Fabulous Siem Reap

Anyone heard of Siem Reap? Quite frankly, before this trip, neither did I. But if I showed this...

Welcome to Siem Reap, Cambodia, home of the famous ancient city of Angkor! Two aunts, an uncle, my parents and I were fortunate to be able to travel there for 4 and a half days. The word that kept coming to my mind throughout the trip was the word "charming." I don't even know why because Siem Reap is still very underdeveloped, dusty, and BLAZING hot, but something about it captivated me. My mom planned the whole trip and arranged the accommodations, tour guide, etc. She did an amazing job, and we had a FABULOUS time!!!

I don't even know where and how to start talking about my trip, so pardon me for this super long post (and I'll probably have to split it anyway because there's so much to talk about).

I LOVED...

• Experiencing a whole other culture- the people, the food, the environment... I loved it all!
• How affordable it is! Granted, getting there (especially from the US) is not cheap. Even flying from Singapore cost a few hundred dollars, but if you can get there, the rest of the trip won't cost too much more. US dollar notes are accepted currency (not US coins though- have to convert cents to the Cambodian riel), 
• Riding the tuk tuk (the Cambodian version of a taxi) around the city. It costs US$1/person/ride. US$1!!! A great way to experience the sights and sounds of the city. Competition between tuk tuk drivers is very high though- one of the tuk tuk drivers had all 6 of us squeeze in his tuk tuk so that he could earn more.
  
  
  
• Angkor Paradise Hotel- good service, big and spacious rooms and very reasonably priced!
• The food- sadly I didn't take any pictures of the food! What an un-Asian thing to do... (:p) I'm not much of a food photographer, and I was always rather hungry whenever we ate, so I didn't wait to snap any pictures, but I'm sure you can find images of the food on Google ;) The Amok (Cambodian fish curry) and fresh fruit milkshakes were fantastic in particular.We drank a milkshake practically every lunch and dinner- it was that good!
• Angkor- majestic, inspiring and fascinating. There are over 300 sites to visit in this ancient city, the most famous being Angkor Wat. We were able to visit 4 temples, which were

1) Angkor Wat

Visit at sunrise- moat surrounding Angkor Wat

2) Ta Prohm- famous for it's giant trees that overran the city after it was abandoned around the 15th century

3) Bayon- most distinctive feature are its massive four-faced stone carvings 

4) Banteay Srey- the intricate carvings on its rich red/pink stone is mind-blowing.

Some other highlights at Angkor:

Eating a fried cricket- surprisingly crispy and pretty delicious!

I love moi elephants...

Carvings of elephants on the city wall @ the Terrace of Elephants

• Tons and tons and tons of outdoor shops at the daytime Old Market (where locals buy their groceries in the morning) and evening Night Markets. There are so many night markets around Siem Reap! Tourists can buy clothes, food and souvenirs at a terrific bargain (as long as you know how to bargain of course).

• The Floating Village- an entire village on a river that migrates upstream into the narrower canal during the wet season, and downstream into the river during the dryer months. Everyone lives on the water, and there is even a few schools and a church. Fascinating!

Yes, they are what you think they are.

US$1 to pose with a pet snake- the girl wore her pet snake like a scarf, and kissed and cuddled it... 

• The War Museum- a sobering reminder of the atrocities that human beings are sadly capable of inflicting upon each other. May we never repeat such violence again.(And if I had money, I would totally invest in remodeling this "museum")

  

  A row of landmines

  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Broken tanks and armaments imported from the Soviet Union and United States-
  Many broke when it rolled over landmines

We also visited the Cambodian Cultural Village and one of the Buddhist temples. The Cambodian Cultural Center was quite cool, except that most of it was outdoors. The temperature that day was about 38 degrees F (100 degrees F), and so the sweltering heat was just too hard to ignore and detracted from the overall experience. The Buddhist temple was gorgeous and huge. 

I DISLIKED...

• Oh my word THE HEAT... make sure you do your research as to the "right" months to go. Late-May/ early-June = constant shower of sweat. Bring one of those portable mini-electric fans and lots of sunscreen lotion if you have to go during the dry season. The nice thing about the dry season, though, is that it's off-peak tourist season, so the Angkor Wat wasn't packed. 
• The blatant corruption at the airport- make sure you have some spare $1 notes with you when you arrive or depart. You might be asked for some "tip-tip" by the customs officer ($1 is enough). Funny story: I paid S$8 (US$6.50) in Singapore for a passport picture to be attached to my visa to Cambodia (the application can be processed at the airport itself- convenient). I arrived there, and found out that if you did not have a picture, you just needed to pay a bribe "fine" of US$1. I should have just paid the US$1 and saved my money!!! 

These were just a few highlights of my trip, and suggestions if anyone is ever fortunate enough to be able to go there. So many things packed in 4 and a half days! However, with the influx of tourist and slow development of the city, I believe Siem Reap will look very different in ten years time. Probably more modern, more expensive, and with way more tourists. I mourn the day that the unique "charm" I found will be lost as well.