Is hot, hot, hot and humid a description of the temperature in late December too? Do all the tours / tour guides usually take time out mid day? Is it too hot to meander around town then ? Is an accommodation with AC a ' must '? I'm a guest house traveler, not hotel traveler.

Yes, siem reap is one of those places which is hot and humid all year round I'm afraid. I went in August and Feb and weather was better in Feb but still HOT. Tour guides will enoucrage you to get an early Am eg 7:30 start and be back in your room between 11:30 and 3 then start again. It is hot to meander around the town - which is quite small - but is doable as there is more shade than there is at the temples.

i agree with hobbles....it is very hot all the time...no rain in dec however...

the town is boring, but you should take a look....there are a couple of places to eat or have a drink that are nice like red piano...
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i hope you have a driver and guide for your time there...if not you at least must have a driver....he will have an a/c car which allows you to do much more than you would be able to do without it...i would keep that person some of the time during the lunch break as well---like when you want to go into town and wander around...you have to give him a break as well...
not having a car is almost unthinkable to me...you can use motorcycles but......among other things no a/c...

some people keep going from 12-3 and its not a bad idea as there would not be as many people at the sites...you have to have a break however to eat and so does the driver...

I don't know what kind of weather you are accustomed to, but Siem Reap is HOT. I really appreciated the mid-day break for lunch and a rest in my air conditioned room. And, like Bob says, teh air-conditioned car was a real relief!

One day at mid-day, we shopped at bit in town. There is a small handicrafts shop where all the merchandise is made by people injured by landmines. It was an opportunity to buy lots of inexpensive gifts.

The market in town is best visited in the early evening when it is a bit cooler, as it is all open air, and there is little shade.

HOT! We pretty much went all day but it was in 92 0r 93 -- roads were awful and there wasn't much else to do. We survived but it was truly HOT!

we did not find the roads bad at all..interesting...

Dec 23-26 2003 was dry and hot but not uncomfortable except around midday to around 3 pm. Most visitors go out early and come back to their hotel for a rest or swim then return to Angkor around 4 pm. At midday we did not feel inclined to amble around.

We ate out for dinner every night in fan cooled restaurants, but our room had air cond. We stayed at Ponloeu Angor Siem Reap Village at 3 St Preah Siwatha. A lovely family run guesthouse for around US20 for 2. Good luck.

Thanks everyone. I've been out of state on family visits and came back to responses. I got the hot picture.

What do the tour guides / drivers do when we're taking our few hour break? AND, If I can tolerate the heat and attempt to wander with the guide after the morning tour, what is lunch protocol relating to the guide?

Did you wear long pants or shorts on temple days? walking shoe ( hot) or Teva type sandel?

The driver and guide go home and rest and have lunch just like you do. If I were inclined to stay out by the temples during the day, I'd treat my guide to lunch. It's very inexpsensive and is a nice gesture.

I wore long, light pants and closed-toed shoes. Climbing the temples I wanted to have my feet protected. (I wore Merrill Jungle Mocs.) Some people do wear Tevas, but it depends on you. I actually saw a couple of people wearing plastic flip flops and they looked very uncomfortable. I find long light pants cooler in such direct sun. I wanted as much of myself covered as possible! (You'll also appreciate having a hat.)