Siem Reap

Siem Reap, the town next to Angkor Wat, is a bustling tourist town. You won't find a lot of local culture here, but you will have all the amenities that you desire at a reasonable price. We were able to stay at a nicer hotel than usual and chose Tara Angkor Hotel.  The large Western style buffet every morning was definitely a selling point for us; they will even put together a take-away package for you if you are off early to see Angkor Wat at sunrise.

Apparently, we didn't take any photos of town, except for the Night Market. We were actually searching for a different night market, which we did find the next night. The Night Market with the neon sign was pretty posh -- definitely a tourist trap -- while the other night market was somewhat more authentic. The most local in flavor, however, was the old market, which was open during the day.

We had intended to catch one of the more professional Aspara dance shows, but our timing was off, so we ended up at Temple Club, a bar/restaurant with a free show. I'm sure the performance wasn't as high quality as some of the others, and our food wasn't particularly good either, but you couldn't beat the price. Check out the video below.



For other activities, the Angkor National Museum is worth an hour or two for some historical background, especially as it is air-conditioned. We also swung by the McDerMott Gallery to see some spectacular photos of Angkor Wat.

Lastly, I would definitely recommend a session at Bodia Spa if you need a respite from temple trekking and souvenir shopping. Though set off just down an alley from one of the main strips, inside the setting is tranquil. For an afternoon, I was massaged, scrubbed, and lotioned with natural oils and extracts until I was putty -- and at a quarter of the price it would have cost in Singapore.