Siem Reap Audio Tours

A three-day temple pass gives you enough time to see the major sites including Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the Bayon, and Ta Prohm without rushing. One day is enough for a highlights circuit but leaves very little time for the quieter outer temples. Serious archaeology enthusiasts often spend five days or more. The three-day pass need not be used on consecutive days.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat is the classic experience, when the five towers reflect in the moat against an orange sky. To beat the largest crowds, arrive at least an hour before sunrise. Sunset from the hilltop temple of Phnom Bakheng or Pre Rup gives dramatic light across the jungle canopy. Midday is the hottest and most crowded time and is generally best used for resting or visiting less-visited temples.

The Tonle Sap floating village tours visit communities built on bamboo platforms that shift with the lake's extraordinary seasonal changes. Artisan Angkor workshops show traditional Khmer crafts including stone carving and silk weaving. The Siem Reap night market near Pub Street has crafts and local food stalls. The Phare Cambodian Circus, a social enterprise performance group, puts on acrobatic shows most evenings that are well worth attending.

Siem Reap is considered one of the safer cities in Southeast Asia for tourists and solo travellers. The tourist infrastructure around the Angkor complex is well developed, and tuk-tuk drivers are generally honest and experienced with international visitors. Standard precautions apply, particularly around the Pub Street bar area late at night. Landmines remain a risk in rural areas outside the main tourist zones, so stick to marked paths.