3 Days in Siem Reap – Travel Guide
3 days in Siem Reap is not enough to explore the endless nuances of the city. But, it can give a glimpse of how perfectly the ancient kingdom collides with the modern civilization. Siem Reap is increasingly becoming an accustomed hub for digital nomads connecting the glorious past to the chic cosmopolitan present; spin through stories weaved across centuries.
Be it the awe inspiring magnificent temples of Angkor Wat or the floating villages paving gateway to rural Cambodia or the lesser known temples in the city, Siem Reap never ceases to surprise.
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The stretch of Pub Street breathes silence during day but turns into a party haven as the neon dotted bars open their doors, an offer of one plus one cheap draught beer definitely attracts. Siem Reap has catapulted its arms to hordes of tourists marking their presence in the global attendance sheet of the city. Motorbikes, bicycles and Tuk Tuk relentlessly whizzed past me, leaving behind a dusty breeze for a second as I walked through the streets of Siem Reap.
Table of Contents
How to Spend 3 Days in Siem Reap?
Day 1
Siem Reap was my first destination from 10 days I spent in Cambodia. I always believe in taking my first day easy, crawling slowly out of the cocoon to accustom to the newness of the place. A stroll or a walk around or maybe simply a plate of authentic native delicacy is good enough to prepare for the coming days. But, when you are ready, take that leap and float afar – And, so did I.
Tonle Sap and Floating Villages
There are many floating villages spread across the freshwater Tonle Sap Lake beyond the ancient wisdom of temples, connected to the Mekong River. The stilted house infrastructures the villages on the floating lake, the boats being the vehicle and the biodiversity of the lake ultimately shows on the plate of food. The journey across these floating villages delves deeper into difficult life of people in rural Cambodia.
The fresh blue color of the floating homes with a vivid mix of bright colors along the window panes and roof on the façade dots the lake. The small rustic patio is adorned with tubs of bright flowers and tiny rooms inside the home, packed with things like in any regular household. The vehicles in face of country boats are constantly rowed on the alluvial water of Tonle Sap by locals doing their daily chores.
The closest floating village on Tonle Sap is Chong Kneas with a distance of around 16 to 16 km from Siem Reap. People inhabiting the village of Vietnamese origin and have built their homes on giant rafts with roofs and walls, protected on all sides with tires to keep the homes floating and anchored to keep stable in one place.
You can either hire a private boat with guide for $20 at the dock or book at tour with Tara Boat. Apart from Chong Kneas which is completely floating on water, the Kampong Phluk village has stilted house on land surrounded by mangroves and Kampong Khleang village consists both stilted house on water and land. These villages can be easily explored by self during dry season either with Tuk Tuk or a bike.
Night Market
The night market in Siem Reap is a quaint bohemian corner warmed with fairy lights, neon bulbs and kaleidoscopic souvenirs. From traditional clothes to artistic pieces of jewelry to Cambodian handicrafts straight from local producers, night market is a good place to walk along or shop. The price range of things is moderate but not super cheap. The small stalls across the bridge while walking towards the night market serves cheap and authentic Khmer and Chinese cuisine.
Pub Crawling at Pub Street
Cambodia is infamous or rather super famous for its extremely cheap Angkor Draught beer. The happy hours gets you glass of chilled draught beer for 50 cents. The party scene is not as crazy as Bangkok’s Khao San but can definitely stand shoulder to shoulder. There are many bars lined around Pub Street and some lanes are adorned with umbrellas turned upside down creating a colorful roof above your head. The cheap draught beer or cocktails sound very attractive but make sure you take care of your belongings; you never know when you run out of luck cheering with the crowd.
Day 2
Angkor Temples (With Sunrise Tour)
The ruins of Angkor Temples exemplify an inspirational architecture coated with a UNESCO Heritage Site status. The archaeological complex of Angkor Wat consists of over 1000 temples each with its eccentric stone carvings. The nuances of the ruins, intricate carvings and the endless passageways inside the temples whisk you into clandestine corners. Angkor Wat is the largest cluster of Hindu Temples stretched across an area of 400 km and the magnificent temple complex was built by Khmer Empire from 9th to 15th century.
The stories of the mighty kingdom are now narratives in books but nature has spread its wings to protect the crumbling structures. The gigantic roots of the trees intertwine the temple structures and it is mesmerizing to see how nature has taken over the ruins. Angkor Thom includes some notable temples within its complex including Bayon Temple, Baphuon, Ta Phrom and Terrace of the Elephants. Ta Phrom temple is one of the most popular temples where you can witness mammoth roots growing over the stone corridors or ruin structures.
The colossal architecture of Angkor Wat looks phenomenal against the first rays of the sun. The glassy reflection of the temple on the pond dotted with lotus flowers evokes a surreal feeling. The sheer grandeur cannot be measured or captured in any form but just felt, witnessed and visualized through stories of Khmer Empire and their legendary kingdom. Angkor Wat – A photographers Paradise, will leave you speechless with its old ruin charm.
PS: A single day passes for Angkor Wat Temple cost $37 USD, a 3-day pass cost $62 USD and a 7-day pass cost $72. The temple opens at 5.00 am for the sunrise and closes at 6.00pm.
Hot Air Balloon Tours
The hot air balloon tours are a little expensive but definitely worth it with view of the whole city along with the temple complex. Although I was too tired to take the hot air balloon tour but a friend of mine did and the pictures were absolutely stunning. The hot air balloon tours are generally conducted during either morning or evening to escape the wrath of merciless sun. There are many tour companies which take you on a tour with pick up from your accommodation and costs around $100 or more.
Day 3
I decided to walk around the city on my 3rd day and ended up visiting two temples inside the city which are absolutely stunning. The best part is there is no entry fee for these temples.
Wat Bo
Wat Bo is one of the oldest temples in the town of Siem Reap that one can consider visiting beyond the temples of Angkor complex. The wall painting and murals are preserved from 19th century and depict the Cambodian version of Ramayana called as Reamker. The sleepy Buddhist temple is one of the most peaceful places to sit and connect with nature in utmost silence. Hundreds of stupas and mini pagodas adorn a part of the temple. The intricate carvings and stucco art elaborately depict stories from Ramayana. The quiet ground of the temple also has school for the monks where they are trained.
Preah Prom Rath Pagoda
This is another Buddhist Temple adorned with modern statues and colorful paintings depicting stories. The pagoda complex is vivid and erected with a number of brightly color statues and golden painted stupas. The main building which is the Preah Vihear builder homes the sleeping Buddha statue and the whole story behind the temple is depicted by different things. There is a replica of boat which states a story about a Monk who travelled regularly on a boat in 1500AD for fetch rice from Long Vek to Cambodian ancient capital. On one such occasion he was attacked, his boat was broken but he survived and was able to make it to the broken boat safely. The reclining Buddha and boat is built to honor the brave event.
Café Vibe
Undoubtedly, it is one of the best cafes in Siem Reap with an assortment of organic and healthy delicacies to choose from. The price can be a little expensive but still affordable. Be it their range of organic freshly prepared juice or smoothie or meals, everything is handpicked and prepared from farm fresh products. I definitely recommend Acai smoothie bowl from Café Vibe.
Accommodation for 3 days in Siem Reap
Around Pub Street, there are a number of hostels, hotels and resorts that fit all sort of budget. I chose to stay a 1km away to avoid the chaos and totally loved my stay at The Local Time Village. The dorms for solo female traveler are superb and provide privacy. The guests have access to swimming pool, complimentary breakfast (read super amazing), complete help on transport and a free pick up from airport. They also provide packed breakfast for sunrise tours to Angkor Wat. I totally recommended staying with them and all of this for only $10 per night for dorm. They have private rooms for higher price.
Getting in and around Siem Reap
- The bicycle and motorbike rental services are most common and the best way to explore Siem Reap. It is pretty easy to rent the motorbike for $10 per day. However, the motorbikes are not allowed within the Angkor Temple complex and hence exploring on own means hiring bicycle.
- The next option is hiring a Tuk Tuk for 3 days in Siem Reap to explore Angkor Wat and beyond. Generally, during the high season Tuk Tuk charge around $20 to $25 for Angkor Temple tour with sunrise. The Tuk Tuk can be hired for full day for around $30.
- The last option is booking a day tour with local tour operators or via websites like Viator. On booking a day tour, there is pick-up arranged from accommodation along with food.
Food and Miscellaneous
Siem Reap is not a very expensive place and food is available at very affordable price especially in the local restaurants and road side stalls. Fancy going to a cool and cosmopolitan café – Be ready to pay around $15 for a decent meal but otherwise food is cheap. US Dollar is accepted everywhere in Siem Reap and throughout Cambodia. At times smaller change is given back in Cambodian Riel.
The most affordable food is available close to the market lined by road side stalls. Noodles are available at $1, signature Cambodian dish Fish Amok is available for $2.5 to 3.5 and curry with rice can go up to $5. There is a whole spread of street food from traditional Cambodian to continental to Chinese that one can grab from the stalls. Each stall even has makeshift seating arrangement. There are many cafes in Siem Reap that serve organic and vegan food but the price can go up a bit starting from $6.5 a smoothie bowl and beyond.
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There is a big merge of oriental individuals with the western community that co-exist in the heart of the pulsating city. Such is the charm of the city, the sun shines brighter by the day but dare it stop people from walking the length and breadth of the remnants of ancient kingdom into the erstwhile capital of Khmer Kingdom, Angkor. Siem Reap is becoming one of the most trending destinations for travelers for the mix of eccentricity it brings. 3 days in Siem Reap is just enough to float on the surface.
Lovely comprehensive guide!
Thank you! 🙂