Top Five Things to do in Siem Reap

1. Angkor Wat

OK, so it’s obvious – but it’s number one for a reason. Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious monument. It’s also an incredible blend of religion and nature that dates back more than 1,000 years. This is where the Khmer empire packed numerous spectacular temples into 400 acres and where, after the empire crumbled, those temples lay largely undiscovered for centuries. In 1863, French explorer Henri Mouhot ‘found’ them again and Siem Reap was back on the map.

Visiting the ruins is easy, and it’s got easier thanks to a new international airport in Siem Reap. You can get your tickets for the temples online (US$37 for a day, US$62 for three days or US$72 for a week). Three days is the best option.

Angkor Wat, the main temple, is a ten-minute ride from Siem Reap city centre (hotels will arrange drivers in taxis or tuk-tuks – ours cost $18 for a trip to the three main sites).

The other must-see locations are close by: Bayon and its enigmatic carved faces look down at you with an unnerving air of calm and intimidation, and Ta Phrom, which has been deliberately left unkempt so that the jungle and temple ruins blend into one. It’s also where they filmed Tomb Raider.

2. Phare Circus

This incredible ‘circus with a purpose’ trains local youngsters in acrobatics and various arts. Some get chosen to perform in the nightly shows and make a career for themselves. Visitors who arrive early can check out the street food stalls nearby and watch younger performers do traditional dances. In the big top, we watched a moving story of an old woman whose life was devastated by the Khmer Rouge. The actors/acrobats put on a moving, troubling and astonishing story to bring history back to life. As well as mind-blowingly brilliant physical feats (such as diving headfirst through skipping ropes), artists create paintings on stage that reflect the story. Tickets start from US$18.

3. Apopo Visitor Centre

Because of the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnam/American War, Cambodia was once littered with landmines. Over the years, these have maimed or killed thousands of Cambodians. Thanks to groups such as Apopo, those numbers are coming down (in 2024 there were 49 new landmine victims). To clear landmines, people once used metal detectors. But those would pick up any kind of metal, making it a long, tedious process. Apopo realised that African giant pouched rats were the answer. They’re light – only 1.5kg, so nowhere near the 5kg needed to trigger a mine – and they live up to ten years, far longer than your average rat. The rats sniff for explosives and are rewarded with peanuts or bananas if successful. And they’re very successful – Apopo and other charities have now cleared around 70% of the country. The remaining mines are largely gathered near to the Thai border, where there were heavy skirmishes with the Khmer Rouge. Tours around the centre are US$10 per person. English-speaking guides explain how the rats are used, introduce you to the rats (you can hold them if you wish) and watch a demonstration of mine clearing. It’s a simple but very informative centre.

4. Tonle Sap

The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia is a one-hour drive south from Siem Reap. As well as being home to 149 species of fish, including the Mekong giant catfish, it hosts several fishing villages that can be visited. One of the most interesting is Kampong Phuk, a collection of houses built on stilts in order to deal with the rising river, which can go from two metres to 14 metres during the rainy season. The Vietnamese-Cambodian community that lives here is a commune, where they build each other homes, live within family groups and are happy to receive visitors. It’s a delicate balance between tourism and maintaining the villagers’ way of life; when we visited there were two other van-loads of visitors strolling down the main street taking photos. The few extra dollars of income ensures the community survives but the children who sell trinkets rather than go to school are a definite downside.

There are reports of various scams from dubious operators in the area, so be sure to book through a reputable agent.

5. Angkor National Museum

If you have time, a trip here before heading to Angkor helps set the scene. Eight galleries tell the story of the ancient Khmer empire. The most impressive is the ‘1,000 Buddha gallery’ with its collection of numerous figures dating back up to 1,000 years. It’s not terribly interactive and the ticket price is a little steep, but it’s a beautifully-designed place and worth spending an hour or two here.

Tickets are US$12 and US$6 for children aged six to 11.

Getting to Siem Reap

Gone is the pot-holed, bone-jarring road from the Thai border. In is a new Siem Reap International Airport (70 minutes from Bangkok). Once there, most hotels will offer a one-way taxi for around US$30, taking 40 minutes. Be sure to get your online visa before you travel (it should take a couple of days to come through) and print off two copies.

Getting around Siem Reap

Taxis or tuk-tuks are bookable by Grab. They are great value and omnipresent – the longest we had to wait was two minutes.

How to pay for things

The US dollar or the riel are both acceptable, but for anything substantial, dollars are best. Change is often given in riel (the typical rate is 4,000 riel to the dollar).