Short trip..

[cornishcarlos]

We are heading to Siem Reap for a short 2 night break.

Arrive 11am Fri and depart 3pm Sunday.

Stay at Le Meridian apparently, wife booked it...

Apart from a trip to Ankor Wat, any other must sees in such a quick stay? Recommend restaurants welcome too..

General travel advice for 1st timers ?

Thanks...

[MyFrenU]

I would say the Tonle Sap lake if possible although I don't know how high the water in the lake is right now?

[TheSiemReaper]

Must sees in 3 days: The Angkor Museum (Day One), Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm and any other temples your tuk-tuk driver can squeeze in before you collapse of heat stroke (Day Two), Butterfly Farm, Landmine Museum and BanteaySrei (Day Three - really Banteay Srei is the point here, the others are just minor diversions on the way).

Great Restaurants: Cuisine Wat Damnak (Best Khmer food in town), Olive (Mediterranean), Abacus (French), L'Annexe (French and perhaps the best kept secret in town - a bit more "budget" than the others but very, very nice)

General travel advice - don't bargain too hard with tuk-tuk drivers it has been a terrible low season and there's a drought in Cambodia too. Don't carry valuables late at night and walk to your hotel.

[Sheryl]

Angkor is not a single place but a huge area full of different ruins and you will not even begin to scratch the surface of it in 3 days let alone have time to go elsewhere, IMO.

[TheSiemReaper]

Angkor is not a single place but a huge area full of different ruins and you will not even begin to scratch the surface of it in 3 days let alone have time to go elsewhere, IMO.

I agree 3 days isn't enough time to see the Angkor Park. Where I disagree is spending 3 days there on a visit to Siem Reap - it leads to "all templed out" and misses the point of a vacation rather than a field research trip. It's best to do the "big 3" and Banteay Srei plus a couple more and come back another time (if you like temples enough) than to force feed yourself with as many temples as possible on first visit. I've spent more than a month in the Angkor Park and still haven't seen it all but I did that month over 4 years not in a single month. Which means I'm still keen to go back for more rather than never wanting to see another temple again as long as I live.

[phuketandsee]

Angkor is not a single place but a huge area full of different ruins and you will not even begin to scratch the surface of it in 3 days let alone have time to go elsewhere, IMO.

Seconded. And it's not even 3 days. Less than 2 when you deduct time for getting to and from the airport so OP will to need to be up at sparrow to see enough.

[cornishcarlos]

Thanks all...

I won't be running around to see everything, it's just a quick break as I've been off shore for 2 months. If we like it, we will go again..

Appreciate the tips

[JaiLai]

I was there for 3 days in March - loved it, although very hot.

Going back end of June for another 3 days break, i think the people there are tremendous, they appear to be genuinely friendly and happy to have tourist in their country.

I did Angkor wat for one whole day and tonle lake for 1/2 day very good and the museum.

This time me and the wife are just going to hang out, have a look around, perhaps the land mine museum, butterfly deal, eat and drink.

The pub street area is fantastic for eating / drinking choices although a bit back packer ish

[cornishcarlos]

Thanks...

We are thinking about a street food tour in the evening, bit over priced but good way to get to know the local offerings..

[TheSiemReaper]

Thanks...

We are thinking about a street food tour in the evening, bit over priced but good way to get to know the local offerings..

I really wouldn't bother. 4 years in Siem Reap and never found any street food worth consuming there. It's not Thailand; Khmer street food is abject crap. Better to do Cuisine Wat Damnak which is also not cheap but very, very good.

[cornishcarlos]

Thanks...

We are thinking about a street food tour in the evening, bit over priced but good way to get to know the local offerings..

I really wouldn't bother. 4 years in Siem Reap and never found any street food worth consuming there. It's not Thailand; Khmer street food is abject crap. Better to do Cuisine Wat Damnak which is also not cheap but very, very good.

Fair call... That's why I asked originally

Thanks again...

[Skygod2000]

Most travel agents offer tours of the Angkor complex. For your $13 or so dollars you get an aircon van, drinking water and a knowledgeable guide. Much better than a tuk tuk.

[gandalf12]

Go to the Lonely Planet site and look at the section called the Thorn Tree. You should get lots of good information there

[Gutterboy]

SR is a great little place and is a very cool and very convenient short trip from Thailand. You will enjoy it I'm sure.

Temples-wise, of course you need to visit all the usual suspects but my top tip would be Bayon at sunset. You want to get there an hour or two before sunset to explore the whole area, but the highlight must be the temple with all the faces. It's quite a large complex with lots of hidden passageways around the base. Really fun to explore and not too hot.

Another good tip is that the tickets to see the temples actually begin at 5pm on the day before (eg if you buy a ticket for Tuesday, it's valid from 5pm on Monday onwards. Good way to get an extra sunset included in your ticket price. And as someone mentioned above, you definitely want to get a tour guide. A/C minivan sounds like a smart choice but tuk-tuks are kind of fun too! Don't make the mistake of cycling there, it's quite some distance from the town and you will probably die of exhaustion on the way back.

Definitely go for some sun-rise tours as well, it's worth getting up early to beat the crowds and beat the midday heat. Most hotels in SR are really good quality so make the most of them! A midday siesta is definitely a good idea to hide from the midday heat and catch up on sleep after your early wake-up call.

Enjoy!

[humqdpf]

Not everyone likes the same things - for me, I would stay a week in Siem Reap and would make an effort to see sunrise on the Ankor Thom, sunset somewhere else and a stop by the "soup dragon" if it is still in operation etc etc.

Why don't you check out the various guide books - you can even get them online at Amazon, and then plan out your own trip rather than hooking in the particular likes or prejudices of people like me and others on this forum.

[Searat7]

If you get tired of the old temples I suggest a boat ride to the floating village and a visit to the Panorama Museum recently built by North Korea.....you have to pay to see the panorama itself but it was quite a sight.

[cornishcarlos]

Not everyone likes the same things - for me, I would stay a week in Siem Reap and would make an effort to see sunrise on the Ankor Thom, sunset somewhere else and a stop by the "soup dragon" if it is still in operation etc etc.

Why don't you check out the various guide books - you can even get them online at Amazon, and then plan out your own trip rather than hooking in the particular likes or prejudices of people like me and others on this forum.

We will do our own trip and make our choices when we are there.

What is a guide book, just someone elses opinion.

This forum is a good source of information, well sometimes

I appreciate everyone's input, it will make our trip easier being our 1st time.

[dwebb31]

We are heading to Siem Reap for a short 2 night break.

Arrive 11am Fri and depart 3pm Sunday.

Stay at Le Meridian apparently, wife booked it...

Apart from a trip to Ankor Wat, any other must sees in such a quick stay? Recommend restaurants welcome too..

General travel advice for 1st timers ?

Thanks...

[hawker9000]

Most travel agents offer tours of the Angkor complex. For your $13 or so dollars you get an aircon van, drinking water and a knowledgeable guide. Much better than a tuk tuk.

A couple of years ago 'arrived for the first time and sort of got "adopted" by a taxi driver at the airport who turned out to be very knowledgeable and a great tourguide for the entire 3-day stay. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but it turned out great. His Camry was reasonably comfortable, he spoke English well, knew his way around, 'would've taken us wherever we asked, but was most valuable for optimizing the visit itinerary over the 3-day stay. At each site, he provided an informed brief and was able to answer questions on what we were seeing, then let us do the actual walk-arounds on our own with simply an agreed meeting time & place. To me, that was much preferable to a group tour. 'Can't remember what he charged per day, but I do remember thinking it was reasonable.

I'm definitely not a fan of tuk-tuk travel and don't really recommend them for temple-hopping in Siem Reap.

[Somebodee]

I was there this time last year. We hired the hotels minibus with a driver/guide to see the "big three". It was actually slightly cheaper than hiring an outside tour, almost new minibus with a strong air con in the back, an esky in the back full of cold drinks and ice cold hand towels. The driver was awesome too.

[Farang99]

Don't miss a trip to Banteay Srei - the most beautiful of all the temples, just a bit further away.

[TheSiemReaper]

Most travel agents offer tours of the Angkor complex. For your $13 or so dollars you get an aircon van, drinking water and a knowledgeable guide. Much better than a tuk tuk.

A couple of years ago 'arrived for the first time and sort of got "adopted" by a taxi driver at the airport who turned out to be very knowledgeable and a great tourguide for the entire 3-day stay. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but it turned out great. His Camry was reasonably comfortable, he spoke English well, knew his way around, 'would've taken us wherever we asked, but was most valuable for optimizing the visit itinerary over the 3-day stay. At each site, he provided an informed brief and was able to answer questions on what we were seeing, then let us do the actual walk-arounds on our own with simply an agreed meeting time & place. To me, that was much preferable to a group tour. 'Can't remember what he charged per day, but I do remember thinking it was reasonable.

I'm definitely not a fan of tuk-tuk travel and don't really recommend them for temple-hopping in Siem Reap.

And I'm the opposite; I love Siem Reap's tuk-tuks (and loathe them in Laos and some parts of Thailand). They're usually good English speakers, hard workers and nothing beats being able to see clearly out of a tuk-tuk when driving round the temples rather than trying to crane your neck in a car or minivan. I've taken dozens of people around the temples and while many were nervous of tuk-tuks to begin with they usually found they fell in love with the experience when it was over. Even my wife, who was not a fan of anything much in Cambodia, said; "the one thing I will miss from here is the tuk-tuks" when we left.

[elgenon]

I liked Cambo food when I was there. Our driver picked good places. Got to meet his family and friends. Had dinner at his place one night.

Be sure to have "happy" pizza.

[JD77]

Most travel agents offer tours of the Angkor complex. For your $13 or so dollars you get an aircon van, drinking water and a knowledgeable guide. Much better than a tuk tuk.

A couple of years ago 'arrived for the first time and sort of got "adopted" by a taxi driver at the airport who turned out to be very knowledgeable and a great tourguide for the entire 3-day stay. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but it turned out great. His Camry was reasonably comfortable, he spoke English well, knew his way around, 'would've taken us wherever we asked, but was most valuable for optimizing the visit itinerary over the 3-day stay. At each site, he provided an informed brief and was able to answer questions on what we were seeing, then let us do the actual walk-arounds on our own with simply an agreed meeting time & place. To me, that was much preferable to a group tour. 'Can't remember what he charged per day, but I do remember thinking it was reasonable.

I'm definitely not a fan of tuk-tuk travel and don't really recommend them for temple-hopping in Siem Reap.

And I'm the opposite; I love Siem Reap's tuk-tuks (and loathe them in Laos and some parts of Thailand). They're usually good English speakers, hard workers and nothing beats being able to see clearly out of a tuk-tuk when driving round the temples rather than trying to crane your neck in a car or minivan. I've taken dozens of people around the temples and while many were nervous of tuk-tuks to begin with they usually found they fell in love with the experience when it was over. Even my wife, who was not a fan of anything much in Cambodia, said; "the one thing I will miss from here is the tuk-tuks" when we left.

LOL! You and your wife must luv abuse ...I lived and worked in SR for a year...the people were very nice ..the tuk drivers were HUGE @#$#Q#$S! CONSTANT HARASSMENT! .''massage, boom boom ,heroin, smoke, meth, etc...etc..'' most vile ,annoying and obnoxious I've ever dealt w/ in all of Asia

[TheSiemReaper]

Most travel agents offer tours of the Angkor complex. For your $13 or so dollars you get an aircon van, drinking water and a knowledgeable guide. Much better than a tuk tuk.

A couple of years ago 'arrived for the first time and sort of got "adopted" by a taxi driver at the airport who turned out to be very knowledgeable and a great tourguide for the entire 3-day stay. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but it turned out great. His Camry was reasonably comfortable, he spoke English well, knew his way around, 'would've taken us wherever we asked, but was most valuable for optimizing the visit itinerary over the 3-day stay. At each site, he provided an informed brief and was able to answer questions on what we were seeing, then let us do the actual walk-arounds on our own with simply an agreed meeting time & place. To me, that was much preferable to a group tour. 'Can't remember what he charged per day, but I do remember thinking it was reasonable.

I'm definitely not a fan of tuk-tuk travel and don't really recommend them for temple-hopping in Siem Reap.

And I'm the opposite; I love Siem Reap's tuk-tuks (and loathe them in Laos and some parts of Thailand). They're usually good English speakers, hard workers and nothing beats being able to see clearly out of a tuk-tuk when driving round the temples rather than trying to crane your neck in a car or minivan. I've taken dozens of people around the temples and while many were nervous of tuk-tuks to begin with they usually found they fell in love with the experience when it was over. Even my wife, who was not a fan of anything much in Cambodia, said; "the one thing I will miss from here is the tuk-tuks" when we left.

LOL! You and your wife must luv abuse ...I lived and worked in SR for a year...the people were very nice ..the tuk drivers were HUGE @#$#Q#$S! CONSTANT HARASSMENT! .''massage, boom boom ,heroin, smoke, meth, etc...etc..'' most vile ,annoying and obnoxious I've ever dealt w/ in all of Asia

Garbage. Total garbage. That's Phnom Penh's tuk-tuk drivers to a T. In Siem Reap, unless all you did was hang out outside of Molly Malone's that's completely not the case at all. My local tuk-tuk drivers were awesome people. My regular driver from town to my home was a genuine friend and an incredibly decent human being.

[Sheryl]

And, in Phnom Penh, limited to the aubset of tuk tuks that hang out in tiuristy areas

[Somebodee]

I liked Cambo food when I was there. Our driver picked good places. Got to meet his family and friends. Had dinner at his place one night.

Be sure to have "happy" pizza.

When I was there last year were no happy pizzas, apparently it's been like that for a few years now.

[TheSiemReaper]

I liked Cambo food when I was there. Our driver picked good places. Got to meet his family and friends. Had dinner at his place one night.

Be sure to have "happy" pizza.

When I was there last year were no happy pizzas, apparently it's been like that for a few years now.

Not sure who told you that - you can find happy pizza in Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh on nearly every street corner.

[cornishcarlos]

I liked Cambo food when I was there. Our driver picked good places. Got to meet his family and friends. Had dinner at his place one night.

Be sure to have "happy" pizza.

When I was there last year were no happy pizzas, apparently it's been like that for a few years now.

Not sure who told you that - you can find happy pizza in Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh on nearly every street corner.

What makes it "happy" ?

[inzman]

I liked Cambo food when I was there. Our driver picked good places. Got to meet his family and friends. Had dinner at his place one night.

Be sure to have "happy" pizza.

When I was there last year were no happy pizzas, apparently it's been like that for a few years now.

Not sure who told you that - you can find happy pizza in Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh on nearly every street corner.

What makes it "happy" ?

The oregano