sf7307

We will have 3 full days (4 nights) in Siem Reap. We would like to hire a driver, but not a guide (prefer to visit on our own with a guidebook). Can you please suggest which temples are "must sees" given our time limit? We are staying at La Residence d'Angkor.

Also, since we are arriving in the evening, does it make sense to arrange a driver in advance so we can be "off an running" the first morning?

Kathie

Do you have a copy of Dawn Rooney's book? She will give you a variety of itineraries, with "must-see" temples and will tell you what about each temple is so compelling. Use her book to guide you.

I expect you'll want to get started early in the morning. You can ask your hotel to arrange a driver for you when you arrive, or can contact them ahead of time and tell them you'll want a driver there at dawn.

You will want to take full advantage of teh parts of the day that are less hot - early mornings and late afternoons, and will want to be back at your hotel to relax and cool off at mid-day.

sf7307

Thanks as always Kathie - I'm planning to get Dawn's book this weekend.

rhkkmk

drivers are usually easy to find, but i would ask the hotel to get one for me in advance... make sure the car has a/c...

gearsau

Here is a guide :

I have been to the area on four occasions in the past 11 months

To give advise on how to avoid the crowds is impossible. I was there about two weeks ago, and sometimes, the temples are quiet, and , next thing, buses arrive, and 100 people walk in.

Most temples need to be seen a couple of times, because you can miss things. Places like Angkor Wat, Bayon are big, and they always have lots of people there, unless you go at 6:00AM or so.
Definitely go by tuk tuk. I know people go by bike, but, it takes longer, so, you really have less time at the temples. Also, when you travel by tuk tuk, it gives yoou a chance to get some cool air across your body to cool you down.

I never did the small circuit / large circuit thing. I just picked temples and went to them. Of course, I was tring to photograph the interesting temples, and went to the famous ones first

For me the temples with most interest are:

1: Banteay Srei (small temple,35 KM N-E of Siem Reap.Never as crowded.Go in afternoon 3:00PM to 5:00 )
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=0db9bc0645
2: Bayon ( very busy both morning and afternoon)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=cbd6576798
3: Angkor Wat ( always busy, as its the main attraction )
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=45614d5198
4: Preah Khan ( gets crowded , but, not as bad as Ta Prohm )
5: Ta Prohm ( big crowds all the time ) I hate this place because of the stupid tour bus groups.
6: Ta Som ( small temple )
7: Thommanon ( only needs 15 minutes or so)
8: South Gate ( see this in morning when light is best, on way to Bayon)
9: Hall of the Leper King ( in the Angkor Thom park .. see in morning. just up from Bayon)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=da1ad7a01c
10: North Gate ( climb up the wall to see the smiling face on RH side from the inside of the gate )
11: Victory Gate
12: Elephant Walk ( did nothing for me , next to Leper King )
13: Roluos Group ( its about 15 KM east of Siem Reap on road to Phnom Penh. Check out the workshops there. There are also some weaving places there. I saw a nice place that makes cotton scarves there . )

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=84b6dd5b94

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1239983560

14: Banteay Kdei ( only visited this place once..Needs more investigation, around from Ta Prohm)
15: Ta Keo ( temple mountain ...very steep steps)
16: Pre Rup ( similar to above )
17 East Mebon ( similar to abov)

Thats enough for a start. Suggest you get a good guide book and map, because , many of these place are close together,and you can plan an itinerary, so that you do not back track.

Wear good shoes / boots and I always wear gloves which are handy when climbing the temples . Of course, I am carrying 15 kg or more of camera gear with me. Stops the sweat

marmot

There's been quite a lot of discussion on tuktuks vs airconditioned cars. We really liked using tuktuks between the hotel and the Angkor area. The only time we used a car was when we went to Banteay Srei.

We had no problem securing a tuktuk driver outside of La Residence. In fact, the driver we chose at random, whose name is Mi Rith, ended up being our driver over a period of several days. He was charming and non-obtrusive. Even though we did our best to get lost he always found us.

The drivers all know the routine for getting tickets for the temples. The process is quite well organized.

We liked to stay out in the temple area during lunch break and chose to eat in one of touristy restaurants nearby (which was surprisingly good). We found that between 1 to 3 in the afternoon was one of the quietest times at the temples. We understand that drivers like to have a long midday break, but ours didn't seem to mind.

We really benefited by making two visits to Angkor Wat and the Bayon. They are both so overwhelminingly complex that the first visit served as an introduction, the second as an indepth appreciation.

We also really liked Banteay Srei (go early!) Preah Kahn and Ta Prohm.

The important point, to us, was to allot time to sit quietly and observe the changing light on the architecture. We got to know Dawn Rooney's explanations quite well.

silverwool

Another temple to consider is Beng Mealea. Its 55 kms out of Siem Reap and there are not many tourists there. Its very overgrown and you need to be reasonably active to negotiate it. I was with a 75 year old on my last visit and she loved it so its not to bad.

Another thing to consider is dawn at Angkor Wat. Its a bit of a circus but a lot of people go for breakfast afterwards which is a good time to explore Angkor.

I also prefer a tuk tuk as you don't get the extremes of temperature. I usually leave SR at about 6.30 in the morning.

Its a great place, enjoy it.

gearsau

Silverwool.
I was in Siem Reap in January. I had previously been there in July and August, 2010.
I did go to Beng Mealea in August and enjoyed it.
However, my regular Tuk Tuk driver said that at present its dry season, and Beng Mealea isnt at all scenic, compared to what its like in the rainy season.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=5e6ab957d0

I prefer Banteay Srei in the afternoon due to the fact that the light is much better on the carvings on the western side.

Kathie

We have all had different experiences. We were there a long time ago -2001. We had Angkor Wat to ourselves right after sunrise - were actually able to do an hour of walking meditation there. Banteay Srei was the only place that was so crowded that we really couldn't enjoy the place. We got some good photos, but we didn't have an experience of the place. We spent time alone in the silence at Ta Som - probably our favorite place. However on our second visit, work had started there. It was unrestored when we first visited several days earlier, and it was unclear if they were just going to stabilize it or restore it.

Go and discover your favorite places!

sf7307

Great great advice. Thank you all so much for your detailed posts.

silverwool

Gearsau, I was there in July also. Our paths may have crossed.

gearsau

Katie,
I only discovered Angkor Wat last year. Well, actually, I saw some books on it when I was doing work in Thailand from 2003 to 2007.
March , 2010 was my first visit for 4 days, 3 of which were at the temples. After I went back to Australia, I realised that I had just scratched the surface,and, went back in July 2010 for 6 days, then on to Phnom Penh for 3 days (2 would have been enough).

I was in Bangkok in August, and decided that I still needed more time at Angkor and went back for 5 days.
I recommend going there in the wet season. From discussions that I have had with various people there, end of September is probably the best time. The place is nice and green, the pools are full of water, and the air is clear.

I was there in January, 2011, and really didnt enjoy it as much. Too dry and dusty.

Regarding Banteay Srei, I have been there on 5 occasions, Once in the morning (a bit late), and all the others have been in the afternoon. Its at its best from 3:00PM to 5:00PM. The crowds were OK then.

Possibly the worst places for crowds now,is Angkor Wat in afternon, Bayon and Ta Prohm.
Ta prohm just becomes a circus, especially in the area that I call " The Angelina Jolie Door". The bus tour groups all congregate there, and line up to have their photos taken in front of the door. There may be a 1 minute break, and the next group comes through..crazy place .

They have wooden walkways down there now, and ropes,so, its a lot different to when you were there in 2001.
Check out the photos to see.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=c9617d96c0

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...0&l=67072537dc

gearsau

Silverwool

Maybe..I think I saw you in a tuk tuk

dgunbug

We hired a guide and driver to see the temple complexes, but in retrospect, I would have been much happier with a tuk tuk and more time to take in the breath taking temples on our own. We felt that the guide provided too much information and droned on endlessly at times. While my husband walked away to take pictures, I almost felt obligated to listen to all that the guide said. Most of it, while interesting, was quickly forgotten. We were dissuaded by many on this forum from taking a tuk tuk as it was suggested that the roads are dusty and the weather oppressively hot, however, the times that we spent on the tuk tuks were our most memorable. We drove out to Tonkle Lake on a tuk tuk and just loved it.

sf7307

dgunbug, we had that same experience in Egypt -- too much information!!