"In Angkor and around" Khett Siem Reab by magor65

Khett Siem Reab Travel Guide: 4,321 reviews and 12,574 photos

Angkor has been my dream destination for long. The first time I had seen its pictures must have been about 15 years ago and since then I have known that one day I will visit it. After reading that it had been invaded by tourists in the last couple of years I decided that it was high time to make my dream come true. So I included Cambodia in the itinerary of my journey in Asia in February / March 2008.
Although I read a lot about Angkor before the trip, I was not prepared for the impression. It is absolutely stunning; everything I have seen so far fades compared to Angkor.

But Siem Reap was a surprise, too. I imagined it to be a village with a couple of shabby guesthouses and it turned out to be a vibrant city offering all possible kinds of accommodation and wide variety of restaurants and bars. It turns out to be the fastest growing city in Cambodia, of course due to the complex of Angkor, which attracted almost two million visitors in 2007.

Local people, though, still live in poverty, which is a dominant feature of the landscape away from the town centre. I am glad that we spent five days in Siem Reap - we didn't have to rush through the temples and we had enough time to stroll in the town and its vicinity. It was a great opportunity to see how Cambodians live: we peeped into the houses, talked to school children and visited a floating village on Tonle Sap lake.

Pros and Cons

In a nutshell:Incredible experience

Last visit to Khett Siem Reab: Mar 2008
Intro Updated Jul 16, 2008
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Reviews (25)

Cambodian houses Local Customs (3)

Traditional Cambodian houses are built of wood and bamboo mats covered with leaf or wooden roofs. They are often raised... more travel advice

Lotus flowers Local Customs (3)

Everybody who's been travelling in Asia must be familiar with a lotus flower. But you should know that it is not just a... more travel advice

Meeting children in Siem Reap Favorites (2)

One of my fondest memories from Siem Reap are the contacts with kids. Although often poor and dirty, they were always... more travel advice

Children of Cambodia Favorites (2)

We spent a lot of time in Siem Reap walking in the town, talking to people, especially children. What struck us was how... more travel advice

Warnings and Dangers (1)
Angkor in danger
Things to Do (13)
See All Banta Srei

Comments (11)

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Gili_S Feb 2, 2011 at 12:48 PM

Was just looking to see how you enjoyed this place, it might be my next destination in this region.
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Nemorino May 3, 2010 at 5:13 AM

Five times as big as the Vatican -- that's really huge! Great that you were able to visit the children in their school.
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BruceDunning Aug 21, 2009 at 3:27 PM

It looks as if you did have a great experience and the pictures and comments are fantastic. Good job of presenting.
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dancinbudgie Sep 26, 2008 at 1:36 AM

I have wandered trough these pages whilst cooking dinner...it got burnt, but was worth it! :o) I have only et aside 4 days for Siem reap...I hope is enough! Thanks!
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Bwana_Brown Sep 14, 2008 at 8:03 AM

An excellent page on Khett Siem Reab full of wonderful descriptions and beautiful photos (you need not have worried about about the noonday sun!). My wife and I are thinking about SE Asia - and you are tempting us!
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mvtouring Aug 25, 2008 at 3:50 AM

Thanks for a fantastic page, it is still on my dream list, but I think you bumped it up a few places ;-)
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toonsarah Jul 28, 2008 at 3:45 AM

This has long been a dream destination of mine. This is one of the best VT pages I've read! Your tips are so thorough & interesting, with great photos (eg atmospheric sunset, Vishnu). I love that you've shown other aspects to life here - houses, kids etc
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HORSCHECK Jul 18, 2008 at 10:16 AM

Malgorzata, fantastic new page with brilliant photos and interesting commentaries. I must admit that I have never made it to this part of the world, but I can say that I have been already to lovely Wroclaw. *winkygrin*
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scottishvisitor Jul 16, 2008 at 1:10 PM

A remarkable place to visit - your spledid tips had me travelling along with you and feeling your emotions!
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wroclawiak Jul 6, 2008 at 10:43 AM

Twoje opisy są naprawde przepiękne. Ale wtrącenie (two middle-aged women) jakoś mi do ciebie nie pasuje. Raczej zmieniłbym na (two young ladies).