Overview of Siem Reap

History Of Siem Reap The name Siem Reap means ‘Siamese Defeated’, hardly the most tactful name for a major city near Thailand. Imagine Birmingham with the name ‘Germany Defeated’. The empire of Angkor once included much of modern-day Thailand, but there’s a touch of irony about the name, given that Thailand ultimately defeated Cambodia and controlled Siem Reap and...

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Getting There & Away

Getting by Land Bus, car & taxi The road linking Siem Reap to Phnom Penh is now surfaced all the way, and air-con buses thunder up and down daily. The road west to Sisophon, Thailand and Battambang is in a messy state in places, but is finally being overhauled. It is served by some buses and plenty of share taxis. There are several companies operating buses...

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Money

Money For cash exchanges, markets are faster and less bureaucratic than the banks. ANZ Royal Bank (023 726900; Achar Mean St) Provides free credit-card advances and can change travellers cheques in most major currencies. International ATMs all over town. Canadia Bank (964808; Sivatha St) Offers free credit-card cash advances and changes travellers cheques in most...

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Health & Safety

Dangers & annoyances Siem Reap is a pretty safe city, even at night. However, if you rent a bike, don’t keep your bag in the basket, as it will be easy pickings for a drive-by snatch. Likewise, lone females should try to walk home with travelling companions when leaving late-night spots, particularly if heading to poorly lit areas. There are a lot of commission...

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Thing to do in Siem Reap

As enthralling as the temples of Angkor may be, there are lots of other things to see and do around Siem Reap. Seeing a bit of Cambodia away from the temples can help avert ‘temple-burnout’ and round out your Cambodian experience as well as help Cambodia by taking some tourist pressure off of the temples and spreading the tourism dollars a bit more widely. In addition...

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Wat Athvea Temple

Wat Althea, also called Prasat Vat Althea, is a 12th century Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia with an active Buddhist temple and cemetery located adjacent to the walled ancient structure. It is located 6 km. south of Siem Reap just west of the road leading to the Tonle Sap. The temple's design and the distinctive style of its devata (sacred female images)...

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West Mebon Temple

The West Mebon is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, located in the center of the West Baray, the largest reservoir of the Angkor area. The temple's date of construction is not known, but evidence suggests the 11th Century during the reign of King Suryavarman I or Udayadityavarman II. Ruins of the central island temple of the West Baray. West Mebon is in poor shape, consisting...

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Bakong Temple

Bakong is the first temple mountain of sandstone constructed by rulers of the Khmer empire at Angkor near modern Siem Reap in Cambodia. In the final decades of the 9th century AD, it served as the official state temple of King Indravarman I in the ancient city of Hariharalaya, located in an area that today is called Roluos. History of Bakong Temple In 802 AD,...

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Preah Ko Temple

Preah Ko Temple was the first temple to be built in the ancient and now defunct city of Hariharalaya (in the area that today is called Roluos), some 15 kilometers south-east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia. The temple was built under the Khmer King Indravarman I in 879 to honor members of the king's family, whom it places in relation with the Hindu...

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Lolei Temple

Lolei Temple is the northernmost temple of the Roluos group of three late 9th century Hindu temples at Angkor, Cambodia, the others members of which are Preah Ko and the Bakong. Lolei was the last of the three temples to be built as part of the city of Hariharalaya that once flourished at Roluos, and in 893 the Khmer king Yasovarman I dedicated it to Shiva and...

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Beng Mealea Temple

Beng Mealea is a temple in the Angkor Wat style located 40 km east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia, on the ancient royal highway to Preah Khan Kompong Svay. History of Beng Mealea Temple It was built as a Hindu temple, but there are some carvings depicting buddhist motifs. Its primary material is sandstone and it is largely unrestored, with...

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Koh Ker Temple

Overview of Koh Ker Koh Ker was the Capital of the Khmer Empire for a very brief period from the year 928 to 944 AD. In this short time; some very spectacular buildings and immense sculptures were constructed. Left to the jungle for nearly a millennium and mostly un-restored; this great archaeological site has been rarely visited until very recently. This remote...

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Kbal Spean

Kbal Spean is an Angkorian era archaeological site on the southwest slopes of the Kulen Hills to the northeast of Angkor in Siem Reap District, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. It is situated along a 50 metres (160 ft) stretch of the Stung Kbal Spean River, 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the main Angkor group of monuments. The site consists of a series of stone carvings...

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Kulen Mountain

Phnom Kulen National Park is a National park in Cambodia. It is located in the Phnom Kulen mountain massif in Siem Reap Province. During Angkorian era the relief was known as Mahendraparvata (the mountain of Great Indra) and was the place where Jayavarman II had himself declared chakravartin (King of Kings), an act which is considered the foundation of Khmer Empire. Archaeological...

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Phnom Krom

Overview of Phnom Krom Prasat Phnom Krom is approximately 12 kilometers (7 .4 miles) southwest of Siem Reap near the north end of the Tonle Sap Lake. It is located on a mountain 137 meters (449 feet) highs. Climb the steep stairs and curved curved path through a modern temple complex at the top of the hill. The walk affords a fine view of the lake and surrounding...

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