The day had finally come for us to bid farewell to Siem Reap. It had been the most amazing journey through the ruins of Angkor. But ultimately, I find that what made our stay particularly memorable were the wonderful Khmer people.
Everywhere we went, people were polite and hospitable. While eating out, prices were fair, and no one ever tried to overcharge us. Sure, there were many children who persistently urged us buy their stuff. But can anyone really blame them? Plus, they were so adorable!
I think, out of all the cities I have visited, I would rank the Cambodians as the most honest.
Snowy the cat seems to like those Angkor Wat-shaped cookies!
I am so gonna miss Pub Street too, home to the many restaurants where we feasted on Khmer cuisine.
In this scene above which I captured of Pub Street, it is meant to show the contrast between very different lives. Tourists dining in nice restaurants. Tuk-tuk drivers making a living on the streets. Then there are the ones who have been made poorer from disease/accidents.
Here’s a recap of all the incredible places we visited in Siem Reap.
Day 1:
Borei Angkor Resort, Pub Street and Old Market area, Angkor Night Market
Day 2:
– part I: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and bayon
– part II: café puka puka, Madam Sachiko cookies, Angkor National Museum
Day 3:
Banteay Srei, Ta Som, neak pean, preah khan, Ta Prohm the Tomb Raider temple
Jun 5, 2009
1
i accidentally came into your blog, and i was quite impressed by your beautiful pics and experiences. i really wish i could travel around like you~
Jun 14, 2009
1
Randomly ended up on your website. Loved reading about your travels and food exploits. Visited Singapore for the first time last year from the States and I must definitely go back some time. Hope you keep blogging!
Jun 14, 2009
3472
Thank you! We love it in the States too. I visited Dallas in ’07 and it was so, so awesome :) People were just wonderful.
http://sparklette.net/tag/dallas
Jun 15, 2009
5
I discovered your blog via Google. I’m planning to visit Siem Reap soon, and thought your descriptions were really helpful. I just hope my photos are as good as yours. Thank you.
Jun 16, 2009
1
Good Stuff : ) came across your blog by chance. Great photos and Brilliant Expression. Cheers
Jul 22, 2009
2
We leave for Siem Reap & Saigon in 2 weeks. As I was checking out feedback / reviews on hotels & places to go to at night for dinner & drinks I happen to stumble on your blog. After seeing more than 2 dozen write-ups about Siem Reap/Angkor Wat etc., I find your blog to be the most descriptive, animated & informative. Fantastic pics too!
This trip w/ my HS Ateneo batchmates will be a photo tour with all of us lugging our big cams & gear. We also have 2 full days to spend on the temples tour and have about half a day spare time to bum around upon arrival & before we leave. I will most likely follow your itinerary but will add a helicopter tour for a bird’s eye view of the main temples and to see a far-flung temple by the hills.
Thank you for such an informative, entertaining & pretty blog! I’m looking forward to reading more about your travels.
Thank you!
Gene
*I will send a link to my flickr site after the trip for you to see our shots of angkor wat & saigon.
Jul 23, 2009
3472
Thanks for your wonderful words! I do my best to make my reviews and travelogs as detailed as possible, because I know readers like yourself would find such information useful.
Your helicopter tour sounds to die for! That’s one thing that I found lacking in my trip — bird’s eye shots that capture the entire temple complex and monuments!
I really miss the Pub Street and Old Market Area, where the dining and wining ambience is fantastic. I am sure you would love it there! Perfect for putting your half a day spare time to good use!
Thank you for bringing back pleasant memories of my own Siem Reap trip. I look forward to seeing your photos on Flickr soon!
Jan 7, 2010
2
As promised, here are my photos of
Angkor wat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imageneation/sets/72157622070958358/
Tonlesap Lake
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imageneation/sets/72157622040254681/
Saigon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imageneation/sets/72157622191438102/
Hope you like it!
Mar 21, 2013
3
Hello,
Your blog was interested to read, and a few question came into my mind. Perhaps you can answer them. I am going to Cambodia on September this year. Besides Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam are also listed to be visited. But still I have a question about a hotel you might have seen during your visit in Siem Reap. I booked the following hotel: Tara Angkor Hotel. You know if it is a good hotel? I heard good stories about it. What are the best attractions to visit in Siem Reap and in the surrounding?
My birthday is in September as well, and want to have a fancy meal in Siem Reap. Some friend recommended the following restaurants; Tonle Sap, Tonle Mekong and the Tonle Chaktomuk. Do you know them by any chance?
May 17, 2013
2
Hello Emma,
I read your message and wanted to help you, because I have been in Siem Reap a lot of times. The Tara Angkor hotel is a beautiful hotel and is ideally and conveniently located, Tara Angkor Hotel is situated only 6 km from the Angkor Wat Temples, 15 min drive from the Siem Reap International Airport, a few minutes stroll to the Angkor National Museum and a short ride to the city town center with an array of Cambodian souvenirs, shopping and culture. They have a few promotions that you can make use of if you haven’t booked already: Last minute bookings, summer sales, early bird promotion or Angkor temptations. Of course there are a lot more, but have a look at their website. It is not that far to the Angkor temples that I would advise you to see for sure. I would say, grab yourself a 3 day pass and find yourself a decent tuk tuk driver to take you to the farther ruins and for a drive in some of the outlying villages. If you’re up for it consider renting a bike and checking out Angkor Wat on your own. There’s a lot to see and do so a lot depends on your time and budget. A few temples I would strongly suggest you check out besides Angkor Wat itself are Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom and of course Ta Prohm just to see the amazing tree. The Banteay Srei temple is farther out of Siem Reap but has a very different feel than a lot of the others. If you want to do something else as well, you can visit the day and night market. I can really recommend these attractions. If you need to know more, let me know.