The Best of Cambodia & Laos

94
ORIENTATION SIEM REAP
6
1 ORIENTATION
Originally a collection of separate villages based around separate pagodas, Siem Reap
town is still a rambling place. The Siem Reap River runs north to south with National
Rte. 6 (the road to Phnom Penh) running east to west along the north end of town. The
center of town is around Psar Chas in the southern end of town, west of the river and
east of Sivatha Boulevard, the main north-to-south thoroughfare. Psar Chas itself is on
the river and remains your most important reference point. Heading away from the river
are a number of parallel streets packed with restaurants, cafes, travel agents, and Internet
cafes. The busiest of these is appropriately named Pub Street (St. 8). At night this area
becomes frantic with blaring music, crowds of tourists, hordes of raggedy children, and
hawkers of all things. In between and parallel to Street 8 and Street 9 is a smaller alleyway
with plenty of restaurants and bars, but it is far more relaxed and quiet. Hotels and
guesthouses are spread throughout the town on both sides of the river.
GETTING THERE
BY PLANE Bangkok Air (& 023/426-624 in Phnom Penh, or 063/380-191 in Siem
Reap; www.bangkokair.com) is currently the only airline running the 1-hour connection
to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh. One-way fares are $70.
If you just want to see the great temples at Angkor, the process is simplified with
international arrivals: Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com) flies directly from
Ho Chi Minh City; Bangkok Air flies directly from Bangkok. Lao Airlines flies (www.
laoairlines.com) in from Vientiane. Air Asia (www.airasia.com) and Malaysia Airlines
(www.malaysiaairlines.com) fly from Kuala Lumpur. Silk Air (www.silkair.com) flies
from Singapore. Note: The international departure tax (from both Phnom Penh and
Siem Reap) is $25; the domestic tax is $6.
Siem Reap airport is 7km (41 ⁄3 miles) out of town. Taxis cost $5 while a tuk-tuk will
be around $4. Many hotels offer free pickup.
BY BOAT A ride on the 5-hour boat connection between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
costs $30 to $35. Contact any hotel or travel agent (they all sell the same tickets at the
same price). The trip connects to Siem Reap via the great Tonle Sap Lake. It is getting
less and less popular since the roads have been improved. The buses are cheaper and more
comfortable. Siem Reap also connects with Battambang, to the south and west, via the
Tonle Sap and the Sangker River. The trip reveals life in fishing villages along the river as
you pass the banks. In the rainy season when the water is high, the ride is relatively
straightforward, but in the dry season (Feb–May) it can take 8 hours or more and isn’t
recommended. Book your ticket at any tour agent or the front desk of your hotel or
guesthouse. The price is $14.
BY BUS Your hotel front desk can arrange bus transportation for you at no additional
cost. Mekong Express (& 023/427-518) connects Phnom Penh and Siem Reap with
daily luxury buses ($11 for the 51 ⁄2-hr. ride). Tip: Earplugs are your friend on this bus
ride (and any bus ride really), as the buses play Khmer karaoke songs and various Asian
pop music videos. Capitol Tour (No. 14 Rd. 182; & 023/217-627) also runs daily
minivans along ($5 for the 5-hr. ride) as well as destinations farther afield like Battambang
or Poipet at the Thai border. Neak Krorhorm Travel and Tour (& 023/219-496
in Phnom Penh, or 063/964-924 in Siem Reap near the Old Market) provides similar
services. The road from Siem Reap to Poipet on the Thai border, which was appalling for