Useful Tips & Info

Welcome to Siem Reap, a center of tourist place in Cambodia! Siem Reap is the getaway to the Angkor Archaeological Park, Cambodia's Seven wonder of the world, and it is a pleasant place to stay while touring the temples. Siem Reap is charm with old French shop-houses, shady tree-lined boulevard and a slow-flow river.The town is actually a cluster of old villages, which originally developed around individual pagodas and later overlaid with a French colonial-era center.

The General View The Siem Reap province is conveniently situated 314 km northwest of Phnom Penh (a capital city of Cambodia), along National Road No. 6. It can be reached all year round from this capital city, from the border checkpoint with Thailand-Poipet Border, from BanteayMeancheay Province, UtddorMeancheay Province, and Kampong Thom Province. From the capital city of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian national airline, the Cambodia Angkor Airways, operates many direct flight daily. The province can also be reached by speedboat along the Tonle Sap River, the great lake of Cambodia, from Phnom Penh and BattambangPronvince. Recently the city has been a great deal of expansion hundreds of hotels, hostels, inns, guesthouses, restaurants, shops, catering to both international and Cambodian tourists have opened to serve the influx of visitors.

The People & Language Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 15.2 millionpeople in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia. The majority of the Khmer are followers of the Khmer style of Buddhism, a highly syncretism version which blends elements of Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, animism and ancestor-spirit worship. Khmer is the official language of Cambodia. The Cambodian language is derived from the Mon-Khmer (Austro-Asiatic) language family. It is renowned for being one of the largest set of alphabets; it consists basically of 33 consonants, 23 vowels and 12 independent vowels. Tourist may wish to learn a few spoken like "Thank You" stand for "Or-Kun", while "Hello" stand for "Sour Sdey". However, English is widely spoken and understood. French is the second language after English; most elderly Cambodian speak French. The Chinese language is also widely spoken.

How to reach Siem Reap Siem Reap is accessible by direct flights from many major cities in the region including Bangkok, Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Paksé, Vientiane, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kunming, Seoul, Rangon, Taipei, etc. From the capital of Phnom Penh, Angkor Air operates several direct flights per day to and from Siem Reap. There are also speedboats operating along the Tonlé Sap from Phnom Penh and Battambang Province.

Transportation TukTuk is the most recommended transportation during your trip to Siem Reap. Of course, Limousine is more than comfortable to you but you can enjoy with tuktuk during your touring.

Weather Cambodia’s climate is hot and warm almost all year round. The climate is dominated by the annual monsoon cycle of rainy and dry seasons. The rainy seasons lasts from May to October, and the dry season from November to April. December to January is the cool months while the hottest period is in April. The average temperature is 27-28C.

National Flag The flag of Cambodia symbolizes the country’s religious dignity and royalty. Two large blue stripes representing royalty, embrace an even larger red stripe which represents the nation. The image of the white temple represents the nation’s religion. Generally speaking, the colors and image on the Cambodian flag personify the country’s slogan: Nation, Religion, and King.

National Flower Romduol, a small yellowish-white flower, is the national flower of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Since ancient times, Cambodian women have often been compared to the Romduol flower because of its attractive fragrance; a unique scent that is prominent in the late afternoon and can travel over long distances with the wind. With its sturdy stems that measure up to 30cm, the Romduol plant can grow to a height of 12 meters. These plants are being planted to enhance public parks. You can find Romduol Tree in front of the villa.

Religion Theravada Buddhism is the prevailing official religion in Cambodia and approximately ninety percent of the populations are Buddhists. Islam, Hinduism and Christianity are also embraced in Cambodia. Since Buddha statues and images represent the revered Buddha, visitors are asked to treat all such statues and images with respect so as not to cause offence to local people. In Cambodia, regardless of religion, the country maintains a harmonized state.

Customs and Tradition Cambodian culture and tradition have had a rich varied history dating back many centuries. Over the years, the people of Cambodia developed a set of unique tradition from the syncretism of indigenous Buddhism and Hinduism. Cambodians have been raised to respect their culture and are very traditional in their way of life. Tourists will see the well mannered Cambodian expressing a friendly “ChumreapSuor” when they meet one.

ChumreapSuor Cambodians traditionally greet with a Sampeah, which involves pressing the palms together before the chest with a slight blow and greeting with a polite “ChumreapSuor”. Customarily, the higher the hands are held and the lower the bow, the more respect is conveyed. Except when meeting elderly people or government officials, between men, this custom has been partially replaced by the handshake. Women usually greet both men and women with the same traditional greeting. Although it may be considered acceptable for foreigners to shake hands with a Cambodians, it is more appropriate to respect the custom and respond with a “ChumreapSuor”.

Traditional Dance There are many classical dance forms in Cambodia, of which a highly stylized art form was once confined mainly to the courts of the royal palace and performed mainly by females. Known formally in Khmer as RobamApsara, the dancers of this classical form are often referred to as Apsara dancers. This dance form was first introduced to foreign counties and best known during the 1960s as the Khmer Royal Ballet. The first royal ballerina was Princess NorodomBophaDevi, a daughter of King Norodom Sihanouk. The Apsara Dance is particularly inspired by the style form around more than a thousand Apsara carvings in the Angkor temple complex. As evidenced in part by these Apsaras (celestial dancers), dance has been part of the Khmer culture for more than a millennium. A visit to Cambodia is only complete when one has attended at least one such traditional dance performance.

Khmer Wedding Traditional Cambodian weddings are intricate affairs that consist of multiple ceremonies lasting three days and three nights. The wedding begins with the groom and his family traveling to the bride’s home bearing gifts to the bride’s family as dowry. Family members and friends are introduced, and wedding rings exchanged. Customarily, three traditional song announcing the arrival of the groom and the next is on the presentation of the dowry followed by a final song to invite the elders to chew Betel Nut, an age-old Khmer tradition. Then it is the Tea Ceremony, at which the bride and groom offer tea to the spirits of their ancestors. To prepare the bride and groom for their life as a married couple, their hair must then be symbolically cut to represent a fresh start to their new relationship together as husband and wife. The master of ceremony performs the first symbolic hair cut; the bride and groom’s parents, relatives, and friends then take turn to symbolically cut the bride and groom’s hair and give them blessing and good wishes. The final is the most memorable segment of the wedding. Family members and friends take turns to tie the bride’s and groom’s left and right wrists with “blessing strings”. The praises and wishes of happiness, good health, success, prosperity, and long-lasting love are acknowledged and witnessed by the loud sound of the gong and joyful cheers. Then, they throw palm flowers over the new couple accompanied by a traditional song. After the couple is pronounced husband and wife, the groom holds the bride’s fabric into the bridal room accompanied by a traditional song. At the close of this wedding ceremony, all of the guests are invited to a wedding reception accompanied by an orchestra concert. The Khmer wedding is a rowdy and joyous event. Nowadays most families reduce the three-day and three-night ritual to a one-day affair. Food Khmer cuisine includes noodles, soups, grills, stir-fried, curries, salads, desserts, lots of vegetables, tropical fruits, and of course rice which is the staple food for Cambodians. Cambodian culinary secrets are rarely written down; the recipes were instead handed down from mother to daughter. From an ancient origin has come a traditional cuisine of unsuspected treasures: a unique blend of flavor and color that enhance the natural ingredients used. Cambodians perfected the art of blending spice paste using many ingredients like cloves, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger and turmeric. They add other native ingredients like galangal, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, cilantro, and kaffir lime leaves to these spices to make a rather distinctive and complex spice blend known as “kroeung”. Although noodles are also popular, almost every meal includes a bowl of rice. A wide range of curries, soups and stir fried are usually served with rice. Being in a country that produces many rice varieties, tourists can enjoy the best aromatic grains and various types of glutinous rice. The latter is more commonly served with a salad or in desserts with fruits. There are two other unique ingredients that give Cambodian cuisines their fabulous typical flavor. One is a pungent fermented fish paste know as “Pra-Hok” and the other, the “Kapi”, a fermented prawn paste. These require an acquired taste for most but they are beloved by some who used them in many dishes or even taken as a dipping sauce. Collectively, these ingredients have become an important aromatic combination commonly used in Cambodians cuisines. Typically, a Cambodian meal is served with rice and at least three other dishes. It usually includes a soup or “Samlor”, served alongside the main dishes. Each of the individual dishes will either be sweet, sour, salty or bitter; these exist side by side in harmony, sometimes even within a single dish, to offer an original melody. Chili is usually left up to the individual to add. In this way tourists are subtly ensured that they get a bit of every flavor to satisfy their palates.

VISA To Cambodia All nationalities need to apply for a travel visa, except for nationals from the following countries: Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. A visa on arrival, valid for a thirty-day stay, is specifically granted at Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, and International Border Checkpoints. Visas are also granted at Royal Cambodian Embassy or Consulate abroad. Visas can be extended at the Immigration Department in Phnom Penh City. A free visa (K) is expressly granted to the Cambodian living overseas. The Royal Government of Cambodia has recently approved e-visas. All you have to do is complete the online application form available at the official website (evisa.mfaic.gov.kh), pay by credit card online, and include uploading a recent passport-size photo in JPEG/ PNG format. The visa will be approved within three business days, allowing you to breeze by that lengthy line and get a jump-start on your holiday. The e-visa, valid for a thirty-day stay, is available only for a typical tourist visa for a single entry. It is currently not available for nationals from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Arab Saudi, Algeria, Sudan, and Sri Lanka. For a business visa, please apply at your nearest embassy or on arrival at all major check points. Tourists getting such a visa online can enter and exit Cambodia through Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, Bavet International Border Checkpoint in SvayRieng, Cham Yeam International Border Checkpoint in Koh Kong, and Poipet International Border Checkpoint in BanteayMeanchey.

Temples Angkor Wat Temple Angkor Wat, which literally means ‘City Temple’, is a Hindu temple complex built to replicate the heavens on earth. C``onstructed for King Suryavarman II in the early twelfth century, it is the best-preserved temple and is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture.

Bayon Temple Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple built in the late twelfth century or early thirteenth century. Built at the centre of King Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only Angkorian state temple to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Buddha. Following Jayavarman’s death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance to their religious preferences.

Phnom Bakheng Phnom Bakheng was constructed more than two centuries before the Angkor Wat. It is a Hindu temple originally built in the form of a temple mountain dedicated to Shiva. Historians believe that Phnom Bakheng was in its heyday, the principal temple of the Angkor region. It was the architectural centerpiece of a new capital that Yasovarman built when he moved the court from the capital Hariharalaya in the Roluos area located to the southeast.

Preah Khan Temple Preah Khan was built on the site of Jayavarman VII’s victory over the invading Chams in 1191. In its heyday, this was the centre of a substantial organisation with almost 100,000 officials and servants. This temple is flat in design, with a basic plan of successive rectangular galleries around a Buddhist sanctuary complicated by Hindu satellite temples and numerous later additions. With numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins, Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored.

Ta Phrom Temple Ta Prohm, a Bayon style temple, is believed to be built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. It was founded by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found where the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors.

Kulen Mountain National Park The Kulen Mountain or Phnom Kulen is declared as a National Park. It is an isolated mountain massif located in SvayLeu District and some 48km from Siem Reap. Its highest point is 487 meters. This is widely regarded as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire. During the constructional period of the ancient temples in the nineth century, sand stones were brought from this sacred mountain to Angkor. It was here at Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarman II proclaimed independence from Java in 802 A.D.

Phnom Krom - Tonle Sap Lake Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, is itself a natural wonder.This great lake exists as an ecological anomaly. In early June, at the start of the rainy season, the water level of the Mekong River rises to divert part of its flow off its course to the South China Sea and redirect it into the Tonle Sap. This forces the current to reverse direction, beginning a process that by the end of October will see the great lake increasing its size almost tenfold, making it the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia.

Angkor National Museum The Angkor National Museum is classified as one of Cambodia’s premier museum sites. On display are thousands of important Buddhist and Hindu sculptures from the various Angkor temples. Many original pieces recovered for safe-keeping by the authorities from the temple ruins are also on exhibit at this museum.

Cambodian Cultural Village The Cambodian Cultural Village is designed to provide tourists with an excellent insight into the life and culture of the Cambodians; their traditions and practices, etc. In all, eleven villages or sectors, each a showcase of different landmarks and providing a peek into the lifestyles of the people from various provinces including the ethnic minorities.

Siem Reap Night Market Like the one in Phnom Penh, the Angkor Night Market is also designed to give visitors a secure and enjoyable shopping and dining experience in a vibrant, contemporary Khmer environment. Both these night markets offer a wide variety of stalls offering a diverse range of goods and services. A ‘must visit’ when in the vicinity.

Kravan Temple Built by King Harshavarman I in the early 10th century and dedicated to Hindusim. Location: East of Angkor Wat and south of Banteaykdei Access: Enter and depart from the east Date: The first half of the tenth century (921) King: Completed during the reign of Harshavarman I (it may have been built by high court officials) Art Style: Transitional from Bakheng to Kho Ker.

BengMelea Temple The remains of BoengMealea, which are still partly buried under vegetation, consist of perfectly squared-off sandstone building blocks. The outstanding decoration dates from the fist half of the 12th century.

Siem Reap Pub-Street In Siem Reap, after returning from the temple tours in the evening, many tourists are taken to the Pub Street to take advantage of the happy hour deals or a good meal. The street is so named because it is lined end to end on both sides by pubs, restaurants and shops.

Air: Internal flights operate between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for Angkor (journey time – 45 minutes). The national airline is Cambodia Angkor Air (www.cambodiaangkorair.com), which commenced operations in July 2009. Both PMT Air and Siem Reap Airways International are now defunct. The upgraded Siem Reap Airport, the main gateway for visitors going to see the ancient temples at Angkor, is a 10-minute taxi ride from the city.

Departure tax: US$25 for foreign nationals (Now it is included in price of airline ticket and Tourist is no need to pay departure tax anymore).

Side of road: Right

Road quality: Roads vary from excellent to very poor and there are numbered routes from Phnom Penh with Route 1 leading to the Vietnamese border. Care should be taken while driving as accidents are relatively frequent. Other vehicles cannot always be relied on to use headlights at night.

Car hire: It is really only possible to hire a car with a driver. Car hire can be arranged by private negotiation with a taxi waiting outside the hotels or through tour operators.

Taxi: Taxis can be hired in main cities, although they are not metered so the price has to be fixed in advance. Tips are appreciated.

Bike: Given the predominant use of motorcycles for urban public transportation, travellers should ensure that any insurance policies provide coverage for riding as a driver or passenger. Cattle often stray onto the roads. In Siem Reap, the local police have banned rental outlets from hiring motorcycles to tourists because of the high number of accidents.

Regulations: Wearing seat belts is compulsory.

Breakdown service: These are few and far between. In most areas drivers of broken down vehicles will have to take a bus, taxi or moto to the nearest town to hire a tow to a local garage.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is not recognised in Cambodia, and as car hire does not exist, visitors are advised to hire a car with a driver.

Getting around towns and cities: There are no public buses in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Taxis wait outside hotels and restaurants but, as they are unmetered, the fare should be fixed before leaving. Cyclos (tricycles) or motodops (motorcycle taxis) are an efficient and inexpensive way to get around and some of the drivers, especially those found outside main hotels, speak a little French or English. Siem Reap also has motorised tuk tuks. Now Tuk Tuk is become more popular to both local and international tourist.

Rail: Cambodia’s defunct railway system is slowly being rehabilitated, with the line from Phnom Penh Railway Station to Battambang due to reopen in 2013 after its closure in 2009.

By water: Government-run ferries depart from the Phnom Penh port near Street 104 and go to Siem Reap, a route popular with travellers. Tickets can be bought in person at the dock or through a travel agent. Travel can be difficult in the dry season when the water level is very low and often boat services are suspended.

Useful Tips & Info

Touring Tips

Tour Itenarery

Things to do in Siem Reap

Shopping & Night life

Foods & Drinks

Getting around Cambodia