Not Temples Only - What to Do in Siem Reap

1. Street eat: real feasts

Food in Cambodia is also as varied and great as that in Vietnam and Thailand. Whether for lack of familiarity, fear of “prahok” condiment (Cambodia’s pungent fish sauce) or hygiene worries, few travelers to the kingdom indulge. Consuming a morning to wander around the city’s food markets and street food stalls with the Scottish chef Steven Halcrow or the American writer Lina Goldberg on a Siem Riep Food Tour, any doubts will be defeated. Surely gourmets will be pleased after a feast of original dishes like grilled fish paste pancakes wrapped around spicy cucumber pickles, dumplings oozing with coconut cream, jujube fruit stewed in smoky palm sugar and pumpkin, soy milk shakes.

To feel traditionally local savors, be ready to stuff additionally “num banh chok”, cool, slippery rice vermicelli doused with coconut-fish or chile-chicken gravy tossed with vegetables and herbs. You may desire enjoy more after visiting the village where many families still make noodles by hand.

Nom banh chok

2. Shopping: contemplate unusual items

Growing number of weird boutiques is evident for Siem Riep’s creation and liveliness. Take a street browse, possibly commence your shopping spree in Pop-up shop, where the Australian owner loves Scandinavia style and combine it with Angkorian designs, create not-your-usual souvenirs (watermelon-half pillows and block-print note-cards for instance). Next, pass over three blocks to Kandal Village, a community of shop, café, restaurant and spa. The owner have altered two lines of once-bland storefronts into one of Siem Reap’s coolest mini hoods. Here, adorable items, like silk scarves with modern ikat patterns, boldly colored diamond-quilted cotton blankets, delicate silver spoons and miniatures, plus one-off pieces like geometric 19th-century weaving designs from France, can be seen at Louise Loubatieres.

Continue pacing to uncanny Trunkh, where cotton shirts and pants with daring patterns, dragonfly silk-screened sarongs, primitive animal figurines made of unfired river mud, carousel animal, even old signals drawn by hand, are on display. Sirivan Chak Dumas boutique, owned by the same name Cambodian designer, specially features well-priced but fashionable costumes in bright and neutral-toned linen, silk and featherweight cotton. If tailor-made is your style, drop in Neary Khmer, where you can opt richly hued raw silks and order some sewn stuffs in the spot.

 Trunkh boutique

3. To market: Cambodian products only

Recharge with an iced Cuban (espresso shot, sugar syrup, milk) at Litter Red Fox Espresso, then head northward over two blocks to Oum Khun street for Made in Cambodia market, a showcase for Cambodian design and craftsmanship with Cambodia products only truly made in Cambodia. Inspect more than 40 stalls with diverse products for sales, from silk scarves, wallets and document cases made from recycle materials, Cambodian-styled jewelry, Sombai infused rice liqueur, to beautiful vegetal lacquerware made from natural pigments. Several things is for everyone, such as a delightful march from an orchestra.

  

4. Frozen treats: house-made cream

Get to Glasshouse Deli Patisserie for Siem Reap’s best house-made ice-cream, a shining cafe on the ground floor of the Park Hyatt. Taste divinely rich, black chocolate ice-cream or confuse yourself by natively inspired flavors such as cinnamon swirl, lemongrass and pandan.

5. Circus: Cambodian style 

No hope to see animal dancing in Phare, but this Cambodian circus will offer a wide range of interesting performances from theater, music, dance, storytelling to circus arts coming together in an elaborate, long show staged by students and graduates of Phare Performing Social Enterprise’s Battambang school. You may spend about $35 for a best seat, nearest to the stage and accompanied a bottle of iced water. Keep your ticket and arrive early to saunter Phare’s small craft shops or grab a juice at the cafe. Shows vary monthly.

6. Cuisine: by special youths

Grab a tuk tuk for a short ride to Marum, a hospitable training restaurant that its members are disabled Cambodian youths, operated by Friends-International, with alike restaurants also in Phnom Penh and Laos.

Dwelling in a lovely teak mansion, Marum has best seats for diners at a stunning garden shaded by trees and strung with fairy-lights. Its menu tends to Spanish tapas style, both original (crisp and creamy silkworms with spicy green mango salad) and creatively Cambodian (rice paper rolls with grilled peppers, goat cheese and tamarind chile dip). The stir-fried beef in a silky sauce soured with red tree ants, over crunchy water spinach leaves, will amaze you, in a great way. Reserve a space in your belly to enjoy thick, spicy chocolate and Kampot pepper cake with passionate fruit syrup.

Source: The New York Times

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA would like to recommend Biking Angkor Cambodia and more tour. This 3-day cycling tour brings you to explore Siem Reap, not only its highlighted Angkor Complex, but also small local villages, markets, pagodas, to have an opportunity to interact with local passers-by and immerse in Cambodian cultures. Particularly, you will cycle deeply through the jungle, where remains a lot of mysterious temple ruins, to have authentic look about Khmer history. 

Best 10 Temples in Siem Reap

With hundreds of temples scattered throughout Angkor - World Cultural Heritage Site in Siem Reap province, you can only select a few priorities of the biggest, most beautiful temples lying in best locations to admire.

Angkor Wat means “Temple City” (Angkor: "city" or "capital city") while Angkor Thom means “Great City”. These are two the most important relics in Cambodia, which are considered as supreme constructions of Khmer art and architecture.

1. Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is the greatest, best beautiful temple and situated in the best location among all temples in Angkor Complex Site. Angkor Wat was constructed under the dynasty of King Suryavarman II in the first half of 12th century, which is the pinnacle of Khmer architecture. This temple is well-known for long passage-ways carved with hundreds of Hinduism epic relievo statues along with thousands of absolutely stunning Apsara woman dancer statues.  

To walk and explore Angkor Wat entirely, you will have to spend a whole day. This is also the best place to contemplate sunrise in Angkor. 

2. Bayon

Lying in Angkor Thom ensemble, Bayon is remembered by hundreds of giant, spectacular four-faced-statues. Bayon was built in 12th century by Jayavarman VII, which is the only national temple in Angkor built for Mahayana Buddhism, dedicated to worship Buddha. After the death of King Jayavarman, Bayon was remodeled to Hinduism style.

This is the most impressive temple in Angkor Complex thanks to its majesty about scale along with mysterious, spiritual emotions when admiring this temple.

3. Ta Keo temple

Takeo temple was made of green sandstones, which is the sole temple not completed in Angkor Thom. Ta Keo was erected by King Jayavarman V, the son of Rajendravarman, as he was 17 years old. This temple is dedicated to worship God Shiva. However, Ta Keo was never accomplished due to the death of the king.

A legend was related that the temple had been struck by lightning while it had been constructing, and all work had been stopped in the period that primary structures had been newly completed.

4. Ta Prohm

Built in 1186, Ta Prohm is a Buddhism temple dedicated for the mother of King Jayavarman VII. This is one of a few temples in Angkor having proofs which provide information about inhabitants of the temple. Ta Prohm used to be home of over 12,500 people. After the fall of Khmer Empire in the 15th century, the temple was abandoned. Trunks have grown over the walls creating an occult, extraordinary beauty for the temple. 

Someone who used to watch the film Tomb Raider of the star Angelina Jolie will specially want to visit Ta Prohm.

5. Banteay Kdei

The temple located next to Ta Prohm is Banteay Kdei, meaning “A Citadel of Chambers”, also known as “Citadel of Monk’s Cells”. This is a Buddhism temple in Angkor, built in early 13th century under the reign of King Jayavarman VII. This Buddhism monastery now decays a lot due to incorrect construction and poor quality of sandstones. 

If you are ones who fancy culture and beauty, you will not miss these ruins with graceful carved motifs on walls of the temple.

6. Pre Rup

Pre Rup temple looks like a miniature Angkor with three towers in the center. The temple was made of grey sandstone, which is less durable than pink sandstone like in several other temples in Angkor. Pre Rup is used as a place to cremate bodies of the Royal lineage.

Undergoing many centuries it was abandoned, complicated carved details in this temple has been eroded. 

7. Preah Khan

This is one of biggest temples in Angkor, constructed by King Jayavarma VII to offer his father – Dharanindra, was also the temporary residence of this king as Angkor Thom was under construction. Preah Khan was surrounded by a layer of citadel. Many construction categories was connected each other by two plus-shaped-corridors divided the temple into 4 parts. At head of each corridor, there is a temple gate with two colossal statues standing guard.

This breathtaking temple has retained numerous invaluable masterpieces overlaid by moss through the years. 

8. Phnom Bakheng

This Hinduism temple was constructed in late 9th century, the architectural center of the new capital under the reign of King Yasovarman. The temple faces east, lying in a 6-story-pyramid. After accomplishment, Phnom Bakheng had 108 small towers surrounding the temple on the ground and on the floors. 

Located in top of a hill, Phnom Bakheng is one of best places to witness dawn in Angkor.

9. Banteay Srei

Located nearly 30 km from Angkor Wat, but Banteay Srei is the temple cannot forget in Angkor. This temple with delicate, charming contours was built to worship Gods of Hindu and Shiva. Banteay Srei or “the temple of women” is a wonderful picture about sculpture art on laterite and red sandstone.

The temple is rated as the pinnacle of art with relievo statues and motifs created in a subtle, ingenious way for every small detail.

10. Preah Palilay

Preah Palilay is a very small temple which is little known, situated in the behind precinct of Elephant court. This is a Buddhism temple based on Bayon style, although there are a number of Hinduism carved parts. The temple is striking with the chimney-shaped tower and sculpture statues of God Naga really fabulous from the gate. 

The small temple ruins, hiding deeply inside Angkor Thom area but it is really attractive under cool shade of a green tree garden.

TIP: To discover Angkor Complex site, you can trek or bike over Angkor. Animated activities will make your discovery more interesting and bring you new experiences, especially as you go through forests and encounter amazing ruins.