Siem Reap is a city in northwestern Cambodia and is a home to the famous Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is accessible from any point of South East Asia either by land or air. Travelers often come here to see the temples but over the years, the city becomes vibrant and attracts even the not so history buff travelers. One thing that surprises many travelers is even the country has its own currency, the Cambodia Riels, the locals prefer to accept USD currency but if you don't have exact money if you buy something you will be given Riels as change.
As a Filipino citizen, I am not required to secure a visa in visiting Cambodia. I arrived in Sieam Reap past 8 o'clock in the evening from Bangkok, Thailand. I already contacted a tuktuk (tricycle) driver prior to my trip and he was already waiting outside of the airport when I arrived. Travel time from the airport to my hostel took about 30 minutes. When I arrived in my hostel I just dropped off my backpack and headed out to see the Pub Street at night since I only have 24 hours in the city and no other chance to see it.
Pub Street
I followed the loud music I heard from my hostel to Pub Street which is few meters walk away only. Pub Street is very lively where many travelers are hanging out after a day of exploring. There are many restaurants, shops and of course pubs.
Fruit shakes/smoothies vendors are everywhere for 1 USD only but you have to be careful because I had upset stomach because of it. Vendors selling bugs like cockroach, scorpions and the like are also a common sight. If you want to try eating bugs but wary about the cleanliness you may visit 'Bugs Cafe', a cafe that sells bugs.
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world. The site is also famous as the movie Tomb Raider filmed here. You may pre-arranged your tour directly to your hotel/hostel or you may hire any tuk-tuk driver to tour you around Angkor Wat. Prices may ranges from 15 - 25 USD so don't forget to try to negotiate to your tuktuk driver. It is best to to start your tour before sunrise and ends after sunset.
Before your tour starts, the tuktuk driver will bring you to the ticket center where you can buy the ticket. Entrance fees has increased since this year as shown below:
| No. of Days | Old Price | New Price |
| 1 Day | 20 $ | 37 $ |
| 3 Days | 40 $ | 62 $ |
| 7 Days | 60 $ | 72 $ |
The ticket prices apply to foreigners and it is not transferable. You can either pay by cash or credit card.
I arrived at the temple just in time for sunrise. My tuktuk driver instructed me where he will be waiting after each sites that I will visit.
Touring around the temples will require you a lot of walking and sometimes climbing vertical stairs to reach the altars, you can skip this though. Some of the ruins are under reconstruction.
Here are some tips in exploring Angkor Wat
- Don't lost your ticket, it will be checked by the guards from time to time
- Wear comfortable footwear
- Don't wear reveling clothes, cover your shoulders and knees
- Bring a bottled water to hydrate your body especially on sunny days
- Don't touch monks
- No PDA (Public Display of Affection)
- Don't touch the preserved scriptures, wall carvings and drawings
Before the sun sets I decided to go back to my hostel. My phone and camera batteries are drained already so I think it's so nice to soak in the pool after a day of walking.
At 7 PM I was en-route to Siem Reap airport to catch my flight to Manila, Philippines. It was a quick trip that I will always remember.
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