The Complete Travel Guide to Siem Reap - What To Do, Where To Stay And What To Eat In The City?
If you’re planning a trip to Cambodia, it’s an absolute certainty that you’ll have at least a night or two staying in Siem Reap. This small city is Cambodia’s second largest and is home to the country's most popular tourist attraction, Angkor Wat and the wider Angkor archaeological park. But what should you not miss out on in Siem Reap? What else is there besides the famous ruins?
Siem Reap has everything any traveller could want, from budget and luxury accommodation, great restaurants, a lively nightlife scene and plenty of things to do. The city is full of French-colonial buildings mixed with Chinese style shop fronts, that spiral out from the popular nightlife spot of ‘Pub Street’ and the Old Market.
We spent nearly a fortnight in Siem Reap and could easily have spent longer. This is our guide to everything you need to know about visiting the vibrant and artistic Cambodian city of Siem Reap.
In this travel guide:
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How to get to Siem Reap
Siem Reap is extremely well connected with transport links all over Cambodia and further beyond, with bus and air links to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
If you are already travelling within Cambodia, there are plenty of bus operators that will connect you to Siem Reap. You can get to the city from the tourist hubs of Phnom Penh, Kampot, Sihanoukville (gateway to the islands of Koh Rong), Battambang and Kampong Cham. We’d recommend booking bus tickets through 12Go.
Book your Siem Reap bus tickets here.
We arrived in Siem Reap after a brilliant few days in Battambang. We booked two tickets with Go Ho Travel who shuttled us between the two cities.
For those backpacking around South East Asia, there are direct bus links to Siem Reap from Bangkok in Thailand and Vientiane in Laos.
If you’re looking to fly into Cambodia, Siem Reap’s International Airport has flight connections to all the major cities within Southeast Asia. Book your flights to Siem Reap using the widget below.
For those travelling to Cambodia from further afield, such as Europe, the Middle East or Australia, you’ll almost certainly arrive in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. From Phnom Penh’s International Airport you will need to book a bus or taxi transfer to get you to Siem Reap. From the airport it’s just over a five hour drive. Book your transfers to Siem Reap here.
Where to stay in Siem Reap
Being the main tourist hub of Cambodia, there’s no shortage of accommodation in Siem Reap. With everything on offer from dorm rooms to high-end, luxury hotels, there’s something for everyone. Most of the accommodation is located within walking distance of the riverfront, close to the restaurants and cafes of the Old Market and Pub Street.
Hostel recommendations
If you’re backpacking, Siem Reap has plenty of hostels to choose from.
For more social hostels we’d recommend checking out Onederz Hostel with their rooftop pool, cheap cafe and comfy rooms. Mad Monkey if you’re after party vibes and legendary pub crawls along Pub Street or the Lub-D hostel with their swim up bar and epic tours.
If you’re looking for a hostel with more chilled out vibes and want to leave the partying to Pub Street, then why not check out the White Rabbit Hostel with their Alice and Wonderland themed decor and large pool, or the Darling Pub Hostel with an on-site restaurant, pool and great common area.
Mid-range accommodation
If you’re not one for hostels, but aren’t looking to break the bank with a ritzy stay, then there are plenty of guesthouses and mid-range hotels to suit you.
We had an excellent stay at the Rithy Rine Angkor Residence that was just a 5 minute walk from ‘Pub Street’ and local restaurants. The room came with a huge four-poster bed, en-suite bathroom, balcony and a pool.
Our fancy four-poster bed in the Rithy Rine hotel!
On our first trip to Siem Reap we also had a fantastic stay at the Angkor Leap Hotel which had a huge, comfy double bed, balcony and small pool to use.
Luxury hotels
If you are looking for some luxury and are wanting to make your stay in Siem Reap as opulent as possible, then there are many high-end hotels to choose from. Why not take a look at the Eightfold Urban Resort with their modern decor, swimming pool and garden, or the Anansaya La Maison which boasts comfy rooms, an outdoor pool and spa centre.
There’s also the Lynnaya Urban River Resort Hotel that’s located in the heart of Siem Reap and offers two restaurants on site. There is also the Mane Village Suites, a small hotel located a few kms away from the centre of Siem Reap which offers a rooftop bar, on-site restaurant and outdoor pool. For a spot of super luxury make sure to check out the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor located next door to the Angkor National Museum.
All Siem Reap accommodation
To have a look at all the accommodation choices available in Siem Reap and to book your Siem Reap stay, check out the map below:
Getting around in Siem Reap
Despite being Cambodia’s second largest city, Siem Reap still retains that small town vibe. If you’re staying close to Pub Street, then everything you could possibly want (cafes, restaurants, shops and bars) are all within walking distance of you. To get further afield, such as the Angkor temple complex or the botanical gardens you will need to hire a taxi. This is super easy as wherever you are in the city, you’re never far from a remorque driver. In fact, you’ll only need to leave the entrance of your accommodation and we are certain it’ll be less than a minute before you’re asked whether you need a ride!
For those new to Cambodia and have absolutely no idea what a remorque is, then let us tell you. The remorque is Cambodia’s traditional tuk tuk. Take a motorbike, strap a carriage to the back like a cart and voila, you have the Cambodian remorque! They’re super comfy and can easily sit four adults in the back.
A traditional remorque spotted on the streets of Phnom Penh!
You can arrange a remorque driver for the day or just to take you on a single journey anywhere in the city. The easiest way to arrange a remorque if you shudder at the thought of negotiating prices, is to request a ride via the Grab or the PassApp.
To use the Grab app you will need a Cambodian sim. If you would like to arrange this in advance of landing, we’d recommend checking out the Cambodian eSim packages on Airalo.
If you’re after a smaller ride, there’s also plenty of tuk tuks available in the city, and similarly if you require air conditioning and a comfy seat, then taxi cars are plentiful. Again both these options can be requested online via Grab or PassApp.
For backpackers like us, the easiest way to get around the city is by hiring a scooter for your stay. We hired a 125cc Honda Zoomer for the week at $7 USD a day and it was by far the most fun and more enjoyable way to see the city! Zooming through one of the ancient gateways of Angkor with the wind in our hair and more and more ruins on either side of us will be one of those great memories we’ll always remember!
Let us know in the comments if you can think of a better way to get around the Angkor complex!
If you are planning to hire a scooter, just remember to negotiate the price, check the bike before you set off and always request a helmet for both you and your passenger.
The roads in and around Siem Reap are well maintained but they can get busy in the early morning / evening and during the school kick out time.
If you’re an avid cyclist, then almost all of the accommodation, as well as every travel agency in town, will have bicycles for you to hire. There is even a cycle pathway that circumnavigates the whole Angkor archaeological park for those with serious stamina!
What to do in Siem Reap
There is plenty to do in Siem Reap, read on to find out how to fill your time in the city!
Angkor Wat and the Angkor Archaeological Park
Angkor Wat and the ruins of the ancient city of Angkor are almost certainly the reason why you’ve booked a trip to Siem Reap in the first place. These humongous ruins are a wonder of the world and are deservedly Cambodia's most famous and most popular tourist attraction. The Hindu-Buddhist temple complex of Angkor is massive, with over 1000 ancient structures hidden away under the thick Cambodian jungle.
To visit the park, you will need to purchase an Angkor Pass. The passes can be bought online or in person at the ticket office. You can opt to buy a one day pass ($37 USD a ticket), a three day pass ($62 USD a ticket) or a seven day pass ($72 USD a ticket).
Smiles all round outside the magnificent Angkor Wat!
If you only have a day make sure you don’t miss sunrise at Angkor Wat, the vine ridden Ta Prohm Temple (also known as the Tomb Raider Temple) and the Bayon Temple with its many carved faces.
The temple site is vast and there is so much to see and do. We’ve covered everything you could possibly ever want to know about visiting the park in our bumper Angkor Temple Guide. In it we cover the history of Angkor, which Angkor ticket pass to buy, opening times of the park, which temples to see, what not to miss as well as different itineraries depending on how long you have in Siem Reap. Read our complete guide here:
Angkor Botanical Garden
The Angkor Botanical Garden (location) was a complete surprise to us. The garden was so much bigger than we expected but still had that ‘secret garden’ feel where every section is completely different from the next. It wasn’t very busy when we visited, so it was easy to escape the small crowds and have a slice of the garden all to ourselves.
The garden was full of colourful flowers, swaying grasses, huge butterflies, ponds, fountains and even a hobbit hole!
No admittance except on party business!
Unlike other botanical gardens we’ve visited recently, the Angkor Botanical still had that cottage garden feel, where everything is just starting to grow, rather than being cut and grown into perfectly manicured lawns and hedgerows. It was the chaotic, colourful style that we just love.
We spent a good hour and a half wandering through and getting lost amongst the different gardens, feeling as though we had the whole garden to ourselves.
Make sure you don’t miss the mini petting zoo at the end of the garden, with its friendly ostriches (especially if you have some food to feed them), fluffy bunnies and monkeys! There’s also a huge pond full of bright orange and black koi carp.
The monkeys at Angkor Botanical gardens are not really part of a “petting zoo” they are part of a conservation and reintroduction project.
Ticket price: Entry to the Angkor Botanical Garden is completely free.
At the entrance to the gardens, instead of a ticket price, the staff will ask you to give them a follow and a like on their social media pages, (Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok) and ask that if you take any photos / videos you tag them in your content.
If you’re travelling to the garden by scooter like we were, there is parking available opposite the entrance to the garden. To park here, it costs just 1000 riel ($0.25 USD). Just pull up, take your parking ticket and pay the guy when you leave.
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday from 8am until 6pm. The gardens are closed on Monday’s.
Apopo Visitor Centre - the ‘Hero Rats’ of Cambodia
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear little harnesses! Let us introduce you to the ‘Hero Rats’ of Cambodia and the excellent work of the Apopo Centre (location).
With specialist training, African Giant Pouched Rats are trained to sniff out TNT and are then flown to Cambodia and all over the world to help clear unexploded ordinance and landmines. In Cambodia alone, it is estimated that there are between 4 to 6 million unexploded munitions, landmines and ordinance. Leftover from the end of the war, these dangerous time bombs still litter the countryside.
When they are put to work, the hero rats at the Apopo Centre are strapped to little harnesses attached to lines and use their supersonic smell to clear an area the size of a tennis court in just under 30 minutes. In Cambodia, so far they have cleared over 100 million square metres of land!
For many, an afternoon with rats would be the thing of nightmares, but we had a fantastic hour or so at the centre.There is a small visitor centre and museum, as well as a cafe and shop on site. During the tour, we learnt all about how they trained the rats, how they operate in the field and even got to meet the very cute Valerie!
Ticket price: To take a tour and learn more about the work of Apopo, it will cost $10 per person. You can book online in advance or book onto a tour when you arrive at the centre.
Opening times: The visitor centre is open every day from 8.30am to 5.00pm. The last tour will start at 4.30pm.
To learn more about the fantastic work of the Apopo Centre or to make a donation (or even adopt a rat), check out their website here.
Angkor National Museum
Just a short drive from downtown Siem Reap lies the Angkor National Museum (location). Set in a huge modern building, the museum is split into different galleries. Each different area covers every aspect of the Khmer civilisation. The museum is stuffed full of beautiful statuary, stone carvings and religious artefacts found at the ancient city of Angkor.
We’d recommend visiting the museum before you head to the Angkor archaeological park to learn as much as you can about Khmer history before seeing the ruins themselves. The museum is huge and is perfect to fill a morning or afternoon.
For those who are keen to stretch their legs, instead of taking a taxi, you can take a very pleasant walk from the Old Market to the museum. The walk follows the riverfront and through the Royal Independence Gardens. In the gardens make sure you look up at the trees as they are home to a colony of Fruit Bats. From the gardens, it’s just a short 5 minute walk to the entrance of the museum.
Ticket price: Entry to the museum costs $12 USD per person. If you’d like an audio guide, it costs $5 USD.
Opening times: The museum is open everyday from 8.30am until 6.00pm.
Angkor Wat Putt
If you’re after a fun-filled activity that’s not entirely ruin based, then make sure you head to the Angkor Wat Putt mini golf course (location).
We had a very funny afternoon putting our way across the 14 holes of this crazy golf course. As you can guess by the name of the golf course, the owner has gone full Angkor theme with mini replicas of the temples acting as holes.
The mini Angkor temples were very cute!
We had a great afternoon shooting balls all over the garden, missing holes and generally realising that we’re not natural golfers.
For a giggle make sure you check out the Instagram reel below! Let’s just say John’s face sums up our golfing skills.
Ticket price: One round of golf (14 holes) costs $5 USD per person including golf club, ball and score sheet.
There’s also a free beer on offer if you get a hole in one! Although there was no fear from the owner that he’d have to give up his supplies when he saw our deplorable skills.
Opening times: Angkor Wat Putt is open everyday from 8.00am until 20.00pm.
Art galleries of Siem Reap
Siem Reap is a haven for artists and the city is full of galleries to unwind in after a busy day of temple hopping.
The most popular gallery is Theam’s Gallery (location), which is set in a traditional wooden house and is surrounded by a beautiful garden. The gallery is full of intricate wooden statuary, carved stone and paintings. It’s well worth a visit, even if it's just for the tranquil settings!
Another great gallery is the River Gallery (location) set a short walk from Pub Street. This small gallery showcases colourful pieces of art from the talented youth of Siem Reap. The paintings are incredible and it's great to see such talented young artists being recognised and showcased.
The two galleries above are just the most popular ones in the city, but there are plenty of others to choose from. If you’re into art then just Google ‘art gallery’ in Siem Reap and you’ll soon realise you’re never far from one.
Cafe hop in the heart of Siem Reap
During the day, the streets surrounding Pub Street are full to the brim with backpackers and travellers taking a well earned break with a Flat White in hand and a plate of avocado toast. There are so many cute cafes to choose from it would be impossible to visit them all.
We will go into more detail about some of our favourite cafes in the ‘where to eat’ section of this guide later on, but let's just say, if you’re looking for great coffee and sweet treats, Siem Reap is the perfect place to indulge!
We enjoyed many afternoons hopping between the different cafes and enjoying some home comforts.
Go for a drink on Pub Street
Siem Reap’s ‘Pub Street’ (location) is the Cambodian equivalent to Thailand’s Khao San Road or London’s Soho district. Full of bars and nightclubs, it's the best place to head to if you’re wanting a drink. From sundown to sunrise, the street transforms itself into the “go to” place for late night revellers.
Pub Street lights up in a rainbow of colours as night falls!
Even if you’re not a night owl and not into late nights, we’d recommend having at least one drink on the famous street. We’d advise heading there just as the sun starts to set, to have a cheap sundowner drink. Pub Street is a great place to sit and just watch the world go by plus, for backpackers, the beer is extremely cheap!
We’ll go into more detail about the best bars and clubs to drink in later on in this article.
Shop for trinkets in the markets of Siem Reap
If you’re after gifts to take back home or are in the market for a new pair of some colourful ‘elephant pants’ then Siem Reap will have you covered.
For your everyday tourist trinkets, we’d recommend heading down to the stalls at the Old Market (location). Selling everything from “definitely not fake’ football shirts to colourful purses, the Old Market is the perfect place to practice your bargaining skills. Our only advice is to barter, barter, barter! We were told that a small bracelet was going to cost us $10 USD as it was definitely “handmade” but after some negotiation we had gotten the seller down to $2 USD. The stalls at the Old Market all seem to sell the same trinkets, but it’s worth getting lost down the narrow, filled alleys of the market and having an afternoon shopping.
If you’re after more unique and handmade gifts then definitely check out the Made in Cambodia Market (location) which is full of local artists and their crafts. Like a magpie drawn to the sparkles, John had to steer Ellie away from purchasing a whole new set of jewellery!
Visit Wat Preah Prom Rath
As you look south east from Pub Street, you’ll see the gold tipped spires rising up from the roof of Wat Preah Prom Rath Temple (location). Sitting opposite the riverfront, this beautiful Buddhist temple complex is full of red and gold stupas, Buddhist statues and shrines all set within a pretty garden. Inside the temple there is a small reclining Buddha draped in orange cloth and lots more Buddhist statues.
As it is a temple, if you do plan to visit make sure you dress appropriately! Please keep your shoulders and knees covered and definitely no crop tops.
Angkor Miniatures
If you thought the Angkor temple complex was too large, then why not come to see its “mini-me”!
The Angkor Miniatures (location) was one of those strange places we’ve found ourselves in on our travels, one of those attractions you think “how the hell did we get here?”.
From its name we were super excited, mini models of the temples of Angkor, yes please! Maybe we went in with too big expectations, but as we quickly went around the very small garden (possibly no bigger than the size of a hotel room), we realised that the Angkor Miniatures was a much more mini experience.
A very mini Angkor Wat!
There is one large, stone diorama of Angkor Wat and then to be honest there’s not much more. There are a few statues and stone carvings that were supposedly crafted by the guy, but look a bit like they’ve been lifted from the ancient site itself. There are also a couple of other stone renditions of famous Angkorian temples scattered around.
We enjoyed our time there, but felt that it was a little too expensive for what it was ($2 USD entry each), and can’t really recommend it, but if you’re into stone carving, or miniatures are your thing, then go for it, who are we to judge?
The Killing Fields of Siem Reap (Genocide Museum)
As with the whole of Cambodia, Siem Reap didn’t escape the terrifying atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. Set in a beautiful monastery complex, with orange clad monks walking around the golden stupas, it’s hard to comprehend the horrors that took place here in the Killing Fields of Siem Reap (location).
The museum weaves its way through the temple buildings with photos and first hand narratives describing the extreme brutality of what happened there.
As with a lot of the historical Khmer Rouge sites it’s not a happy place to visit, but unfortunately, it’s a part of history that has shaped Cambodia today.
Despite the fields being the location of such savage and barbaric violence, the monastery grounds today are peaceful and serene.
It’s not an easy visit, but one that everyone should do to learn more about Cambodia’s dark past.
Ticket price: Entry to the museum costs $3 USD per ticket.
Opening times: The museum is open everyday from 7.00am until 18.00pm.
The War Museum of Cambodia
A short fifteen minute drive away from downtown Siem Reap lies the War Museum of Cambodia (location). This small museum houses military weaponry, tanks, helicopters, rockets and mines used during the Cambodian Civil War.
Instead of being placed neatly in glass cabinets, the museum has that feeling that the locals have just found the war relics in the local forest and placed them in piles for everyone to see.
The larger exhibits (tanks, helicopters etc) are set in the garden and have been almost left to the elements. There’s something disturbingly pretty about the rusted orange remains of a large tank sat in amongst a vibrant green leafed garden. The relics almost feel as though they’ve just been left there since the war ended.
If you’re into military history, or you just want to hold a gun, then the War Museum is worth a trip.
Ticket price: A ticket to the war museum costs $5 USD. There is also the option to have a guided tour around the site itself.
Opening times: The museum is open everyday from 8.00am until 17.30pm.
Visit Tonle Sap lake and the floating villages
Lying south of Siem Reap is the enormous Tonle Sap lake (location). The lake itself is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and during the year changes the direction of its water flow. During the wet season, the water flows into the lake, but during the dry season this reverses, and the water flows back into the Mekong River. The lake is home to around 80,000 people and is an extremely important freshwater ecosystem.
The stilted houses on Tonle Sap lake in the wet season are only accessible by boat!
We didn’t visit Tonle Sap this time. On our previous trip to Cambodia we had a fantastic boat trip to the lake. Our little boat drove down through one of the narrow waterways leading to Tonle Sap, around one of the floating villages and onto the vast lake itself. We visited just before the sun went down and were treated to a spectacular sunset across the water. It was a great boat trip and one we’ll always remember.
Many of the 80,000 people who call Tonle Sap home live on what’s known as one of the lake's floating villages. Large, wooden stilts are driven into the lake bed, and on top, wooden houses are built. When the lake is flooded during the wet season, the locals would step out their houses and get around by boat. However, once the waters dry up during the dry season they have to descend down from their stilted houses to get to the water. It was incredible to see, one of our favourite things we saw that day was a floating pig pen!
Just a couple of pigs floating on Tonle Sap lake!
There are plenty of tour operators offering a tour of Tonle Sap in Siem Reap, just shop around to get a good price.
If you’d like to stay the night close to the water's edge of Tonle Sap, then why not look at booking a room at ST 63 Home Stay & Tour Kampong Khleang. This small guesthouse is set in a small floating village, in a traditional stilted house. The guesthouse has great views over the lake and a small restaurant onsite cooking traditional Cambodian cuisine.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of reports of scams and extra charges on some trips to the lake and floating villages. It’s a real shame this is the case as Tonle Sap is incredible.
If you are booking a trip to the lake, make sure you shop around, check the reviews online and confirm all costs before heading out.
Also be aware of fake “charity” plenty of people are taken to a shop on the lake where they “buy rice for the children” only to be hugely overcharged in a high pressure sale. This is sadly a scam capitalising on your good nature, do not fall for it!
Don't let these issues put you off, Tonle Sap is incredible, just be aware and do your research.
Sunset at Phnom Kraom viewpoint and night market
North of Tonle Sap, rises Phnom Kraom (location). As the only hill visible for miles around, it sticks out like a sore thumb against the flat rice paddy fields and the reflecting water of Tonle Sap.
To visit the very top of the hill and the ruins of Phnom Kraom you will need a Angkor Pass (more on this temple in our full Angkor temple guide which you can read here), however, it’s not just the top that has a great view.
If you don’t have an Angkor Pass you can still drive halfway up the hill and park up to get a magnificent sweeping view over Siem Reap city, the vibrant green paddy fields and Tonle Sap. The viewpoint is extremely popular with local teenagers and every night a small market opens up selling everything from grilled meat to papaya salad.
The paddy fields surrounding Siem Reap are so green in the wet season!
The views from the hill are magnificent and we’d recommend heading here just before sunset to watch the sun go down.
Day trips outside of Siem Reap
If you’re in Siem Reap for a while there’s plenty of day trips and things to do outside of the city.
For those interested in hiking and nature, why not check out Phnom Kulen National Park. This national park is criss-crossed with hiking paths, waterfalls and ancient temples. The national park is also home to the Kbal Spean or the ‘River of a 1000 Lingas’. Carved into the stone that forms the river bed, are thousands of lingas, figures of animals and images of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma.
If you’ve not had your fill of ancient temples, then north of Phnom Kulen National Park are the ruins of Koh Ker. The ruins of this 10th century temple rise up in a 7 step pyramid of moss covered stone.
Further north than Koh Ker, on the border with Thailand is the incredible Prasat Preah Vihear temple. This ruined UNESCO World Heritage temple sits on top of a cliff with magnificent views out from the top.
To arrange a day trip, just speak with one of the tour operators in town who will be able to arrange a driver and / or guide. We were quoted $50 USD for a driver and car for the whole day, but we’re sure you could negotiate on this price.
If you want to skip the negotiation and book a top rated tour in advance have a look at the tours offered below from Get Your Guide.
Guided tours of Angkor Wat and Siem Reap
Within Siem Reap there are plenty of tour guides who can show you around the main attractions of Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. Just head to one of the many tour operators and discuss what you’d like to do.
If you’d prefer to arrange everything in advance of arriving, then why not check out the tours on offer with Get Your Guide.
Get Your Guide offers some of the best tours, all of which have been vetted and reviewed by real travellers. Check out what’s on offer in Siem Reap in the widget below:
Where to eat and drink in Siem Reap
Wherever you are in Siem Reap, you’ll never be far from food. Almost every shop front is a different restaurant, and come the evening, there are plenty of street food stalls that pop up all over the city. Whatever time of day, it’s very unlikely you’ll go hungry in Siem Reap, so let us share with you some of our favourite spots to dine in the city!
Cheap eats, local street food and night markets
For backpackers worldwide, budget eats are a must and Siem Reap can easily cater for you and your wallet.
The Old Market (location) just off of Pub Street has a brilliant fresh market inside, selling everything from fresh fruit to cuts of meat. If you’re after a cheap breakfast, we’d recommend heading here early in the morning to grab a bowl of coconutty nom banh chok or a meaty kuy teav. There’s also plenty of rice and curry stalls, grilled meats, fresh fruit and baked goods to pick up for on the go.
The Old Market of Siem Reap is a feast for the senses!
If you’re after another cheap and filling breakfast, then you can’t go wrong with a bowl of borbor, Cambodian rice soup from the Sinorn borbor Monsrae restaurant (location). Cheap, filling and super tasty, what’s not to love. To read more about the best breakfasts in Siem Reap, both local eats and western, then why not check out our full article here!
Another Cambodian comfort dish that’s budget friendly and super filling is a plate of lort cha from the Family Rice Noodle and Chive Cake restaurant (location). Lort cha is a delicious dish made up of stir fried noodles, a sweet, salty sauce, beansprouts, onions, a fried egg and a gooey chive cake to soak up all the goodness! Our mouths are watering just writing this! To read more about the greatness that is lort cha check out our full article here.
If you’re staying within the Pub Street area you’ll pass by lots of different restaurants all with a similar menu and all at a similar price. As creatures of comfort, our local restaurant The Corner Zone (location) became our go to. We had everything from fried noodles to stir fried chicken and ginger and it was all super delicious and comforting. Our favourite dish though was the super cheap $1.25 garlic fried rice. Perfectly cooked rice, studded with deep fried garlic, it was exactly what the doctor ordered the next day after a heavy night on Pub Street!
You can’t beat a plate of fried noodles!
For cheap local street eats, then up and down the riverfront in downtown Siem Reap (location), market stalls open up serving everything from fried rice and noodles to salads. We ate some fantastic fried meals along the riverfront including a very tasty beef pad krapow with a perfectly cooked fried egg on top!
Tip: As you are dining near the river, make sure you top up with lots of bug spray as there are lots of mosquitoes!
Just outside of downtown Siem Reap (a fifteen minute drive away), is the local night market known as Road 60 (location). All along the road, market stalls open up serving everything from grilled meat to ice cold beer. With the smell of grilled meat and smoking barbecues in the air, it’s a great way to spend an evening with the locals in Siem Reap.
If grilled meat and street eats are not your thing, we have to give a shout out to Nick’s Restaurant (location) who served excellent crispy chicken burgers that were super cheap! For just $2 you could get an excellent burger on its own, or for just a little bit more ($4.50) you could pair a burger with a side of your choice and a soft drink. Did we also mention that the restaurant is home to the extremely cute, and extremely friendly Sunny the dog!
For backpackers who just can’t keep away from the neon lights of 7-Eleven (location), fear not you can still get your hands on the forever favourite cheese and ham toastie. Set underneath the X Bar, Siem Reap’s 7-Eleven sells all the Thai favourites and is always packed full with other travellers. Be aware that just because it's selling everything you’d find in a Thai 7-Eleven store, it’s not as cheap as it is in Thailand!
Budget Coffee in Siem Reap
If you need a caffeine fix on a budget, we can highly recommend checking out Ten Ten Cafe Shop (location). This small coffee shop was always full with young Cambodian’s studying or reading and served super tasty coffee at just $1 USD for an iced latte.
Another cheap coffee we drank was from the Nisai Cafe (location). Set on the pavement of a side road opposite the banks of the Siem Reap river, this small coffee shop was more of the makeshift variety.The temporary shop consisted of a bike with an attached coffee machine and camping chairs dotted around on the pavement. The iced latte was super strong, yet nutty and creamy, all for $1.25 USD.
The best cafes in Siem Reap - posh coffee, smoothies and brunch in Siem Reap
If you’ve had your fix of Cambodian food and are looking for some home comforts, then Siem Reap has plenty of insta-worthy brunch spots to sink your teeth into.
The Sister Srey Cafe (location) is a very popular brunch spot and is busy all day.
The cafe serves all your brunch favourites such as avocado toast, corn fritters, french toast and smoothie bowls alongside juices, tea and coffee. If you head there later in the afternoon, we can highly recommend a good old pot of ‘Earl Grey’ tea (we are British after all) and a slice of their coconut, banana bread. The bread was delicious. Super moist with a sweet coconutty and banana flavour. It was served with warm butter and honey which was just the ticket to make it super decadent!
Just next door is the Brownie Temple Bakery and Smoothie Bar (location). Equally popular with backpackers and digital nomads, the Brownie Temple Bakery and Smoothie Bar was another amazing brunch spot. Their smoothie bowls were enormous and full of colourful tropical fruits. They brought a spot of vibrancy against the grey skies of the rainy seasons! We are gutted we never got to try their carrot cake (Ellie’s favourite) which looked moist and full of nuts and cream cheese. Next time Brownie Temple, next time!
A short walk over the river heading away from Pub Street, is the excellent Muffin Man (location) cafe. As you can guess from the name, the Muffin Man specialises in all things muffin but also has a fantastic brunch menu. We had two delicious avocado toasts topped with ham (boy have we missed ham whilst travelling Asia), scrambled egg and feta cheese. It was delicious, and the perfect way to recuperate after a late night on Pub Street. We opted for the ‘full’ plate, but honestly it was massive and we could easily have shared a plate between the two of us. If you’re dining on your own we’d recommend ordering the ‘half’ size plate.
Baked goods, especially French patisseries are extremely hit or miss in Asia and so when you find a great bakery, you become somewhat of a loyal patron. This is exactly what happened to us and the amazing Eric Kayser bakeries (location one, location two).
We picked up two pain au chocolates for a picnic lunch at Angkor and were not disappointed. The pastry was layered perfectly, with crunch on every bite. The chocolate filling was rich and indulgent, but never too sickly.
During the next week we tried everything from the plain croissants, the almond croissants and some of their breads. They also serve eclairs, brownies, sandwiches and tarts as well as coffee and drinks.
The best restaurants in Siem Reap
Whatever cuisine you’re fancying, you’ll almost certainly find a restaurant catering for you. From Mexican to Sri Lankan, Greek to French, Indian to American you won’t fail to find something to munch on in Siem Reap. As is to be expected, the Western restaurant prices are a lot more expensive than the local offerings, but if you’re a backpacker and after some familiar treats, Siem Reap can certainly cater to you.
It was our engagement anniversary and two year travel-versary whilst we were in Siem Reap and we decided we needed to treat ourselves. Dolled up in our only posh dress and shirt (on separate people, we were not attempting avant garde fashion) , we headed out to find pizza. Lost City Pizza Society (location) is set on the opposite banks of the river from Pub Street and serves up some incredible pizzas.
We ordered their ‘Orto’ pizza, a vegetarian pizza full of sweet peppers, olives and red onion which was delicious. Alongside this we chose from their special menu and ordered a ‘Dr Jones’ pizza. This pizza was definitely the star of the show. A super crispy base, topped with creamy mozzarella, fiery jalapenos, peppery peperoni and sweet onions. The crowning glory though, was a whole garlic clove that had been roasted alongside the pizza. This genius move, meant you had roasted garlic paste that you could literally squeeze from the roasted cloves onto each slice. It was heavenly! As it was a celebration we also had some of their ‘Lost City Bubbles’ which was the perfect accompaniment to the pizzas. It’s been a long time since we’ve drank sparkling wine, and gosh have we missed it! If you’re in Siem Reap and a pizza lover, make sure you hit them up. You will not be disappointed.
Another fantastic wood-fired pizza restaurant is Il Forno (location). Serving all your pizza favourites alongside pasta, bruschetta and salads, Il Forno is a great little Italian restaurant. With all their ingredients imported from directly from Italy, both pizzas (a spicy diavolo and a napoli) we shared were delicious. Alongside we had a cheeky Aperol Spritz. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a glass of the orange bubbles and it was just as good as we remember!
If you’re after curry, then Siem Reap has no shortage of Indian restaurants for you to try. We ate a couple of different curries during our time there, but our favourite was definitely from Dakshin’s (location). After spending six months in India, our cravings for a good curry can often get a little out of hand. So, after trying a few different restaurants and not having our cravings fulfilled, Dakshin’s finally scratched our curry itch! We ordered a creamy butter chicken alongside a aloo gobi, two naans and some rice. It was an incredible feast! Both dishes were rich, creamy and perfectly spiced. The tandoor naans were excellent. If you’re after an Indian in Siem Reap then make sure you head here.
One of our favourite dishes and one certainly under-represented world-wide, is the Sri Lankan rice and curry. During our three month stint in Sri Lanka we lived purely off rice and curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We stumbled upon Serendib Srilankan cuisine (location) whilst shopping in the market stalls behind Pub Street and knew we had to pay it a visit. Rice and curry, is literally what it says on the tin. A pile of rice with three to four offerings of curry served alongside it. The lovely lady at Serendib offered us a choice of vegetarian or chicken. We opted for the meat version. Out came a metal tray full to the brim with colourful curries. We had a bright yellow, lentil dahl, a dark purple beetroot curry (one of our favourites from our time in Sri Lanka), a chicken curry, a salad of tomato and onion and a shaved, spicy, coconut dry curry. It was delicious and had all the flavours we had missed from our time in Sri Lanka.
If you’re after more Asian dishes, then we can highly recommend a lunch or dinner at Brother Noodles (location). If anyone knows us, you know that we absolutely love Thai cuisine and especially their noodle soups. Brother Noodles was a Cambodian take on the Thai favourite ‘boat noodles’. Two big bowls of steaming noodles came topped with a dark, chocolate coloured broth, rich with beef, stock and blood. On top sat green onion, thin slices of beef, crispy onions and shallots. We added all the extras to ‘pimp’ our bowl with crispy pork skin, dried red chilli and more herbs to give it some extra oomph! It was a great bowl and felt to us like a hybrid of Thai boat noodles and Vietnamese pho all with a Cambodian twist.
Don’t tell us this doesn’t look good!
Cambodia does hand pulled noodles and dumplings extremely well. During our time in the country we had some fantastic bowls in Battambang, Phnom Penh and in Kampot, Siem Reap was no exception. A little way outside of Siem Reap (over the river, opposite the Old Market) is មីទាខ្វៃសៀមរាប - Siem Reap Roast Duck Noodle (location) which served up delicious bowls of you guessed it, duck noodles! We opted for two bowls of duck noodles with extra dumplings. Out came two steaming bowls full of egg noodles, blood cake, slices and leg of duck, spring onions, crispy garlic and two plump dumplings. The soup was delicate, yet packed with ducky goodness. The dumplings were delicious with a thin wrapper that managed to soak up the soup without becoming soggy. It was ducking good!
Another fantastic noodle joint is the Angkor Hand-Pulled Noodles and Dumplings restaurant (location). Serving as the name suggests noodles and dumplings! We ordered a set of fried chicken dumplings and a plate of fried pork and egg noodles. Both dishes were fantastic. The noodles had the perfect bite, yet could be easily slurped up with the runny egg. The fried dumplings were crispy, yet the interior was still moist and flavourful. The restaurant is located just a short walk from Pub Street.
Nightlife in Siem Reap - where to drink once the sun has gone down
As soon as the sun goes down, Siem Reap comes alive with neon lights, thumping bass, live bands and the calls of ‘happy hour’. The best spot to enjoy a night on the town is at Siem Reap’s famous ‘Pub Street’, a crossroads full of bars, clubs and restaurants open from early evening until sunrise.
There are plenty of bars to choose from, all with similar drink deals, happy hour menus and cocktail offerings. These are some of our favourites.
The best bars and clubs on Pub Street
If you’re after a drink and want to watch the night unfold, the best spot to drink is in one of the four bars that encompass the main crossroads of Pub Street. Our favourite bars were the two Temple Bars (location) which offered cheap beer and comfy seats. For the best view, head upstairs to one of their balcony seats so you can watch the evening unfold from a great vantage point. As the evening goes on, sometime after 10pm drinking here gets extremely cheap with buy one draft beer get another one free. A dangerous offer as the night progresses and one we definitely didn’t take advantage of! If you’re enjoying the Temple bar, they also have a nightclub a short walk away from the crossroads. The nightclub is open until early morning and seems to be the most popular club in town.
Opposite the two Temple bars on the cross road is the Goal Sports Bar (location). A great place if you needed to catch up on the football. We were visiting during the World Cup and they showed all the games on the TV as well as older Premiership games. It was always busy and had great music. They also have a big pool table.
For a more fancier drink, set a little away from the noise and chaos of Pub Street, make sure you check out the Asana Old Wooden House Cocktail Bar (location). Set in a traditional Cambodian house, this cocktail bar serves excellent cocktails in very pretty surroundings. With comfy seats underneath the wooden stilts and seating inside the house, it was a beautiful spot to enjoy a couple of cocktails and some beers. Asana’s cocktail menu is vast, with a very definite Cambodian twist on some cocktail favourites. We enjoyed tasting their Khmer Old Fashioned, a whiskey based cocktail made from black rice and citrus bitters and a Siem Reap Monsoon made from rice spirit, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, mango and green chilli. Both cocktails were delicious.
The X Bar (location) was our go to bar for a big night of drinking and dancing! Set over three floors, the bar has everything you could need. Great DJs, a dance floor, lots of bar games (beer pong, pool table etc), cheap beer and live bands. Upstairs on the rooftop, the bar has a great view over Pub Street. The rooftop also is home to a huge half-pipe that is very popular with Siem Reap teenagers practising their skate-boarding skills. It was a great way to spend an evening whilst sipping on cheap beer. The X Bar is a great bar if you want a mixture of a good bar and club and is definitely our favourite bar in Siem Reap. It’s definitely more of a late night bar and we wouldn’t recommend heading there until way after 10pm as it doesn’t really get going until then.
There aren’t too many bars with a half-pipe on the roof!
If you’re after an LGBT friendly bar, then make sure you head to Barcode Bar (location) located on Little Pub Street close to the river. With live performances and cheap drinks it always looked super busy.
How long should I stay in Siem Reap?
This is always a difficult one to answer and it depends on how long you have in Cambodia. There is so much more to Siem Reap than just the ruins of Angkor Wat and the temple complex. That being said, the Angkor archaeological park warrants a longer stay in Siem Reap as it is incredible! If you can, we’d recommend at least four nights in the city. This would give you enough time to enjoy the temples of Angkor Wat, have a night or two on Pub Street and go see some of the smaller sites in and around the city.
If your schedule permits you can easily spend longer in Siem Reap, the seven day Angkor pass is a great way to space out your temple hopping!
Where to go after Siem Reap
As we mentioned at the start of this article, Siem Reap is extremely well connected and you can pretty much arrange transport to anywhere else in Cambodia.
Most travellers head east to continue their Cambodia adventure to Phnom Penh or to Kampong Cham, but if you’re heading from Cambodia back to Thailand, you could easily head to the Poipet border or to Cambodia’s third largest city - Battambang.
By far the cheapest way to get around in Cambodia is via bus, check out the most popular routes from Siem Reap below.
Siem Reap to Sihanoukville (gateway to the islands of Koh Rong)
When we left, we took a very comfy overnight bus from Siem Reap to Kampot and arrived just in time for breakfast!
Cambodia travel itineraries
For more ideas on where to go after your time in Siem Reap, make sure you check out our one week, two week and one month Cambodia travel itineraries here.
Final thoughts
Siem Reap is one of those perfect cities that has everything any traveller could need. From cheap and cheerful accommodation and street eats, to upscale hotels and western fare.
If you’ve been travelling for a long time, it’s one of those places that you can just unwind in. If you want to eat and drink like the locals you can easily do that, or if you fancy treating yourself, there’s plenty of restaurants and cuisines to choose from.
It goes without saying that if you’re in Cambodia you will be visiting Siem Reap for Angkor Wat and the spectacular ruins. If you can however, and you have the time, stay that little bit longer. Really get to know the city, explore that little bit further and you will have a fantastic time! There is so much more to do than temple hopping, from mini golf to gardens, art to heroic rats you should never run out of things to do in Siem Reap.
Siem Reap is Cambodia's second city but is easily the most popular place for backpackers and tourists. This is for a reason! The ruins of Angkor may have been the catalyst for bringing tourists to town but the city is amazing in its own right. Siem Reap is a fantastic city, diverse and full of flavour and fun. Do not skimp out on time here or miss the opportunity to treat yourself!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Angkor Wat and the temple city surrounding it are wonders of the world. Check out our complete guide to getting the most out of your visit no matter how long you are staying for. With itineraries, hints and tips and all the essential and lesser know temples to visit our blog covers the lot!