Hi--
I'll be in Siem Reap from March 31-April 3, travelling alone. Do any of you have recomendations for hotels under $50? Also, i'd like to get a guide, but, given the prices i've seen quoted on this forum, that would get expensive really quickly--are there any small group tours you'd recommend? Alternatively, is it easy to join up with other travellers and share a guide? Thanks!

For hotels, the Bopha Angkor is under $50, and I'm not the only one here who feels it's really good value for money. However, don't go with the cheapest rooms, which are noisy. Get one of the 'poolside' rooms which are furthest away from the street.

When asking around, I found that everybody charged exactly the same for guides and drivers, even when people thought they had 'negotiated' a good rate! A tuk-tuk will set you back $15 a day. A car with driver, $25. Add a guide and you're up to $45 per day.

Having done Angkor with and without a guide, I have to say that a guide is definitely worth the money. The whole reason I stayed at the Bopha last time was so that I had enough room in my budget for a guide.

Joining up with others does not seem to be a reasonable options, since everyone is on a different schedule. It would be rather risky to assume you could find someone on arrival.

Also keep in mind that while guides, drivers, etc. are rather 'expensive', you'll be hard pressed to spend more than $10 on a meal.

Funny, we arrive in Siem Reap March 31st also, flying in n Air Asia.

Were staying thru the 6th though.

Ponheary, besides being a well respected guide, also runs a 12 room or so guesthouse, which is where were staying, but I may try to make this visit a little work related.perhaps do a litt web work there.

Mark-

Hi, we stayed at the Auberge Mont Royal for 30$ a night. The room was simple, but the hotel is lovely and quiet and the pool is perfect (absolutely needed in the middle of the day). Location is convenient to the central market and restaurants.

We had a great guide named Nok Katchel. I would have to find his card to get his contact info but meeting him was the highlight of our time in Siem Reap. Not only incredibly knowledgeable about the temples, but extremely kind and interesting, and he speaks excellent English. Everyone on this board recommends Ponheary and her family... but if they are booked you might try Katchel. I'll dig up his info and post later. -Amy

Another option is to stay at Phuket Hostal for $15 USD a night and spend the money on a guide, driver or both.

We actully stayed at the Auberge Mont Royal and it is very nice but while we were in Siem Reap having a great Thai lunch at Phuket Hostal, I asked to see the rooms.

The manager took me to view two of the rooms. One was a HUGE room with air conditioning and a private bath and I think it was $15 a night. I can't remember what the other room was because it had a shared bath and I wasn't interested.

Although the rooms are very basic, they are clean and roomy and you can't beat the price and location! Ask for a room in the back so it is a bit more quiet. I may be returning to SE Asia again this year and I would stay at Phuket Hostal in a heartbeat!

A great site for researching SE Asia is www.travelfish.org. I stayed in many of the places recommended on this site during my two trips to SE Asia last year to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Cheers!

Raquel, our itinerary includes Koh Ker on April 1, then Angor the 2nd-4th, with one of those days going to Kbal Spean area. If you are interested in sharing a car/guide for several of those days with us, you are welcome to, we can just split those few days 3 ways if you would like.

We like to travel pretty fast though...unless my mother sees birds, in which case we might stay in one spot for 15-30 minutes.

Thanks for all the ideas. Zengeos, i may be in touch once i've got my itinerary nailed down...

Contact info for Katchhel:
[email protected]

-Amy

Just got back from Siem Reap. We stayed at the Anchor Palace resort and Spa and it was very nice, not in the price range you are looking for but a good value in a nicer hotel.

My comment about the guide is that there are no guides at the Anchor wat area. You must set up the official guides in town. We did not do this and we missed out. FYI.

We stayed in a place called the Red Piano. Great location. Geert is the owner. He arranged for us a driver and guide while we were there. Definitely include Beng Melia as a place to see when you are there..

We travelled in January with an excellent driver: Dino (e-mail: "[email protected]" of phone + (855)129 144 42 ). He speaks very good english, is polite and has aircon in his car. He also knows the back exits from most temples, so you don't have to walk back, he will be waiting for you there!

Our experience with a guide was very bad, although it was an official guide. He arrived too late, needed constant stops for food and didn't want to work between 12 and 3 o'clock! Too hot, he said! We dumped him during the day.

I just got back from Siem Reap; I was there for three days and stayed at the Bopha Angkor two weeks ago. It was very nice, with a pool and restaurant and had breakfast included for about $50 a night. I had Dara and a driver the entire time. If I had to do it again, I would not have a guide all three days. You kinda do what they want. It would have been plenty to have him for one day, map it out in advance what you want to see and then do the rest on your own. Most of the temples are all together and there are tuk tuks everywhere. I didn’t like being on a schedule, even though there were only two of us, so next time will be more on our own with a good book to tell us what we don’t get from the one day guide.
Have fun, its really hot, wear cotton.

Kaatje- the "siesta" is the norm in Siem Reap. tour from 8am to 12:30 or 1, then again from 3ish to 6 or 7.

Cambodians eat their main meal at lunch, and don't have a big breakfast. Our guide (who was terrific, and followed our pace and sugestions) said he felt sorry for guides who weren't allowed to go home for lunch as they got very hungry!

We liked it too...back to the hotel for lunch, a swim, and a nap in the heat of the day, then off again!

of course, since if your guide arrived late and stopped for food all morning, it sounds like you had more than just a cultural misunderstanding!