World famous for its Angkor Wat, Siem Riep is a home of many ancient religious sites dated back since the 10th century. Not just the temples and its rich cultures, Siem Riep offers a great nightlife scene with many restaurants and bars along the famous Pub Street. Here are some tips for you!
Visiting Angkor Park
You can get tickets for a three-day visit around Angkor Archaeological Park. This UNESCO world heritage is a big park with over 400 square kilometers. So, you should consider renting a car, Tuk Tuk or bicycle for that! We hired a Tuk Tuk driver for three days. He picked us up from the airport and took us to check in at the hotel and visit the temples.
The top well-known sites in Angkor Park are Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Phrom. When you are in the park, there are many local guides in main temples that you can hire for a private tour for about thirty minutes to get a glimpse of history. We hired a guide with professional ID for a thirty-minute tour for Angkor Wat. He was informative and helpful. You should wear long skirts or pants and covered shoulder top to be able to get in these temples.
Angkor Wat
Originally a Hindu temple later Buddhist, Angkor Wat was built in 12th Century during the reign of King Suryavarman II. Though the original purpose of the temple is still being debated whether it’s the king’s mausoleum, it has been commonly accepted as the center of the religious sites of Khmer empire and the symbol of Cambodia till today.
Bayon (Face Temple)
With more than 200 smiling face statues of Avalokiteshvara on different towers, walking in Bayon will give a mind-bending experience! This majestic temple was built by King Jayavarman VII in the 12th century. You may also want to have a look at the famous carvings of the mundane life of 12th century-Cambodians on the outer wall of the first level.
Ta Phrom (Tomb Raider Temple)
Almost swallowed by the jungle, Ta Phrom sets out as another iconic temple with a mix of man and nature built. Featured in Tomb Raider movie, Ta Phrom was also built by King Jayavarman VII dedicated to his mother. We had a really good time exploring this temple with all the creeping trees and piles of stone blocks. This would really give you an adventurous vibe. Some corridors were not even passible because of the clogging stones.
There many other temples around the park which I honestly don’t remember all the names (#oops). We explored as many as we could. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring some water since it’s a lot of outdoor walking. Here are photos of some other temples…
Neak Pean
This is my another favorite temple, a small sanctuary built entirely on a pond. It was believed in the ancient time that the water in the central pond could heal and cure diseases with the balanced component from the four surrounding ponds representing water, earth, fire, and wind. There was a small pathway about a five-minute walk from the main road to the temple.
Banteay Srei
Built in the 10th century even before Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei is known for its fine red sandstone crafting. As Banteay Srei means “Citadel of the Women” and with its delicate craft work, it is believed that the temple was built by women. Banteay Srei is about 32 km northeast from Siem Riep. We paid an extra fee to the Tuk Tuk driver to take us there. We loved the artwork there but felt that it took a bit too long to get there (about one hour) to see a relatively small site.
Other Temples
Spend the Night at Pub Street
After a full day of ancient history and cultures, you should visit Pub Street for good food and fun night out. There are plenty of choices of trendy restaurants, bars, nightclubs and massage places. We went to V Design Restaurant and Temple Food &Beverage. The food was good. The places looked nice and trendy, and the waiters were very friendly.
Siem Riep trip’s turned out to be better than we expected. The temples are second to none to other archaeological places I’ve ever been. With a combination of unexpectedly good nightlife scene, we love it here!
