A town, a rural province, and some temples. Well, a lot of temples. Okay, Angkor Wat. The temples - that's why you're here, but as you'll hopefully find out, there is more to do than just look at temples and if you're like a lot of tourists, you're looking for something else to do, anyway.
Siem Reap is accessible by road from everywhere, by air - international and domestic, and by boat from Battambang and Phnom Penh.
The province is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Kompong Thom, the Tonle Sap Lake, Battambang, and Banteay Meanchey.
 Angkor Archaelogical Park
These are where the temples are. Many books have been written on them.
Siem Reap (town)
This is where you'll stay, eat, drink, and shop. It's a small town devoted almost entirely to serving tourism and is experiencing a few growing pains as it does.
Other than the temples, there is the privately-run land mine museum, the military's war museum (three dollars and be sure to bring a sense of humor), artisan shops, a crocodile farm, and more.
Chong Khneas
. This is the Vietnamese floating village at the foot of Phnom Krom and the water gateway to Siem Reap. If you take a boat to or from Phnom Penh or Battambang it's here you will arrive or depart. It's an interesting village and hundreds of people take a brief tour of it everyday. If it's all you can do to see the Tonle Sap while you're in Cambodia then it will have to do, but if you have more time (and money!) see the next few entries and also see the Pursat province. While in Chong Khneas I suggest visiting the Gecko Environment Centre to learn more about the ecology of the great lake.
Prek Toal
This is the bird sanctuary about an hour west of Chong Khneas. The time to come is during the dry season. Getting here will set you back about $100. Inquire in Chong Khneas or see the Canby guide when you get to Siem Reap.
Kompong Phluk
About 25 kilometers east of Chong Khneas, here's a much better option for visiting a village on the lake. Kompong Phluk is a permanent village opposed to floating and is accessible by boat only. Getting here is going to require a little bit of money. To visit Kompong Phluk, or anywhere on the lake, see Terre Cambodge or if in Siem Reap stop by the Tooi Tooi Bar. There are other tour operators offering trips to Kompong Phluk and most of them are doing a good job of trashing the fragile flooded forest by taking boats in that are too big for the space allowed between the trees. Avoid them.
Kompong Phluk
About 25 kilometers east of Chong Khneas, here's a much better option for visiting a village on the lake. Kompong Phluk is a permanent village opposed to floating and is accessible by boat only. Getting here is going to require a little bit of money. To visit Kompong Phluk, or anywhere on the lake, see Terre Cambodge, or if in Siem Reap stop by the Tooi Tooi Bar. There are other tour operators offering trips to Kompong Phluk and most of them are doing a good job of trashing the fragile flooded forest by taking boats in that are too big for the space allowed between the trees. Avoid them. |
