Located on the less touristy side of the river but still very busy. Christa serve good quality Cambodian food at decent prices. Map.

Hangover Hostel

Hangover Hostel has a decent bar selling draught beer for only 50 cent until 9 pm. Unusually for an American themed bar, they were playing some nice jazz and it was quite a laid back vibe. Map.

Joe To Go

Nice cafe with a good ethos: they donate to the ‘Global Child’ charity. It also had an art gallery. Nice atmosphere. Map.

Laundry Siem Reap

My favourite bar in Siem Reap. I came here 4 nights out of 6! On the first night, they had a superb selection of music playing so we never left! They also had free pool where you put your name down and the winner stays on (make sure you pick up the rules though, they have pool etiquette)! They also had a catalogue of over 20,000 albums to play on request. On the second night, there was an afrobeat dj. I could have stayed here all night, every night. The beer was more expensive than pub street ($1.5) but you pay for the vibe. The locals were friendly too and, once they recognised our faces, were very chatty with us. Map.

Little Pub Street

Everyone knows about ‘Pub Street’ but, judging by the amount of people in its bars, not everyone knows about LITTLE pub street. The bars here are smaller and more music orientated (the obligatory reggae bar, for example). A lot more chilled out than pub street. Map.

Little Red Fox Espresso

This was probably our favourite coffee shop in Siem Reap. We had great coffee and a wonderfully healthy hipster-style breakfast, all served with a smile by appreciative staff. They had lots of information about local concerns such as reducing single-use plastic and advice to tourists about child exploitation in Cambodia. They also played some fantastic Khmer 60s rock which enabled me to find out about the film ‘Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten’ which I then watched. Excellent cafe. Map.

Missing Socks Laundry Cafe

Our first coffee in Siem Reap was at this ultra-hip launderette-cum-coffee-shop. We returned a couple of days later and had the waffles which were excellent. Joanna liked it so much, she bought the t-shirt. Map.

Moon Bar

There are reasons to like this place and reasons to dislike it. First, the negatives. For Siem Reap, it was stupidly expensive. $2.5 dollars for a small can of local beer!? Plus, the music they played was TERRIBLE. At one point, they went from Ronan Keating to James Blunt and then back to Ronan Keating. So, why did we come here? Well, just look at the place! The Moon Bar is a sky bar and we had to enter a supermarket, catch a lift, walk through a restaurant to some stairs before we finally got there. But it did look great. It was like having a beer before being abducted. Map.

Nai Khmer Food

We came here for lunch and had some pretty good Cambodian food. Service was a little slow but that is not unusual in Cambodia! Map.

Pub Street Siem Reap

There is no point in recommending an individual pub on this street as they all pretty much offer the same. I was expecting it to be a bit rougher, more like Khao San Road in Bangkok. It was very touristy. I didn’t see any scams and the beers that were advertised at 50c actually were 50c. Though the menus looked more expensive than advertised so keep an eye on that! We actually only had one beer here when we met up with a couple of couchsurfers who wanted a cheaper option than the bar we were in. Map.

Red and Green Curry Angkor Restaurant

This was the first place we ate in Siem Reap as it was near to our hotel and we were tired and hungry. The food was decent and very cheap. I paid around $2 for a sweet and sour tofu dish. Map.

Soul Kitchen

This was just around the corner from our guesthouse. The first night we walked past, there was a decent sounding jazz band. However, the second night we walked past the band were playing some tired old ska. We finally went in to eat and the music was fantastic: instrumental two-piece jazz swing. It was the perfect soundtrack to a fantastic meal! Map.

Tous Les Jours

A small bakery that sold a variety of breads and pastries. It was handy for us as Joanna was celebrating ‘Fat Thursday’ (a Polish holiday where you stuff your face with do-nuts) whilst we were in Siem Reap. Map.

Two Sister Cafe & Restaurant

We were going to come here on our first night as it was near our hotel, but it was full. Taking that as a good sign, we returned the next morning for breakfast. It was cheap and they had a huge menu. The breakfast was good so we came back for an evening meal which was farcical. They had absolutely no system for getting food out and the whole staff looked lost and confused. The food was decent for the price, but don’t expect the best service. Map.

Things To Do In Siem Reap

Apart from the obvious visit to Angkor, there are many other things to do in the city and on the outskirts. Check the local tour operators to see your options. Make sure you don’t accept the first price!

Angkor Wat Temples

See separate post.

Genevieve’s Fair Trade Village

A nice, little art and craft space where you can purchase goods or take part in workshops. All the arts on display have been created by disabled artists and all profits go back into supporting them. Map.

Miniature Replicas Of Angkor’s Temples

This was a real treat. Basically, an architect has built miniature versions of Angkor’s three most famous temples in his yard. The architect was in his eighties and he still took the time to talk to every visitor. The stories of his time during the Khmer Rouge era were heartbreaking. A true-life survivor. His work is stunning and it only cost a dollar to visit. Map.

Phalla Angkor Night Market

Typical night market selling clothes, souvenirs and food. Most of the goods here are produced locally such as silk, handicrafts, crocodile leather and Khmer clothing. It is very bright and colourful! Map.

Phalla Angkor Night Market Opening Times: 4.30 pm – 12 am, every day.

Wat Preah Prom Rath

Located down by the Siem Reap river is this pretty big temple. If you visit, make sure you don’t miss the reclining Buddha. We would have certainly missed it had we not been told by a local who was in the temple at the same time! Map.

Wat Preah Prom Rath Entrance Fee: free entry.

Is Siem Reap Worth Visiting?

Siem Reap was a great city in which to end our Cambodian adventure. It is filled with great bars, restaurants and coffee shops. We actually didn’t visit Angkor until our last day there and we had already had a wonderful time just hanging around the city.

It gets lively at night, particularly around ‘Pub Street’. One evening, when I was leaving the ‘Laundry’ bar, I was approached by a prostitute who walked with me for quite a while, determined to show me a good time, despite my repeated refusals. She even grabbed my ‘parts’ just in case I wasn’t sure what she was offering. It was a little intimidating!

Siem Reap is a fantastic city and no trip to Cambodia is complete without spending a few days here.