Siem Reap, Cambodia

• More about your oliver guide: Sara Stith
• Trip type: Adult, City, Mountains
• Activity level: easy
• Ideal length of trip: The ideal length of time in Siem Reap is about 3-4 days. It's a great "add on" destination when visiting Thailand or Vietnam.

to & from

You will most likely have to change planes, to get there. I recommend flying through Bangkok, Thailand. There are direct flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap, and many big cities in the US have direct flights to Bangkok.

Singapore Airlines is my favorite airline to take to Asia– the have great food and media options in coach. They fly to Bangkok, but you will need to switch to Bangkok Air for the flight to Siem Reap.

Where to Stay

The Amansara is a gorgeous mid-century modern hotel where everything is taken care of for you, but it comes with a very expensive price tag. Siem Reap has so many great affordable hotels as well, that still feel luxurious.

If you want a nice place, but you don’t want to break the bank, try the Shinta Mani Club. It’s modern hotel with a boutique feeling.

Where to Eat and Drink

If you stay at the Amansara, they can organize a private dinner for you in their Khmer Village house. It’s a candlelit dinner with traditional Cambodian food, where you eat outside, in a small village. You can hear the insects chirping and the children playing. It is really an amazing experience.

Head to Pub Street for tons restaurants and lots of nightlife. It’s a very lively area with lots of options for food and drinks.

What to Do

You cannot go to Siem Reap without seeing Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples. Some call it the “8th Wonder of the World.”

There are plenty other temples not in the Angkor Wat complex that are off the beaten path, but worth a visit. Banteay Srei is another one worth noting.

inside scoop

Have your hotel arrange a guide to show you around the temples– guides are not very expensive and are very common, in Siem Reap.

Make sure to go to Angkor Wat at sunrise, it’s the most gorgeous view of the temple. I’m not a morning person and I have done it twice– it’s SO worth it!

skip it

The killing fields are such an important, and horrible, part of Cambodia’s history, but a little hard to take. It might be too scary if you have kids with you because there are a lot of skulls.