Siem Reap – More than Angkor Wat
It had been a week into my time in Siem Reap when we were all sitting in the hostel bar and the subject of Angkor Wat came up. I mean of course yes, why not? After all, we were sitting 20 km from the ancient temples, drinking Angkor Wat beer. It was then that I realized that I had been in Siem Reap a full week without seeing what has been called the eighth wonder of the world, Angkor Wat. My traveling companions couldn’t believe it, I’m sure I was bragging, but it wasn’t like that. At that moment the question arose, what did I do for a week in Siem Reap?
The simple thing would be that I dated the nicest people I have ever met, Cambodians! However, the best Cambodians are found in the countryside and in the villages. These people really are genuine, they value their quality of life more than trying to get rich quick. Rich, obviously, is an underused term here, as most Cambodians earn around $1000 a year. Those who have not decided to move to the city do so by growing their own food and trading it among the townspeople. Work at dawn, drink rice wine during the day, and go to bed early at night. One of my best days in Cambodia was when I took a trip to a village and visited real Cambodians for the day. Cook fish and beef over an open fire, next to a freshwater reservoir where locals fish and take cool dips in the afternoon to cool off! They also showed us their farm, their techniques, their home and introduced us to their family, making us all feel extremely blessed.
Siem Reap city is also the perfect place to be at any time of the day. With the French influence here, there’s always a coffee shop or a 25 cent baguette nearby. Bustling bars line every street, not just the pub street! The locals are always keen to play pool or snooker in one of the many pool halls, or in one of the many bars if you are lucky enough to win at a table. Or why not grab an ice cream cone from Swensens ice cream parlor (the best in town) and head out for a stroll along the river to where the locals play beach volleyball. The fast paced game from the highly talented locals will keep you on your toes, or you might even want to join in and play on one of the many available courts. Looking for more sporting opportunities, well, Siem Reap is also home to Cambodia’s only climbing gym. Not your rhythm? Maybe try heading back across the river to “Common Ground,” an American-owned coffee shop with a good cause. The prices are a bit high, but with every $1000 of profit they can build a house in a new town located in Khan Dang Kao. The poorest area of Cambodia where more than 1500 families live in extreme poverty, visit buildacity.org to learn more! It’s $1.50 for an iced coffee, a dollar for a small bottle of water or more than I’d like to admit I paid, $2 for a large bottle of water. I went for the molten lava cake, a rich chocolate dish topped with whipped cream, which was $2.
Still not your groove? Then I’m sure a 50 cent spin at one of the many pubs on Pub Street will do you some good! Bustling bars line every street here, more than just the pub street! The locals are always happy to play pool or snooker in one of the many pool halls, or in one of the bars if you’re lucky enough to get a table. Some places serve 50 cent beer for all hours of the night, but most backpackers tend to head to the famous “Angkor What” bar, the bar that started it all in 1998. Here you can meet many other like-minded travelers , eager to tell their stories and listen to yours. It’s not 1998 anymore, nowadays there are many more night bars that you can visit too. Temple bar is across the street, and it’s the place to go for a late night meal, as their kitchen never closes. At the end of the street is Bar X, an Australian-run rooftop bar with a half-pipe at the top. Yes! A half pipe, even if you don’t have your own board (since I’ve yet to meet anyone who travels Asia on a skateboard), you can rent one for $5 and they’ll give you a pint on it! More options include Tuk Tuk Bar, Laundry Bar, Mezze Bar, Miss Wongs Bar and any other specials you find on your own!
Siem Reap is much more than a party town of buckets and music. In fact for a week of my stay the music was off and I never left wishing it was on. A musicless pub street quickly lost its vibe so we looked for another place to entertain. Whether it was the locals taking out a bunch of us and showing us their favorite spots or spontaneous decisions to go miniature golf at 9:30pm they always found a good time! Some nights were nothing more than a beautiful sunset over lesser known places like Phnom Krom or Wat Atwea and then early to bed. If crowded tourist attractions are not your thing, then these temples will be for you! Maybe not that impressive, but apparently just as good when there’s no crowd!
Tee, the owner of the mini golf course, was another genuine Siem Reap local, who arranges a pick up for his mini golf as it is on the southern outskirts of the city. Unfortunately for Tee, he owed me three beers before the group left the lodge, after a few games of pool. One time at miniature golf, a hole in one, he won you a free beer and between the five of us we got two holes in one, which earned him six free beers. As Tee wanted a rematch, but this time in pool, he took us to a local pool hall on the way home from miniature golf, where I managed to keep my streak going and beat him one more time. The group of six of us played many games of pool and drank a few more beers for just eight bucks in our own private air-conditioned room. Tee then dropped us off at the Temple bar for a late night meal to cure any hunger before it was time to go inside. We chatted over pizza, a bit in awe of how nice the locals can be here and of course the mini golf course itself, a fun and challenging course where we all hit over sixty in just fourteen holes!
More options for things to do include West Baray, the largest man-made land baray at Angkor, offering stunning views for a leisurely day away from the crowds. Siem Reap is also home to a military firing range (30km from the city) where you can shoot just about any weapon you can think of, or even fire a rocket launcher…at a cow if that’s your kind of thing, though it will it costs you around $400! It used to be possible to throw a grenade, but unfortunately, for security reasons, the military has banned it. Fifty kilometers north of Angkor Wat also offers beautiful waterfalls worth visiting, and just to the east of the city is a wildlife sanctuary, and to the south is a floating village. Additionally, hot air balloons and helicopter rides are also available at flash packer prices. When you’re bored of all that and you’re lucky enough to stay in a place with a pool, it’s time to relax! If not just head to the central Siem Reap hostel and use theirs for two bucks, but you might want to grab a Swensens ice cream on the way!
