Siem Reap Travelers Recommend

With three days in Siem Reap, not only do you have enough time to get an overview of the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site, but you can do so much more. Meet local people, savor street food, watch a circus, enjoy a sunset cruise, and hike through the jungle to a waterfall. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: Temple Trio

Prebook a 1-day pass to the Angkor Archaeological Park and start your Siem Reap visit with the Khmer Empire’s “big three”: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm. Catch sunrise over Angkor Wat, then grab some breakfast and beat the crowds to Ta Prohm, the Tomb Raider temple. Spend the middle of the day exploring the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Don’t miss the Bayon Temple, with its many mysterious faces, and the Terrace of the Elephants. Head back to Angkor Wat once the crowds start to die down to soak up masterpieces such as the Churning of the Ocean of Milk carving. Finally, get a taste of Khmer cuisine on a street-food tour of bustling Siem Reap.

Day 2: Cambodian Countryside

Despite the horrors of the Khmer Rouge era, Cambodia’s countryside remains unspoiled, and the people are warm and friendly. Spend today exploring traditional Khmer life. Learn to cook with a family in their village home; take a bike ride through the countryside to get a feel for the ancient rhythms of life; or get hands-on with old-fashioned Khmer crafts and farming techniques. Come evening, explore the floating villages, stilt houses, lotus ponds, and mangrove forests of Tonlé Sap lake on a sunset cruise.

Day 3: Waterfall Wanderings

Get a taste of the jungle that once covered so much of Cambodia on a trip to Phnom Kulen National Park. Hike through forest strewn with tangled vines to a scenic waterfall; see contemporary Cambodians worship Buddha; and make like Indiana Jones as you discover a wealth of Angkor-era ruins, from riverbed carvings to giant elephants. You might want to add a stop at the nearby jungled temple of Beng Mealea. Head back to the city in good time to enjoy a typically Cambodian evening. Phare: The Cambodian Circus is Siem Reap’s answer to Cirque du Soleil, but with a social conscience too. Otherwise, savor a buffet dinner as you watch the delicate Apsara dance. Wrap up the night by soaking up the crazy energy of Pub Street.

Siem Reap is the gateway to Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake—Tonle Sap Lake. Surrounded by lush rice fields, lotus flowers, and flooded forests, the lake is an ideal launching point for a visit to traditional Cambodian floating villages. Here are your options for boat tours of Siem Reap floating villages. 

Kompong Phluk

On the northeastern shore of the lake, Kompong Phluk offers the most accessible floating village tour, an experience made easy by a local guide. Depending on water levels (which vary between the wet season and dry season), most tours arrive by road, before switching to a small boat to paddle around the floating markets, stilted houses, fish farms, and rice paddies. The star attraction for visitors is the floating restaurant, where guests can dine on Khmer cuisine with a magnificent view over the lake.

Kompong Khleang

A little further afield, Kompong Khleang floating village sees fewer tourists, making for a more tranquil experience. It’s possible to visit the village on a half-day tour from Siem Reap. Some 1,800 families inhabit the stilt houses that stretch into the horizon, and visitors can explore the pagodas and schools that make up the thriving community, while learning more about daily life and culture from a local tour guide. 

Chong Kneas

One of the most popular floating village tours is to the lively fishing village of Chong Kneas. Tours often include a visit to a local crocodile and fish farm, a cruise around the lotus fields and rice paddies (depending on the season), and dinner onboard the Queen Tara floating restaurant, the biggest boat on the lake.  Tours often include hotel pickup and dropoff and may be all-inclusive.

With two days in Siem Reap, you can check off all the “big three” attractions of the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site: Angkor Thom city, Angkor Wat temple complex, and Ta Prohm, a ruined monastery. But you can also savor street food, watch a circus, cruise a lake, and discover traditional country lifestyles. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: The Big Three

**Morning:**Start the day bright and early with sunrise over the towers of Angkor Wat temple. Then, leave the site to the crowds, grab some breakfast, and hit Ta Prohm, known as the Tomb Raider temple, soon after it opens. Consider including nearby attractions such as Banteay Kdei and Srah Srang.

**Afternoon:**Start the afternoon by exploring Angkor Thom, Angkor’s last great capital city, including the Bayon Temple, with its many faces, and the Terrace of the Elephants. Return to Angkor Wat late in the day for a closer, quieter look at details including the Churning of the Ocean of Milk carving.

**Night:**Explore Siem Reap for a taste of this vibrant little city. Experience Cambodian street food, from oddities such as deep-fried crickets and snake “wine” to delicacies such as duck eggs and hot-and-sour soup. Then treat temple-tired feet to a pedicure from tiny “doctor fish” at a fish spa.

Day 2: Khmer Country

**Morning:**One of Cambodia’s great charms is its unspoiled countryside and friendly people. Get to know a typical Khmer family by taking a cooking class in their village home, or ride a bike through the countryside to get a feel for the timeless rhythms of rural work and life.

**Afternoon:**A cruise on Tonlé Sap lake can be a magical experience, especially during the wet season. Opt for one that visits a stilt village, such as Kompong Phluk, or a floating village, constructed atop pontoon rafts, and learn about mangrove ecosystems on a canoe trip through flooded forests.

**Night:**Conclude your Siem Reap stay in style with an evening of authentic Cambodian entertainment. Choose between Phare, a contemporary circus, or the Apsara dance, a classical performance with a lineage dating back to the Angkor era. Finally, let your hair down as you embrace the crazy energy of Pub Street.

Siem Reap is your gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, the 12th-century temple complex that’s southeast Asia’s No. 1 historic sight. But there’s more to this vibrant, cosmopolitan city than ruins. With one day in Siem Reap, you can see Angkor Wat, cruise a lake, watch a circus, and savor a street-food feast. Here’s how.

Morning: Temple Touring

Start the day bright and early with Siem Reap’s signature experience: sunrise over Angkor Wat. Watch as a golden glow illuminates this ancient temple’s soaring turrets and reflects them in the moat. After a quick breakfast, beat the crowds to Ta Prohm, often called the Tomb Raider temple. A medieval monastery, it’s known for the giant trees and roots that entangle its crumbling remains. Once you’ve Instagrammed to your heart’s content, return to Angkor Wat for a closer look at the structures and carvings that make the complex so unique. Explore with a guide who can explain the Hindu beliefs it represents.

Afternoon: Country Cruising

Spend the afternoon getting a taste of traditional Cambodian village life. A boat ride on scenic Tonlé Sap lake is a great way to while away the hours. Some tours visit stilt villages, such as Kompong Phluk; some stop at floating villages, built on rafts atop the lake, complete with floating gardens. During the rainy season, many tours include a canoe ride through flooded mangrove forests. Lake cruises are still possible during the dry season, but you might prefer to learn a new skill, such as Khmer cookery or pottery, or try your hand at planting rice.

Night: Street-Food Safari

Start your evening in downtown Siem Reap with a street-food feast. Brave the bizarre, such as stinky durian fruit and crispy fried cricket, and discover the delicious, such as duck eggs, green mango, and Cambodian barbecue skewers. Next, thrill to the nation’s answer to Cirque du Soleil: Phare, the Cambodian Circus Show. Marvel at acrobats, contortionists, jugglers, and more in a fresh, contemporary setting. Wrap up the night, if energy levels permit, with a trawl through the chaos of Pub Street or a pedicure from the notorious “doctor fish” that nibble away dry skin—a classic Siem Reap experience.

While not as well known as Thai or Vietnamese food, the Khmer cuisine slung at Siem Reap food stalls and crafted over the coals of local restaurants is certainly worth sampling after that visit to Angkor Wat. These are some must-try dishes and must-have foodie experiences.

Must-Try Dishes

Hungry locals rise and shine with hearty portions of bai sach chrouk, a traditional pork and rice dish with thinly sliced pork with coconut milk, ginger, pickled cucumbers, and daikon, served steaming hot at nearly every street corner with a small side of savory chicken broth. In a region that’s famous for curry, Khmer red curry is a must-try. This less-spicy cousin of Thai curry is perfect for travelers who love the rich coconut and spices without the serious kick of heat. Pho lovers can tuck into piping hot bowls of nom bahn chok —popular Khmer noodles made from hand-pounded rice and typically served at breakfast. Seafood lovers will appreciate amok fish, a Khmer dish served in a thick yellow curry sauce. Gastronomic adventurers can challenge their palates with chili-fried insects, a street food specialty, or stir-fried red tree ants with beef and basil.

Must-Do Experiences

• Sample the best street food eats on an evening food tour of Siem Reap’s night markets by remork-moto (a motorized tuk tuk).

• Learn to prepare authentic Cambodian cuisine alongside local chefs in a rural Cambodian village.

• Explore the floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake at sunset on a romantic evening dinner cruise.

• Tuck into a Cambodian buffet dinner while watching a traditional Apsara dance performance.

• Get a taste of Sombai, Cambodia’s local liqueur, with a guided tasting and infusion workshop.

From food to art to religion, it’s a joy to explore Khmer culture in Siem Reap, no matter where your interests lie. Whether you want to create something with your own hands or simply admire traditional Cambodian architecture or performance art, here are some options.

• Head into the countryside for a cooking class in a rural village, where you make dishes such as a classic amok (curry) with coconut milk.

• Opt for a cooking class in Siem Reap, which may also include a tuk-tuk ride to the Old Market (Psar Chaa).

• Enjoy an evening out at an Apsara dance performance.

• Take a pottery class or a ceramic art workshop to try your hand at making a Khmer item that you can take home.

• Visit local Buddhist temples, especially Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the top attractions in Asia. Crowded is an understatement here, so try a sunrise tour or helicopter tour for something different.