8 Activities to Do in Siem Riep Cambodia

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     After our Phnom Penh escapade, we headed straight to Siem Riep via bus for another 8 hours. The landscapes that we passed are much similar to the Philippines!- a lot of rice fields. The only distinguishable difference are the edgy roofs like fire of Cambodian houses.

      Siem Riep is the seat of the Khmer Kingdom from the 9th to 15th century. It is the gateway to a complex of century-old temples related to the Hindu and Buddhist religion. We stayed here for two days before going to Thailand.

Here are the 8 Activities you can do in Siem Riep:

 

1.) Visit Angkor Wat

     Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. It was originally constructed as a Hindu Temple, then gradually changed to a Buddhist temple around the 12th century. Many Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims consider the site as one of their bucket list.

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Many tourists do creative poses in their visits to Angkor Wat. For some, such poses like  above is very offensive to people who consider the site as sacred.

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The thriving tourism in Siem Riep gives the locals additional income. In the photo above, a Cambodian local photographer lies on the temple’s floor to get the best shot for these Chinese tourists.

 

2.) Visit Ta Som

      This temple’s stone structures is mostly engulfed by hundred-old trees. Although there are some plans to restore the site, the view is very enchanting for a selfie post.

         Ta Som is also one of the film setting for the movie Tomb Raider.

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3.) Visit Bayon

       Bayon temple is famous for a multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on its towers. Our tour guide said that these were Buddha faces, modeled from the face of the King of that time. It is a smart idea for Kings in order to legitimize their rule.

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4.) Do your Laundry

      When you do backpacking travel for 2 weeks, you really have to wash clothes. After our Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh escapade, I have no choice but to wash clothes.

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5.) Do a Staycation

         Being a popular tourist destination, Siem Riep has a large number of hotels and resorts. A Staycation experience would be best for this trip as well!

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6.) Do Food Tripping

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7.) Drive the Tuktuk

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8.) Party at Night in Pub Street

We say, what happens in Siem Riep stays in Siem Riep

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Additional Helpful Information:

1.) For tour guides- contact Mr. Sopheap Rin in Facebook

2.) For Bus Company Siem Riep to Bangkok- visit http://kh35316.yp.com.kh

 

 

24 comments

  1. Thanks for visiting my blog! I loved this article of yours. Siem Reap is also on my bucket list. After seeing this, I want to plan my trip ASAP!

  2. Interestingly we spent 3 days in Siem Reap in August. The main attraction was, of course, Angkor Wat. Being of the Hindu faith, we were curious to experience artefacts associated with the faith far away from the normally drawn boundary.

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