Adventure & Relaxation
Siem Reap Travel Itinerary & Guide
2 Days in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Siem Reap is an incredible destination and typically a 3-4 day stop for those traveling around Southeast Asia. This itinerary will give you the perfect amount of adventure and relaxation…all while getting to experience the wonder of Angkor Wat.
Day 1:
For accommodation, I stayed at 228 Boutique Hotel which enjoyed for the price of $25 plus Airbnb fees for a one bedroom. When I booked it included breakfast and is a simple yet extremely comfortable hotel with a very helpful staff.
Cambodian Cooking Class
One of the best ways to learn about a culture is through their food. If I have enough time in a country I really love taking a cooking class. This is a great experience and I’ve posted a link to a class I recommend. We visited a typical Cambodian home to see what a kitchen and life is like, then we began the cooking class which consisted of a 3-course meal. The teachers were extremely nice, helpful, and fun. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a cookbook that has great recipes (even ones you didn’t cook) and they give you information on substitutes so you’ll have an easier time finding ingredients in your home country.
Massage & Relax
You’ll return back to your hotel (tuk tuk ride is included) stuffed and relaxed. I would recommend getting a massage and taking some time to relax even more as the heat might be quite strong.
For getting a massage I recommend the Khmer Relief Spa, it’s a little pricier for Cambodia but it’s a proper massage parlor with great staff.
Sunset ATV Tour
When the sun starts to go down a tuk tuk will pick you up and take you to the ATV tour building. They’ll give you a quick lesson on how to drive the ATV and drive on the streets. Then they’ll do a quick test run and you’re off through the streets and dirt paths of Siem Reap. The tour guides are really nice and will make stops if you request them. You’ll get extremely dusty and dirty though so keep that mind when dressing and bringing along your camera. (Note: this is more of a drive through villages and the town, don’t expect to go off roading.)
The cost is $30.
Dinner at Pub Street
Lined with restaurant after restaurant and bar after bar, Pub Street or the bordering streets are a great place to relax and grab a bite to eat.
Day 2:
Today you’ll see the best of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat. Be sure to bring really comfortable walking shoes and lots of water.
Angkor Wat Temple Visits
You can book this through your hotel, I’ve provided a link to my tour guide who was absolutely awesome. You could certainly go on your own and explore the temples but the information you gather from the tour guides is incomparable.
You’ll take a tuk tuk around 4:30 am to pick up your ticket for the temples (1 day cost $20, I think 3 days was $40 and I can’t remember what the 7 day pass was – but keep your pass safe and clean as you’ll have to constantly pull it out). Your tuk tuk driver will stay with you all day and booking him through the hotel cost around $19. I’m sure you can find it cheaper but booking through your hotel offers a little bit of assistance if you have issues.
You’ll start your visit at Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise. (If you’re looking at Angkor Wat I would recommend the left pond so you can get a really great picture of Angkor Wat and it’s reflection on the pond.) My tour guide gave me about an hour of free time to enjoy the sunset and take pictures from as many locations as I could. If you’d like to grab breakfast during or after the sunrise there are plenty of stands (and you’ll get asked every 5 seconds by someone if you want coffee or breakfast).I actually arranged for my hotel to prepare a to go breakfast that I could eat in my tuk tuk ride on the way to the temples.
After spending time walking around Angkor Wat you’ll head over to Bayon Temple and walk around. If you have time and energy there is a tall “mountain” temple not too far that you can climb, it doesn’t have that many carvings just the good view from the top (Note: it’s not actually at the top of a mountain, the way the temple is built is to symbolize a mountain.
After you will head to the jungle temple which was used in the Tomb Raider movie. This is your last stop then your tuk tuk driver will take you back to your hotel.
Cambodian BBQ Restaurant
A wonderfully unique experience that I still dream about! Cambodian BBQ is delicious and really fun! The restaurant is great because it follows Western health standards so all their water, vegetables, and meat are safe to eat. Even if it’s a hot day, this meal is still really enjoyable…especially with a cold beer.
Gelato Lab
I visited an awesome Gelato shop called Gelato Labs that I would really recommend. If there is space sit upstairs and joy the large fans and great atmosphere.
Tips and Tricks:
1. You can use US dollars almost anywhere, but make sure there are no rips in the bills (even the slightest ones) or they will not be accepted. $5 and $1 bills will be most useful.
2. Bring sunscreen and bug spray (or pick it up when you get here).
3. Bring Pepto Bismol, food quality still isn’t perfected and travelers diarrhea is quite common here.
4. You can apply online for your visa at the e-visa Kingdom of Cambodia site.
5. I visited in April when the weather report said it was going to be 100 degrees to 104. I don’t think it was too unbearable. I would do a lot of my adventures in the morning or evenings and relax a little in the highest times a little after noon. I’m typically a go go go traveler with no breaks but in this heat, it’s quite hard.
6. Infrastructure isn’t as robust so power outages are very common. This will impact ATMs so make sure you have plenty of cash.