I do believe from all my travels, that Siem Reap is one of the most beautiful town and over all Cambodia is nice country, but sadly poor. Everyone going there needs to do their research before heading there. No matter what problems would be in your way, trip would still be worth it.

I am gonna start with the best part: temples. They are something out of this world, which seeing would make you smile, feel like you are in different planet, amaze you and make you breathless.

There are so many amazing temples down there, each and everyone has it´s own part of history and worth seeing. I seen temples in 2 days, intensively, it´s really possible to do if you have energy for it. You can go for 3 days in more slow pace, since 3 days pass is the one worth buying. Make sure to book Tuk Tuk driver for your travels, it won´t cost much (15-18 USD) for the day, of course you can leave the tip if you are satisfied with the service. Tuk Tuk drivers always have cold water stored in the vehicle for you, so you will never go thirsty.

Angkor Wat is the main temple which ones pictures you see all over the Google then in image search you write in ´Siem Reap´. This is the temple where you go to see the sunrise. It will be worth to get up at 4 am and head there (since sunrises there are happening quite early, so as sunsets). Also there you will meet some beautiful creatures – monkeys.

They life around quite few of the temples, of course they feel safe there, also tourists give them food, so it is a good food source there they wont starve. Usually they are quite friendly and even pose for you, they like attention. Just don’t show them any food then you are near them, I saw how one monkey went after one girl who not carefully was carrying cut mango near monkeys, they of course attacked with sound and action and took the mango and ate it. No one got hurt. But they are wild animals, even so beautiful and friendly, still be careful.

Phnom Bakheng temple is most popular for sunset. It will be worth the climb. Of course you might need to wait for sunset for a while, you can´t be sure 100% when exactly it will happen, but just enjoy the view. Also near this temples you can see elephants. And people offering elephant ride. Please, please don´t do it. Those poor beautiful magnificent animals are beaten to train to carry tourists and they definitely don’t have a nice life down there. Wild animals belong in the wild, not carrying some tourists ass.

Baksei Chamkrong temple is another magnificent creation of architecture. There you can climb quite high. But also it was built long time ago, steps are high, hard to imagine how lo high people were climbing it before, also many of them broken, you don’t have anything to hold on to while climbing. Going up you are holding one step above you, going down you are going step by step on your all looking down and seeing where you very carefully place your feet. You will see other people before you doing the same. I was very proud then I got up there, but then I was going down I saw scared shitless that I will fall down and die, since it´s hot, you are all sweaty and slippery, steps are also quite slippery and there is nothing to hold on to for your dear life. There was so much adrenaline going through my body doing this, I can´t even describe.

West Mebon (Baray) is something out of this world. It´s an island temple. Beautiful. Magnificent. Peaceful. I think one of the best places if you want to meditate. But we aware of the mosquitoes, even there are very little of them in Siem reap, this temple is surrounded by water. And near water those blood suckers like to hand out.

Banteay Srei, Preah Khan, Ta Prohm, Ta Som are the places where the trees meet the temples. You will never forget visiting those places.

Going through temples you will see local security and police looking after the peace in temples, but be aware, if police man invites you to see something, later they will demand a tip, of course it´s police so don´t mess with it, but any ´secret´ places they want to ´show you´ you would find by yourself if you would just look for it.

Besides the temples, city has something more to offer. New interesting foods and restaurants, a lot of markets, boat rides in river, museum, modern Buddhist temple, new culture and nature to explore around, and what I personally liked the most after long day exploring temples – Pub Street. This is there the action happens in the evenings. Live music (and really not bad at all) in many bars, restaurants; street performers doing amazing job just besides your eyes for tips and many other things, you never know what might await you while you are there.

About the food: really you don´t have to pay much to get good service and food. My personal favorite was vegetarian(with a lot of vegan options) restaurant named ´Banlle´. It´s little off the center, but worth it. Just if you are afraid of snakes (oh I am afraid), eat inside, in any place, in gardens you can see above your head some poisonous snake living its life. If course small snakes wont attack you if you won’t try to attack them.

There are restaurants who charge a lot, you would think you are in some expensive country, but believe me, not worth it. Neither better service, neither food. And anyway if you want all day just sit in restaurants and just enjoy your holidays, Siem Reap is not for you, such places need to be seen and explored, so not recommended for people who want to have their holidays as 60 year old grandmas (nothing against grandmas, a lot of them are amazing travelers and explorers, not boring what so ever).

How to keep yourself save there:

First of all, consider all diseases you might get. Get your hepatitis vaccines! And Malaria medication for sure (personally I recommend Malarone, I had no side effects, but consult with your doctor), even many people who visits Siem Reap says they haven´t seen mosquitoes there, there are mosquitoes, I have seen them and got bitten. Typhoid shots are also important, you never know what might be in the food you are eating after all, it´s poor part of Asia.

Another things to consider to be safe are scams. Few times per day someone will try to scam you. You need to be aware of all scams going on in local area.

For example, just after leaving luggage in hotel and stepping out for a walk, one man started following and trying to talk and so on, nicely, asking here you are from, asking about local language where you are living and trying to keep up conversation and not letting go. Then the man started to talk that he is a English teacher, oh my English is so good (a compliment to flatter me). Apparently he is working in some school for poor kids, even had some shady papers printed out to show, saying he is looking for ´volunteers´ to teach kids English. Of course soon he was asking for money to help the school, of course non existing school. Money for his pocket.

Another very usual scam is mother with a baby running next to you on the street and asking for food for the baby, not money. Of course what she is trying to do is to get you to a shop near by where she has a deal with owner to ask for enormous amount I money for baby formula, which you pay ´couse you are already there pushed in corner. What happens next is when you leave, mothers comes back inside, gives baby formula back and splits the money with shop owner.

Also when you are eating somewhere it´s better to be inside not only for snakes, but some a child might run next to you and start screaming ´money´ and something else you don´t understand in native language. Seen same child running around couple days ago until once he ran to me. Of course you won´t help the child giving him money, because his parents will just keep sending him out to do the same scam all the time, which is awful.

Also buy all tickets only in official offices. Like Tuk Tuk driver giving ride to the National Museum very hardly tried to convince that there will be enormous amount of tourists in the museum and there will be need to wait for tickets in line for an hour so it´s a must to get tickets in one local traveling office. Didn´t bite that. He was disappointed. Of course there was no line in the museum at all. The guy most likely had a deal with local traveling office to bring in tourists and make them overpay for tickets, and he would get part of profit.

Really be aware if the situation on every corner: locals are the hunter and you are the prey. And always keep your stuff safe and next to you. Don´t ware any flashy jewelry, never ever leave your stuff unattended because for obviously reasons you will get robbed.

Also everyone will ask for everything much higher price than they want or the item is worth. You must negotiate price every time – with Tuk Tuk drivers and in markets. There are nice items to buy, and sellers ask high price and say item is ´handmade´ even you see same pillow case on every corner. Once I got into a small fight about it with one seller, ´couse I really had it enough of hearing same lie. I was like, hey, it´s obviously NOT handmade, look, on another table nearby I see exactly same item, so how this is handmade? Of course seller would just ignore you and let you go away.

Always ask for a smaller price then you actually want to pay, and then you negotiate with seller go up little by little until you get to the price range which you are willing to pay. If seller doesn´t bite, walk away, if seller doesn´t try to follow, then price maybe was too low for the item. Otherwise seller would follow you and agree to your price to get the sale.

Another advice about buying – don´t leave your shopping for the morning. No, no, no! Locals are superficial that if you ask price and you don´t buy the item, you will bring them bad luck, because it´s their first sale of the day and then if they don´t succeed – they are cursed with bad luck for the rest of the day. Locals blame you, the tourist for their bad luck. And they are very very mean about it. And in the mornings also they ask for bigger prices, don´t let prices down and try to manipulate you that you MUST buy otherwise they will have bad luck the rest off the day. Believe me, some people can be very much rude about it.

Of course without a word you might have cultural shock if you never visited poor region before: it´s not that clean, trash can be everywhere, also the smells. You will see local ´massage´ offices where girls next to it stand dressed up as obvious hookers, you will see old white men going hand in hand, hands all over, kissing girls who are obviously very much underage… That is their life and their way out of poor life… There is nothing you can change. It´s sad and making to tear up…

But after all, it’s a place to visit – not to be missed. If you know what you are doing and how to keep yourself safe, you will be fine and will have some adventures never to be forgotten. And with a little bit of money there you will feel like a rich king. Like, fresh coconut is only 1 USD! Who can not try that?

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