With the development of tourism, a tourist infrastructure began to be created in Siem Reap. Today the city has hotels various levels and price category, and 6 km from Siem Reap is located international Airport, the largest in Cambodia.
I visited Cambodia and Siem Reap with my wife in 2011, the country left a very vivid impression.

How to get to Siem Reap

To buy an air ticket at optimal price It is best to use air ticket search systems that include the largest number of airlines and ticket sales agencies.

How to get to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh (Phnom Penh)

Getting from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is not difficult. The easiest way to do this is by bus; travel time is about 6 hours. Phnom Penh does not have a single carrier to Siem Reap; many companies perform this function. You can buy bus tickets to Siem Reap at hotels and guest houses or travel agencies.
There is also an option along the Tonle Sap River, but it is less convenient, but more romantic.

How to get to Siem Reap from Thailand

Many travelers and tourists, while in Thailand, combine a visit to this country with a trip to Cambodia. In most cases, people enter Siem Reap from Pattaya and Bangkok.

How to get to Siem Reap from Bangkok
1.Air flight, in principle, you can fly for around $100. The flight time is about an hour, well, add the road to the airport and you have to be at the airport 2 hours before departure.
2.Taxi prices start at about 3,000 baht and the journey takes about 4 hours.
3.Bus tickets can be bought, for example, on Khao San Road, at any of the travel agencies, of which there are a lot. Alternatively, you can take a government bus from Mo Chit station. Buses depart every half hour, tickets are sold on the ground floor of the station (inside the building) in booth No. 23. The fare is 212 baht. (subject to change).
Road from the border to Siem Reap
From Thailand you will be taken to the border town on the Thai side of Aranyaprathet, on the Cambodian side there will be the city of Poipet. From Aranyaprathet to the Cambodian border you can take a tuk-tuk, the price is about 100-150 baht. There is also a shuttle bus going to the border with the inscription “free”, in quotes. All they need from you, just like tuk-tukers, but they will also take money from you, is to take you to agencies that issue a visa for a certain fee. After passing the checkpoint, you will be “put” on a free bus, which will take you to the bus terminal, from where you will travel the last 160 km to Siem Reap for about $10.
There is an option get from the border to Siem Reap by taxi, the price in 2013 was $30-35, but you'll have to bargain hard.

How to get from Pattaya to Siem Reap
Here are three main ways to do this.
1. By taxi - the easiest way and the most expensive.
2.Order a transfer from a Pattaya travel agency. The price is approximately 500 baht for 2011. Travel time is 3-4 hours. In my opinion this is the best way: price, comfort and effort. A minibus picks you up directly from your hotel.
3. By bus, which departs from the bus station on North Road near Sukhumvit Road. Bus passing from Bangkok ticket price 250 baht. The ticket can be purchased in advance. The bus takes you to the town of Aranyaprathet, bordering Cambodia.
Personally, I ordered a transfer from an agency where a Russian guy worked and he gave us the whole schedule of how and where to go at the border.

We got to Siem Reap from Pattaya by ordering a transfer from one of the travel agencies. On the way we were taken to this cafe. where they offer to obtain a visa to Cambodia “without problems,” but the price is several times higher. In fact, there are no special problems when obtaining a visa at the Cambodian border.

Border between Cambodia and Thailand

Now in Cambodia

How to get to Siem Reap from Vietnam

Siem Reap can be reached by plane from the main cities of Vietnam without transfers. While in Ho Chi Minh City, you can also get to Siem Reap by bus, the journey will take 12-14 hours. Most likely there will be two transfers at the Vietnam-Cambodia border and in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Tickets can be purchased from Ho Chi Minh City travel agencies.

Attractions, what to see and do in Siem Reap

The main attraction of Siem Reap, of course, is Angkor, which is located 6 km from the city itself.

In addition to Angkor, the city has a number of other places worth visiting.
Siem Reap has several interesting temples, which Buddhists call Wat.
is a large and very beautiful temple, which is located almost in the center of Siem Reap.

On the walls at Wat Preah Prom Rath are paintings depicting the life of Buddha.

Reclining Buddha statue at Wat Preah Prom Rath.

This is one of the oldest and most revered temples in the city; paintings from the 19th century have been preserved on its walls.

Wat Bo is one of the oldest and most revered temples in the city. The wat was created in the 18th century and has 19th century paintings on its walls.

12 km. from Siem Reap on a mountain 140 meters high there are ancient ruins of a temple built by Yashovaraman I around the 10th century.

Staircase to Prosat Phnom Kraom.

Ruins of Phnom Krom

Next to the ruins there is a very picturesque small Buddhist temple, and from the mountain itself there are beautiful views of the entire area.

Phnom Kraom Mountain offers views of the entire area.

On Phnom Kraom, you can order a table with champagne or something stronger, which will sit right on the grass, and you will watch the sunset in such a romantic atmosphere.

Angkor National Museum The museum tells the history of Khmer culture and civilization. The museum is very modern and interactive, it has eight halls, each dedicated to a different topic. Opening hours: daily from 8:30 to 18:00. Entry fee is $12.

Cambodia Cultural Village In this theme park-museum, you can get acquainted with the life and life of numerous peoples of Campoja since ancient times. In fact, there are 11 villages in the park belonging to individual cultures living in the Kingdom of Cambodia. In each of the villages you can watch traditional performances, including wedding ceremonies, acrobatic and dance shows, elephant shows, as well as the traditional Apsara dance. There is even a wax museum here that tells the story of historical events and famous personalities, from ancient times to the present. There is a traditional restaurant in the village. The opening hours of the cultural village are from 9:00 to 21:00. Admission is $11, free for children.

War Museum (Siem Reap War Museum) On the Road from Siem Reap to the airport there is a military museum. Large exhibits are displayed in the open air - tanks, helicopters, airplanes, many of which are already overgrown with grass and are not in very good condition. Some of the equipment was most likely moved here after it was hit. Entry to the museum costs $3.

Crocodile farm. Just like in Siem Reap itself, you can buy products made from crocodile leather, only much more expensive. Sellers explain this by guaranteeing that they do not have counterfeits.

Apart from a souvenir shop and enclosures with crocodiles, there is nothing else on the farm.

Siem Reap hotels where to stay

Today in Siem Reap big choice housing for every taste and budget, from 5 to 200 $ per night. To choose a hotel or guest house in the city, it is better to use hotel search systems, which include the largest number of booking agencies. You can use the hotel search form on the website; it includes more than 100 hotel reservation systems, including well-known leaders in this segment booking.com and agoda.com. Before booking a hotel, check its location and what amenities are available.

And in this hotel we lived in a room for two with all amenities, for only $7 per night.

A coconut tree grew right in front of our window.

Transport

There is no public transport as such in Siem Reap. Transport is provided in the form of tuk-tuks and taxis. As elsewhere in Asia, you should bargain, the price can really be reduced several times. A trip within the city will cost 0.5-1 dollar. Most places in the city itself are not difficult to reach on foot, since the city is not big at all. Many hotels rent bicycles from $1 to $5 per day, and some are even free. But don't forget about the heat; if you go cycling, take enough water with you.
For sightseeing, it is better to rent a vehicle for a day or several days. In 2011, I hired a driver in a Japanese car with air conditioning for 3 days and he took us not only to the sights, but also everywhere we wanted, for $95 (for some reason he didn’t bargain). Later I learned that renting a car with a driver for the whole day starts from $25.

Cafe in Siem Reap

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- a provincial town with a population of 140 thousand people, located in the north-west of Cambodia and especially loved by tourists in last years. Interest associated with proximity temple complex Angkor is a famous Khmer landmark. The name of the town literally translates as “Siam is defeated.” Previously, Siam was called Thailand, with which Cambodia has a border of 803 km.

Video: Siem Reap

In the footsteps of the Holy City of Angkor

The history of Siem Reap province is closely intertwined with the Khmer Empire. In ancient times, several of its capitals were located on the territory of the town. In the X-XII centuries, Angkor was considered a large locality, but in the 15th century it was captured and destroyed. The city began to be overgrown with trees, and the jungle hid it from people. But in the middle of the 19th century, European explorers discovered the remains of the buildings.

Angkor is the main reason people go to Siem Reap. From the city to the complex – 8 km. Today Angkor covers an area of ​​200 square meters. km and combines temples, palaces, reservoirs and diversion canals. You can ride an elephant along the roads of the complex - from the South Gate of Angkor Thom to the Bayon Temple. Another way to view buildings is by flying hot-air balloon. Helicopter rides are also available. The flight lasts 20 minutes, and during this time tourists have time to see all the local attractions from above. There are only two helicopters in Siem Reap, which are based at the local airport. Everyone knows about them, and any taxi driver will take you to your destination.

Introduction to Khmer culture

It is curious that until the 20th century, Siem Reap was only a small village. When in 1908 French masters they began to restore the temples of Angkor, the first travelers came here. Since the 90s, a new development took place when the renovated Angkor Wat invited tourists from different countries.

Museums will introduce you to local culture; there are three of them in the city. The main one is the Angkor National Museum, which stores archaeological artifacts. Entrance fee is $12, additional fees apply for photography and videography. Another one is the Military Museum, where various weapons are stored. It was used at the end of the 20th century in Cambodia, during the wars. Among the exhibits are a T-34 tank and a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The entrance fee is cheaper - $5.

The Anti-Personnel Mine Museum is also connected to the war. It was founded by a former Khmer Rouge soldier who later became a sapper. The exhibition is definitely dark, but educational. Visitors are shown a collection of mines and bombs and photographs of victims. This museum is free and relies on voluntary donations.

A visit to the Khmer circus will also be interesting. It exists without clowns and trained dogs. The work of circus performers is united around main goal– show guests Khmer myths and legends, scenes from the life of ordinary people. Performances take place daily at 7:30 p.m. Acrobats, jugglers and other circus artists perform for the audience. It is also worth checking out the Puppet Theater. Every evening the actors show their skills in the city's restaurants - La Noria and Bayonne. After the performance, viewers are offered to purchase the dolls that were used in the show.

Colorful centerpiece

The tourist center of Siem Reap is the Old Market (Psa Chaa) area and the night bazaar, Pub Street. This part is small, but there are bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and massage parlors here. Internet cafes, shopping centers, and spas are open. There is also a corner of the oasis in the center - Royal Park. This is a cozy place near the river. In the green zone there are huge and strange trees, and flying foxes live. There is a Buddhist temple in the Royal Park. Near it they sell flowers and also sell birds, which are usually released immediately into the wild.

Walks around the area

In the vicinity of Siem Reap there are also many interesting places: a ceramics center, a silk farm, a floating village and a 30-meter waterfall. The town is located on two banks of the river of the same name, and just a few kilometers away is the freshwater lake Toplesap, one of the largest in the world. The floating village of Kampong Pluk is located here. All objects are located on the water - markets, cafes, and shops. The only stone building is a Buddhist temple. Another nearby attraction is the 30-meter Phnom Kulen waterfall.

There is also a silk farm near Siem Reap (15 km from the city). Factory tours are free. Guests are shown the entire process of making the most delicate fabric - from raising silkworms to the work of craftswomen. There is a ceramics center in the village, where they will reveal the secrets of creating masterpieces from clay. Master classes are held for visitors, but for a fee - for $15.

Shopping: from grasshoppers to handmade goods

The town's night market is an attraction in itself. It is located in the center, near Pub Street. Until six in the evening the market is “sleeping”, and by 7-8 in the evening there is already a lively trade here. Colorful lights are lit throughout the market. Tourists are offered clothing, food, souvenirs, paintings, jewelry and trinkets. There are massage parlors and live music on site.

The markets also offer local delicacies. Fried and boiled snails, beetles, cockroaches and even grasshoppers - only a gourmet would dare to try this! This product is sold in cups, like our sunflower seeds. The assortment also includes exotic fruits and handicrafts.

The "delicious" side of Siem Reap

Do you want to have a snack after your walk? Not a problem, because Siem Reap has restaurants, pizzerias, and street cafes. The dishes are not very spicy, but sweet due to the use of various sauces. Many establishments provide a cultural program, usually national dances. You can try yourself as a cook - almost every reputable cafe offers master classes on creating Khmer cuisine. Signs on the doors say so.

To try exotic fruits, you don’t even need to go to restaurants. Along the roads, traders with carts beckon to tourists. They offer different fruits - from the usual bananas to strange durians. The latter have a specific smell and are prohibited from being brought into hotels.

Tourist Information

Siem Reap is good to visit at any time of the year. But it is most comfortable to travel during the dry season – from the beginning of winter to March. There are no direct flights from Moscow, so you first need to get to Thailand, Singapore or Seoul, and then fly to Siem Reap. The city is easily accessible by bus from Vietnam or Thailand. A speedboat runs from the capital of Cambodia to the village.

You can get around the streets of Siem Reap by taxi, tuk-tuk or rented bicycle. Renting motorcycles is prohibited by local law. But you can hail a motorcycle taxi - they are popular in Asia. Bicycles for rent (from $2) are offered in hotels, and in some they are even provided for free.

In cafes and hotels you can pick up a guide to the area. It is free and information is updated twice a year. Using it, you can easily create a route or choose accommodation. However, there will be no difficulties with accommodation - there are both budget guesthouses and first-class hotels. Most of the hotels are located in the outskirts of the city, and even from the most distant ones it is easy to get to the center in 20 minutes. When pre-booking, find out whether the accommodation includes transfer from the airport. Most hotels offer this service free of charge.

The local currency is the riel, but almost all transactions here are carried out in dollars. In riel, they mostly give change for small purchases. Visitors note that the town resembles a large village. Siem Reap is quiet, without tourist tinsel. But most residents speak French fluently, which especially amazes tourists.

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Siem Reap is one of the most visited cities in Cambodia. Although the local population is small, only 200 thousand people, this popularity is due to the fact that not far from it there is a popular tourist place - Angkor Wat.

Siem Reap city on the map of Cambodia:

History of the name and the city today

The name of the city was not chosen by chance. Translated from Khmer, “Siem Reap” literally means “Siem is defeated.” The city, founded in 802, was given this name after the troops of the Khmer Empire expelled the Thais from here in the 16th century. Before this event, the city was simply called "Siem".

Active transformation into a resort area began in the 90s of the 20th century. Today it is a popular historical resort, but with a rather weak infrastructure (which is typical for all of Cambodia). Nevertheless, 2 million people from all over the world come here every year for the sake of it.

Sights and excursions of Siem Reap

The city is not the most interesting, and if you try, you can find interesting places. For example:

• Elephant Terrace, which was rebuilt by order of King Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Empire. In this way he honored his powerful elephant army, which was feared by the king's enemies. There is a huge number of sculptural reliefs and statues of these amazing animals.
• Independence Monument — exact copy a similar monument erected in the capital of Cambodia in honor of liberation from French colonization.
• Tonle Sap Lake is the largest body of water in all of Cambodia, although its size is variable and depends on the rainy season. In times of drought, the area of ​​this wonderful place is approximately 3 thousand m2. When it rains, it increases to 16 thousand m2. The fauna presented in the reservoir and its surroundings is impressive: about 850 species of fish, birds, snakes, turtles, etc.
• Mine Museum- one of the most unusual museums in the world. Completely dedicated to mines and the effects of this terrible type of weapon. By the way, 40% of the entrance ticket goes to charity: one half to sponsor the work of sappers, the other half to help those affected by explosions.

Also popular here are such activities as riding elephants or walking through a crocodile farm, visiting fishing villages and rice fields, and flying in a helicopter or hot air balloon around the outskirts of Siem Reap.

For those who cannot live without shopping - this the best place for shopping in Cambodia. There are many shops and stalls throughout the city, and several markets. The most famous and largest are the Old Market, the Central Market and the Night Market.

Well, for lovers of nightlife, a whole street has been built - Pub Street. There are entertainment venues, restaurants, and nightclubs here.

Urban transport

The main form of transport in the city is the tuk-tuk, which is a bike with a carriage attached to it. Such transport carries from 2 to 4 people at a time, depending on the number of seats in it. The fare ranges from $2 to $5 per trip for all passengers.

Another possible variant- this is a bike. It can be rented for independent travel for $15-20 per day. Or you can take a motorcycle taxi with a driver who will take you wherever you need to go for a nominal fee of $1 to $5.

If you want to drive the road yourself, but are afraid to get behind the wheel of a bike, then rent a bike. It will cost from $1 to $3 per day of rental.

There are no buses in the city as such, not even many cars. But it is possible to rent an old Toyota Camry with a driver to help you get to the temple area, lake or other cities. It will cost $6-$8.

Cheap hotels in Siem Reap

There are more than enough options for living in the city. Here are some of them:

• Lin Ratanak Angkor Hotel is one of the best options for a family holiday. The hotel itself is not located in the city center and is popular due to its service. The hotel belongs to the category of four-star hotels, but those who vacationed here rate the level and quality of service as full five stars. The hotel residential complex has 104 rooms, on site there is a restaurant with local, Asian and European cuisine, a grocery store, a fitness center with a spa and a swimming pool. The hotel complex provides guests with transfer from the airport and back free of charge.
• De Sonyn Boutique is located a ten-minute walk from the city's main entertainment street, Pub Street, and a fifteen-minute drive from the airport. The hotel is relatively young, built in 2012, but has already earned a place on the list of favorite hotels among tourists. This is a mini-hotel in size: there are 16 rooms, a garden, a swimming pool open type and a restaurant for guests.
• The Bayon Villa is another place to stay almost in the very center of the city. The journey from the airport takes 10 minutes. The hotel offers comfortable rooms with a TV and minibar, as well as free Internet and barbecue facilities.
• Ring Boutique Hotel stands out among city buildings with its unusual architecture. There is an illuminated swimming pool, a restaurant, a bar. Transfer from and to the airport is provided.

Other hotels in Siem Reap with discounts from Booking:

Cafes and restaurants, local cuisine

Eating out in restaurants in Cambodia is more expensive than in Vietnam or Thailand. But Cambodian cuisine is quite tasty, although not very diverse. Tourists are also offered Chinese and Japanese, Italian, French, Thai and other cuisines.

The average check is no higher than $15, usually $6-$8 per person, which is also quite a lot.
Some interesting places include:

• Grill Wine Cafe- with incredibly delicious cuisine for meat lovers.
• Mango Cuisine- a small restaurant with a romantic atmosphere. Suitable for vegetarians.
• Spoons- a restaurant where you can taste Asian or local cuisine at reasonable prices.
• Happy Angkor Pizza— the best happy pizza in Siem Reap with the addition of ganja. The effect is achieved within an hour and can last for several hours - it is better not to drive.
• Angkor What? bar- the most famous bar in Siem Reap with inexpensive alcohol and an incendiary atmosphere. Their slogan reads: “Encouraging irresponsible drinking since 1998.”

The most common local dish is fish amok cooked in coconut milk. No less popular among tourists: pork with ginger or fried fish with sweet and sour sauce from vegetables.

Here are some prices for food in cafes in Cambodia:

Useful information for visitors

• When packing your suitcases for a trip, take with you several pairs of waterproof shoes. The roads here are often flooded with rain, and they are rarely repaired.
• The local currency is , but don’t rush to exchange money for it. The usual dollars are easily accepted here.
• Don't forget to bargain in shops and markets, that’s how it is done here. It is quite possible to knock down the original price tag several times and walk away with the desired product, purchasing it at the right price.
• At the hotel get a free guide so as not to wander around the city looking for the right locations. Or download a set of required ones to your phone.
• And, of course, be polite and courteous with the staff of the hotel where you are staying, and with local population. And then your vacation will be comfortable and enjoyable.

How to get from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville?

Sihanoukville is the main resort city of Cambodia, where people most often travel from Siem Reap. There are several ways to get there:

• By bus at night— Travel time is 11 hours, from 8 pm to 6 am. The cost of the trip is $20 dollars if you buy a ticket from the hotel receptionist. If you choose this option, be sure to take warm clothes with you to stay warm on the bus at night.

Cabins on a hotel bus from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville

• By taxi— order a car from the hotel. This option is convenient because you don’t have to adjust to the schedule of other passengers, but it is significantly more expensive – starting from $200.
• By plane- the fastest option for those who value their time. Travel time is only 50 minutes. Buy tickets at aviasales.ru, cost from $178. Get to the airport using a tuk-tuk or transfer from the hotel where you stayed in Siem Reap.

We are looking for cheap flights here:

Excursions Angkor. Special offer!

You can get more detailed information on the Asia Travel website.

Temples of Cambodia. Angkor.

Sem Rip is synonymous with Angkor. If people say, "We're going to Siem Reap," it means they're going to see the temples. Only the lazy have not heard about the temples of Angkor, and even the lazy have heard of it too. Due to some misunderstanding, the temples of Angkor are in eighth place on the list of modern Wonders of the World. And they should be on the second. There’s probably no point in saying who’s on first... :-)
Have you seen Egyptian pyramids? Do you think Angkor is the same thing, only Cambodian? No, no and NO! Pyramids are already a thing of the past. Not in the sense that they are from the distant past, but in the sense that they have been trampled on so much that now they are essentially just stones. Angkor is not like that, Angkor “catches” even the most callous person. And for a traveler who shows even a slight interest in the culture and history of mankind, the temples of Angkor amaze! These stones, among other things, preserve the spirit of almost the millennium before last. Here, among these temples, the Great Khmer Empire was born, reached the peak of its power and fell under pressure from the Thai barbarians. In the dark corners of the temples, where even monks enter with caution, the great Khmer kings still roam. If you listen and look closely, with peripheral vision and on the verge of hearing, then the Apsaras will appear to you in their eternal dance to majestic music.

Do you want to see it all in one day? We do not recommend! Temples do not tolerate fuss. Two days? It's like having half a meal, it's like watching a play before intermission and going home. It's up to you, of course! But we warned you!))
And now we will briefly tell you (on five pages) what you simply must see. And you decide for yourself whether to watch the grandiose performance in half or in its entirety!

In 1112, Suryavarman II, the Sun King, became the ruler of Cambodia. According to legend, he could make lotus buds bloom and make everything around him prosper. During his reign, Cambodia became the greatest power in Southeast Asia, and Angkor reached the highest point of development in the history of its architecture. It was during this period that Angkor Wat was built. This is the most famous building in this ancient city. This temple was built during the second period of Angkor and is dedicated to the god Vishnu, since Hinduism was dominant in the Khmer Empire at that time. Therefore, the king ordered the construction of a temple in honor of Vishnu, one of the three supreme gods of Hinduism. Vishnu maintains the cyclical existence of the Universe. According to legend, Vishnu falls asleep lying on a giant coiled snake that floats on the waves of the universal ocean. Vishnu's sleep is equal to one cycle of the Universe or 4.5 billion human years. When Vishnu awakens, a lotus grows from his belly, Brahma appears from the lotus flower and begins to create the world. And at the end of the cycle, the god of destruction Shiva destroys this world. Vishnu will alternately fall asleep and wake up, and the Universe will be created and destroyed in an endless cycle.

Angkor Wat is made of large stone blocks right on the surface of the earth. More than 30 billion tons of stone were used to build 1,500 columns. Most stone blocks weigh 500 kg each, with the largest weighing 10 tons. No cement or other fastening materials were used during the construction process, but the stone elements fit together so precisely that the height deviation between the walls is minimal.
Angkor Wat is a giant symbol. According to Hindu ideas about the structure of the world, the center of the universe is Mount Meru, rising in the middle of the ocean. This is the place where all the gods and goddesses live. Meru is surrounded by four smaller temples, the sun and moon revolve around the mountain, and at its foot lies an endless ocean. Angkor Wat was built in accordance with these ideas, through the use of abstract geometric shapes. Angkor Wat is the largest religious building in the world. It took 89 years to build, and 150 million people participated in the project. By the time construction was completed, Suryavarman II had long since died without seeing the result of the work.

Angkor Wat can be divided into 3 levels, which represent the lower world, the human world and the heavenly world. Each of the worlds is reflected in the architecture of Angkor Wat. The first level is surrounded by a corridor, the walls of which are decorated with elegant bas-reliefs. There is a sanctuary in the center of the structure. The height difference between the altars of the sanctuaries is 10 meters. The highest altar is at a height of 65 meters. This is the top of the sanctuary, there are 5 stone pagodas, the central one towering above the rest. It symbolizes the center of the heavenly world. The concept of the three worlds is represented not only in the architectural design of Angkor Wat, but is also more clearly depicted in the bas-reliefs that decorate the walls of the corridors. On the first level, the wall, like a long scroll, reveals to us the spiritual world of the Khmers. It contains scenes from Everyday life Khmers, as well as scenes from various legends of Hindu mythology. The eastern part of the wall depicts the legend of the drink of immortality - amrita. The Asura gods and demons entered into a truce in order to obtain a magic drink. To do this, they wrapped the lord of the nagas, the giant serpent Vasuki, around Mount Meru and began to pull him one by one, thus churning the ocean of milk. The beating process lasted more than a thousand years, the moon appeared from the waters of the ocean, followed by the goddess of beauty and happiness Lakshmi, who became the wife of Vishnu, the deity of wine and hops Sura, the wonderful White horse and finally the god of healing with a cup of amrita in his hands.

The battle between Vishnu and the celestial devil is depicted on the northern wall. Half of the western wall is dedicated to the Hindu epic Ramayana, while the other half illustrates the Mahabharata. The southern wall depicts scenes of the Khmer clashing with invaders, as the Mekong Delta has always been the subject of encroachment.
Moving along the walls, you can observe how the carving technique has been improved. The length of each wall is almost 800 meters; inspection requires from 2 to 4 hours. Bas-reliefs tell us about a great and brilliant civilization, forever preserving scenes from its life. Another wall with bas-reliefs surrounds Bayon Temple. The theme is dedicated to the daily life of the Khmer people: people go to the market, cook, hunt, treat illnesses, dance and sing, and worship the gods. In total there are about 11 thousand images of people.
The bas-reliefs on the walls and columns are best preserved at Angkor Wat. They mainly depict celestial apsara maidens, their poses are beautiful and fabulous, they seem to be floating on lotus flowers, calm and majestic. The variety of hairstyles that adorn the heads of apsaras is surprising. There are 36 different styles.

A careful study of these images and the descriptions left by Judogan allows us to recreate a clear picture of ancient Angkor. According to Judodogan's observations, the houses of the king, officials and rich people were buildings on wooden stilts, or even just thatched huts. Although the king wore gold and silver jewelry, he went barefoot like other people. Concerning ordinary people, there were no tables, chairs or dishes in their houses. They cooked food in depressions made in the ground, and instead of plates they used coconut shells or tree leaves. They ate with their hands and slept on mats thrown on the ground. This was the simple life of the ancient inhabitants and builders of Angkor. Centuries passed, these people died, only sanctuaries and temples created from stone remained. As a result of complex archaeological excavations, no traces of human habitation were found in this area. Only a small number of household items were found. Some representatives of Western civilization even doubt that Angkor was built by Cambodians. There is a feeling that everything we see came from nowhere. But they are wrong. Scientific evidence collected over a long period of time confirms that the great Angkor was built by the ancestors of the Cambodians. George Kurkis, a Cambodian specialist from France, spent several years comparing the faces of Cambodians with the faces carved on the walls of ancient Angkor, and concluded that there were physiological similarities between them.

Construction of Angkor Thom was started in 889 by order of Yasavarman the first. Subsequent kings also erected a large number of buildings in this city. Two centuries later, when Suyavarman the second decided to build Angkor Wat, there was no place for it within the boundaries of Angkor Thom, and the temple was moved outside the city. Today, nothing remains of most buildings except foundations and piles of broken stones. But many temples managed to survive, including one of the most famous - Bayon, located in the central part of the city. In the Khmer language, the word "tom" means "big". During the reign of Jayavarman the seventh, Angkor Thom was already a large city, and its population reached a million people. Taking a walk through the ancient ruins, you will definitely be imbued with the spirit of this place. The neatly arranged buildings are masterpieces of architecture, although many of them have already turned into ruins. There is only one form of time left here, and it is called Eternity.

Jayavarman the seventh was another king of the great Khmer Empire. Unlike his predecessors, he professed not Hinduism, but Mahayana Buddhism. During his forty-year reign, the country became the most powerful empire in Southeast Asia. He expanded the boundaries of old Angkor Thom and ordered the construction of many magnificent temples. The world-famous Cambodian smile - all four states of mind: compassion, sorrow, joy and equanimity are simultaneously read on one face. Temple Bayonne resembles a labyrinth of many mirrors in which gigantic heads are reflected. These huge stone sculptures are located close to each other, like blooming lotus buds. They smile at each other, as if they are fascinated by their reflection in the mirror, only occasionally glancing at the little people below. The Bayon is built in the shape of a square, each side of which is 80 meters long. The main pagoda is located in the center and has a height of 43 meters. There are a total of 54 large pagodas of varying heights in the temple. Each pagoda is crowned with 4 stone faces facing the four cardinal directions. All these 216 giant bas-reliefs were supposed to depict Avanatihisvara, but many believe that this is the face of Jayavarman the seventh. During the day, the stone faces look the same, but when night falls, under the magical light of the moon, the expression on their faces begins to mysteriously change. The sculptors who created this amazing miracle, remained unknown. The first rays of the sun, the chirping of birds against the background of the singing of monks create a unique atmosphere of the early morning on the banks of the Mekong.
25 km northeast of Angkor Thom is the palace of Queen Banta Sri, famous for its exquisite carvings. It was built in 967 by order of King Jayavarman 5th. However, the temple was not built in honor of the queen; local residents named it that way because the bas-reliefs depict many goddesses and apsaras. But in fact the temple is dedicated to the god Shiva. Built during the second period of Angkor's construction, it was heavily influenced by the architectural styles of Hindu temples.

Ta Prohm Temple was built by order of Jayavarman the seventh in honor of his mother. Today this place resembles a merciless battlefield between the gods and nature. Its walls are overgrown with cotton trees and seem to be covered with a silver sheen. Trees, vines, moss, rain, lightning, wild animals, the scorching sun and the cool of the night attacked the temple for several centuries. The roots and trunks of cottonwood trees climbed up the walls and penetrated deep into the cracks between the stones. They framed windows and doors, squeezed out roofs, growing in the very heart of the temple, dividing, enveloping and absorbing it. The finale of this battle was the gradual growth of Ta Prohm into the ground. The jungle and the temple are intertwined into one, and nothing can separate them. This natural miracle did not destroy the temple, but, on the contrary, breathed into it new life.

Tonle Sap Lake and Floating Villages

Tonlé Sap is the largest body of water on the Indochina Peninsula. Its area is about 2,700 square kilometers, and this lake is located in the central part of Cambodia.

Everything about this lake is unusual and surprising. But the most amazing thing, of course, are the people living on this lake. The phrase “live on Tonlsap Lake” should be taken literally: people literally live on the water.
Floating villages are quite common in different countries Southeast Asia, but only in the Tonle Sap do they reach such scope and significance. The inhabitants of Tonle Sap do not live in simple pontoon huts, but in real floating villages. Not only houses and shops “stand” on the water, but also schools, sports grounds, churches and even police stations. Residents of Tonle Sap from an early age until old age move mainly by water - on small boats and in large floating houses, which often even have small land where vegetables are grown. After the water has dropped, many grow rice on the fertile muddy soil of the surrounding area, but the main food for people, of course, comes from water - fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants.

Of course, there are cafes and observation decks on the lake for tourists who often come to admire the unique aquatic community. Traveling through the “Cambodia Inland Sea” usually starts from Battambang or Siem Reap, where the causeways are built. Small boats depart from them, carrying tourists deep into the lake. Everything on the lake is interesting - a floating crocodile farm and biosphere reserves, where you can observe a rare variety of birds, mangroves and lotuses, but most importantly - the very way of life of the “natives” of the lake. Floating houses and shops in themselves are exceptionally exotic for a European. And the children hurrying to the floating school - in tiny boats and even basins, and the old women delivering food, deftly handling an oar?

There are legends about the origin of these villages, that they are inhabited mainly by Cambodians and that this is a thousand-year-old tradition. However, there is a simpler explanation. When the war began in neighboring Vietnam in the middle of the last century, many residents were forced to leave their homes. According to the laws of that time, foreigners could not settle in prosperous pre-Polpot Cambodia. Only those who were born there could live on Cambodian soil. However, there was no mention of the water surface in the laws, and the refugees settled on Lake Tonle Sap. And the villages became floating, and not just water-based, due to the variable size of the lake. There are several villages on the lake, although usually they talk about only one, the largest, where more than five thousand people live and which is a popular tourist attraction. Tourism brings significant income - however, not to the residents themselves, but to local businessmen (as a rule, these are Chinese). However, something falls to the share of the “water peasants”, and it turns out that earning money by demonstrating their usual (and unusual for tourists) way of life turns out to be more profitable than cultivating the land, growing rice and vegetables. It is not for nothing that in the early 90s of the last century, the attempt of the lake residents to move to settlements on the land, built for them by the Japanese, failed. According to the official version, the villagers simply could not adapt to the land way of life, however, there are opinions that life on the shore turned out to be much less profitable than on the water, and some believe that the Chinese, who run the tourist industry, also had a hand in the return of residents to the lake. business...

Whatever the reasons for settling the lake surface, the water settlements live and, by the standards of Southeast Asia, quite well. The main thing is that people themselves are satisfied with their lifestyle. They build high-quality boats, among which there are already a lot of motor boats, houseboats and houses on stilts (the latter, as a rule, belong to ethnic Cambodians, in contrast to the Vietnamese “floats”). During the dry season, pile houses rise above the shallow lake like watchtowers, and residents, in order not to climb stairs to their homes several times a day, usually wait out this period in temporary “buildings” on the lake.
The village of Kampong Pluk can be considered a “transitional form” between land and lake lifestyles. During the dry season, part of the village is above the water level, and you can move around it not only by boat, but also on foot. The land ends in the middle of the main street, gradually turning into a swamp, and then into a pond. Otherwise, Kampong Pluk is an ordinary fishing village. Common, of course, by local standards - a Buddhist temple and a branch of the Cambodian People's Party, of course, are typical only for these places. The architecture is also unusual - both eclectic and national flavor. Buddhist monks and people in traditional clothes also definitely indicate that this is real Southeast Asia, and not, for example, Far East. Although nets hung up to dry, boats pulled ashore, fish drying in the sun and ubiquitous fish scales can probably be found in any seaside village, and the boats in their design really resemble Far Eastern bahts.

Around the village lies a mysterious mangrove forest bearing the same name.
During the rainy season, it is completely submerged; in the dry season, the trunks rise several meters above the surface of the lake, and you can sail between them in a small boat...

The picture of lake life is so different from what a European is accustomed to that at first it causes something like a culture shock. It seems that one cannot help but feel sorry for the local residents, cut off from the benefits of civilization and forced to get their food from under the water every day. However, it takes very little time to become imbued with the beauty of the surroundings and the special philosophical mood. Life flows like water, floats slowly like a houseboat, has its floods and dry seasons. All life is water, and the shore... where is it, this shore?.. And why does a lake dweller need it?

Phnom Kulen - temple and waterfall

Phnom Kulen is a sacred mountain (or mountain range) in Cambodia, which is also a place of pilgrimage for many tourists. This is a kind of nature reserve almost 50 kilometers from Siem Reap, where you can relax from the hustle and bustle, admire the wildlife, and swim in cool ponds.

According to legend, the history of the Khmer Empire begins with this mountain. There, in 802, Jayavarman the second declared himself king, and from then on the history of the Khmer empire began. At the top of the mountain there is a Buddhist temple and an 8-meter statue of a reclining Buddha. Pilgrims from all over the world gather here, as Phnom Kulen is considered the “place of power” in Cambodia.

In front of the temple there is a small pool with a lingam in the center. A Hindu ritual is still performed here, which is performed only by men to strengthen their masculine nature (you need to scoop up water from a reservoir, pour it on the lingam, and then put your head under the stream of water).

The main attractions of Phnom Kulen are the River of a Thousand Lingas and the waterfall. Lingams and Yeni (male and feminine), in addition, you can see the figure of Shiva and his wife. The river is believed to symbolize the Ganges, which flows majestically in the Himalayas. The river ends with waterfalls, large and slightly smaller. Cambodians themselves bathe in the pool formed by the waterfalls and, of course, this is a mandatory ritual for tourists. The water in the river is considered salted, so every visitor strives to swim in it (it is very cold!).

Angkor National Museum

The museum tells about the history of Khmer culture and civilization, shows the history of the Angkor temples. It is very modern and interactive, equipped with last word technology. The museum is huge and consists of eight galleries, each dedicated to a different topic: Khmer civilization; religion; the great Khmer kings; Angkor; Angkor Thom; history of stone; vintage costumes; Hall of a Thousand Buddhas. If you are not at all familiar with the history and culture of the Khmer state of the Angkorian period, then you should not miss this museum.

Admission: 12 dollars. You can get a discount when you book tickets on the museum's website http://www.angkornationalmuseum.com/.
Working hours:daily from 8:30 to 18:00.
How to get there?The National Museum is located at 968 Boulevard Charles De Gaulle.

Landmine Museum

This museum was founded former soldier from among the Khmer Rouge named Aki Ra, who later became a sapper. With the help of exhibits, which are cleared bombs and mines, the museum talks about the problem and the great danger of anti-personnel mines, which large quantities remained in Cambodian lands after the civil war. You can also watch a short film about the life of Aki Ra.

It may not be worth traveling so far (the museum is located 31 kilometers from Siem Reap) just for the sake of the museum, but if you are passing by (on the way to the Banteay Srei temple complex and Phnom Kulen), why not stop by and donate to help a couple of dollars for landmine victims.

Admission:the entrance is free. Donations you can leave at the museum will go towards helping landmine victims.
Working hours:Every day from 7:30 to 17:30.
How to get there?in 2007, the museum moved to a new location, and is now located 31 kilometers from Siem Reap.

Crocodile Farm

The Siem Reap Crocodile Farm is home to over 1,000 crocodiles. You won’t see any shows with crocodiles like the Thai ones here, but if you’ve never seen live crocodiles, it’s worth a visit. Here you can also buy products made from crocodile, cow and other animal leather at prices lower than in Thailand.

Admission: 3 dollars.
Working hours: from 7:00 to 19:00.
How to get there?the farm is located on the road to Tonle Sap Lake.

War Museum (Siem Reap War Museum)

On the road from Siem Reap to the airport there is a military museum. Large examples of military equipment that took part in real combat operations are displayed outdoors, and many small exhibits are collected inside the museum. The collection of large equipment includes helicopters, planes and tanks, including Soviet-made ones, but, unfortunately, everything is in very poor condition. Some of the equipment was apparently moved here directly from the battlefields after they were hit. Some of the exhibits are overgrown with grass. The overall impression of the museum is that it is abandoned and no one is caring for it.

The museum is quite interesting to visit. But if you're not a fan of military technology and history, you'll likely be disappointed after your visit.

Admission: 3 dollars.
How to get there?The museum is located a few kilometers from Siem Reap on the way to the airport

Cambodia Cultural Village

In this theme park-museum you can get acquainted with the life and culture of the many peoples of Cambodia. The fairly vast area of ​​the park is actually home to as many as 11 unique villages belonging to the different cultures living within the kingdom. In each of the villages, in addition to exhibits, you can watch traditional shows and performances, including: wedding ceremonies, acrobatic and circus performances, games, dance shows, elephant shows and more. Here you can see the traditional Apsara dance. It even has its own wax museum, telling about historical events and prominent personalities from ancient times to the present. Of course, there is a traditional restaurant in the village.

This place is definitely worth a visit. There is only one bad thing - to see everything here, you need at least half a day, and there is always not enough time in Siem Reap.

Working hours: from 9:00 to 21:00.
Admission:general admission fee is $11. Free for children.
How to get there?The village is located 3 kilometers from the city center.

This is the most fun and tourist street in Siem Reap. There are many bars and restaurants along the street, and in the evenings all the tourists flock here. Often the street is so crowded that it is even difficult to find an empty seat in a bar. But it doesn’t matter: if you don’t find a place, you can easily find somewhere to sit on a nearby street.

How to get there? Pub Street is considered the city center, although geographically it is the southern part of the city. You can get to it on foot or for 1-2 dollars by tuk-tuk from distant hotels in the city.

For those traveling to Cambodia, the previous article about ancient Angkor and useful tips. But Angkor without Siem Reap is impossible like Kyiv without Podol, so I’ll tell you what kind of accommodation you should choose, where to dine, shopping and other entertainment in Siem Reap, how to get to this city from Phnom Penh or Bangkok and what to do in the pauses between sightseeing temples of Angkor.

Everything a tourist or traveler needs to know about Siem Reap– this is that this city is a kind of portal to the past due to its proximity to ancient Angkor. In short, this is an airport city, a transit city, a hotel city and a beer city, it sounds a little primitive, but it is true.

Why go to Siem Reap

See Angkor Wat and other temples ancient Angkor, there is no other reason to go to Siem Reap. If it were not for the worldwide fame and popularity of Angkor, the city would have remained what it was before - a little-known settlement kingdom of cambodia. Now Siem Reap- the first in terms of tourist flow after the capital Phnom Penh.

How to get to Siem Reap

Method 1. Buy air travel. This is the simplest, most comfortable and most reliable way. For residents of post-Soviet countries, you need to fly to Bangkok, and from there by plane to Siem Reap. Now the Asian low-cost airline Air Asia flies (from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur), previously you had to either use the expensive BangkokAir or travel by bus or rent a car with a driver.

IN Siem Reap you can also fly from Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hanoi. Several major international airlines also fly here - Korean Airlines, Delta.

Taxi from Siem Reap airport to the city it costs 5 - 7 US dollars, you can pay in dollars everywhere in Cambodia, I recommend having bills with a face value of no more than 10 dollars and more small dollars.

Method 2. Bus. IN Siem Reap, Cambodia can be reached by bus from the capital Phnom Penh, from Bangkok With Mo Chit bus station, the ticket is bought there at the bus station. You can also buy a bus ticket from Cambodia (Siem Reap) at a street agency. From Koh Chang you can buy a tour with a visit Angkor, it includes an organized transfer. Excursions are sold at street agencies or directly at the hotel. IN Siem Reap you can get off anywhere, you don’t need to wait for the bus station, it may not even be there. Just go out, catch a taxi or tuk-tuk and call your hotel.

Method 3. From the capital Phnom Penh to Siem Reap can be reached by boat on the river and Lake Tonle Sap. At first we wanted to get there this way. But during the dry season (winter) there is no navigation, so we chose a car.

Method 4. Automobile . Simply rent a car with a driver and hit the road straight from the hotel. If you rent a car in Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya or Koh Chang Island, for example), they will take you to the border, then hand you over to another driver in another car, who will take you around Cambodia. border Thailand-Cambodia in the Poipet area, cross on foot. This is what we did when we returned from Cambodia and moved to Koh Chang Island in Thailand. The journey from Phnom Penh will take approximately 6 hours, travel time depends on the number of stops. Road Phnom Penh – Siem Reap excellent. Problems with roads in Cambodia remained if you turned off the main highway. There are not many roads themselves, but they are being built.

Method 5. From Phnom Penh (Capital of Cambodia) to Siem Reap you can fly by helicopter and see ancient Angkor, Tonle Sap Lake And floating villages, national park - Mount Phnom Kulen bird's-eye. The price of such pleasure is 4500 US dollars per person. Contacts of the company can be found in your hotel, in extreme cases, I can provide additional information - write!

Public transport in Siem Reap (Cambodia)

I won't write much about urban transport, because it doesn’t exist as such. There are two options - tuk-tuk or taxi. It is inexpensive and for 2-3 dollars they will take you to any place. As a rule, this is a transfer from the hotel to Pub Street or along the route hotel - Old Market, hotel - Riverside (embankment). There is nothing to do in other places in this city. About transfer to Angokor and back I wrote in the article Angkor Wat. Useful information, photos, tips on the route and hotels

Hotels offer the opportunity to rent a bicycle, but to be honest, in conditions Cambodia the method of transportation is more than questionable. Although I had experience studying one of islands of thailand on a bicycle, but this is rather an exception to the rule.

How and where to choose accommodation in Siem Reap

The most popular place to choose housing V Siem Reap (Cambodia) among tourists - Old Market area, there is a huge selection here inexpensive housing, price range from 10 to 50 US dollars. Decent hotels with a swimming pool start from about 25 dollars per day; for 40-50 you will get a 3-star European apartment with good breakfast, room with terrace, bar and swimming pool. There are also five-star hotels and flophouses for a couple of dollars, but for obvious reasons they do not fall into our area of ​​interest.

IN Siem Reap (Cambodia) You should choose a hotel based on comfort level and price, location is not important. To take a walk on pub street you can take a taxi or tuk-tuk, it costs 1 or two dollars. There is no need to look - they are on every corner.

We stayed at the Central Boutique Angkor Hotel

I also recommend searching the website Room Guru: Siem Reap – comfortable budget hotels Details about hotels and guest houses Siem Reap (Cambodia) you can read it on mine new website dedicated to choosing accommodation when traveling - Siem Reap, Cambodia - Hotel Recommendations

What to do in Siem Reap, pubs, prices for food and alcohol in Cambodia

In addition to visiting Angkor Wat, if you have the desire and still have the strength, the main evening entertainment is a walk and hanging out at a fun Pub Street. It's also very touristy nearby Passage street. There are restaurants with national dances, we are not keen on them - I cannot comment. The price of lunch in a tourist restaurant is 5-10 dollars for two. In local eateries - 4 dollars including beer. Khmer cuisine It’s a little different from Thai - it’s not so spicy, there’s less fried food, and there are different spices and the meat, fish and vegetables are prepared differently. It’s worth a try - amok, this is fish or seafood in coconut milk with spices, I recommend the meat - lak lok - beef in local sauce, very tasty. Traditionally there are many dishes made from chicken and fish.

From the exotic, almost everywhere in Cambodia You can also try insects and frog legs. Insects are sold on the streets on carts with large trays - grasshoppers, ground beetles, swimming beetles. I only risked trying small ones - grasshoppers, cockroaches and ground beetles. Well fried, they resemble potato chips. Frog legs very tender and similar to homemade chicken stew.

From pubs and bars I can recommend X-Bar on Pub Street, it has a wonderful view of the general party and the street of bars.

Wide range of services massage– from foot massage with fish to a full body massage. After several visits to Asia, I still haven’t become a fan of massages, but most tourists do. Price – from 5 to 15 dollars, there are more expensive options.

More shopping as entertainment. I especially enjoy walking not in shops, but in local markets, although I buy something very rarely. There are a lot of crocodile leather products in stores, the quality seems to be very good. Main market Siem Reap – Old Market, is located near Pub Street, near Siem Reap river.

IN Cambodia the most low prices on alcohol than anywhere else in Asia, and all over the world (from the countries I’ve been to). It is also called “onedollarcountry” for its low prices on almost everything. In hot countries we prefer beer and here it is good, on par with Thai, Filipino or Indonesian. Travelers praise local rum and whiskey, but rather not for taste but for cheapness. I didn't really like it. Almost all fruits also cost around 1 dollar, mangoes - 2 dollars apiece.

In addition to standard entertainment, Angkor Wat you can fly in a hot air balloon, take a “flight of the gibbon” directly on the territory Angkor park and take a helicopter flight from Siem Reap above Tonle Sap Lake and Angkor. The cost of a gibbon flight is 59 US dollars, the cost of a helicopter flight is from 90 dollars per person for 8 minutes, the flight can last 14 minutes ($150), 20 minutes ($200), 30 minutes ($300) and 48 minutes ($430). dollars). Contacts of the organizing company are easily searched on the Internet, I can also provide additional information upon request - write!

Local currency– riel, exchange rate – 1 dollar – 4000 riel. There are exchange offices, but you don’t need to change anything - US dollars are accepted everywhere, in markets, in shops, in taxis. Don't bother with a bunch of dirty, wrinkled bills and counting those pennies. There are ATMs in tourist places, but it is better to have cash dollars in small denominations!

World class attractions in Siem Reap no, there is a royal park, a small embankment, a museum, a couple of temples that will be of no interest to you after Angkor. All tourist traffic is concentrated near Pub Street, Old Market, Embankment. The rest of the streets are darkish and completely uninteresting, two-story semi-barrack-type houses, hotels behind high fences.

Is it dirty in Siem Reap? Everything is relative. There is no critical dirt in the city, although Cambodians throw garbage and banana skins directly on the sidewalk, they are periodically removed. I caught myself thinking that Amsterdam it can be dirtier. In general, it is tolerable and without blatant unsanitary conditions.

Large stores like Tesco or Big C, how in Thailand, there is no. There are small private shops where you can buy bottled water or alcohol. I saw a couple of average supermarkets with nothing interesting in them.

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