Bucket list experience:
Siem Reap, Northwestern Region, Cambodia
The stupendous temple city of Angkor Wat is just one of many ancient Khmer ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage listed Archaeological Park, yet it’s the best known, most captivating, and the one most Siem Reap visitors, young and old, come to see.
Whether you tour independently or with a guide, by remork (tuk-tuk) or bicycle, exploring Angkor Wat can be an Indiana Jones-style adventure through the jungle that will leave you sweaty and exhausted, but satisfied.
While tours are readily available, independent-minded visitors will prefer to visit the ruins on their own. To do so, secure a remork (tuk-tuk) driver for the day to transport you to and from the site. Maps and passes are available at the checkpoint office near the park entrance.
If you want a guide, the top hotels usually provide a driver and vetted guide as part of the package – a better option than seeking out a guide independently.
To claim the best spots for sunrise viewing, ensure you rise by 4.30am to join the 5am procession of remorks, which buzz along the dark road to Angkor Wat. Or savour golden sunsets over Angkor Wat from the back of an elephant after a bumpy 15-minute ride up the steep hill through thick vegetation to the temple of Phnom Bakheng.
If visiting Angkor Wat all day, break for lunch during the hottest part of the day at Angkor Café or Chez Sophea, opposite the ruins.
The archaeological park is open all year round, seven days a week, from sunrise to sunset. Visit for sunrise, with everyone else: it’s worth it for the photos. Then stay on; tour groups leave for breakfast, so the site’s yours. The cooler, drier months (November-March) are best.
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