In the northwest of Cambodia, there is the small town of Siem Reap, the country’s premier tourist destination and the gateway to the iconic temples of Angkor.
The best area to stay in Siem Reap is the city center, where you can find the French Quarter, famous for its colonial architecture and Chinese style, the Old Central Market has become one of the busiest places to do your shopping, Pub Street, the area of restaurants and bars where the nightlife of the city and a wide range of hotels that offer comfort and the best experience in town.
Enjoy your stay at Siem Reap, a magical corner of the world full of multiple options for relaxation, culture and entertainment.
If you are interested in knowing where to sleep at Siem Reap , you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in Phnom Penh, where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City and where to stay in Yangon.
Siem Reap Center, the best area to stay
Siem Reap is the capital of the Siem Reap province and is located in the center of the province along National Highway 6 which links the capital, Phnom Penh and Kompung Thom with Sisophon.It is located in the northwest of Cambodia, and is the gateway to the famous temples of Angkor.it is a very popular tourist destination, which offers a wide variety of accommodation, restaurants, shops, cafes and pubs.In addition, Siem Reap airport is the second largest airport in Cambodia and the one with the highest passenger traffic in the country, with daily flights to cities such as Phnom Penh and Bangkok.
In the city centre you can find the old French Quarter, which mixes colonial architecture with a Chinese style.In the evening, the Night Market is one of the best places to buy souvenirs, clothes and to taste the typical food, and is very popular from dusk to midnight.
The Siem Reap night centre is located on the street known as Pub Street.This is the area of bars, restaurants and cafes, where tourists, backpackers and locals often enjoy a vibrant nightlife, with bright neon lights, traditional Cambodian music and western music for all tastes and languages.The bars close in the early hours of the morning and the atmosphere continues on the streets until dawn, and of course, in the middle of the party you can enjoy typical snacks such as peeled bats, grilled worms, marinated grasshoppers and a variety of bugs.There are many street vendors who offer you a variety of items from necklaces to cigars and to return to the hotel you can take the traditional tuk-tuk, although during the day you can also go on foot because Siem Reap is a small city. As a curiosity, right at the entrance of the French Quarter, near the river, you can visit the Wat Preah Prom Rath temple, built in 1915.
The main tourist attraction of Siem Reap are the iconic Angkor temples, which take us back to an ancient era, in those times of the Khmer Empire. Millions of travellers from different parts of the world come to Siem Reap to appreciate the magnitude of this construction, which has given the Kingdom of Cambodia a significant growth in tourism.These temples are located 8 km north from the Center, in the ancient sacred city of Angkor, epicenter of the Khmer Empire, which dominated Southeast Asia, from the China Sea to the Bay of Bengal, between the ninth and fifteenth centuries.
You can also go to the banks of the Siem Reap River, which runs through the city and is one of the most beautiful places where you can spend a time of relaxation and rest, away from the hectic pace of the city.There you can take a boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake and appreciate the fishermen’s houseboats that have formed real villages; most of their inhabitants are of Vietnamese origin. The boat ride usually lasts 2 or 3 hours. If you are on the lake, you can also visit the Bird Sanctuary, which is located in a Natural Reserve, a few minutes away from the place.
Other areas to stay at Siem Reap
Charles de Gaulle
This is a safe and quiet area north of the city centre on the Siem Reap River where you can find the famous Angkor National Museum which has recently opened and offers eight galleries in chronological order displaying everyday objects and artefacts from the Angkor era.There are also exhibitions using multimedia devices to give visitors information about the past and cultural traditions of the sacred city, as well as the Royal Gardens, also called the “Gardens of Independence”.It is very privileged because it is the only public garden in the city and it is located near the Siem Reap River and it is characterized by a large display of animal sculptures and small ponds. It is one of the most pleasant and quiet places in the city, ideal for those who seek to escape from the vibrant Center or for those who want to take a break after a night of drinking.In front of the gardens is the Royal Residence.
In the Charles de Gaulle area, luxury hotels and hotels with swimming pools abound, and there is little choice of hostels and bed and breakfasts for those looking for cheap accommodation in Siem Reap.
