Three days living in the city of Siem Reap, Cambodia, I'd like to share my experiences so far. If it weren't for getting a call from the Asian Tour a few days prior to the event, I wouldnt have made it to this new city. Luckily, I got off the reserve list and booked a ticket immediately from Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap on Air Asia.
Upon arrival, the airport was small and looked like only a few flights landed daily. Getting off the airplane and walking down the tarmac, the simple looking airport with its Cambodian architecture seemed quite new.
Driving from the airport to the city, there's only one main road. Along this strip are surprisingly several hotels, classy and resorty I must say, lined up one after the other. I later learned that the main road we were traveling on wasn't even cemented two years ago. As for the row of hotels, they were just being built then. With the endless choices of hotels, Siem Reap accommodates travelers of kinds and budgets. The host hotel the Asian Tour recommended was a 5-star, $75 a night rate. I followed the Malaysian caddies who showed me an alternative just down the road for $10 a night. Wifi, air conditioning, hot water, cable tv. Knowing that I would be staying here for 7 nights, I took the option.
It seems like Siem Reap quickly and recently transformed itself into a tourist destination. You'll see a lot of middle aged Europeans in their sleeveless shirts both men and women who don't seem to know they have a shower in their hotel room. You can also spot out the occasional American that walks around with a backpack as if they're going to climb Mount Everest. As for the Asians, there aren't as many tourists apart from the obvious ones with the cameras, but perhaps it's because they blend in more. Like it was said that I looked Cambodian.
Walking around the city in the evenings, there are countless restaurants serving anything from local dishes, exotic local dishes like crocodile meat, Indian, Italian, and American food. Meals are as cheap as they come in Asia. You'll get a quality meal at a descent restaurant for $5. It's best to try a new restaurant every time you dine.
The common mode of transportation around the city, which basically consists of the one main road is via motorcycle or Tuktuk, a modified motorcycle with a carriage in the back for luggage or more individuals. Around the touristy area, the locals speak English but make sure you bargain the price not only for transportation, but for everything else as well.
Oh and I forgot to mention, there's no need to change your dollars. Talk about a currency being pegged to the U.S. dollar, literally. That's because the cash that is used for transactions in Siem Reap is the U.S. dollar.
I saved touring the place for what its known for, the Angkor Wat Temples for the last day. I'll let you know how that goes in a different blog entry. This exotic Asian country is definitely a must see for those travel enthusiasts out there. So there you have it, a dose of Cambodian life in the tourist friendly city of Siem Reap.
'Till next time, so long!
Upon arrival, the airport was small and looked like only a few flights landed daily. Getting off the airplane and walking down the tarmac, the simple looking airport with its Cambodian architecture seemed quite new.
Driving from the airport to the city, there's only one main road. Along this strip are surprisingly several hotels, classy and resorty I must say, lined up one after the other. I later learned that the main road we were traveling on wasn't even cemented two years ago. As for the row of hotels, they were just being built then. With the endless choices of hotels, Siem Reap accommodates travelers of kinds and budgets. The host hotel the Asian Tour recommended was a 5-star, $75 a night rate. I followed the Malaysian caddies who showed me an alternative just down the road for $10 a night. Wifi, air conditioning, hot water, cable tv. Knowing that I would be staying here for 7 nights, I took the option.
It seems like Siem Reap quickly and recently transformed itself into a tourist destination. You'll see a lot of middle aged Europeans in their sleeveless shirts both men and women who don't seem to know they have a shower in their hotel room. You can also spot out the occasional American that walks around with a backpack as if they're going to climb Mount Everest. As for the Asians, there aren't as many tourists apart from the obvious ones with the cameras, but perhaps it's because they blend in more. Like it was said that I looked Cambodian.
Walking around the city in the evenings, there are countless restaurants serving anything from local dishes, exotic local dishes like crocodile meat, Indian, Italian, and American food. Meals are as cheap as they come in Asia. You'll get a quality meal at a descent restaurant for $5. It's best to try a new restaurant every time you dine.
The common mode of transportation around the city, which basically consists of the one main road is via motorcycle or Tuktuk, a modified motorcycle with a carriage in the back for luggage or more individuals. Around the touristy area, the locals speak English but make sure you bargain the price not only for transportation, but for everything else as well.
Oh and I forgot to mention, there's no need to change your dollars. Talk about a currency being pegged to the U.S. dollar, literally. That's because the cash that is used for transactions in Siem Reap is the U.S. dollar.
I saved touring the place for what its known for, the Angkor Wat Temples for the last day. I'll let you know how that goes in a different blog entry. This exotic Asian country is definitely a must see for those travel enthusiasts out there. So there you have it, a dose of Cambodian life in the tourist friendly city of Siem Reap.
'Till next time, so long!
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| Getting off the flight via Air Asia, Kuala Lumpur |
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| The famous tourist street lined with restaurants and bars. |
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| One of their specialties, curry |
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| Night markets everywhere |
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| Mode of transporation, the Tuktuk |
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