Siem Reap
Population: 175’000
Date of visit: January 2013
Attractions & sights: 5/5
Nightlife: 2/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 2/5
Low budget factor: $$$$$/5
Total: 👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Gateway to one of the most fabulous sights in the world: the temples of Angkor Wat.
Where to stay:
Near pub street ideally, as this is very all the action takes place in the city. Taxis or tuk-tuks are very cheap though and that’s why the location of the hotel isn’t that important. Prices of 5 star hotels are ridiculously cheap too.
The Good:
Siem Reap is a small, cute city that attracts tourists from all over the world for one reason: Angkor Wat. The temples are about 10km from the city and most of the tourists visit the sites during the day and kill time in the city centre at night. Pub Street is the place to be in Siem Reap. It’s a typical backpacker street with many bars and restaurants.
Needless to say that the city is very cheap and you won’t need a lot of money there. Tickets for Angkor Wat cost 20 Dollars (for one day) or 40 Dollars (for three days).
The Bad & The Ugly:
Apart from Angkor Wat, Siem Reap doesn’t have a lot to offer when it comes to sightseeing. If bars and nightclub aren’t your cup of tea, you might get bored very soon after visiting the temples.
Poverty is omnipresent. There are a lot of beggars, adults and children, some of them have lost their legs due to mine accidents. Most of them are in Pub Street, as this is the street with the most tourists. Some of them try to scam you, be careful (see: Country #20: Cambodia).
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