The airport

For those of you who travel, most will agree that airports don’t get exclamations or compliments from those who pass through. Well I’m here to tell you that the little two bedroom Siem Reap airport is a real gem. Built in a minimalist style with smooth dark stone and richly colored wood, it truly is a breath of fresh air in airport architecture. If it was a fancy hotel lobby, I would not have batted an eyelash and been wowed. You know you’re in a special place when you arrive somewhere and you get really excited to see the city beyond, just based on the airport. Silly, I know, but in this case, it didn’t let me down.

Airport road and Siem Reap city

Siem Reap is a bustling city with grand hotels of all shapes and sizes, but none higher than four stories so as not to block the Angkor Wat sunset! Pretty. The airport road, which is the main thoroughfare from the airport to and around Siem Reap, apparently has one hotel project after another. Some are quite large resorts with Khmer architecture, while others are something of a hodgepodge of styles and appearance. The road is called best hotel row. Once in the city, there are a large number of hostels, inns, hotels and true resorts to choose from. I stayed at the Hotel De La Paix and I have to say that it was one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at. See article about Hotel De la Paix at http://www.thinktraveltips.com. Among the hostels that I saw and found them quite nice were Mom’s Guesthouse, Happy Guest house and Villa Siem Reap. There are countless guest houses and hostels in Siem Reap, so take a look at http://www.hostelworld.com for advice. As for hotels, there are a number of really luxurious 4 and 5* resorts to stay in that rival and beat many of its brethren around the world. The aforementioned, Hotel De La Paix (in Siem Reap city), the elegant Huber Amansara hotel (just a few steps from the city center) where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed just a few days before my arrival in Siem Reap, Le Meridien Angkor (approximately 1 kilometer from the city), Sofitel d’Angkor (1 kilometer from the city) and Le Residence (approximately 1 kilometer from the city). These last two hotels are quite large resort complexes. For a more intimate stay, there is the 4* FCC Angkor hotel, which is located in the residence of the former French ambassador. The hotel restaurant is one of the best and al fresco dining is a must if the weather permits. Then there’s the 75-year-old Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor and one of Asia’s most revered hotels. I remember reading about this hotel when I was younger. It sounded so real with the world’s social elite gathering in their restaurants to eat and drink. When I went for a cocktail I was taken in by the sense of history but I must say I was not overwhelmed by the public areas. The hotel is pretty safe, but something was definitely missing for me. I was talking to a hotel guest and his wife from Hawaii who came to Raffles for their honeymoon. They stayed in a deluxe suite and asked to change rooms twice before settling on a room that wasn’t “tired or looking its full age.”

the wats

Money is pouring into this small part of Cambodia as are tourists, en masse. I have no doubt that ten or twenty years from now no one will be allowed to walk inside the Wats themselves, looking at them from a distance, unless the number of people admitted is severely reduced. Simply put, these staggeringly beautiful creations, some built by man over 1,000 years ago, are crumbling faster than at any other time. Sure, it has to do with global warming and changing weather patterns, but millions of hands touching the walls of these wats, as well as going up, down and around have definitely taken a toll there. I even saw several places where the walls of many of these wats are covered in vandalism, which is very disturbing on many levels.

I cannot adequately describe the feelings I had when I first set foot in the first temple at Angkor Thom. You can see these architectural wonders on TV and in many of the travel magazines, but seeing them in person is overwhelmingly powerful.

After getting a Wat pass, good for 24 hours and up to, in my case, 2 temple complexes (cost was $40 USD), I took a 15-minute tuk tuk ride from my hotel to the first of several Watts. We skipped Angkor Wat because I was told it’s better to visit later when it’s less crowded. When we drive by, there must be thousands of people, no exaggeration, around the huge complex.

We headed to Angkor Thom, which was mesmerizingly beautiful. It looked like a land of the lost set, being that it was built in 1295. The good thing was that there weren’t many tourists clamoring for photos or anything else. I really had a chance to take it all in.

We then drove about 25 minutes to Banteay Srei, which was the oldest Wat we went to, built in the 10th century. It was small compared to the other Wats we saw, but visually impressive. The reds and oranges of the stone shimmered in the sun. It was eerily quiet when we got there and it gave me a chance to sit and look at the carvings which were, of course, done by hand. Going in and out of some of the temple chambers allowed me to see a wonder of the world up close and personal. Once again, I can’t imagine the Cambodian government letting people walk free. Foot traffic is too great. Yeah I know, there was no one there when I got there, but I have a feeling I got lucky.

A word about the bazaars that populate the areas just outside of Wats. You will be surrounded by people trying to sell their products. You can get cheap t-shirts and the like at these places, but for the most part the souvenirs are the same everywhere, so if you’re looking for cheap gifts, these roadside markets are the places to go. art, there are a number of galleries in the “city of bars” of Siem Reap, which I will write about in a moment.

After a late afternoon lunch of veggies and fish for about $3, I got back in my tuk and headed to Angkor Wat, which I was really looking forward to…and it did not disappoint in any way. The amount of people in the temple was bewildering, but Angkor Wat is so majestic that I was not going to get frustrated getting to the shrine itself. God, this place was huge. And so indescribable. Almost cry. It was a strange feeling. I always wanted to travel to Cambodia and to be more exact, Angkor Wat. I read it as a child in my travel anthologies that I used to read and in the Asia travel newsletters that my father subscribed to. I have been approached many times when traveling to Thailand and Vietnam, but there were always extenuating circumstances that prevented me from going. In the 1990s, it was the fighting that was still going on…and only about five or six years ago was it really safe to travel, although tourists have been visiting for many years at that time. As I walk through the first gate, you realize how large the Watt grounds are. Acres and acres of grass and other monuments lead up to the central Wat that is Angkor Wat.

The steps of the Wat are weathered to a beautiful patina. The walls are solid and the carvings are beautiful. In most places you can touch the walls and feel the history… and also the bullet holes that pierced many of the walls during the war. When I reached a very steep staircase that led to the central gallery of the tallest inner tower, I thought of the pyramids at Chitzen Itza, Mexico, where my brother, when he was very young, climbed to the top, but could not climb back up. bottom. We laugh about it all the time, but now, I wasn’t laughing. These were steep and narrow stairs and although I’m not afraid of heights, I don’t like the idea of ​​slipping and falling backwards. Needless to say, I didn’t travel all this way to miss the top of one of the most iconic architectural wonders. I went up and up and did not look up or back. I just focused on the steps. When I did, I felt triumphant and elated. The view was glorious. I wish there weren’t hundreds of other people there with me. But I have to say that everyone was equally amazed and excited to be there. Now going down was another matter. One could have waited in a 35 minute line to get back down using a chain link ladder or just walk down the incredibly steep incline without waiting at all. Of course others in my party just went down the steps like it was a game. Me, I waited and waited and waited… and I couldn’t have been happy. I can’t wait to go back.

A tip or two: bring wet wipes as your hands will be dirty as will your clothes, bring bottled water and very comfortable walking or tennis shoes WITH RUBBER SOLES. You will definitely find yourself slipping if you have anything other than rubber on your feet.

AFTER TOURISM

PUB STREET (SIEM REAP) and PUB STREET ALLEY

Talk about being in a small town in Cambodia and the first thing you hear coming out of a bar is Donna Summer’s McCarthur Park. The world is not that big. The now famous and some would say infamous Pub Street is a few blocks east of the “old market” and is a two block area that is cordoned off for all cars and motorcycles. These are small pedestrian streets and picturesque alleys, packed with restaurants (French, Thai, Cambodian, Indian, Italian, etc.), art galleries and bars of all kinds. From raucous shot bars to quieter and more exclusive jazz and piano bars. I had a great time walking around and taking it all in. Most bars and restaurants don’t start to fill up until, say, 5 or 6, but if you want some atmosphere, go around 9 or later. Some stay open very late. There are always tuk tuks to take you back to where you are staying.

Some fun bars and restaurants:

ivy bar

martini bar

the temple club

angkor what

Linga Bar

The Red Piano Restaurant

Karma Sutra Restaurant

Word of advice: watch out for the Happy Herb Pizza. Is what it seems.

Have fun, travel safe.