What to do on day of arrival into Siem Reap?
 

We arrive about 10am (March 20) , the day before our traveling companions who arrive at midday the next day. I presume by the time we clear customs get to the hotel etc we will be ready for a walk (longish flight from Australia via Singapore) and lunch. Any suggestion on a nice 'stroll', is it nice along the river, things to look at etc and somewhere 'great' for our first meal in Camobodia.

We are staying at the Golden Temple Hotel, I've also sent an email off to Touich restaurant for our first dinner.

So excited.

Yum. I love Touich! Make certain your driver knows where it is before you head out though!

thanks lcuy, yep will do but I have also requested their jeep pickup........how fun does that sound? Also just mapped out Cuisine Wat Damnak, 500m from our hotel, yay.

I really wouldn't get too anal about that first day, aussie. You will be a bit spun out after the flights, remember. I'm assuming you're leaving your temple sightseeing till the next day? But did you know that you could whip out to Angkor for sunset on the first day for nix? Just go after 5.00 p.m and buy your three day pass and you'll get that first evening for free. It might be a buzz to just grab a tuk-tuk, zoom out and catch a glimpse before the sun goes down. Don't clamber up that bloody hill, whatever you do - it's tourist hell.

As for Siem Reap town - it ain't rocket science. Small but intense. Relaxed. Easy. Fun. Don't give money to the kids. Just grab a tuk tuk, zoom into town {$1.00 - $2 for you] and just walk around. Let somebody massage your feet - or head inside for an oilier, rather more personal experience. Remember, when your massage involves cream or oil, it also involves you lying stark-bollock naked while agile fingers smoothe out your wrinkles. lol.

There are million places to eat. No, a kazillion. You can feed yourself very well for $4. Highly recommended Italian is 'Il Forno' in a side alley off Pub Street. How do I know this?

Well, I'm in Siem Reap right now.

Awesome dogster, great advice! How's the weather?

Hot but not overwhelming - don't bring jeans. It'll be hotter in a month.

Another clue - on your map you'll see Pub Street. This is one place you don't need to go. lol. Full of tourists [well, everywhere is full of tourists but Pub Street seems to attract more bogans]. Running parallel is an alley - I've never really known the name - maybe 'The Passage' - dunno. Wander along there for better vibe and eats.

The other thing worth knowing is that every shop in every market, night or day, sells <i>exactly</i> the same thing: Cambocrap. You'll doubtless buy a suitcase full. lol lol lol.

You don't need local money <i>at all</i>. Everything is priced in US $$. ATM's dispense US$$.

Great stuff, also going north in Vietnam up into sapa, so may need those jeans !!!

We will be there at the end of March so not expecting to need jeans at all ! :)

Make sure you go to the market in Sapa. And hike along the tribe villages.

I agree with Dogster. Food, massage, wander around and go out to Angkor for a quick look in the evening. I thought Cuisine Wat Damnak was great. To get your taste buds in the mood, have a look at:
http://chefsandwich.blogspot.com.au/...r-fish-to.html

Enjoy Cambodia.

We had good meals at Viroth's on Wat Bo Street, Chamkar (excellent vegetarian, highly recommended) along The Passage in central Siem Reap, and Il Forno (though it may be too early in your trip to be tired of Asian food). The streetside bars along Pub Street are fun, especially at happy hour. We tried to go to Cuisine Wat Damnak but didn't have its precise location. The tuk-tuk drivers outside the Golden Temple Hotel hadn't heard of it and so didn't know where it was (which we found out after driving around for 20 minutes and ending up back at the hotel!). So do make sure you can tell them where to go for that one.

When we were there in November the Golden Temple offered a free one-hour massage for each of us, in the hotel's massage room next to the pool--it was very nice (I was surprised, though, that we were handed pajamas and the massage was done with them on). That would be relaxing for you after a long flight. On our first afternoon we took a walk to the Artisans d'Angkor workshops in town--very interesting (and enabled us to skip that standard offering from our tour guide during his 3-day tour).

Then there's always the pool after a hot walk into town...

All these 'eating/drinking' suggestions are being duely noted. <b>aprillilacs</b>, they've sent me a map to hand to the tuk tuk driver but unless my google mapping skills are way off, it appears its only 500m from the Golden Temple, behind the high school, so we were hoping to walk?

They are still offering the free massages so quite looking forward to that. And I'm sure the pool will get quite a work out.

Thanks all.

Wise to book for Cuisine Wat Damnak.

Just booked it !!

Did you, very cool! What about Touich? They've been great, emailed me today and offered the jeep pick up, so excited. Love to know your exact itinerary, maybe email or Facebook?

March 9 to Singapore, arrive Hanoi 10th.
3 nights Hanoi, two nights Halong Bay, another night Hanoi.
Fly to Hue 2 nights,drive to Hoi An 3 nights.
Fly to HCMC,2 nights, cruise up Mekong 2 nights.
2 Nights PP, drive to SP, 4 nights.
depart SP for Singapore and home.

Touichi next on the list !

Sounds great!

Sounds like a great itinerary! Have fun!

Great itinerary. Have fun. By the way, when we were in siem reap we did stroll along the riverfront just behind the town center to see the Cambodians and their homes. It was interesting to see their stilt houses and to watch the people bathing and playing in the river. We have wonderful pictures from our walk.