Siem Reap

SIEM REAP CAMBODIA

Capital of the province of the same name, this small, French colonial-style town is situated picturesquely along the banks of the Siem Reap River approximately seven kilometers from its national and international airport.

General about Siem Reap

Welcome to Cambodia. We would like to take you on a tour to show you our nature, our people and our culture. You will explore with us, your qualified tour guides, and discover about Cambodia's culture, history, archeology, daily life of Khmer people, agriculture (intension and extension), ecology of the Great Lake, bird sanctuaries at the Great Lake and at Ang Tra Peng Thmor, religion, mythologies, architectures, our uncountable ancient ruins and many more.

We are all official tour guides, formed by the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia. We speak English, French, Japanese, German, Thai, Chinese, and many more.

Cambodia is a small under developed country whose economy depends on foreign funds. Many of the major companies in Cambodia are foreign owned thus the profits made here are then sent back to their home country and Cambodia receives and retains very little money back. Overall, the people of Cambodia would appreciate receiving business directly from foreign travelers instead of the the tourists seeking foreign companies for their services.

Siem Reap Hotels

A variety of accommodation is available in central Siem Reap, including the new Raffles International's luxury Grand Hotel d'Angkor, a few mid-range hotels and an increasing number of guesthouses varying from modest to quite basic.

Siem Reap Transportation

The best way of seeing the monuments is to hire a private car or a 'moto'. A car and driver can be hired for US$20-30 per day. A motorcycle with a driver (it is not possible to hire just the motorcycle) US$5-8 per day. As Banteay Srei is no longer considered a security risk area and is now open to visitors cars, motos and tour buses, it is likely the daily charge for the vehicle will be doubled. Beng Mealea and Koh Ker are also open to visitors.

Siem Reap - Temple Passes

A pass to visit the temples is required and can be purchased only at the new drive-in ticket counter and check point located on the main road to the monuments just before you enter the forested area. Passes are available for a single day, for three days or for one week. The passes are valid for all the sites within the Angkor area, including Roluos and Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean, but they are not valid for the Kulen Hills, Beng Mealea and Koh Ker . The prices are: one day US$20; three days US$40; and four days to one week US$60.

All passes are required to have a passport photograph of the purchaser. As of December 2000 passport pictures are free at the ticket counter. Visitors should carry their passes at all times as they are checked at the entrance of all the major temples. Anyone found without a pass is liable to a fine of US$30. A visit to the Kulen Hills requires a separate US$20 entrance fee collected by a private company. Ticket to Beng Mealea is US$5 per person and to Koh Ker is $US10 per person.