touschez

Would like to go to Siem Reap and the other temples. Is this a very rugged trip? Are there a lot of stairs to climb or steep hills? do you walk on paths or is it rough terrain?

Thanks so much for your input.

marmot

Visiting Angkor and the surrounding areas is not a particularly physically demanding trip.

Access to the temples doesn't involve a lot of walking and the entrances are level and mostly paved. Inside the temples themselves you do get uneven pavement and wobbly stones. But if you go slowly and wear proper footwear you'll be okay.

Getting to the top of some of the sites involves climbing steep stairways, but I think you could minimize this. I don't remember any especially steep hills.

To the tropical heat and sun exposure, most people visit temples in the early morning and late afternoon and rest at their hotels midday.

touschez

Thanks so much! Just what I wanted to hear. Any advice about when to go. We were thinking april.

offwego

April is the hottest month of the year. Even the locals don't go out.

rhkkmk

the heat is the most difficult problem.. you can avoid climbing about 90% of the time.. no problem... good shoes a must

lcuy

My favorite time of the year is September. Even though it can be rainy --usually in the late afternoon or evening-- the rain cools the air and everything is green and lush. The locals will be planting their rice.

January/ February are dry and cooler. April is dusty, hot & muggy and all the fields are harvested and brown. Last year I went in late Feb/March and had really pleasant weather.

Other than the heat, the Angkor temples are pretty easy to navigate. You can see a lot of the temples without climbing stairs. If you have a driver, they will drop you right at the entrances and wait for you there (or at a different exit if you want).

The town itself is small and has lots of great places to eat. Tuk tuk rides are only a couple of Dollar, so it is cheap to get around if walking is a problem.