Angkor Wat--how Many Days Recomended To Tour

[cm-happy]

I've never been to ankor Wat & would like to travel there. I would be traveling from Chiang Mai, probably by air to Siam Reap. not sure how many days to plan for, to see most of it.

recomended tour companies, or local (English speaking) tour guides would be appreciated.

[PeaceBlondie]

The flight is much faster; we went by land to save money. One day to see the temples unless you have a serious interest in ruins. Some tour companies have a package that includes flight, especially Bangkok Airways or maybe local tour agencies here. We think our February enquiry to BKK Airways was quoted at 25K per person from Bangkok.

[sutnyod]

I've never been to ankor Wat & would like to travel there. I would be traveling from Chiang Mai, probably by air to Siam Reap. not sure how many days to plan for, to see most of it.

recomended tour companies, or local (English speaking) tour guides would be appreciated.

Hi,

I have been there for two days (in Angkor I mean) and feel three days would have been better. Also: you get three-day passes or one-day passes. As for guides: we got some lousy ones and were much happier when we did one day alone with guide-book only. The guides (we employed another one after one 'got sick') were just reciting from the tableaus at each site. Questions were not welcome. Have, however, heard of completely different scenarios at Angkor (top guides, no touting by guides). It probably depends on your luck.

You can go in by renting a vehicle (I recommend a Ramauk, which looks like your average sitting room sofa drawn by a motorcyle) or let yourself be dropped off at the entrance and rent something inside. They have horse carriages and electric scooters there (scooter was 5 USD rental when we were there last year).

BTW, our guides were hired through a tour company!!!

Summary: no guides, but guide-book and try three days.

[toptuan]

I concur with the three-day recommendation. A combination guide book with guide and three days allowed me to see about 30% of the entire complex (over 200 square kilometers), mainly the main central temples.

I was lucky and latched onto a high school history/English high school teacher who was moto-dopping for the summer in Phnom Penh. He agreed to be my personal guide to Angor Wat for three days. Turned out he was a rich treasure-trove of Khmer history and Angkor. Cost: $20 a day plus his expenses. I recommend you get on the internet and try to make some inquiries along this line before you leave.

[jeepholt]

I've never been to ankor Wat & would like to travel there. I would be traveling from Chiang Mai, probably by air to Siam Reap. not sure how many days to plan for, to see most of it.

recomended tour companies, or local (English speaking) tour guides would be appreciated.

I would recommend at least 3 days if you are going to see any of the temples at all. There are LOTS of them. My Thai wife and I used a guy named John Teng in Siem Reap. He arranged everything we wanted from hotels, to temple tours, shooting guns (wish my Thai wife would have never tried it!), shopping, night life, meals. Sent him an email telling him what we thought we wanted to do and he arranged it all and drove us around everywhere. Speaks very good english and the discounts he got us many different places saved us quite a bit of money. I highly recommend John to anyone heading to Siem Reap. His email is: john teng <[email protected]>.

I hope it is OK to put his email in this post?

If you are going to Phnom Penh, we found the exact same sort of guide there named Ben Wee. His email is: [email protected].

Both of these guys are really hard working and honest and highly recommended. They actually both work together and recommend each other for anyone going to either city. John has a website at http://www.angkorservice.com/ and Ben in Phnom Penh also has one at: http://www.phnompenhtaxidriver.com/

If I am not supposed to post these URL's and email's on this forum and they are cut, then PM me for them. Have fun and wear good shoes (you will do a lot of walking and climbing)!

[PeaceBlondie]

We lucked out by getting a tour package from a Bangkok agency that advertises in Chiang Mai's Thai newspaper (or a BKK paper). The guide was fluent in English, Thai, Khmer, French, and perhaps Swahili and Xhosa. He explained everything and answered questions well. Sorry, I don't know his name. We ran into a Spanish tour group as well, at a site of one of the killing fields.

I'm surprised to hear recommendations for three days of touring the entire complex. If that's your preference, go for it. That's a lot of walking, climbing, and sweating. After a while, to me, the temples resembled Palenque, Teotihuacan and Monte Verde, in Mexico.

[cm-happy]

Thanks for the input all.

Have viewed John Teng's web page & decided he seems the most likely candidate & have initiated a correspondece with him to make all he arrangements.

[Niloc]

PeaceBlondie, does 'lucked out' mean you had good luck or bad luck??

[harihara]

My wife and I, and Mr. and Mrs. Spence, had a wonderful time on our tour of Angkor and the floating village. We liked our hotel (Le Prince D'Angkor), and would gladly stay there again. Thank you very much for a delightful adventure. We definitely recommend Angkor Guide Service to all our friends.

And our tour guide's name is Mr Kim San, speaking very good English and very friendly. He took care of us. Please feel free to visit www.angkor-guides.com /

Sincerely, Charles Austin

[Thanyaburi Mac]

My wife and I, and Mr. and Mrs. Spence, had a wonderful time on our tour of Angkor and the floating village. We liked our hotel (Le Prince D'Angkor), and would gladly stay there again. Thank you very much for a delightful adventure. We definitely recommend Angkor Guide Service to all our friends.

And our tour guide's name is Mr Kim San, speaking very good English and very friendly. He took care of us. Please feel free to visit www.angkor-guides.com /

Sincerely, Charles Austin

I've been there three times now, last two stayed at the Red Piano Guest House right downtown, old town. They can arrange vehicle rental and guide service, no problem.

A great FREE guide book, and on line, is: http://www.canbypublications.com/

Mac

[phaethon]

Recommend a full three days, especially if you want to see the sunset at Phnom Bakheng and a sunrise at Angkor Way itself without wearing yourself out with back to back early/late starts. I went with Sage Insights who provided a minute-by-minute itinerary which included the main temples as well as boat tours around Tonle Sap lake and floating and land villages. Especially recommend Kim Rieng as a knowledgeable local guide.

[rickvk]

Hi

Any advice on the best way to travel there by land from BKK? A buddy and I are planning to spend about a week going to and from BKK with three to four days in Seam Reap. Another option is to travel by land in and then fly back into BKK.

Thanks!

[sabaijai]

Moved to SE Asia subforum.

[thecatman]

Hi

Any advice on the best way to travel there by land from BKK? A buddy and I are planning to spend about a week going to and from BKK with three to four days in Siem Reap. Another option is to travel by land in and then fly back into BKK.

Thanks!

I done BKK-Siem Reap overland about 4 years ago. What can I say.....it was an experience.

We got one of the regular tour buses that go from Khao San Road and 14 hours later we arrived in Seam Reap.

From BKK to the border was fine. It's the road once you get over the border to Siem Reap (in a beaten up mini bus) that was the killer, although I have heard that this road has been improved since then.

Like I said, it was an experience and if you're up for a bit of adventure, then go for it, but a flight would be far better if it's within your budget. Fortunately the other roads in Cambodia were fine so our onward journey from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh was far easier.

[britmaveric]

3 days minimum to see all the major temples. Maybe a week to 10days if you want to see all of temples in the surrounding areas. Mind you this all depends on how many temples you really can do - I was personally templed out at the end of day 3.

[dageshi]

Did this a month and a half ago, 3 days is best I think, there is enough to fill more but you'll see plenty of the major stuff in 3 days. Here's a tip though if you go at around 5pm to the ticket station you can buy a 3 day pass but get let into the park immediately and it doesn't count as one of your days, so you get 3 and a third days, did this and went straight to phnom bakhreng to watch the sunset.

Try and stay somewhere near bar street, great place for eating and drinking in the evening and possibly the nicest area I've been too in all of cambodia.

As for guides, I would certainly say one is useful at least for Angkor Wat and the Bayon e.t.c In terms of itineraries Day 1 I'd do Angkor Wat and the temples surrounding the Bayon. Day 2 I think the petite circle and day three some of the more remote temples.

by then you'll probably be templed out so go to the floating village, on tonle sap lake, great fun and I got to drive the boat when I did it!

[technocracy]

3 DAYS! Jeez I was bored senseless after 1!

I followed the guide book recommendations and bought a 3 day pass and mid morning of the 2nd I just told my guide I'd had enough and went back and spent the next few days in Siem Reap.

Sorry but one pile of rocks starts suspiciously looking like another pile after about the 20th temple!

Sure some of the are worth visiting - the one used in Tomb Raider (If for the name of the temple), the main wat and Bayon.

There was another slightly off from the other which I do not know it's name which was probably my favorite however I just couldn't do 3 days straight.

Horses for courses - for me I just thought the place was way over developed and the amount of hassle from kids, hawkers and japanese tourist just completely negated any possible enjoyment the place could hold!