Angkor Wat Report - The Full Monty!
May 4th, 2008 | 02:01 PM
#1
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Joined: Mar 2004
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Angkor Wat Report - The Full Monty!
Okay, all you good folks, gather around, and I’ll tell you all about an exotic place you should see before you kick the bucket!
Bottomline: Angkor Wat is a fantastic, “must see” destination in my book. I highly recommend you go sooner rather than later as it has been “discovered”, and more and more tourists come each year. The people are friendly, the prices are modest, and it is very easy to get around on your own. It is really all about the Temples, the countryside, and the day-today life of the people.
Trip Duration: Three full days seems about right for most people, but you could spend another day or two if you wanted to take a cooking class, do a half day bike tour, enjoy more spas, visit the schools/orphanages (something I plan to do more of next time) or want to undertake a more in-depth visit to ALL the temples. I stayed five nights and four full days.
Going and Coming: I flew Bangkok Airways (turbo-prop) from and back to Bangkok - easy 1.25 hour flight with polite and efficient service. They served a light snack on both flights. Overhead space was very limited, and you got on and off from the rear of the plane. Siem Reap Airport is small, but is new and has a bright, modern feel to it. Nice artwork and plantings.
Customs and Immigration: Piece a cake for me. Took about 45 minutes to get a visa, pick up my bags and transit to the hotel. Seems like I paid less than $25 for the visa and pictures. Hotel sent a car ($5), but you could take a tut-tut for less if you had limited luggage. There was a $25 departure tax. Immigration and security people seemed a bit bored and never cracked a smile.
Local Transport: Tut-tuts rent for $10-12 a day. They will take you everywhere most people need to go (aside from some distant temples) and save you time since they know all the tourist haunts. You can get a car with driver for $30. Add a guide and its about $50-60. I'd suggest a guide and driver for one day at least just to get your bearings and get over jetlag if coming direct from the States.
Traffic: It was fairly light, but a bit chaotic with a crazy mix of motor bikes, tut-tuts, carts, and cars and busses all ignoring the rules of the road in order to “get ahead“ of each other. Quite a hoot to see whole families on a single motorbike, or pigs, ducks, and huge piles of trade goods and produce being transported. Streams of school kids walking or riding bikes in blue and white uniforms. I liked the tut-tut experience; especially when the wind flowed over my big, bald head!
Food: Not world class, but cheap and hearty fare. Good variety of Asian and western food places. Most appetizers were $1-2, main courses were $2.50 to $5, beer and cokes $1 -2. Lots of places had two for one happy hour cocktails for $3.75. My favorites were the coconut curry, Cambodian pizza (coconut cream, onions and chicken) Amok fish, and Chicken with fried pumpkin. I ate at the Khmer Kitchen, Temple Bar, Deadfish Tower, Butterfly Garden, Boph Angkor, Blue Pumpkin, and the Red Piano. All of them were fine, with fast, polite service. The Deadfish Tower and Temple Bar have free dance shows starting around 1930 hours in the evening. Most places in and around Pub Alley have happy prices with beer around a buck a can and good deals on pitchers. Bring dollars. ATMS can be found.
Weather: Very hot, and humid with intense sun. Wear a hat and sunscreen (also insect spray) and drink lots of water. Had some short, intense thunderstorms in the evening. I planned my explorations with 3-4 hour segments early in the morning and then again in the late afternoon (best time also for pictures) to avoid the heat and crowds. Use mid-day to shop, or go swimming.
Markets: Several in the area. Wide range of cheap goods. Pretty standard stuff: bags, silk clothing, silver, stone carvings, scarves, pillow cases, tee-shirts, … . Check prices at both the old and central markets, and be ruthless with your discounting. I shot for at least 50%, and they bitch and moan, but still sell at a profit. Take your time and look before you leap. Check your purchases for flaws before you leave the store.
Temples: What else can you say - super impressive world class attractions. However, it is easy to get “templed out”, so drink in the beauty in short intense doses. I mixed up my days with a variety of different things to do. Light was best at sunrise and sunset. To me, travel is an adventure and not a vacation, so getting up at the crack of dawn in search of the perfect photo and/or magic moment is SOP. Favorites: Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Bayon, Banteay Kdei, Preah Khan. Do some reading ahead of time so you can put it all in context. I was impressed at the amount of time and effort that went into creating such impressive, and massive structures, and the fact that so much artwork still exists today. Caution: Stones can be very slippery when wet or covered with sand.
Bopha Angkor Hotel: A comfortable, friendly, inexpensive place: garden setting, nice saltwater pool, pleasant breakfast. Set across the river, but close enough to walk to the Old Quarter. Easy to arrange transport or tours here. Superior room was $49 with taxes and breakfast included. I’d stay again.
People: For the most part, friendly and approachable. Some were a bit sullen, but that is to be expected given the intense poverty of the local population. I recommend you get out and actually try to interact with some common folks. Kids were adorable. Caution: You will often be mobbed by young kids trying to sell you postcards or baskets… . “You buy from me mister? Please, only one dollar! Where you from? Either fork over the dough or ignore them and move on. Do not say MAYBE or I’ll be back. Also, watch out for the dogs when you approach a rural house to shoot pictures!
Massage: Lots of places to chose from, ranging from $6 to $18 per hour for an oil massage. My favorite was a local one called Frangipani (one-hour massage for $18, or a “tropical facial” for $28). Try a glass of the cold lemongrass tea after your relaxing session. The Seeing Hands Spa (Sivutha Street) is staffed by blind Cambodians with basic massages for around $10 per hour. These places are a blessing after a long hot day roaming around the ruins.
Artisans Angkor: worth a quick trip in town to see the trade crafts workshops and gift shop. Silk farm is a bit of a hike outside the town, but you might also find it interesting. Goods are excellent quality if a bit pricey.
Lake: worth a half day. Go early in the morning. Stop at the fishing villages. Good way to break up the Temple circuit.
Siem Reap: Still a dusty, fairly quiet little place, but tourism has exploded the past few years, and it is getting more interesting and lively place each month. Lots of new construction. The town seems to be waking up to new hotels (many five-star palaces), restaurants, guest houses, spas, art galleries, internet cafes and bookstores all the time. A shady walk along the river is a nice idea. Observation: large numbers of Korean and Chinese tour groups who seem to stay in huge hotels on the airport road.
Okay, all in all a grand trip with no major mishaps to speak of. Time and money well spent. I did this one as a quick side venture coming back from a business trip to Malaysia. Plan to take my wife in the future. Take a look at my pictures. They don’t do it full justice, but should give you a feel for this wonderful place.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Degas1888
Bottomline: Angkor Wat is a fantastic, “must see” destination in my book. I highly recommend you go sooner rather than later as it has been “discovered”, and more and more tourists come each year. The people are friendly, the prices are modest, and it is very easy to get around on your own. It is really all about the Temples, the countryside, and the day-today life of the people.
Trip Duration: Three full days seems about right for most people, but you could spend another day or two if you wanted to take a cooking class, do a half day bike tour, enjoy more spas, visit the schools/orphanages (something I plan to do more of next time) or want to undertake a more in-depth visit to ALL the temples. I stayed five nights and four full days.
Going and Coming: I flew Bangkok Airways (turbo-prop) from and back to Bangkok - easy 1.25 hour flight with polite and efficient service. They served a light snack on both flights. Overhead space was very limited, and you got on and off from the rear of the plane. Siem Reap Airport is small, but is new and has a bright, modern feel to it. Nice artwork and plantings.
Customs and Immigration: Piece a cake for me. Took about 45 minutes to get a visa, pick up my bags and transit to the hotel. Seems like I paid less than $25 for the visa and pictures. Hotel sent a car ($5), but you could take a tut-tut for less if you had limited luggage. There was a $25 departure tax. Immigration and security people seemed a bit bored and never cracked a smile.
Local Transport: Tut-tuts rent for $10-12 a day. They will take you everywhere most people need to go (aside from some distant temples) and save you time since they know all the tourist haunts. You can get a car with driver for $30. Add a guide and its about $50-60. I'd suggest a guide and driver for one day at least just to get your bearings and get over jetlag if coming direct from the States.
Traffic: It was fairly light, but a bit chaotic with a crazy mix of motor bikes, tut-tuts, carts, and cars and busses all ignoring the rules of the road in order to “get ahead“ of each other. Quite a hoot to see whole families on a single motorbike, or pigs, ducks, and huge piles of trade goods and produce being transported. Streams of school kids walking or riding bikes in blue and white uniforms. I liked the tut-tut experience; especially when the wind flowed over my big, bald head!
Food: Not world class, but cheap and hearty fare. Good variety of Asian and western food places. Most appetizers were $1-2, main courses were $2.50 to $5, beer and cokes $1 -2. Lots of places had two for one happy hour cocktails for $3.75. My favorites were the coconut curry, Cambodian pizza (coconut cream, onions and chicken) Amok fish, and Chicken with fried pumpkin. I ate at the Khmer Kitchen, Temple Bar, Deadfish Tower, Butterfly Garden, Boph Angkor, Blue Pumpkin, and the Red Piano. All of them were fine, with fast, polite service. The Deadfish Tower and Temple Bar have free dance shows starting around 1930 hours in the evening. Most places in and around Pub Alley have happy prices with beer around a buck a can and good deals on pitchers. Bring dollars. ATMS can be found.
Weather: Very hot, and humid with intense sun. Wear a hat and sunscreen (also insect spray) and drink lots of water. Had some short, intense thunderstorms in the evening. I planned my explorations with 3-4 hour segments early in the morning and then again in the late afternoon (best time also for pictures) to avoid the heat and crowds. Use mid-day to shop, or go swimming.
Markets: Several in the area. Wide range of cheap goods. Pretty standard stuff: bags, silk clothing, silver, stone carvings, scarves, pillow cases, tee-shirts, … . Check prices at both the old and central markets, and be ruthless with your discounting. I shot for at least 50%, and they bitch and moan, but still sell at a profit. Take your time and look before you leap. Check your purchases for flaws before you leave the store.
Temples: What else can you say - super impressive world class attractions. However, it is easy to get “templed out”, so drink in the beauty in short intense doses. I mixed up my days with a variety of different things to do. Light was best at sunrise and sunset. To me, travel is an adventure and not a vacation, so getting up at the crack of dawn in search of the perfect photo and/or magic moment is SOP. Favorites: Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Bayon, Banteay Kdei, Preah Khan. Do some reading ahead of time so you can put it all in context. I was impressed at the amount of time and effort that went into creating such impressive, and massive structures, and the fact that so much artwork still exists today. Caution: Stones can be very slippery when wet or covered with sand.
Bopha Angkor Hotel: A comfortable, friendly, inexpensive place: garden setting, nice saltwater pool, pleasant breakfast. Set across the river, but close enough to walk to the Old Quarter. Easy to arrange transport or tours here. Superior room was $49 with taxes and breakfast included. I’d stay again.
People: For the most part, friendly and approachable. Some were a bit sullen, but that is to be expected given the intense poverty of the local population. I recommend you get out and actually try to interact with some common folks. Kids were adorable. Caution: You will often be mobbed by young kids trying to sell you postcards or baskets… . “You buy from me mister? Please, only one dollar! Where you from? Either fork over the dough or ignore them and move on. Do not say MAYBE or I’ll be back. Also, watch out for the dogs when you approach a rural house to shoot pictures!
Massage: Lots of places to chose from, ranging from $6 to $18 per hour for an oil massage. My favorite was a local one called Frangipani (one-hour massage for $18, or a “tropical facial” for $28). Try a glass of the cold lemongrass tea after your relaxing session. The Seeing Hands Spa (Sivutha Street) is staffed by blind Cambodians with basic massages for around $10 per hour. These places are a blessing after a long hot day roaming around the ruins.
Artisans Angkor: worth a quick trip in town to see the trade crafts workshops and gift shop. Silk farm is a bit of a hike outside the town, but you might also find it interesting. Goods are excellent quality if a bit pricey.
Lake: worth a half day. Go early in the morning. Stop at the fishing villages. Good way to break up the Temple circuit.
Siem Reap: Still a dusty, fairly quiet little place, but tourism has exploded the past few years, and it is getting more interesting and lively place each month. Lots of new construction. The town seems to be waking up to new hotels (many five-star palaces), restaurants, guest houses, spas, art galleries, internet cafes and bookstores all the time. A shady walk along the river is a nice idea. Observation: large numbers of Korean and Chinese tour groups who seem to stay in huge hotels on the airport road.
Okay, all in all a grand trip with no major mishaps to speak of. Time and money well spent. I did this one as a quick side venture coming back from a business trip to Malaysia. Plan to take my wife in the future. Take a look at my pictures. They don’t do it full justice, but should give you a feel for this wonderful place.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Degas1888
May 4th, 2008 | 02:42 PM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Degas, thanks for your report and lovely photos. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Angkor truly is a wonder.
I did chuckle at the thought that someone could see "all" of the temples in 5 days. There are many dozens of accessible temples and many that are not yet accessible. We spent a week at Angkor in 2001 and didn't come close to seeing all of the temples!
I did chuckle at the thought that someone could see "all" of the temples in 5 days. There are many dozens of accessible temples and many that are not yet accessible. We spent a week at Angkor in 2001 and didn't come close to seeing all of the temples!
May 4th, 2008 | 02:53 PM
#4
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 369
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Absolutely fascinating, Degas! I'm going to be there in December and have just started gathering information together. Do you know of any good guide books or history books I should be reading now and/or taking with me? I do plan on having a guide for at least two of the days. Is it possible to get a visa before arriving at the airport? (Actually I will be coming in by boat from Viet Nam.) Do you know anything about the Hotel Victoria? Your pictures are wonderful.
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May 4th, 2008 | 05:59 PM
#8
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,412
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Mahalo Degas for the report and your pictures are great.
I felt the same as you about the places to eat in SR. Nothing world class but sufficient.
You are right, Angkor should be seen now before it is over run by the tourists and the inevitable change that comes with it.
Aloha!
I felt the same as you about the places to eat in SR. Nothing world class but sufficient.
You are right, Angkor should be seen now before it is over run by the tourists and the inevitable change that comes with it.
Aloha!
May 4th, 2008 | 06:24 PM
#9
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
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maile, I think the best book on Angkor is Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples. Take it with you. There are other very good books, Michael Freeman's comes to mind. But it doesn't cover as much and it's too big to carry with you.
May 6th, 2008 | 04:42 AM
#11
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2004
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Kathie, I'm not sure how long it would take to see ALL intense interest. Furtile ground for sure. But the "average guest" should be able to see and appreciate the major ones in 3-5 days, if they plan thier time right. It was interesting to see some people pouring over almost each stone and others just going a quick scan and then racing back to the tut-tut and on to another place.
May 6th, 2008 | 05:29 AM
#12
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
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Degas, so true. The general guideline (from Dawn Rooney) is that it takes three full days to see just the "major" temples. In a week, we saw (in some detail, and with time to meditate in temples where we were the only visitors) something like 26 temples... but not nearly all of the then-accessible temples. More temples are accessible now than when we visited in 2001.
May 7th, 2008 | 09:31 AM
#13
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,255
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What was your favourite temple? Mine was Bayon. I especially loved the friezes that depicted the life of the Vietnamese boat people who still live on the river in Siem Riep.
It was ironic that my mother, Linda, and I were fascinated with a frieze that showed a mother picking lice from her daughter's hair. That afternoon, we went for a boat ride on the river and around Tonle Sap Lake. We saw a mother picking lice from her daughter's hair on one of the houseboats!!
Did you see the "Churning of the Sea of Milk"?
Thingorjus
It was ironic that my mother, Linda, and I were fascinated with a frieze that showed a mother picking lice from her daughter's hair. That afternoon, we went for a boat ride on the river and around Tonle Sap Lake. We saw a mother picking lice from her daughter's hair on one of the houseboats!!
Did you see the "Churning of the Sea of Milk"?
Thingorjus
May 8th, 2008 | 03:14 PM
#15
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 475
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Degas, where did you go on Tonle Sap lake? we would like to do half-day trip to Kompong Phluck rather than the close-in Chong Knheas (sp).
Am curious to hear what you did and how long it took. We will be there in July when the lake should be larger and we can only get to a remote village by boat.
thanks for your input.
alison
Am curious to hear what you did and how long it took. We will be there in July when the lake should be larger and we can only get to a remote village by boat.
thanks for your input.
alison
