Sun 7th Sep 2008
- Siem Reap Travel Guide & City Information
Siem Reap is the nearest town to Angkor Wat. The name Siam Reap actually means the "defeat of Siam" todays Thailand. It is quite a small town and you can walk around to see the city. It is reported to be safe enough to be out after dark. Siam Reap draws visitors for its world-famous monuments nearby: Angkor wat. Visiting the hundred-or-so temples and studying the forests around Siem Reap is still the main reason for being in the city. If you are fed up with seeing more temples you can still spend a couple of extra days to relax here and find some nice things to do in the area. The huge natural reservoir, Tonle Sap, is just to the south of Siem Reap and provides relaxing boat trips. Banteay Chhmar is located 30 km north of Angkor Wat and is a reasonable safe haven to visit. It has a small but elaborate temple that is was built around a thousand years ago. You can arrange a car, a driver an a hotel in Banteay Chhmar for around USD 30.
Due to its closeness to Angkor Wat it is no surprise you can find a lot of hotels and restaurants in Siem Reap to accommodate the large influx of travellers. There is a crocodile farm in the south of Siem Reap that is well worth a visit. You can easily arrange a driver to go to the temples and many of them are very well informed about the temples. Other very good and inexpensive ways of getting around include by motorcycle or bicycle.