A journey to the ancient world of Siem Reap is a must!
When to go
For a good balance of weather and they say number of tourists, June to August is the ideal time to visit. And so I did from August 18-22, 2016, which already included a side trip to Pnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh.
Getting there
From Manila, the only airline as of the time of writing that offers direct flight to Siem Reap is Cebu Pacific.
Just at what they do best, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, I had a delayed flight by over two hours. Thank goodness my friend who has already arrived there from Singapore updated the hotel and me for my transfer. And she also made the tour arrangements for us for the next couple of days to come.
As it was off-peak season, we were expecting some rains. We were lucky that the weather cooperated well.
1st 24 hours
Day 1 was temple run at the Angkor Archaeological Park. So dress comfortably, but make sure to cover your shoulders and knees to show respect to this holy place.
We hired a tuk-tuk through our hotel for our transport service. Without much talking, probably he didn’t want to get nose bleed from speaking English, the driver brought us first to the ticketing office.
Entrance fee: 1-day pass $20, 3-day pass $40, and 7-day pass $60
US dollar is generally accepted in Siem Reap except when it is under $1, by which you have to use the local currency.
The entrance ticket also includes some of the temples outside the main complex like the Bantey Srey.
On how long to tour each temple depends on your pace. We spent mostly an hour to each temple except at Angkor Wat, which took us longer. It was also our first stop to catch the sunrise. If you think you’d go early, it might be a wise idea but I guess travelers think alike.
We arrived past 5 in the morning with the crowd already set in. You may want to go as early as 4 to get a perfect spot. The sunrise gives spectacular view of the temple coming to light.
Still with empty stomach, we entered the Bayan Temple of Angkor Thom through The South Gate.
And then we drove to Ta Prohm.
By around 10 am, we finally had our first meal of the day, a brunch at Le Petit Café.
With a happy tummy, we went back to our hotel to take a shower and get some sleep. Flight from Manila by the way would arrive past midnight. By 5 pm, revived we walked around our neighborhood and came across a Buddhist Center. And we reached the Pub Street just in time for dinner. Of course we hung out for awhile, listened to good music and people watched. Then we ride the tuktuk to watch The Cambodian Circus.
Next 24 hours
Our 2nd day necessitated a car because the itinerary was an hour away from Siem Reap. Arrangement was made through our hotel again. These are the places we went to;
By mid afternoon we were back in Siem Reap. We went to buy some souvenirs from Angkor (night) Market, which is just few steps from Pub Street. Keep in mind to bargain when at asian markets. And so after a long day, we ended it with a well deserved massage just before we board on our bus to Ho Chi Minh with stopover at Pnom Penh.
With love,
Sugar
