Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

Advantages: Extremely beautiful architecture, immensely rich cultural essence, amazing photography opportunities
Disadvantages: Desperate drinks peddlers, tour-guide rip-offs, tourist crowds

...Reap. Some people mistake the Angkor Wat to be the name of the entire site. Actually, the Angkor Wat is one of the temples enclosed within the Angkor site. It is, however, one of the biggest and most beautifully constructed temples among the ruins there. -------------------- The Angkor Wat -------------------- Pretty much the main drawing point of this South East Asian nation. It was built in the early 12th century as a king's state temple and ...
...- the doorway to the Angkor Wat. I am a city kid, accustomed to the urban jungle and the hustle and bustle of city life. Naturally, I am also more inclined to having fun, you know, the usual active young person type of activity. So for me to visit the Angkor Wat, it was a liberating experience to enter such an immensely rich and different culture that I found myself growing up during those three days at the Angkor Wat as I reflected on my life while ... Read review

Advantages: Breathtaking ruins, atmosphere
Disadvantages: volume of people, beggers, mosquitoes

...the other ruins in the Angkor complex it still blows you away. Set about 5KMs away from the centre of Siem Reap, Angor Wat is the centre piece of the whole Angkor complex, comprising some 20 plus temples. Built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century its the best known of the eras Khmer achitectural feats. There's a reason why this rules the roost. Its splendor from the grounds to the fine carvings and structure within are a true delight. ...
...you wont get to see Angkor Wat without one. Day tickets are priced at US$20, 3 day tickets at $40 and a 7 day ticket at $60. You must use your ticket on consecutive days making the 3 day ticket probably the best value for money. With ticket in hand, Angkor Wat is just one of the many temples you now have access to and I'd advise not seeing it first. Once you've seen Angkor Wat itself its difficult to get so excited about some of the other ruins. ... Read review

Advantages: A different Asian culture
Disadvantages: Commercialised

...I spent 4 days 3 nights in Siem Reap in Nov 07. If you like to see heritage sites, this is the place to go. In fact, there are a lot more to se in Siem Reap other than Angkor Wat. The small temples in Angkor Thom or those outside the Angkor Park are worth visiting. Cambodia is an interesting country with a sad history. It's developing now and the government ensures that there is zero crime to make it safe place for tourists. Getting there : My friend and I took AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur (capital of Malaysia) - (departs at 7am in the morning) and it's a 2-hour flight. You can book your air tickets from the its website and you can get it for less than RM500 return (approx. £ 70). Since it's a budget airline, you have to book early for cheap fares. You can also fly direct to Siem Reap from Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Singapore... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Wonderful people, stunning temples, new experiences.
Disadvantages: Poverty, potholes, landmines, malaria, crime.

...the perfect time of year as we were there in February but believe me it is still absolutely sweltering with temperatures well up in the 30's. In the evenings the temperature will drop somewhat but it is still hot hot hot. Highlights ********************************************************************* Cambodia is a really small and undeveloped country and thus there isn't alot of choice over where to go. We visited the three places here which are the most popular destinations overall and unless you go to Cambodia to volunteer I doubt you would go anywhere other. Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. ******************************* Our first stop across the border from Thailand took us to the town of Siem Reap, gateway to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. This is Cambodia's number one attraction and words cannot do it justice... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Unmissable Angkor
Disadvantages: Transportation, poverty, begging

...of his troubles that morning with one of those taxi drivers who had wanted to cram a ridiculous number of adults into his taxi before setting off for Kampot. In the end the chap from Nottingham, decided he had had enough, got out of the taxi and decided to take the bus back to Phnom Penh instead. During the course of the next four hours and after he had calmed down a little, we discovered that Siem Reap was the next stop for us both and we decided that we would pool costs and explore the site together. Sieam Reap / Angkor Wat As I mentioned earlier, I decided to fly to Siem Reap but my new friend decided to take the bus so he set off the day before me. I arrived in the town at around midday, met up with new friend in the lovely Red Piano bar restaurant and we worked out a sight seeing plan. Most people would probably recognise... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful