extra time in angkor wat or add hong kong
 

We're thinking of a spending a week in Bangkok, then going to Angkor Wat. We could spend four nights there, then 2 nights in Hong Kong or we could take the extra nights in Angkor Wat. We like to see things on the slow side and also like to spend some down time each day, so I'm not sure we'll feel satisfied with 4 nights but it also sounds like a great chance to spend some time in Hong Kong. Thanks for advise.

Personally, 4 days at Angkor Wat would be plenty for me. I enjoy archeology, history,etc but after 3-4 days I would be "templed out".
2 days in Hong Kong would be just enough time to get a small taste of the city, and would be a great counter-point to time in Cambodia.

Add Hong Kong if you have not seen it.

We're all different. While I always enjoy Hong Kong, Angkor is unique and development is changing it rapidly. If you are especially interested in Buddhism, Buddhist arts, Architecture, or Archaeology, 4 days won't be nearly enough! We spent a week and certainly could have used more time.

Also, while in Siem Reap consider visiting a school and donating breakfast or supplies or ??. Take a look at www.theplf.org

Only you can figure out how much time you need at Angkor. Do your research. If you don't already have Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor, buy it (I think the most recent edition is 2006). You are also welcome to take a look at our Angkor photos, www.marlandc.com

We spent a week there and saw, I think, 26 of the temples. There are many more we did not have time to see.

4 in SR is perfect i fell, unless you are a huge fan

HK is not to be missed!!

Thanks for all of your input. It's very helpful.

Hmm, a tough one. Unless you have done a lot of reading and understand what you are looking it, I would tend to say that 4 days may be a lot of seeing the temple areas. Hindu and Buddhist art is a dense subject that can become too much after a while. I also tend to think that 2 days in Hong Kong is going to be a bit rushed. Much as I love Bangkok, 7 days there and then only 2 in Hong Kong may be a bit lopsided. Can you do 3 days Ankor Wat, 6 days Bangkok and 4 days Hong Kong? That might give you a nice balance to all.

Ankor Wat was conceived and built as a <i> Hindu</i> temple, so I am a little confused by the above post which only refers to Buddhism. While it later became a Buddhist temple, and some of its architectural the influences show up in later Buddhist Khymer art, the main temple is dedicated to Vishnu and is laid out as a representation of Mt Meru,the home of the Hindu gods. There is some Hindu art remaining (esp statues of Shiva in the entranceways, as well as those of Brahma and Shiva lingams scattered in places), although much was destroyed when the temple complex was converted to Buddhism. In any case, to understand the complex, it is really helpful to have an understanding of the Hindu and Buddhist religions, and how these religions are represented in art (i.e., why Shiva has a trident in his hand, the difference between a bodhisattva and a Buddha, etc.). An understanding of the basic story of the Ramayana is also helpful (this also shows up at places like the Grand Palace in Bangkok which has some lovely murals.) If any of this makes your eyes glaze over, then 3- 4 days at Ankor Wat may be too much and maybe you could cut your itinerary further.

Given the choice of extra time in SR or add two nights to H.K. then I recommend adding time to SR. That is unless you have a strong desire to visit H.K. and won't have another opportunity to visit there soon. Two nights in H.K. is not enough, imo.

OTOH, one night might be better than none at all. Two nights means just one full day there.

Three nights in SR would be good, esp. if you get there from BKK in the morning and have a good part of the first day.

Cicerone, you are quite right about both Hindu and Buddhist art in the temples at Angkor. It can be confusing, as some of the temples were built as Hindu and later converted to Buddhist temples, and vice versa. Of course, there has long been a lot of cross-pollination between Hinduism and Buddhism.

I admit to mentioning Buddhism because it is a special interest of mine, but it is appropriate to point out the Hindu influences.

After spending almost 2 full days seeing the various temples of Angkor Wat we were totally glazed over. I really liked it and really liked Siem Reap but I think you'd be happy with 3 full days there unless there are lots of other things you want to do besides temple hopping such as visiting other parts of the countryside. Take the extra time in HK.

Some write about becoming &quot;templed out&quot; after a few days in Siem Reap while others of us have quite the opposite experience. The best that we can do for you, I suppose, is describe our own experiences so that you can read them and decide what resonates with your own style.


We spent four or five nights in SR two years ago. It was our first trip to Cambodia. I originally thought that we would split each of the four or five (I forget) full days between visiting temples and relaxing/reading by our hotel's beautiful pool. As it turned out for us, visiting the temples was so enthralling that we never once went in the swimming pool. The temples, Tonle Sap, and all were an extraordinary experience. We easily could have spent more time there, not less. If you really do like to &quot;see things on the slow side&quot; as you said, I would strongly caution you not to cut short your time in SR. If you are one of those people who finds SR magical, you won't want to leave. Four nights, as you propose, is certainly reasonable though -- I just wouldn't shave any time off that base.

Part of the success of our trip was hiring Dara Ly as a guide, by the way.

I write as someone who also loves Hong Kong. After three visits totaling about a month's time in Hong Kong, I am beginning to get to know it and hope to spend more time there. What a wonderfully stimulating city.

Your decision rests in part on what you plan to do while in Bangkok. Something has led you to decide to spend fully half of your vacation time there. Perhaps you need time to recover from a long trip, perhaps you wish to have clothing made, perhaps you just love cities...How you spend your second week depends on your preferences.

we just spent 3 nights (almost 4 days) in Siem Reap and I think 4 nights would be perfect.
If you think of days as having &quot;slots&quot; to see the temples, you have morning and afternoon slots each day.

I saw temples for 4 of the slots, including a school visit with Ponheary. My boyfriend added an extra slot for more temple viewing with Dara and he could have been happy seeing even more temples.

On our last day we visited the remote village of Kamphong Phluck, which took from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (could vary depending on water level)
This was a highlight and added to the experience for me.

I spent time by the pool or wandering Siem Reap during the mid-day breaks. Did not feel rushed at all.

I was in HK a few years ago for only 2 days and felt that I saw a lot in a very short time.

I would vote for HK and SR, but schedule your flight times in a way to maximize your time in both places.

I will be posting my Siem Reap trip report very soon (working on the Vietnam portion now).

I've never been to Angkor Wat, but as a HK native I STRONGLY recommend HK! There is so much to do, and I guarantee that after spending 2 nights in HK, you'll definitely want to go back for more! :)

If it was me and it is not I would suggest the following:
Bangkok 5 nights

Phnom Penn (cheap flight on Air Asia) 1 night

Taxi to Siem Reap for 4 nights. If you get templed out take a trip to the floating village at either Kamphong Phluck 30kms outside of SR or Kompong Khleang which is 60 kms. Forget the one most tourist go to Chong Khneas which is best avoided.

Hong Kong 3 nights

I think this thread is a good example of how different people are! I guess if I had to sum up how to make this decision, I'd say
Know thyself
Know thy destination

With that, you should be able to figure out what is best for you.

Kathie you are so right. I was about to reply to this a couple of times with my tale of 10 nights in Siem Reap were not too much for us &amp; we would happily go back. We are all different all have different passions &amp; that is what helps make this forum so valuable &amp; the world so facinating. ilanit read read read &amp; go with what your heart tells you.
Happy &amp; safe travels
J

I would add Hong Kong.

Kathie puts its best- you have to know yourself. For us - we could do maybe a couple of hours of temples then we are templed out and would need to move on. For others its days and days and they can't get enough!.