Siem Reap

The Angkor National Museum is a modern, air-conditioned museum in Siem Reap dedicated to preserving and interpreting the Khmer civilisation and the Angkor archaeological complex. Spread across eight galleries, it houses over 1,000 original artefacts including sandstone sculptures, bronze figures, and ceramics.

Artisans Angkor is a social enterprise founded in 1998 to revive traditional Khmer crafts and provide employment to rural youth. Visitors can watch artisans at work in stone carving, silk weaving, lacquerwork, and wood sculpture, and purchase high-quality handmade products in the on-site boutique.

The Made in Cambodia Market is an artisan-focused evening market supporting local Cambodian creators, featuring handmade crafts, textiles, natural cosmetics, and food products. Unlike the more touristy night markets, the emphasis here is on authentic, locally produced goods with transparent sourcing.

The Apsara dance is Cambodia's most celebrated classical art form, representing the celestial nymphs carved on the walls of Angkor temples. Inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2003, performances in Siem Reap bring the temple carvings to life with intricate hand gestures, elaborate costumes, and traditional music.

Tonlé Sap is Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake and a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve, located about 15 km south of Siem Reap. The lake's seasonal flooding cycle — expanding from 2,500 km² in the dry season to over 16,000 km² during the monsoon — sustains floating and stilted villages where thousands of families live on the water.

Cambodian cooking classes in Siem Reap offer hands-on experiences in Khmer cuisine, typically beginning with a guided tour of a local market to source fresh ingredients and ending with participants cooking and eating a multi-course Cambodian meal.

The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at the exact centre of Angkor Thom, built in the late 12th or early 13th century by King Jayavarman VII. It is famous for its 216 massive serene stone faces carved on 54 Gothic-style towers, believed to represent either Avalokiteshvara or Jayavarman VII himself.

A self-guided or guided cycling tour through the countryside surrounding Siem Reap, passing through rice paddies, stilted villages, rural pagodas, and local farms. The flat terrain and quiet back roads make it accessible for riders of all levels and offer an authentic window into Cambodian rural life.

Banteay Srei is a 10th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located 25 km northeast of the main Angkor group. Despite its small size, it is celebrated as the 'jewel of Khmer art' for its exquisitely detailed pink sandstone carvings, which are among the finest in the world.

Ta Prohm is a 12th-century Buddhist monastery and university built by King Jayavarman VII, now famous for the massive silk-cotton and strangler fig trees whose roots have merged with the stone ruins. The temple was deliberately left in a semi-ruined state by French restorers to show the power of jungle reclamation, and gained global fame as a filming location for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001).

Preah Khan is a vast 12th-century temple complex built by Jayavarman VII in 1191, serving simultaneously as a Buddhist monastery, university, and small city. Its name means 'Sacred Sword', and it was dedicated to the king's father. The sprawling labyrinth of corridors, courtyards, and galleries remains partially unrestored.

Angkor Wat is the world's largest religious monument, a 162.6-hectare temple complex built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. Its five iconic towers represent the peaks of Mount Meru, the mythological home of the gods. Today it serves as a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on the national flag.

Kandal Village is a trendy riverside neighbourhood that has become Siem Reap's creative hub, home to independent boutiques, design studios, speciality coffee shops, and art galleries. The area offers a quieter, more curated alternative to the bustle of Pub Street and the Old Market.

Banteay Kdei is a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th century, built in the style of Ta Prohm but on a smaller, more manageable scale. Its name translates to 'Citadel of Monks' Cells', and it offers a peaceful alternative to the more crowded temple circuit stops.

The Baphuon is an 11th-century temple mountain representing Mount Meru, originally one of the grandest structures in Angkor. After decades of painstaking restoration by a French team — interrupted by the Khmer Rouge era — the temple reopened in 2011 with its elevated causeway and massive reclining Buddha fully visible.

Phnom Bakheng is a Hindu temple built on a natural hill 67 metres above the surrounding plain, offering sweeping 360-degree views over the Angkor Archaeological Park. It is the oldest temple-mountain in Angkor, predating Angkor Wat by more than two centuries, and is famous as the prime sunset-viewing location.

Kbal Spean, known as the 'River of a Thousand Lingas', is an archaeological site deep in the Kulen Hills where an ancient riverbed has been carved with hundreds of Hindu sacred symbols — lingams, yonis, and figures of Vishnu and Shiva — dating to the 11th and 12th centuries. The carvings were designed to sanctify the water flowing downstream to the temples of Angkor.

Pre Rup is a 10th-century Hindu temple built by King Rajendravarman II, serving as the state temple of the Angkor kingdom. Its name means 'Turn the Body', a reference to a traditional cremation ritual. The temple's elevated position and west-facing orientation make it an excellent alternative sunset spot to the crowded Phnom Bakheng.

Neak Pean is a small but unique temple built on an artificial island in the middle of the Jayatataka baray (reservoir), dating to the late 12th century. The temple was designed as an Arogayasala — a healing sanctuary — with four pools surrounding a central tower, each connected by carved spouts representing different elements.

Ta Som is a small, atmospheric temple from the late 12th century, built by Jayavarman VII and located at the eastern end of the Grand Circuit. It is best known for its eastern gopura (entrance tower), dramatically engulfed by the roots of a large strangler fig tree.