Posted by geemiz | Posted in Byahe International, Cambodia | Posted on 22-08-2024
Tags: Travel Guide
The initial plan was to tour around Thailand for an entire week but upon realizing that Cambodia can be land trip from Thailand, the plan has changed and included Cambodia on this Southeast Asia itinerary. The main destination is Siem Reap where we can find the Angkor Wat – the largest religious monument in the world and of course Ta Phrom – an unrestored monastery famous for large trees sprouting out of the temple. But it’s more famous as “Tomb Raider Temple” or the “Angelina Jolie Temple” due to its depiction in the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
I have heard of Cambodia but never knew it in much deeper detail if not because of my husband who loves history more than ever. So, together with the husband’s high school classmates, we embark on our (the husband and I) first international travel – Thailand and Cambodia. This travel blog is focused on the Cambodia itinerary.
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How to get to Siem Reap from Bangkok?
- By plane – 1-hour travel time
- By train – 6-hour travel time
- By bus – 5-hour travel time
Bangkok to Aranyaprathet Border by Bus
The plan is to take the train to Aranyaprathet, Thailand’s border to Cambodia but after some discussion (good thing no arguments lol) we agreed to take the bus because it is easier and takes less time. The train ride to the border is 6 hours while the bus is just around 4 hours.
From our friend Dhee’s place which I forgot where exactly in Bangkok (sorry Dhee), we traveled to Bangchak Skytrain station, bought a ticket to Ekkamai Skytrain station, and walked our way to Ekkamai Bus Terminal. Where we were just a few steps behind for the 6:05am bus so we bought the second trip aircon bus ticket that leaves at 8:00am. While waiting for our bus, we ate spicy Thai street food for breakfast.
Aranyaprathet Border – Thailand’s border to Cambodia
After that 5-hour bus ride, at last, we arrived at Aranyaprathet. Crossing Thailand to Cambodia on a weekend is not a good idea because there are also a lot of people both locals and tourists crossing. We waited in the Thailand Immigration line for more than an hour. You can read more about my Crossing Border Thailand to Cambodia experience here.
The passport was stamped in a blink of an eye, and we proceeded to the Cambodian immigration which took another one-hour and so waiting in line. After our passports were stamped, we walked to the shuttle station where we took the free shuttle going to the bus station. We bought an aircon bus ticket and waited for our bus that will take us to Siem Reap, Cambodia. The estimated time of travel is three, but the actual bus ride was four with one dinner stop, we arrived at 9:00pm in Siam Reap. Read the full Story of My Bus Ride Experience From Aranyaprathet, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Where to Stay in Siem Reap?
There are so many places to stay in Siem Reap, options range from the high-end hotels that lie along the road going to Angkor from the city proper, and the more budget-friendly ones are just around the Old Market area. If you’re the type who likes the nightlife, you might want to consider choosing a hotel or hostel near Pub Street. The Angkor Night Market is also just around the corner.
Guest House Check-in at Bou Savy Guesthouse.
Considering that this is a budget accommodation in Siem Reap, the service is superb. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a fruit shake and a cold towel dumped in water to wash up. We booked two air-conditioned bedrooms for our two-night stay. Bou Savy Guest House is a 15-minute walk from the Old Market and Angkor Night Market. Free bottled water was provided daily. It has an internet connection and Free breakfast.
Understanding Siem, Reap, Cambodia
- Language: English is starting to take root, especially among younger generations. Cambodians are generally friendly and accommodating so don’t hesitate to communicate with them.
- Currency: Cambodian Riel (KHR). But some prefer that you pay in USD. Almost everything though is 1USD, but it is cheaper when you buy in Cambodian Riel (KHR)
- Modes of payment: Although some restaurants and hotels accept credit cards, smaller establishments only accept cash.
2 Days and 2 Nights Siem Reap Cambodia Itinerary
You can rent a car, motorcycle, motorbike, or bicycle. But I believe tuktuk is the way to go when traveling around Siem Reap where the greatest UNESCO inscribed Angkor Archaeological Park is located. Group tours and private tours are also available. It’s best if you want to be comfortable and prefer to have a guide throughout your tour.
Day 1 Siem Reap Itinerary
Day 1 is exploring the great Angkor City which is the main reason why we visited Siem Reap.
To be able to visit and roam around the Angkor Archaeological Park, you need to get a ticket, you just need to go the Ticket Counters near the entrance to Angkor.
Here are the costs of the Angkor Archaeological Park ticket as of August 2024 per person.
- 1-Day Pass: $37
- 3-Day Pass: $62
- 7-Day Pass: $72
Temples Visited in Day 1
- Angkor Thom City Complex
- Bayon
- Baphoun
- Royal Palace
- Elephant Terrace
- Lepper King Terrace
- Ta Keo,
- Ta Phrom,
- Banteay Kdei,
- Angkor Wat (for the sunset)
Other Activities to do in Siem Reap on Day 1
- Sunset viewing at Angkor Wat
- Visit Pub Street for a drink and Siem Reap Nightlife
- Visit Siem Reap Night market for pasalubong
I am anxious and excited as we pass through the ancient gates of the great Angkor City. I thought that when I walked through the gates, I would be taken into another world, and that’s exactly what happened. Full Story of my Angkor Archaeological Park experience here.
We met 2 Filipinos at the guest house where we stayed and that was the perfect excuse to go out and hang out at Pub Street, get a few drinks, and buy some pasalubong at Siem Reap Night Market.
Day 2 Siem Reap Itinerary
We started day 2 of our Siem Reap tour earlier, to catch the sunrise in Angkor Wat. This day is dedicated to exploring temples outside Angkor city proper. With history buffs as my companion, we visited Cambodia’s only war Museum before calling it a day.
Angkor Temples Visited in day 2
- Angkor Wat (for the sunrise)
- Pre Rup
- Banteay Srei
- East Mebon
- Neak Pean
- Preah Khan
Other Activities to do in Siem Reap on Day 2
- Visit Siem Reap War Museum
I believe we have missed out on only 5 more temples in our Siem Reap tour because your peeps are already in temple fatigue hehehe. It was indeed an awe-inspiring travel worth it for our first international trip.
An overlooked place that I encouraged everyone to visit when visiting Siem Reap is the War Museum. The war museum is set in an outdoor area and there’s lots of old military hardware to look at dating back to WW2 and to the Cambodian Civil War. Our tour guide Suon Rottana has explained well what happened during the Cambodian Civil War. More about the Cambodia War Museum here.
Where to eat in Siem Reap?
What can I say? All I ordered was fried rice, lolz. Good thing that my companions are food adventurous, so I have tried Khmer foods. Cambodians like coconut milk in their foods and fruits mixed with veggies.
We catch an early morning air-conditioned bus ride going to Aranyaprathet on the third day. The bus that we take is more comfortable and it felt like it arrived at the border earlier than expected.
More Things to Do in Siem Reap
- Tonle Sap Lake – Floating Village
- Kampong Phluk Floating Village Tour
- Cambodian Cooking Class
- Ceramic Pottery Class
- Food Tour
- Kulen Waterfall Day Tour
- Kulen Waterfall
- Ancient temples and pagodas
- River of Thousand Lingas
- Sandstone Reclining Buddha, the biggest in Cambodia
- PHARE The Cambodian Circus
- Watch Apsara Cultural Dance Show
Note: Several restaurants and hotels in Siem Reap present Apsara Dance Shows. Most shows include the four genres of traditional Khmer dance: Apsara Dance, Masked Dance, Shadow Theatre, and Folk Dance.
If you are planning to visit Cambodia, make sure to include Siem Reap in your Cambodia itinerary. A minimum of 3 days would ensure you on a spiritual ancient journey, but I suggest 5 days to see more of Siem Reap’s beauty beyond the stellar temples.
Disclosure: Most photos are from our friend Andrew. Salamat Drew.
TRAVEL RESPONSIBLY, LEAVE NOTHING BUT GOOD MEMORIES
If you have traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia just recently and found any misinformation on this article, kindly contact Geemiz by commenting down below or through social media and we would gladly update the details listed here. Enjoy your trip!
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