Tourists Dancers Booze... Oh My!

Restaurant Name: Temple Bar

After a long day in the heat of the blazing sun, exploring Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom we decided to go restaurant hopping along Bar Street and try appetizers at each restaurant. We didn’t get very far. Our first stop was the uber-touristy Temple Bar. We thought we would stop here for a drink after a long day exploring the temples. A word of caution: a bucket means exactly that. The drinks here are cheap and the service is friendly but the food is expensive, by Cambodian standards, and is targeted at tourists rather than being customary Khmer food. The other draw is the free traditional Aspara (traditional Khmer dancing) show nightly on the second floor. There is a buffet upstairs during the show or you can just have a drink and watch the dancers.

Favorite Dish: If you’re looking for a hot spot on bar street to meet other travelers this might be your place but if you’re looking for something more authentic and local go elsewhere. The food’s not great but the drinks get the job done. Happy Hour is from 4 to 9pm daily.

Prices: less than US$10

Address: Bar Street Website: http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-templeclub.htm

Eat Like The Locals Do!

  Restaurant Name: Local Market

One of the pleasures of eating in any foreign country, I think, is eating like the locals and that generally means street food. Just west of Psar Chaa lies a great local food market filled with vendors selling prepared hot foods. We never saw another tourist here, but it was jam packed with Cambodians. Here you can sample the bizarre (like fried tarantula or scorpion) or, our personal favorite, whole roast duck. Most of the vendors don’t speak English so unless you speak Khmer you’ll have to get by with your dictionary or the ever-handy point and pantomime move. This will, of course, provoke some giggles and a couple stares from the locals but it’s fun and a great way to break the ice. We got by with a few handy Khmer words, some sheepish smiles and a dash of patience. Ordering duck has never been so fun! The food was hot, delicious, insanely cheap and a great way to interact with the locals. Either eat at one of the community tables in the market or take your yummy treats for take away. A highly recommended experience!

Favorite Dish: Whole roasted duck with duck sauce and pickled cucumbers on the side.

Prices: less than US$10 Directions: Just west of Psar Chaa

Guesthouse Eating        

Restaurant Name: Green Garden Home

Most of the guesthouses in Siem Reap have restaurants and Green Garden Home is no exception. The bar and restaurant area is located behind the main reception, east of the pool and even if you’re not staying here they do a decent job and have a great atmosphere for al fresco dining. Order at the bar and take a seat in the garden area or by the pool and they will bring your food to you. If you are a guest of the hotel they will add your food charges to your bill if you so desire. It’s got a quiet ambience and decent food.

Prices: less than US$10  

Phone: 855 63 963 342

Address: 051, Siwatha Road Website: http://www.greengardenhome.com/

Off the Tourist Track

Restaurant Name: Lucky Restaurant

We stumbled upon Lucky Restaurant, which you won’t find in any guidebook or on any tourist map, by accident. We only wish we had discovered this little gem sooner. Located on the outskirts of the tourist area, slightly southwest of Psar Chaa, this local hole in the wall doesn’t look like anything special, but looks can be deceiving. The food here was traditional and surprisingly delicious. We were the only tourists in the place and were able to dine outdoors and enjoy the ambience of the city while we dined. The service was great and the prices couldn’t be beat. They’re also open late – a definite plus! Don’t pass by this hidden gem if you’re looking for great Khmer food at rock-bottom prices off the normal tourist track.

Favorite Dish: Marc’s steamed fish was one of our best meals of the trip. And my chicken Amok (signature Cambodian dish) was great too.

Prices: less than US$10

Phone: 012 995 163

Address: N° 011, Street Sivatha Directions: Attached to the Mini Guesthouse

Socheata's Restaurant: Great Local Food

Our last afternoon in Siem Reap we decided to eat in one of the food stalls in Psar Chaa Market. The food was cheaper here than in the restaurants on Bar Street or the Alley and it was delicious. There weren’t a lot of other tourists who dared to eat here, but that was their loss. The service was friendly, in fact they bent over backwards to ensure our satisfaction. The food was traditional Khmer fare. I would recommend getting off the tourist track and eat here, especially if you’re on a budget.

Favorite Dish: I had my favorite Khmer dish, Chicken with fried ginger and garlic with a coffee shake... yummy!

Prices: less than US$10

Phone: 012 698 483

Address: Located in Psar Chaa (Old Market) #349 Directions: The restaurant is located in Psar Chaa (the Old Market), one block off "The Alley" on the opposite side of the market from the river.

Bar Street: Party Town          Siem Reap turns into quite the party town at night, at least along Bar Street and The Alley. All the backpackers spend their days discovering the mysteries of Angkor and their nights partying Cancun-style. Although there are lots of bars on the side streets, most of the crowds can be found on Bar Street. Most bars offer Happy Hour specials that last all night and the drinks all around are cheap. If you’re in the mood to tie one on and meet other travelers head to the hear of Bar Street, pick a bar and start drinking.

Bus from Phnom Penh The cheapest way to get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is by bus. There are a variety of busses to choose from and they run several times a day. The rates start at $5 US for the local bus. This option is the cheapest, and the best way if you want to travel with the locals. We opted to travel on this bus and there were very few other tourists among us, but we felt completely safe the entire ride. This bus makes two pit stops along the way and as there is no bathroom on this bus, the pit stops are very important as it is the only time you are able to relieve yourself on the ride. At the pit stops you will also be able to obtain food and drink. We even saw fried scorpion and tarantula for sale at the pit stops! The other bus options rise in price up to $10 US (keep in mind these prices are one way). The $10 bus is the most luxurious bus and the one most often booked by tourists featuring bathrooms, air conditioning, and even movies on some busses. Check with a travel agent to arrange tickets and times. Even on the $5 we had reserved seating. They estimate the trip from Phnom Penh to take 5.5 to 6 hours but in reality our trip only took 5 hours including two stops. It’s cheaper and faster than taking a boat up the river, by far, and a great way to see the Cambodian countryside.

Getting around Siem Reap

The easiest and cheapest way to get from the bus station to your hotel is by tuk tuk. When we arrived in Siem Reap we hadn’t booked a hotel yet. Our tuk tuk driver, Red, drove us to several hotels in the city until we found one we liked. We must have stopped at 7 different hotels until we decided on one. The cost of this trip around the city was a mere $1 US.

  For short trips around the city you can try and negotiate under $1 US, but $1 was pretty standard even for trips consisting of only a few blocks.

Hiring a Tuk Tuk Driver for the Day at Angkor

Our tuk tuk driver from the bus station was so sweet and his English was so good so we were compelled to hire him for the following day to take us around Angkor. We settled on a price of $15 US for the entire day and arranged to have him pick us up at our hotel the following morning at 4:30 am so we could experience sunrise over Angkor Wat. We later realized we fell victim to the old “bait and switch” as he changed himself out for his cousin who he swore spoke English as well as his own (this wasn’t the case). But even though his cousin couldn’t speak much English at all he arrived promptly at our hotel the following morning and was a great driver.

If you are planning to do the small tour or grand tour circuit of Angkor (both of which include the closest temples) it is reasonable to hire a tuk tuk and driver for $15 US for the entire day. In addition to an all day hire it is not unusual to have your driver pick you up for sunrise, drop you back off at your hotel to escape the midday heat and then pick you up again for sunset all for the same price. The heat gets intense in the afternoon and it’s great to escape the noontime sun and enjoy the mysteries of Angkor in minimal heat.

Tips for hiring a driver all day: Settle on your price beforehand but do not pay your driver until the end of the day.

Negotiate your prices. Drivers will attempt to get more money out of you if they can. When in doubt walk away. There is always another tuk tuk driver waiting to be your guide. Sometimes simply walking away is the best negotiating technique.

Expect to pay $15 US for a full day of the small tour or grand tour circuits. If you want to visit Banteay Srey (37 km from Siem Reap) or Kbal Spean (49 km from Siem Reap) expect to pay between $18 to $30 US for the trip because of the distance and due to the fact that the roads out to Kbal Spean are currently extremely rough and hard on the tuk tuks.

  Website: http://www.canbypublications.com/siemreap/srtemples.htm

Tuk Tuks Around Town Siem Reap is a relatively small city so it’s fairly easy to get around to most of the touristy parts of town on foot, of course the exception being the Temples of Angkor which are the major tourist draw to the area but are located 6km outside town. But most people choose to hop a tuk tuk to get around town. Drivers will bombard you with requests to ferry you around town so it’s easy to get a ride anywhere you want in the city at any time. Always remember to negotiate your price before you accept the ride and don’t pay the driver until you reach your destination. On average expect to pay about $1US for a trip around town. Many of the drivers will of course start their prices higher because they will expect you to negotiate down, but if they are asking too much or bargaining too hard simply walk away and find another driver. Chances are there are five more drivers right there ready to shuttle you wherever your heart desires. But always remember to be friendly in your negotiations. A smile and kind words are always appreciated.