Why I Keep Coming Back to Siem Reap

In the last two years, I’ve been to Siem Reap five times. In that duration, I also lived in this quaint city for a month. The first time I stayed here, I spent three days visiting tourist spots with a couple of friends.

angkor-wat
the famous Angkor Wat

I had no idea about this side of Cambodia except for the Angkor Wat. I was a tourist who only cared about getting as many photos posted on Facebook for other people to see that I’ve been to a world heritage site. But my perspective changed in a short span of time.

After that trip, I told myself that I’d come back once I quit my job and start my backpacking adventure. I did, after a year, and stayed longer.

river siem reap
near the river

siem reap tuktuk
Siem Reap

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Where to Stay: Victory Guesthouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia

If you’re looking for an affordable place to stay in Siem Reap, you may want to check out Victory Guesthouse. I stayed in this hostel for over 10 days as I wanted and clean hostel available. Bousavy Guesthouse was supposedly my other target, but comparing the prices, Victory seems to have cheaper rates. Fortunately, these two guesthouses were just across each other so it wasn’t hard to find.

Victory Guesthouse
Siem Reap, Cambodia

victory guesthouse siem reap
Victory hostel in Siem Reap

This Victory Guesthouse is a good find if you plan to stay in Siem Reap. I was able to get a spacious room good for three people for only 7 USD (breakfast NOT included).

victory siem reap hostel
spacious fan room good for 3 persons

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Meeting Readers On the Road

I had the pleasure of meeting readers on the road while in Cambodia. These were unexpected encounters and it was nice  that they spared their time even if they were tired from a long day of temple-hopping. I wrote 20 articles about Siem Reap during my trip last year which has become a guide for … Read more

Your Suitcase, My Backpack

I arrived in Ho Chi Minh and saw you at the lobby while you were reading your book. You were waiting for me and your eyes showed how tired you were after your flight from Singapore. I just came from a stressful day myself and almost never made it passed the immigration in Manila.

But we showed up and we finally saw each other after a year and a half. That was all that mattered.

mui ne sand dune
White Sand Dunes, Mui Ne, Vietnam

Vietnam and Cambodia, we gave ourselves a week of pure vacation and we made sure to find time for this quick respite despite our busy schedules.

The sand dunes and the fishing village in Mui Ne, the temples of Angkor Wat, the night life in Siem Reap. All of them were great backdrops as we rediscovered each other. I wanted time to stop so we could bask in those moments longer.

sunset mui ne
Red Sand Dunes, Mui Ne, Vietnam

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Riding Trains

I haven’t been able to update this site in quite awhile. Been busy with a lot of things at work and my outside work. But I’m excited for the new year when I will jumpstart another adventure that I’m preparing myself for.

I already have a couple of tickets booked and I’ve been saving to help me get through a big decision that I’ll be announcing soon. I’m excited but I’ll wait till I can finally jump off that bridge. Because by that time, I’ll be able to savor every moment of travelling. One of the things I’m looking forward to are long train rides.

siem reap train

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A Lesson on Responsible Tourism

A lot of people in this blog can see how ‘crazy’ I can get for the sake of having a unique photo taken. I slipped and hit my head on a rock in Bomod-ok falls in Sagada, I stood on top of the lighthouse in Capones Island in Zambales, I jumped off a cliff in … Read more

Tips and Things to Know about Siem Reap, Cambodia

siem reap soloflight

Aside from the Tomb Raider temples, I didn’t know much about Siem Reap, Cambodia. That changed when I visited the city last January. All the way from Cebu to Manila to Clark to Bangkok to Aranyaprathet to Poi Pet to Siem Reap, it took 36 hours of commutes and stops to reach the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Looking back on our trip three months ago, I’ve written so many stories about this quaint city more than any adventure I’ve experienced (so far). In line with my goal to provide insights on the countries I’ve been, I’ve created this definitive guide to share some tips and things to know about Siem Reap based on my experiences.

angkor wat
Angkor Wat Complex

By the way, I’ve interchanged Khmer and Cambodians in my past articles but don’t confuse yourself between the two, they’re one in the same (e.g. Khmer food = Cambodian food).

Tips and Things to Know about Siem Reap, Cambodia

 

Temple Overload

Angkor Wat is the most famous among the lot but Siem Reap has many temples! So many that we weren’t able to tour everything with the three-day pass that we purchased. Angkor Thom Gate, Bayon Temple, Elephant Terrace, Ta Prohm, Pre Rup, Banteay Srei, East Mebon; each of these temples have their own distinction. These were enough to keep our eyes full for the two days that we had available.

siem reap temples
temples with their own characteristics

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Cambodia Trip: Engrish and Random Sights in Siem Reap

I’m almost done with my articles about my trip last January in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I figured I’d post some random snapshots of different signs and other observations of sights captured during this break. It would be a waste of shutter if I just kept them inside my computer.

As we were hopping from temple to temple, signs and directions were present to warn people or dogs (see 2nd photo below) where to enter and how to behave to avoid destroying these monuments.

cambodia sign
three-way

Somehow, I had to take second glances to verify if the instructions were clear enough. Engrish phrases, they break tension and alleviate stress that one acquires from walking all day.

cambodia signboards
Warning Signs

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Cambodia Trip: Haggling Prices in Angkor Night Market

Learned the art of haggling in the night markets in Siem Reap. Only a couple of hours after arriving at the Bousavy Guesthouse, we proceeded to the downtown area to have dinner and dropped by the Angkor Night Market which was a playful sight to behold. So many goods being sold and at cheap prices too.

Me: How much is shirt?
Vendor: 12 dollars.
Me: Last price?
Vendor: 10 dollars.
Me: Never mind.
Vendor: Ok, how much you want?
Me: I pay 6 dollars.
Vendor: No, I give you 8. I no profit if I give you 6 dollars.
Me: Ok, thank you. I come back, I come back. *walks away*
Vendor: Ok ok! I give you 6!

…and so the item was bought. This is usually the scene whenever attendants manning their booths would catch you fancying their merchandise.

angkor night market
Angkor night Market in Siem Reap, Cambodia

At first, you’ll probably get confused on why they have so many labels for their markets. Angkor Night Market, Siem Reap Night Market, Noon-Night Market, Central Market, Old Public Market etc. They have so many names for every area of their markets but all of which usually carry and sell the same stuff.

night market angkor
colorful corners and goods in Cambodia

Earrings, bangles, Buddha statues, scarves, dresses, knock-off bags and shirts and other useful and decorative items. Prices vary as they are dependent on your haggling skills. After a series of purchases, you’ll get the hang of haggling for these merchandise to get a good price.

Note: Cambodians use Riel as their currency but during transactions, vendors quote prices in US Dollars. I guess it’s because of the number of tourists that go to the country. They will still accept either of the denominations but most of them prefer dollars as it’s more convenient too.

1 USD = 4000 Cambodian Riel/Khmer Riel

DSC_8520
people flocking at night

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Cambodia Trip: Walking Barefoot at Angkor Wat Temple

I removed my sandals and went barefoot in Angkor Wat. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision which wasn’t a big deal as dirt already gathered inside my footwear. I was hoping to connect with the temple when my skin touched the stones of the shrine but I was unsuccessful. It wasn’t the day to reflect as … Read more

Cambodia Trip: Trees in Ta Prohm Temple, Siem Reap

Trees, tall trees are abound in all the temple areas in Siem Reap, Cambodia. But one can noticeably distinguish Ta Prohm from the rest because of how these trees grow from  stone ruins. After Angkor Thom Gate, Bayon Temple and Elephant Terrace, we proceeded to this temple which is known for having a lot of … Read more

Cambodia Trip: Angkor Thom Gate, Bayon Temple and Elephant Terrace

We took advantage of the 2 days/3 nights package of our guesthouse wherein we paid for our room (which includes free breakfast) as well as a tour of the temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia. My friend was the one who booked the reservations in advance as I didn’t really give the whole trip much thought except for the expenses. I give props to her for ensuring that we were settled properly.

Siem Reap Temples Tour
January 20, 2011

Angkor Thom Gate
Bayon Temple
Elephant Terrace

bayon temple
elevation

Woke up late in the morning as we were still tired from the travelling during the previous day. Rode the Tuktuk and we started our tour. At around 10:30am, the weather was cold even if the sun was high up. There were a number of trees surrounding the road to the temples which explains the cool atmosphere.

buddha statue
one with the statues

Pon, our tuktuk driver, brought us to the ticketing booth for the temples. In Siem Reap, for you to go inside the temples, you need to purchase Temple Passes. They come in 1-day, 3-days and 7-days tickets wherein you’ll have your picture taken and you can use this pass to enter the temples. This is only good if you want to go inside as guards will check them before you can enter the temple premises.

temple pass
a three-day ticket pass to the temples at 40 USD: don’t forget to smile for the camera

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Siem Reap and Bangkok Chronicles

Siem Reap in Cambodia and Bangkok in Thailand was fun. I’m glad that we didn’t rush into scenes and had time off to retreat. Most of my travels usually were getting to different tourist spots and other famous destinations. Sure, we also did some sight-seeing in Siem Reap and Bangkok but we weren’t in a hurry which made it all the more worthwhile.

temples
temple-hopping in Cambodia

I was able to travel to two cities in two countries over the past week and I thought I could easily update this site with pictures and snippets just to give out glimpses of the places and things we did. However, I’m having difficulty where to start. With so many pending entries and backlogs from different trips, it’s a challenge for me to maintain this site and keep it current. But I’ll figure out a way.

fish spa
fish spa at 3 USD

For now, let me just post a few photos of scenes in these countries. Each place has its own charm and story to tell which enriches one’s knowledge on how people go about their way of life.

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Quick Update from Bousavy Guesthouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Just sending out a quick update from the Bousavy Guesthouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Yeah, soloflightEd is in Cambodia!

It was an extremely long travel (36 hours from Cebu to Cambodia) and actually the longest I’ve ever had in order to reach one destination. Usually, I’d spend one day in one place and then head to another spot. From Cebu to Manila to Clark to Bangkok to Siem Reap, this was our route and I’ll most likely write a guide of my experience from the whole thing.

Aranyaprathe train
Aranyaprathet train to the border of Thailand and Cambodia

My friend Doi,who’s been here, said that it would be a better option to head directly to Siem Reap and just spend the remaining days of this one-week leave in Bangkok, Thailand. This is to maximize the time that we have for this trip.

The good thing is that we’ll be able to spend time in each country and it won’t be that rushed.

cambodia border
photo courtesy of Den
jump shot at the border in Cambodia

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