Cambodia, Angkor Wat sightseeing logistics.
 

Have read about sights in Dawn Rooney's book. Have three days in Siem Reap but only want to visit Temples on the first two days. I would like to visit Tonle Sap and participate in an adventure activity on the third day.

I was thinking of hiring a guide and driver to visit these sights on the first day:-

Angkor Wat for sunrise then touring the complex.
Ta Prohm
Bayon
Banteay Srei
Phreh Khan.

I am aware that this will be a long touring day. Are these sites doable in a long touring day. I'm thinking of having a long touring day or day 1 and on day 2 I would revisit the sights I would like to spend more time at independently.

Any advice on the temples will be appreciated.

Thanks.

It will be very hot and humid. You will be better off taking a break in the middle of the day. Otherwise you may not want to go anywhere on day 2! You may well find that with Dawn Rooney's book you don't need a guide.

thursdaysd, you make a valid point, if I over do it on day 1 day 2 will be write off.

I should have mentioned in the op that intinally I wasn't planning on hiring a guide. After reading Dawn Rooney's book I am leaning towards hiring a guide. The temple complexes are huge (larger than I intially thought). I envision the temples to be crowded and thought a guide might know some ins and outs that I won't be aware of.

Your driver will be equally useful for that kind of info.

Now I am even more confused, I thought drivers didn't walk around the sights with the tourists. I thought the drivers just drive you from A to B and wait near the vehicle while the tourists are sightseeing.

Now I'm confused, lol. I thought you were asking for a better sequence of visits or less busy entrance. What do you mean by "ins and outs"?

Avoiding crowds at the temples and seeing the important sights within the temple complexes.

Guides may be able to help you avoid crowds. Drivers take you to a temple and pick you up at the same place or at another location. Guides can handle the logistics for this. I've occasionally made arrangements to meet a driver at another location and wasted time looking for him.

Also guides are not expensive, maybe $25 plus a tip for a day.

Not sure what you mean by an adventure activity. I did Flight of the Gibbon (zip lining) and a 25 km bike ride through the countryside on my last trip. I'd recommend both of them. You can book both of them (and other adventure type activities) at the travel place at the end of the Passage nearest to Sivatha St. (Unique Adventures maybe?) I also enjoyed a visit to Phare, the Cambodian circus. Maybe I'm just a kid at heart!

I just reread your email and had a couple more thoughts. The Bayon is within Angkor Thom and there are several other temples near by which are worth a look. I particularly enjoyed Tanae temple between Ta Phrom and the Flight of the Gibbon. Its a small deserted place, a bit like Beng Melea in that its falling down and with trees growing up through it like Ta Prohm.

We visited the Angkor complex twice. The first time about 12 years ago using a guide and driver ($25 each per day). Our guide then employed the usual mentor of leaving early, taking a break in the middle of the day and returning mid to late afternoon. Back then the sites were nowhere near as busy as they are now! The main advantages of adopting that approach are that it is a) the heat is less oppressive and, b) the light is better for taking photographs.

The second time we visited we hired a tuk tuk driver who, although not a guide and speaking only basic English, he knew all the sites very well. On the first day, we arrived at Angkor Wat at dawn to take the classic sunrise shots but were beaten there by around 500 plus other people( on out previous trip there we maybe 5-10 people. This level of overcrowding was to be repeated for the many of the main sights for the remainder of that day. The next day we agreed to leave later and visit at different times almost a sort of contra cyclical approach, moving against the crowds and at less popular times. This proved much more enjoyable as we missed the crowds ( particularly the the Chinese bus groups who employed guides with megaphones! and, who seemed intent on standing in frompnt of every photo I tried to take! He also took us to a number of smaller sites that we had not heard of and would probably have not otherwise have found.

The disadvantages of the latter approach are that the light is not as good for photography in the middle of the day, it is a lot hotter and you don't have the luxury of jumping back into an aircon car very now and again. Personally, the heat didn't bother me that much and I quite enjoyed the breeze in the tuk tuk as we drove between places.

We are all different in what we are looking for. SO read the responses in light of whether that particular approach would work for you.

We used only a driver, not a guide, using Dawn Rooney's book as needed. Our driver was able to give advice about the order of places to visit in an effort to avoid crowds. He also knew about the various entrances to temples, and we followed some of Dawn Rooney's advice about entering on one side and exiting on another.

Consider your tolerance for heat in choosing how to visit as well. We appreciated being able to step into air conditioning between temples. Other feel they do better with a tuk-tuk, as they are bothered by going from heat to cool to heat. It will be very hot at mid-day and the direct sun mean you won't get good photos, so consider this in your planning.

Also, note that for Cambodians, the mid-day meal is the main meal of the day so if you tour through the day, please make allowances for your driver to eat.

Even within the "Grand Circuit" area there are less visited temples. Our favorite was Ta Som, and we twice spent time there alone in the quiet, with the tumbled stones.

I'd also recommend that rather than going rapidly though the temples then re-visiting, set it up so you have a good experience each temple you visit. You don't have to take a lot of time each place, go at your own pace. If you go too fast they will all seem the same, slow down enough to experience the unique aspects of each temple.

Three days is enough time to visit all of the major temples at a very reasonable pace. Look at some of Dawn Rooney's sample itineraries.

Thanks for the replies.

The replies confirm that a guide would suit my travel style best. I don't see myself reading Dawn Rooneys book at the sights to obtain information. Would rather have a guide cover the basis and then wonder around the sights on my own.

Is it easy to hire a good guide when I am in SR? I have emailed some guides with a gerneral enquiry intially asking what itinerary do they suggest for the sights. If I get a satisfactory reply I then ask questions about the proposed itinerary and whether they are available on my travel date for tourings. The replies I have received are overwhelming, some go on about airport transfers, accommodation, entrance requirements for Cambodia, etc. All that I am inquiring about is one day of touring and the guides give me the impression that they want me to book my entire SR itinerary with them.

Two guides replied to my "thank you for your email, I will contact you if I'd to make a reservation" reply with similar emails stating I need to book right now somebody else might book me for the same day. Needless to say, I'll be taking my business elsewhere. Very annoying. I suppose the touts are going to prey on me when I visit SR.

Any suggestions about hiring a guide? What to ask about, here is what I can think of:- the itinerary, type of vehicle, touring hours.

I am debating if I should set up a private guide in advance or if I should wait until I arrive in SR.

Reread some of the emails I have received as well as this thread.

Some more things come to mind, I like Kathie's suggestion to visit the temples at a slower pace.

Some guides have suggested I visit the sights I list in the op over two days. All of the guides who suggest a two day itinerary have a portion of the the itinerary scheduled as shopping stops for an afternoon or both afternoons.

Here's one comment that threw me off............a guide tells me I must walk fast with him at the sights. Lol, I'm signing up for a tour, not boot camp. Makes me wonder if he just wants to rush through the sights and then visit the stores for shopping.

I do understand that the guides aren't native English speakers but I am certain I am not misinterpreting some of the wierd comments I have read in the emails.

What type of adventure activity am I interested in? Zip linning, atvs, motos and dune buggies. Unfortunately, I will only have time for one of these activities, weather permitting.

What is the better time of day to visit Angkor Wat? In the morning after sunrise? Or in the afternoon towards the end of the touring day? Would like to avoid the crowds as best as possible.

"Chinese bus groups who employed guides with megaphones!"

"Zip linning, atvs, motos and dune buggies"

Sounds like I would hardly recognize the place. Just realized it is almost ten years since my last visit. Glad I don't need to go back! I had a guide my first visit but I don't know that he added a whole lot, I much preferred wandering around on my own (Dawn Rooney in hand). But YMMV. If you have picked a place to stay I am sure they can recommend a guide, or is Ponheary still guiding?

Why didn't I visit Angkor earlier? Always had it on the agenda but it just didn't happen, I get the impression it's very commercialized and for me that will take away from my enjoyment of the place.

thursdaysd, do you have Ponheary's email address.

"thursdaysd, do you have Ponheary's email address."

No, but I'm sure someone else on the board does.

Thanks for the reply, thursdaysd.

Ponheary was still working as a tourist guide as of last winter when she gave a talk in NYC. I am quite sure that she is still working, if not she can assign someone good for you. She is an amazing person, I learn alot from listening to her. You will be so fortunate to have her as a guide. I think she can arrange what you need for you.

This is her foundation:http://theplf.org/wp/

Your money is going to a good cause. Be generous.

mohan and Hanuman, thank you for the links. I looked at the website but there is no mention of tour guiding. I have sent an email to her to inquire about a tour. Will report back when I hear from her.

I appreciate everybodies help, my head has been spinning reading about the crowds at sights and some of the comments I have received in the emails from private guides.