I have always heard great things about Cambodia (and Cambodians), so when I started planning my Southeast Asia Itinerary, I made sure to include 3 days in Siem Reap. In hindsight, 3 days was much too short and despite the heat, Siem Reap is the one place I would like to return to for a deeper exploration. Is there a cooler season to visit Siem Reap? If so, I’m there!

This post contains affiliate links. Buying through these links will not cost you extra, but I will earn a small commission.

Getting to Siem Reap

I contemplated taking the bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap, but ultimately, wisely, settled on a flight, which was under 1 hour and less than $100 on AirAsia. Even the Siem Reap airport felt exotic, with a distinct Polynesian feel. Cambodia was the only country that required a visa on this trip, but even that process was relatively quick – thankfully, I did my research and had extra passport photos and cash on hand.

Day One: Siem Reap Food Tour

After a short flight from Bangkok, I transferred to my hotel with a bit of time to rest before joining my evening food tour. I booked the Siem Reap Street Food Evening Tour for $47, which includes hotel pickup and dropoff. Various moto-taxis collected 5 of us from our hotels to meet our guide, Kim, at the local street market. Rather than warming us up to “weird” food, we started off right at the bug table, which included crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetles, worms, and frogs. One brave soul (the only man in our group) tried everything while we girls were a bit more squeamish. I did try the frog and snail, as those didn’t seem too exotic. (I’ll also note the cockroach involved a peeling of the shell, which pretty much made me throw up in my mouth)

Browse Siem Reap food tours at Viator

We then moved on to more palatable tables, such as fruit and sweets. I was excited to try jackfruit and durian, as well as other exotic items like rambutan. All of the fruit was good, although the texture of durian takes some getting used to. (Jackfruit is becoming a popular meat substitute in the States and I recently sampled it at the taco bar of Whole Foods.)

After a bit of browsing and snacking, we headed to one of the grills, where Kim loaded up plates and we sat down for a picnic. We tried a little bit of everything, including quail, duck, and more frog (this time stuffed with sausage.)

Sweets are always my favorite, especially when they are coconut and rice-based…yum!

After all of this eating, we jumped back in the taxis for a sit-down meal at a local restaurant. I was already stuffed at this point (not much appetite when it’s 100-plus degrees) but it was fun to try Amok, which is the local Cambodian coconut soup, served in a coconut shell.

At the conclusion of the tour, everyone headed over to Pub Street, but this old lady had a 4 am wake-up call for the next day’s Sunrise tour of Angkor.

Day Two: Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour

My second day in Cambodia was the big day: a sunrise bicycle tour of the Angkor Wat complex. We had to start before sunrise, of course, which meant getting up in the dark and meeting our guide in the hotel lobby. We spend the day cycling through the various temple complexes of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm. The ten-hour tour includes breakfast, lunch, hotel pickup, and dropoff, for less than $100.

There are many things to do in Siem Reap, Cambodia, but the biggest draw for travelers is a trip to the Siem Reap temples. Choosing how to visit the Siem Reap temples is one of the first things to decide when planning your Cambodia vacation. Viewing an Angkor Wat sunrise is a quintessential Cambodian experience. There are many Siem Reap tours for all types of travelers, including bus tours, bike rentals, and tuk-tuk drivers, who can be hired for less than $20 a day.  Since I love to add a bit of outdoor adventure to all of my travels, I chose a bike tour from Viator, my go-to travel tour agency.

Book Angkor Temples Bike Tour from Siem Reap

What to Wear to Angkor Wat

The tour website shows spandex-clad cyclists breezing by the temples. Choosing what to wear for the tour was perplexing; shoulders and knees must be covered when visiting the temples, but you are biking through 100+ degree temperatures. I wore linen capris and a wicking T-shirt with Chaco sandals. Honestly, you could go naked and still be ridiculously hot, so you really can't win. Just go for comfort and modesty. Modest dress is required at the Angkor temples because, in addition to being a significant historical place of worship, they are still active temples. We saw several areas where monks and others come to worship. At every turn, you'll see Buddha statues, freshly decorated with offerings.

Angkor Wat Sunrise

Our guide, Lot, arrived at my hotel lobby at 5 am. I was staying closest to Angkor Wat, so I got the last pickup time, and a few precious extra minutes of sleep. I joined the rest of the group in the van, and we headed off to get our Angkor Wat tickets. The crowds at the ticket booth were large but efficient.  You get your photo taken, hand over cash and in a few minutes, you have your Angkor Pass.  (Note that Cambodia uses US Dollars, but they must be crisp! I had one bill rejected here because it was wrinkled) We then drove to an area where we watched the Angkor Wat sunrise.

Most of you have seen the classic "sunrise at Angkor" shot, but may not realize there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people gathered at this reflecting pool. We went to a less crowded spot which also offered a sunrise view of the temples, albeit a bit farther away than I was expecting.  It wasn't quiet or off the beaten path, by any means, but a bit less crowded. We spent about an hour watching the sunrise behind the temples and then moved on to begin our tour of the Angkor Wat temples.

We eventually made a stop at the famous reflecting pool once the crowds had dissipated. This is the photo-famous spot where everyone gathers to catch the sunrise.

The Angkor complex is huge, and the details that remain after 9 centuries are quite impressive!

After leaving Angkor Wat, we arrived at a hut in the woods, where a full breakfast awaited us.  Then it was time to begin our bike tour.

Other Siem Reap Temples

While this was technically a "van supported" bicycle tour, that only meant the van met us occasionally, and transported our things. For the most part, we were riding on sandy paths through the woods. We rode through several small communities, where the children would run out and yell "Hello!" They were so cute, and I wish we'd had a chance to slow down and visit. After a bit of riding, we entered the Angkor Thom complex.

Within Angkor Thom is Prasat Bayon, the "faces" temple, where again, the detail in the sandstone is really impressive!

After a break for cold washcloths and fruit, we hopped on the bikes again and immediately saw this family of monkeys hanging out and robbing tourists of their water bottles.

Our last temple stop for the day was Ta Prohm, famously known as the filming site for Tomb Raider (which I haven't seen.) Ta Prohm is covered in trees, which appear to be oozing down over the temples rather than growing up from the ground.

By now, it was well over 100 degrees, and I hoped our van would be waiting outside, but there was another short bike ride to a nearby restaurant where lunch (and our van) was waiting. After lunch, we were dropped back at the hotel, where I showered and went to bed at 3 pm.  I woke up later for room service dinner, but I didn't even venture down to the pool that day! The temples were gorgeous and there were so many more that I did not see. I would love the opportunity to return for a longer visit, perhaps in a slightly cooler season and take my time to explore them all.

Best Time To Visit Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat sunrise is going to be the best time of day to visit the Siem Reap temples. Not only will you be treated to a spectacular scene (weather permitting) but you should also try to get out as early as possible to beat the heat of the day. As far as the time of year, I of course managed to visit during the hottest month in Cambodia on record. (April 2016) The main tourist season in Cambodia runs November through March, which is the dry season. Rainy season, which sees fewer crowds, is usually May through October. It's always warm in Cambodia, but the hottest (and most humid) months are April and May.

Browse all Siem Reap tours at Viator

Day Three: Siem Reap Pub Street

After the bike tour, I had one day left in Siem Reap before flying to Phuket.  I didn't have anything planned, but I woke up early (after pretty much going to bed at 3 pm the day before) and caught a ride into town to wander around and do some shopping. Up to this point, I was still traveling out of a small carry-on and hadn't done much shopping, so this was my chance to buy any souvenirs as I knew I wouldn't be going into town in Phuket. As I strolled around, I was lured into a $4 foot massage while I sipped a fresh coconut shake. As I relaxed into the chair, the masseuse's sister excitedly talked me into a manicure as well. They were both so sweet and filled me in on the "neighborhood gossip" before her husband drove me back to the hotel in his tuk-tuk.

As it began to heat up, it was time to head back to the hotel pool for the day. I also indulged in a facial at the spa, given that my skin was quite unhappy in this climate, but otherwise spent the day in the shade of a pool umbrella. I couldn't let this gorgeous hotel pool go to waste!

In the evening, although room service was tempting me, I decided to head to the Foreign Correspondent's Club for cocktails and dinner.

The next morning, it was time to re-pack and head to the airport, for my final vacation leg in Phuket.

Where to Stay in Siem Reap

I exclusively stayed in Starwood Hotels on this trip, to take advantage of SPG points, so I chose Le Meridien Angkor. It quickly became one of my all-time favorite hotels. I arrived well before check-in, and while I waited for my room, I was given a cold towel and mango juice. (Cold towels were a hit everywhere I went in Asia...so refreshing!)

The pool at Le Meridien is spectacular, and the grounds are beautiful. I loved my mahogany room and always had fund little treats waiting for me when I returned at the end of the day. This is the closest hotel to the Angkor temples, which also means it's the furthest from downtown Siem Reap and Pub Street. I didn't mind as transportation in Siem Reap is inexpensive, but if you are coming to Siem Reap for nightlife, you might choose a hotel closer to town.

Siem Reap 3-Day Itinerary

I loved everything about my 3 days in Siem Reap....except the weather! I really don't do well in high humidity, so I spent a lot more down-time at the pool than I would have liked (even if it was a gorgeous pool!) The people I met were all incredible - despite a dark history as recently as the '80s, they seem like wonderful people.  I would love to go back for another visit and spend more time exploring.

Like this post? Pin it for later!