Siem Reap tour, Cambodia travel

Siem Reap, literally "Siam Defeated". These days, however, the only rampaging hordes are the tourists heading to Angkor and this once quaint village has become the largest boomtown and construction site in Cambodia. It's quite laid-back and all-in-all a pleasant place to stay while touring the temples. It's a nice compromise between observing Cambodian life and enjoying the amenities of modern services and entertainment, thanks to the large expatriate community in Siem Reap. As business has increased, so have the numbers of people wanting your custom, and so have the prices, which are often double or more that you would pay elsewhere in Cambodia. Expect to receive almost constant offers for motodop and tuk-tuk rides, along with everything else which drivers may be able to offer to you.

Be sure to pick up your free Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide and the equally free and useful Siem Reap Pocket Guide from your hotel/guesthouse. It contains lots of info on Siem Reap and Angkor, including hotel/bar/restaurant/shop info, travel info, maps, etc. For the eco-sensitive tourist, check out "Stay Another Day: Cambodia," a detailed guide with local spots that support the environment and community.

Sights to see :
The reason most people come to Siem Reap is the Angkor Archaeological Park, which is thoroughly covered on its own page. The town is worth strolling about for itself though and boasts quite a number of beautiful modern Buddhist temples.
The Angkor National museum,with its 1000 Buddhas, the museum is without a doubt of the most modern museums in all of Asia. Besides the already mentioned 1000 buddhas,this museum shows the history of the Angkor complex as well as Khmer culture and clothing using high tech displays and video screens. The entrance fee is a bit steep ($12 for foreigners), but what you get in return is so worth it.
Landmine Museum, 6 km south of Banteay Srey (31 km from Siem Reap). This tiny museum was set up by local deminer Aki Ra to educate locals and tourists about the dangers of land mines. Piles of defused mines and UXO lie around the site and the guides are mostly teenagers who were orphaned or injured by mines, many of whom live on site. A very worthwhile trip that brings home the scale of the problem and shows you a slice of "real" Cambodia. US$1 entry, and donations very welcome - everything will be used to provide support for land mine relief initiatives, education and victim assistance. NB: The museum moved in 2007, so make sure your motodop doesn't try to take you to the old location in a village near Angkor Wat.
Kampong Phluck, off the Highway to Phnom Penh, is only reachable by motorbike and then boat, and is a much more authentic 'floating village experience' than the one close to the Tonl Sap-ferry harbour. Enquire at your local hotel for a day trip to this fascinating village on stilts. This day trip should cost around US$30 and it takes about 2 hours to reach the village, depending on the road conditions and water level.

Activities:
Apsara Theatre: The only air-con theater in town presents various traditional popular and classical dances and serves a set of local specialties. Booking recommended.
Army Shooting Range (near Banteay Srey and Kbeal span) - an "alternative" solution to temple fatigue, with armament and explosives availability apparently only limited by how much you're willing to spend. Even a short round is pretty expensive (US$30 minimum, prices vary based on supply), but listening to the soldiers-turned- used car salesmen put the hard sell on a new machine gun is almost worth the trip. Grenades are sometimes offered for US$30 and this is a true game of Russian roulette - fancy pulling the pin of a 30+ year old grenade and possibly getting the faulty one? Make sure that whoever is supervising you is also willing to stand next to you!
Spend a Day In a Cambodian Village - a unique insider look to a real Cambodian life. Spend time with village kids at their school, harvest or plant some corn, and interact with villagers.

Cooking Classes Several restaurants throughout the city offer courses on Khemer cooking. For the true gourmand, check out the Paul Dubrule School of Hotel and Tourism. The school itself offers high-quality hospitality training to underprivileged Cambodians, who receive scholarships. You can support this by attending a 5-hour or full day cooking class on authentic Khemer food. The attention to detail, cleanliness and comfort are unparalleled. It is, after all, a school for hospitality. (Vegetarian- and vegan-friendly.)

Massage Several Khmer massage parlours can be found in Siem Reap. Unlike their namesake counterparts in Bangkok, these are generally genuine massage parlours and not a front for sexual services. The Khmers believe that the Thai massage is derived from Khmer massage - which is just as relaxing (and requires less twisting and turning) as a Thai massage.

What to eat:

There are many hundreds of restaurants in Siem Reap, and you will have no trouble finding something which suits your tastes and your budget. If you don't want to go out, most guesthouses have a basic restaurant attached, and can quickly whip up a decent fried rice.
For something a bit more special, head into town. There are whole streets catering for the travelers tastes, with pizzas, hamburgers, or tasty westernized offerings such as Amok and 'Khmer curry'. Many of the most authentic Karaoke-  style restaurants are hidden in the backstreets, though your moto or tuk-tuk driver will no doubt know where to take you. He will be happy to wait (or join you) if you are really out in the boonies.

Shopping:

The Old Market which is in the center of Siem Reap, is the best place to find Buddhist trinkets, souvenirs like T- shirts, and even good books on the temples. Just outside the market, you will see a whole array of small store front boutiques.

Large, mall-style souvenir venues line the road just north of town on the way to the temples. These are a good stop for the obligatory collector's spoon or plastic replica of the temples.

The Lazy Mango Bookshop, a block west of the Old Market, is where you can exchange that novel you've been dragging around for a new one and talk with the kind American owner Don.

Nightlife:

Siem Reap is a town where most visitors are up with the sun and out visiting the temple sites, but there are a few good evening options.

Apsara dance is an ancient art in Cambodia. Dancers in traditional gilded costume practice their slow art, characterized by the elegant contortions of the wrists. Combined with a fine bugget dinner in the traditional indoor banquet- house theater, this is a fun evening out.

There are a few popular bars near the Old Market in Siem Reap. The whole street hops late into the evening.