Siem Reap

Siem Reap exists in its modern form because of Angkor, and the growth has been fast: a small colonial town on a river became a city of several hundred hotels within a couple of decades. What survives of the older place is worth finding, in the French quarter around the Old Market with its shuttered shophouses, the covered market itself, and the wats along the river. Beyond the temple traffic the town has developed a genuine crafts and food scene: silk farms and stone-carving workshops training young Cambodians, the Artisans Angkor project, night markets, and a strong restaurant culture. Pub Street is the loud centre of the nightlife and easily avoided. The Angkor National Museum and the landmine museum sit on the edges of town.

History

In the Angkor period a town called Dvijendrapura probably stood here, by the old temple of Prah Einkosei, where inscriptions of 968 and 970 record gifts by Princess Indralakshmi, daughter of Rajendravarman II, and her husband Divakarabhatta. The name Siem Reap is often read as the defeat of Siam and tied by oral tradition to King Ang Chan I driving back a Siamese army in 1549, but scholars such as Michael Vickery treat this as a modern folk etymology and hold that the true origin is unknown (Wikipedia, Siem Reap).

What you'll find

• The French quarter - shophouses and shuttered facades near the Old Market.
• Craft workshops - silk, stone and lacquer training centres.
• Markets - the Old Market by day and the night markets after dark.
• Riverside wats - working pagodas along the water through town.

When to go

November to March is the cool dry season and the peak. April and May are very hot. The rains from June to October bring green landscapes, full moats and far fewer people, which many prefer.

What to expect

The town is heavily geared to visitors and prices reflect it. Tuk-tuk drivers and touts are persistent. Pub Street is very loud until late and choosing accommodation away from it matters. The Angkor pass is separate and expensive, and must be bought at the official ticket office.

Nearby

The Angkor park lies north; the Tonle Sap villages are south.

Key facts