8+ BEST Things to Do in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap is a must-visit destination in Cambodia. This is because it is the base to visit the famous Angkor Wat and learn about this ancient site. This article gives some other ideas about things to do in Siem Reap in a short amount of time.

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Where is Siem Reap?

Siem Reap is a city in the North-West of Cambodia and a popular destination on the South East Asia backpacking route. There is an international airport for Siem Reap and you can get public transport/taxi/tuk-tuk to your guesthouse. It is about 9 hours from Bangkok and about 14 hours from Ho Chi Minh plus border crossing times. Note: You can use USD in Cambodia.

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Where to Stay in Siem Reap

My accommodation was Bou Savy Guesthouse and I can recommend this a great stay in Siem Reap, especially to follow the things to do as below.

I stayed in comfortable accommodation which was hidden away from main traffic and featured its own pool, bar and air conditioned rooms. My accommodation was about a 5 minute tuk-tuk ride from Pub Street and therefore was central enough for me. I used booking.com to book my stay. Check prices and availability here.

Booking.com

How Long in Siem Reap?

Depending on your length of time in the city, you should plan what to do in Siem Reap each day, roughly. There’s a lot to do, and you could spend a week here exploring the entire city. I know a couple who lived here for 8 months. Alternatively, you could spend as little as two days here if Angkor Wat is your main priority.

8 BEST Things to Do in Siem Reap

1) Angkor Wat

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The ancient temple complex and surrounding temples such as Angkor Thom is a truly unique experience. Siem Reap is the gateway to the site and this is the ultimate Cambodia bucket list experience! The temple is so symbolic for Cambodia that it is even featured on the flag.

There’s lots to marvel at here as well as learn such as these fascinating facts about Angkor Wat. The architecture is impressive and the features inside remind you exactly of the movie that was filmed here, Tomb Raider. In addition, there are lots of monkeys climbing everywhere.

Whatever time you arrive in Siem Reap, ensure to sort your trip to the temples for the following morning (very early if you want to catch the iconic sunrise).

You can organise a pre-booked Angkor Wat tour or you could speak to a tuk-tuk driver and arrange a time for them to collect you and take you to all of the sites.

Angkor Wat passes are sold in one-day, three-day and seven-day combinations. We got one-day passes which seemed enough but we could definitely return and further our learning. 

If I did it again, I’d arrange a 2-day Angkor Wat tour that includes a sunrise AND a sunset because the views are truly spectacular when the light hits this ancient place.

Book your tour ahead of time here:

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2) Pub Street

If you are looking for a good night out, music, street food and cheap beer, you should head for pub street. When I say cheap beer, I mean 25cent (17p) cold, fresh beer.

There are also food stalls up and down the street where you can learn about Cambodian cuisine as well as try the famous insects seen around South East Asia. Bars here are open well in to the night, we were here for the football Euros in 2016 and watched Wales play in a sports bar until about 6am.

3) Rent a Bike

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One of the best ways to experience the everyday occurrences of a city is to explore by bicycle. There are several places across the city where you can hire a bike but very often they can be found in your place of accommodation. 

We took our bikes across the whole city, soaking in the atmosphere and learning how hectic the streets can be! We stopped along the day for coffee breaks, food and once stopped to observe children playing and having so much fun by swinging by rope into the lake.

Read Next: Top Places to Visit in Thailand

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4) Siem Reap Night Market

Learn how to haggle at the Siem Reap Night Market, located next to the river. Like any markets, you can find an array of items here such as textiles, hand-made goods, souvenirs and street food!

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5) Silk Farm

This particular activity isn’t as well known as other things to do in Siem Reap but is definitely worth taking a trip. The Silk Farm teaches you every stage of how silk is produced.

This unique experience is completely free and in addition, will teach you about how people are making a living through this production. If you want more information, click here for the website.

6) Visit a Floating Village

Tonle Sap, part of the Mekong river, is the largest freshwater lake in Cambodia, and all of South East Asia in fact!

Many people live on this lake like in Kampong Phluk, a floating village where the homes, buildings, schools, etc are all built on stilts on the lake (similar to those in Penang, Malaysia).

Taking a guided boat tour along this river is a fun thing to do in Siem Reap including transfers to and from your hotel. Be mindful as this is still peoples’ homes.

7) Khmer Cooking Class

Eating the local food of a place is my favourite thing to do when travelling and a Siem Reap thing to do that’s even better is taking a cooking class to make those dishes when you get home. Khmer food is the traditional food of Cambodia and during this tour you’ll learn lots about it.

You’ll be picked up via tuk-tuk from your hotel, taken to a local market to shop for ingredients and then learn how to cook a 4-course Khmer meal by a local in their own home. Then you can eat your creation before being dropped back to your hotel.

8) Watch an Aspara Dance Show

In a local Siem Reap theatre, you can watch an Aspara Show which is a traditional Cambodian dance form telling Hindu and Buddhist mythologies while being served a delicious Khmer dinner.

Included in the tickets are return transfers from your hotel in a tuk-tuk so you can observe the city at night on your way to the show.

After Siem Reap

After you’ve figured out the best things to do in Siem Reap, there are many more places to visit in Cambodia and the easiest way to travel is via bus. I always use 12Go Asia to book my bus travel in South East Asia and I recommend you use the search box below:

More Things to Do in Siem Reap

• Visit the landmine museum and learn about the remaining danger.
• Go to a local cinema.
• Lastly, you could taste something called ‘Happy Pizza’ or ‘Bob Marley Sauce’ that you can find on menus as below. This is your choice, you must always remain cautious and read warnings.

 Have you been to Siem Reap? Is there anything else you can add to this list?

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