Lindsey

As for restaurants....we tried La Noria one night. Good food and service, but we had a hassle when it was time to pay the check. All the guidebooks said they take credit cards, so we did not bring much cash with us. They tried to tell us they did not accept Visa, but when we said it was that or nothing, they grudgingly decided to take it and add a 5% service charge.<BR>Red Piano was another night. Good food and fun funky atmosphere. Extremely reasonable pricing. there was a really nice internet cafe right next door, with email access for $US1 per hour.<BR>Our splurge night, we ate at the Grand Hotel (Raffles). The buffet was absolutely decadent in the choices of lamb, beef, seafood, salads, desserts, etc. and I thought a very good value at US$22++ per person.<BR>The trip out on the lake is not something I would recommend for everyone, but I found it very interesting. Since it is dry season and the water is very low, we had to drive a long way on a very rough dirt track to get to the boat. The smells are pretty strong and the poverty is extreme. But the lake is an extremely important part of life in Cambodia and the fishing villages are home to hundreds of thousands of people. If you are interested in understanding how Cambodian people work and live, you should put it on your need-to-see list.<BR><BR>This is getting way too long, so I am signing off. Please post here if you have any questions about our trip.

fate_golfman

Hi Lindsey,<BR>Thanks for the info. We (wife and 12 year old daughter) will be there in 2 weeks. Questions: How were the people reacting to the SARS outbreak? Are there any ATM's in Seam Reap? How about getting visas at the airport (we're American citizens). <BR>Regards.

Lindsey

Hi,<BR>Since no cases of SARS have been reported in Cambodia, there was not much discussion about it. They are aware of it, but not worried. <BR><BR>There are no ATMs in Siem Riep, but there are several banks where you can get an advance on a VISA card if you run short of cash. Everything runs on $US. Bring small denominations.<BR><BR>We are also Americans and had no problem getting visas at the airport. Be sure to take $20 per person and a passport photo. The whole process took about 10 minutes. One nice surprise is that there was no charge for the visa for our 10 year old. She was also allowed to enter the temple areas without the $40 pass that we had to buy. Her departure tax was only $7, compared to the adult fee of $15. So that put a little extra money back in our budget. Unfortunately I think the cutoff in age is 12, so I think your daughter will be counted as an adult.

Marilyn

Hi Lindsey -- We took a leisurely, late afternoon boat ride on the Tonle Sap and it was one of the highlights of the trip. This was in December, so the lake was high. It was beautiful, the people we saw were fishing and looked far less poverty-stricken than much of what we saw on land. Interesting difference, huh?

rhkkmk

my only comment on the visa is that we had ours before arrival (got from embasey in DC--takes a couple of weeks, but also available in bangkok)...we went right through immigration upon arrival while others qued up for processing...some took quite a long time and there was no a/c...<BR><BR>have a couple of pictures of each of you with you as you need one for the entrance pass for the temples and if you have it it makes things quicker...they are available all over bkk if you don't have time before you leave home...<BR><BR>lindsey i loved your report...we had a drink at raffles...wish we had seen the buffet....we loved la noria....paid in cash i guess....<BR><BR>FATE G---very important to bring american cash....i took 100's, 50's 20's 10's 5's and 1's...used 50's for guide, 10 &amp; 20's for meals, a few fives and a few 1's....make sure you have a guide as noted above...saves lots of time and get an a/c car to cool off in between stops..