Thanks to its proximity to the famous Angkor complex, the Northwestern city of Siem Reap is one of the main tourist attractions of Cambodia. However, Siem Reap is more than just the home to a world-renowned temple complex. Let’s see what the city has to offer!
Visit the Angkor complex
Of course, the most notable tourist spot in Siem Reap is the aforementioned Angkor complex, the largest religious site in the world. Its most famous temple, Angkor Wat, is depicted on the national flag of Cambodia. The complex comprises over a thousand temples and tombs built in the unique Khmer architectural style. You can book a hot air balloon trip to see the whole area from above - best experienced at dawn or sunset.
See how traditional crafts are made
Workshop centers such as Khmer Ceramics & Fine Arts Centre, Artisan Angkor, and Senteurs d’Angkor offers opportunities for visitors to immerse themselves in local culture, help young people earn a living, and even have the opportunity to bring home mementoes that they’ve made themselves.
Hop on a tuk tuk
These motorized rickshaws are very popular as methods of transportation in South East Asia, and Siem Reap is no exception. The knowledgeable drivers may even be your tour guides.
Try local specialties
Although kralan was used as Khmer Empire military rations, it’s nothing but a treat. Fresh bamboo tubes are stuffed with a mixture of glutinous rice, coconut milk, black-eyed peas or beans, grated coconut and palm sugar, then grilled over coal fires. For the more adventurous (and not so allergy-prone) diner, wild-caught insects and other creatures await, such as tarantulas, scorpions, or crickets. You can also take a night food tour on Vespas and experience the highlights of what Siem Reap has to offer.
Support small businesses
There are plenty of locations to shop for souvenirs in Siem Reap. Phsar Chas, the Old Market at the city center, boasts over a hundred stalls offering merchandise at affordable prices. It’s a good place to buy mulberry silk and silk products. The Angkor Night Market is open from 4 p.m. to midnight, with bandanas, silver items, and jewelry available. The Made in Cambodia Market, where many craftspeople and artisans ply their wares (some of them originating from and benefiting NGOs), also offer exciting live music shows to entertain shoppers. It’s held on Saturdays of the first and third week of the month.
Get a fish massage
For less than USD 10, you can sit back, relax, and have the dry and calloused skin on your tired feet nibbled at by swarms of tiny fish inside tanks. (Not recommended for ticklish people!)
Enjoy a show at Phare Circus
The artists were trained by the Phare Ponleu Selpak vocational center, founded by survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime. Their family-friendly repertoire is a wonderful combination of traditional culture and modern performance art. Performers tell uniquely Cambodian stories through theater, music, dance, and modern circus arts.
Founder & Photography Guide
Specialties: Culture, landscape, portrait, hiking, active and adventurous tour
Besides my unlimited passion for traveling, a professional tour guide for over a decade, I have been taking photographs since sitting at Hanoi of the University of Culture in the early 2000s. Photography started as a hobby but it was seriously taken due to my work relations and my significant passion for the beauty of our world, especially in Southeast Asian parts such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
Within a few years of taking photographs, my works began to be recognized by many reliable international publications such as AFAR Travel, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph newspaper. In addition, I continuously add to my growing profile by winning numerous major awards: 3rd Position of The Independent Photographer 2018, 1st Position of Amateur Photographer of the year 2018, Grand Prize Winner of the AFAR Travel Photography 2019, and a Gold Award of San Francisco Bay International Photography 2020.
I photograph a wide variety of subjects, from travel to landscapes to street scenes. I enjoy documenting the East’s rich cultural heritage and its land soaked in glorious sunrise or sunset light in remote and secluded spots. And, I am very happy to share my knowledge and experience with you. You can visit Luminousvietnamtour to explore tour!
