I would like to start this threat, so that fellow tripadvisors will have an easy overview (including myself since I´m going there in two weeks time).
It is a lot of good information in the forum but hard to get a grip of. So please help people as confused as myself with posting short answers to the the questions below. Thanks!
1. Recommended place to stay (including price per night)
2. Best place to eat (what kind of food and app. price)
3. Best shopping experience
4. Which temples are not to be missed? Please list top 5, if it´s possible.
5. Name of good tuk-tuk driver and price to be expected to pay.
6. Name of a recommended guide.
7. Things beside temples that is not to be missed in the Siam Reap area (and expected price).
8. Things to do in Siam Reap town.
=)
Highlights of Siam Reap
I%26#39;m not sure I have all the answers, but here are my thoughts on the above...
1. I like Shinta Mani ($100) and Viroth%26#39;s, also like Hanuman alaya ($50) but Siem Reap is full of hotels and you should be able to find exactly what you are after for the price you want to pay.
2. Bar street area has many nice restaurants, I like Soup Dragon, Kymer Kitchen among others. Some hotels have very good food, Viroth%26#39;s and Hotel de la Paix spring to mind. Some of the resaurants by the temples can be fine for lunch. I only eat kymer food when I%26#39;m there, do try the fish amok.
3. I think the old and the central market offer good shopping if you are good at bargaining, the new night market has fixed prices (sort of) but a smaller range of things. Artisans d%26#39;Angkor is worth a look for high end souvenirs.
5. Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom, Banteay Srei, Preah Khan would be my top 5
4. Many good drivers around, I use a chap called David (he has a website now www.angkortempletours.com) he charges $25 a day for the car or £15 for the tut-tut, he%26#39;s reliable and I now consider him a friend so maybe I shouldn%26#39;t recommend him!
5. Never used one sorry
6. A lake trip, but go to Kampong Kleang further south, not only is the journey nice, but the experience is better and the Prek Toal bird santuary is nearby. I always go for a picnic at the west batay late afternoon, very pleasant way to relax, you can buy the food there. Also I enjoy the Rolous group temples.
7. For me good things to do involve just slowly watching life go by, fascinating. You can donate blood at the Children%26#39;s hospital, they always need it or visit some of the aid projects (Shinta mani run one) that will both insire and humble you.
Well those are my suggestions, I hope you get others
Cheers
Highlights of Siam Reap
Thank you!!
And of course I meant ';I would like to start this thread, NOT threat...*haha*. ;-)
1. Two Dragons or Golden Temple Villa, $15 per night.
2. On Sivatha Blvd and in the ';Bar Street'; section there are some great restaurants. The fancier-looking the place(i.e. tablecloths, cnaldes) the higher the price.
3. The local market is OK, but I much prefer the Russian Market in Phnom Penh...
4. Not in any various order, but here are my faves-
Preah Khan
The Bayon
Banteay Srei
Beng Mealea
Ta Som
5. For where? Price depends on itinerary.
6. I%26#39;ll PM you with this. We shouldn%26#39;t advertise here.
7. How long do you have there, and do you have a budget?
8. Eat, browse, get a massage, get a manicure ($1 at the market!), give blood at the Children%26#39;s Hospital (Jayavarman VII Hosptial), go to a concert at the Children%26#39;s Hospital (every Sat. night at 7:15, free classical music concert performed by Swiss doctor there), contact an orphanage as ask them if they need anything %26amp; go to the market and buy it and brign it to them, etc....
Hi
My suggestions:
1) Day Inn - $75 p/n lovely small hotel, gentle 10 min stroll from town, great pool, breakfast included, ground floor rooms open onto pool area, 1st floor rooms have balcony
2) loved Khamer BBQ in Pub St
3) old market
4) Preah Khan (so scerene early in the morning before the crowds arrive) , Angkor Wat (so symbolic of the whole complex it is a must) Bayon, Ta Prohm, Pre Rup (really different - made of smallbricks)
5) will PM this if you wish but $15 per day (don%26#39;t want his email inbox flooded with spam)
6) didn%26#39;t use one - felt there was no need - lonely planet and info from our tuk-tuk driver
7 People watching from the corner of Hwy number 6
8) have a foot reflexology session $5-6
visit a school,
we%26#39;re planning another visit in march/april 2010 - fell in love with SR and can%26#39;t wait to go back again. Will be spending time with our tuk-tuk driver - visit his daughters school etc
happy travels
Helen
1. Stayed at Kool Hotel. A close tuktuk ride to the old market and pub street, but was good to be far from the crowds.
2. Was impressed with the classy AHA (operated by Hotel dela Paix) in the old market area, and bravely ate (and was so happy) with one of those roadside eateries - though I don%26#39;t encourage everyone to do so, we just wanted to try where our driver would have dinner. We dropped by Blue Pumpkin each night for ice cream.
3. There were really times when what we bought from the vendors outside the temples where cheaper than what was found in the old market. Surprised too as we found stuff in the night market cheap, contrary to what others have experienced. After getting a hang of the price of things, you%26#39;d know how much to bargain in the night market. Though we didnt spend much time at the old market during the day since we didnt want to go shopping during daytime as there were plenty more to see and do.
4. Which temples are not to be missed? For me, its Bayon, Bantaey Srei, Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Pre Rup. For a collective experience, well, do one sunset at Phnom Bakeng and a sunrise at Angkor.
5. Well, was really set to use a tuktuk, but after realizing the dusty conditions from the airport to hotel, we decided to book a car to the temples instead. What a decision! We just used tuktuks in the evening.
6. We were lucky to have Moni Sovannei, or Nei as our guide. Of the four days we stayed in Siem Reap, we decided to get a guide for our first day. Me and my friend were armed with cameras, and we were lucky to have him as our guide and photographer too. moni_sovannei@yahoo.com
7. We tried to experience a variety of things other travellers do. Visit a museum or gallery. If you arrive late and head to the bars, drop by the McDermott gallery just beside AHA in the pub street/old market area. Seeing the beautiful pictures in the gallery would pump up your desire to see the temples and prepare you on what to expect (plus inspire you on the angles for your pictures!). Go on a food trip! Sample different cuisines. Am so impressed with the variety of good restaurants in Siem Reap! Did the US$15 Angkor baloon thing too. Twas okay. And yes, tried the elephants at Phnom Bakeng also - i guess i had to ride an elephant for even one time in my life!
8. I guess one of the best decisions we made was to visit several orphanages before we left for home. Had we carefully planned it, we could have devoted more time for this. But I guess after spending money for all the temple activities and such, sharing and extending something for the less fortunate caps off a good trip. Even though we spent less than an hour with the kids, it was an experience. I was even made to sing for them, and was unforgettable...
