What to do in Siem Reap itself:

This is a quiet little town, let's not make any mistake about it. It's great for relaxing, and, by some accounts, the best place to use as a base while exploring Angkor Wat. But that doesn't mean that, as long as you're in town, there aren't things to do in Siem Reap, and here are a few ideas:

Old Market:

This is a really nice little market, following the classic Cambodian layout of lots of different sections surrounding a central food bit. And yes, as with all Cambodian markets, the food bits will have freshly skinned pig heads, buckets of still-twitching fish and all sorts of other aesthetic delights that Western society prefers not to dwell on when they tuck into their Sunday roasts. If this is going to turn your stomach, we suggest you stick to the outskirts of the market as much as possible. But honestly, it's all a cultural experience. Why else do you travel?

Traditional Khmer Dance:

Khmer dancing has certain similarities in style and costume to Thai dancing, and is nowadays known as Apsara Dance. Its portrayals include both traditional rural scenes and mythical depictions, both with lavish costumes; and several restaurants in Siem Reap provide shows for your entertainment. An inexpensive option is the Temple Bar on Pub Street, which has an upstairs restaurant area and a nightly show. To warn you now, it's accompanied by loud, traditional Khmer music which is... noisy and a little grating. But the show is still very cool indeed.

Beatocello and Jayavarman VII Children's Hospita:l

Founded by a Swiss pediatrician, Dr. Beat Richner, this children's hospital is probably one of the best in Siem Reap. The founder himself is also a cellist and gives free concerts (Beatocello) at the hospital on Friday and Saturday nights, during which time he also gives talks about the health and medical situation in Cambodia. Richner's hospitals are an impressive attempt to deal with Cambodia's severe health problems. Anyway, one of the things you as a tourist can do to help Cambodia out as you swan through it is to give blood. Don't worry, it's all perfectly sterile, and, in fact, they only take half a pint in stark comparison to the pint taken in the UK, and they even give you cola and cookies afterwards. And without saying, it is a wonderful thing you can do to help.

Landmine Museum Relief Fund:

Another example of a fantastic attempt to deal with one of Cambodia's biggest problems--the land mines. In a nutshell, after a horrific series of invading/occupying countries doing their thing in Cambodia, the country is riddled with landmines. Since nobody bothered to mark where they were put it's difficult to know exactly how many are left scattered around the country, but estimates put it somewhere around the mark of 6 million. Other estimates put it as high as 10 million. And the most thorough and driven effort to fix the problem seems to be the work of one man: Aki Ra. Aki Ra, like most of the youth of Cambodia that survived the Pol Pot regime, once worked for the Khmer Rouge laying landmines. And now he has made it his mission to get rid of them, on foot, armed with nothing more than a stick to gently run over the land in front of him to detect the mines. He diffuses them by hand.

On top of this, Aki Ra runs an orphanage side by side with the landmine museum specifically for young victims of landmine explosions. These amputees gain rehabilitation, education and employment wherever possible. And you can go and visit the landmine museum, donate to the cause and learn more about this sensitive subject. Not to be missed.

Elephant Rides:

An interesting way to get a quick look at Angkor before taking a more extensive trip is on the back of a Cambodian Elephant. During the day, elephant rides re available near Bayon and at the South Gate of Angkor Thom. The cost of a 20-30-minute ride is U.S. $10-$15 In the evenings the elephants move from Bayon and are stationed at the base of Phnom Bakheng, where they can take visitors up the hill for a spectacular sunset viewing. Obviously, this will give visitors only a fast glimpse of Angkor, but it is a fun introduction to the complex 'native style'.

Eating in Siem Reap:

Mmm, you'd be surprised. There is some good food. Our favourite restaurants are located mainly on Pub Street. First, just a quick word of warning: Cambodia is a place where street food should be eaten very cautiously, and there aren't much in the way of opportunities in Siem Reap for this. You can get lots of traditional Khmer food, but give the street stuff a miss until you get to Phnom Penh. Then, of course, 'gourmet dining' and international cuisine may be found at the many hotels in Siem Reap.

Drinking in Siem Reap:

Being a place that caters very heavily to the tourists, there are many options for everyone, ranging from those who'd like a few quiet drinks and a chat with their friends to those who'd like to get absolutely plastered and forget all the culture they've picked up during the day. A few points, though:

One, there is still an awful lot of prostitution in Cambodia. Obviously, it's more apparent in Phnom Penh, but it's bad enough here, and you can hardly remain unaware of it. Try your hardest not to get angry with the drunken, usually overweight, Western men who are grabbing at these women on the dance floors. Getting into fights in Cambodia is not what you want, we promise. And actually, the women won't thank you for it; they'll just have lost their evening's business. Sorry to be blunt.

Two, beware the Cambodian alcohol. It;s not what you get at home, and it might make you behave in ways you don't intend. Take it cautiously. Three, yes, the rumours are true: you can get marijuana pizzas. Sorry, but we're not going to promote drug use in SE Asian countries. If you're determined, we're sure you can figure it out for yourselves. And four, the nightlife scene takes place in the bars, and they sort of turn into clubs that seem to stay open for ages.

Siem Reap Accommodations:

Siem Reap may be a quiet little town, but the range of accommodations to be found there is a stunning indication of the amount of tourism traffic headed for the ruins of Angkor Wat. Places to unpack your overnight bag range from the Dead Fish Tower Inn, located downtown and advertised as, "In the style of the Orient" (including air conditioning) at from US$ 5 to US$ 20 per night all the way to the super luxurious Hotel de la Paix where, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it. Guest houses and private home accommodations run the gamut.

For most visitors, the star-rated range also is all encompassing. Among those in the three-star category is the Hotel Kazna, located in the center of town, a ten-minute walk from the Old Market and three miles from the Angkor Wat temples. This family-run hotel offers a massage service, roof top restaurant and bar, business center, tour desk, free wireless internet connection, room service, currency exchange, parking area and 24-hour CCTV security. Prices begin at US$ 28 for the room.

At the five-star end of the star spectrum is the Angkor Palace Resort & Spa, located on the grounds of a former estate and a short driving distance from the gateway to Angkor temples, museums and cultural attractions. This luxury hotel offers, "lush tropical garden, a secluded retreat with 5-star facilities including four restaurants, outdoor swimming pool, Spa Center with sauna, steam bath, outdoor Jacuzzi and gym, massage service, tour desk, meeting and banqueting rooms, tennis courts, golf driving range, library and entertainment programs." Prices for a double room begin at US$ 150.

Getting around in Siem Reap:

The easiest and cheapest ways of getting around are by motorbike or tuk-tuk, both of which will come complete with chauffeur. These guys hang out on street corners, and a simple look in their direction will prompt them to immediately call out to you to sell their wares. One side of Siem Reap to the other should be no more than a dollar. Out to the temples should be US$ 3-5 and to hire one for the day to drive you around the Angkor complex should be about US$ 15. Bargain. We know it sounds a bit dodgy from a Westerner's perspective, but really, this is how it's done here.

You have three options in getting to Siem Reap; namely by plane, road or boat. The method you choose depends largely on where you're coming from. Here we go...

By Air:

If you are knocking around Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City and you think a nice trip to see the temples might be a good idea, you really must consider flying, for reasons that we will make clear below. The flights are not expensive (something in the region of US $100-150) and Siem Reap airport, though small, is not too bad. It can be tempting, when you are starting from either of the above cities, to take up the travel companies on their too-good-to-be-true offers of bus rides to Siem Reap. Well, there's a reason they seem too good to be true. Keep reading...

By Road:

If you're coming from Ho Chi Minh City, it's about a twelve hour overland journey beginning at the crack of dawn, although admittedly you will be on an actual sealed road. Often in this case the bus stops at Phnom Penh, and you find yourself bewilderedly looking for the last onward bus to Siem Reap, which, after seven hours on the road jammed into a coach with locals and all their belongings, is a hassle you can do without. If you're coming from Bangkok, the US $12 through-tickets from Bangkok to Siem Reap look very appealing indeed, but allow us to ruin the illusion: They don't work. Sad but true. Thai bus drivers simply aren't allowed to take their vehicles over the border and through Cambodia. So they dump you at the border, leaving you to try and get a local bus, which will only leave when it is full to bursting (which could take hours, needless to say), for which you will have to pay.

Until very recently, the real problem with the overground method was that the road between Poipet at the Thai border and Siem Reap was the worst road known to man, given that it was, in essence, the motorway of the country! However, as of March 2008, they have slowly but surely started paving it, and in a decade or so visitors will be able to make that journey without needing a chiropractor afterwards or having to scoop the dirt and dust out of their ears for weeks. For now, best to fly unless you are completely broke. The one good thing that can be said for the overland route is that the scenery is very nice, if extremely flat.

On the other hand, if you are coming from Phnom Penh, the overland route is a very pleasant (but again, flat) five or so hours by bus on sealed road, and definitely fine to do. If you're coming from Sihanoukville you must get the bus to Phnom Penh and then go from there. If, you are coming from Battambang, you can go by road, which goes via Sisophone. Battambang is a riverside town, home to some of the best-preserved French colonial architecture in the country. Despite technically being out of the way, this route is still quicker than by boat. For boat options, keep reading...

By Boat:

The mighty Tonle Sap Lake has long been used for transport by the Cambodians, and there are still many boats going from both Phnom Penh and Battambong to Siem Reap. Whether you chose to take this route is another matter; certainly, between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap it's not only a colossal waste of time and highly uncomfortable, but also slightly dangerous, with the boats having no railings and no way of getting out if it sank.

Same sort of thing between Siem Reap and Battambong; takes half as long again as by road, despite the picturesque scenery, and is incredibly uncomfortable. Add to that the fact that it's really only practical in the rainy season when the water is high enough, and it's not unheard of for boats to get stuck. We hope that by now it's clear that our recommendation is for the road. The thing is, lots of guide books love the boat-option; traveling like the locals and all that. But if your stay in Cambodia is a short one, this option may be a waste of time.