Siem Reap, Cambodia: Best Things to Do, See, and Eat (SEO)

29.07.2024 - 17:24 / cntraveler.com / Conde Nast

A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller India.

Siem Reap’s biggest draw is its proximity to Angkor Wat—meaning “City of Temples” in the Khmer language, officially the Angkor Archaeological Park—but the second largest city in Cambodia is more than just a gateway to its historical treasures.

Move away from its crowded core and Siem Reap opens up with tree-lined avenues and colonial buildings that hark back to the time of French rule. There’s an up-and-coming culinary scene and plenty of diverse cultural experiences that will teach you about the country. Naturally, travelers should get out of the city too: Go for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, and stay for everything else. Forays into rural Cambodia take you to Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake and to floating fishing villages.

If the temples of Angkor offer a window into Cambodia’s rich past, visiting the city’s many social enterprises is a great way to see what drives its future. Here's our 48-hour-guide on what to do, see, and eat in Siem Reap.

Wake up well before dawn and make your way through a thicket of forests buzzing with cicadas to view the beautiful spectacle of daybreak lighting up the skies above the corn-cob spires of Angkor Wat. Built by Khmer King Suryavarman II in the 12th century, Angkor Wat stuns with its scale and grandeur. The gargantuan temple’s impressive bas-reliefs depict scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the Sanskrit epics that date back to ancient India. The five spires of the central complex are said to represent Mount Meru, the abode of the gods. Ascend a steep flight of stairs to the central tower’s upper level to view the landscape and get a sense of the might of the Khmer empire; at its peak, was one of the most prosperous in Southeast Asia.

Visiting the temples of Angkor can up to a full day. Come prepared with water, sunscreen, and comfortable shoes.

If Angkor Wat stands as a beacon of man’s architectural and engineering prowess, the might of the jungle is on full display at the temple of Ta Prohm, where kapok trees and strangler figs sprout out of cracks and crevices, engulfing the man-made structures. Successive Khmer kings throughout history have added to the Angkor temple complex, hoping to leave their mark and attempting to best their predecessors with varying degrees of success. For his attempt, Jayavarman VII built Bayon, and although it’s smaller in scale, its 54 impressive towers literally smile—on their façades, over 200 smiling faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the Buddhist embodiment of compassion.

Tip: Visiting the temples of Angkor can take more than half a day, depending on the sites you visit. There will be a lot of walking, so wear