Having a few days and a lot of miles in Asia, our trip to Siem Reap was an unbelievable surprise. It is hard to say what I liked most, but I must admit that temples, monument, and nature were as good as warmth, sincerity and genuine hospitality of the Cambodian people.
We discovered that Siem Reap doesn't offer only ancient temple to visit. Actually, it is also a beautiful city with many attractions.
Upon arrival, we took a taxi to the hotel. The taxi driver offered a full day tour. The price looked like fair enough (U$ 32,00 whole day in the temples), but my experience with taxi drivers tend to reject any kind of offering. Taxi drivers always try to rip you off. I refused his offer, and I was right. His price was the double of the one that we really had spent.
Anyway, a favorite way of exploring Siem Reap is by hiring a tuk-tuk driver for the day. We actually did it for 3 days. The daily itinerary was quite standard and easy to manage, which saved us a lot of hassle planning for the sightseeing there.
We started our temple exploration by Angkor Thom. It was the last and most enduring capital city of Khmer Empire in the Angkor civilization. After that, we went to "The Bayon" which was the official state temple of Buddhism. Then we visited Baphuon and Preah Ko.
Definitely, we visited numerous temples, and my favorite was "Ta Prohm" where Tomb Raider was filmed. The trees growing out of the ruins were a sight to behold. Unlike most temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found. The atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most famous temple.
The following day, we started our tour at 5:30 to witness the sunrise at Angkor Wat. My suggestion is to arrive early and stayed on the middle or right side of the lake because there are hundreds of tourists fighting for the best spot to snap pictures. I learned that the fall of Angkor civilization was due the combination of insufficient defense against attacking enemies and economics problem.
Along with this journey on the third day, we passed through a village with people living in houses on top of wooden poles and stills approximately 10 meters of high. The only concrete building in the town is a Buddhist temple and school. Children were running around the house compounds freely when we were there.
We bought some fruits on the way of floating village and in the middle of the trip we decided to give it to children that were playing in front of us. It was the best thing we did. They replied the answer back with a huge smile like they received the best Christmas' present ever. If I'd known how they live, I would have bought a box of chocolate to give for them.
Life is definitely harsh there, but the children do not seem to be bothered by it. The village folks seemed poor but no unhappy, yet another lesson that I took to heart. You don't need to be rich to be happy.
Back in the city, hanging out at Night Market street and Pub Street is a great way to explore the city as the streets are full of restaurants and pubs.
Whenever visitors walk towards the roads around Pub Street, tuk-tuk drivers will offer to get into their tuk-tuk asking if they need to get to a hotel or hire them for a day trip on the following day. Though a little annoying, I realized that a politeness "No" is sufficient.
We went to Temple Club Restaurant. We really enjoyed chatting looking through the streets. You can see people all over the world. Another option is to watch a local dance show which is very lovely. At this show, you pay 12 dollars for dinner included. Of Course, try to get the table in front of the stage.
Whenever visitors walk towards the roads around Pub Street, tuk-tuk drivers will offer to get into their tuk-tuk asking if they need to get to a hotel or hire them for a day trip on the following day. Though a little annoying, I realized that a politeness "No" is sufficient.
We went to Temple Club Restaurant. We really enjoyed chatting looking through the streets. You can see people all over the world. Another option is to watch a local dance show which is very lovely. At this show, you pay 12 dollars for dinner included. Of Course, try to get the table in front of the stage.
The best place to buy souvenir is the Night Market. In this spot, you can find a variety of memories from Cambodia. Another good thing is the option to eat fresh fruits and drink coconut water while you chose your best souvenir.
Important thing: Cambodia is one of the hottest places that I've ever been. You must bring a hat, comfortable shoes, and a sunscreen. You also need drink water all the time because this place is hot and very humid. All the spots around the city have places to buy cold drink such as coconut water, soft drinks, and water. Also, they sell a lot of fresh fruits.
John, who was our tuk-tuk driver, was absolutely outstanding. He helped us with the best options to get the most of our day. We did everything in time. It was priceless.
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