i went to siem reap cambodia for 4 great days at the end of my trip to asia! the first thing i did was to rent a scooter for $10 per day, which is definitely the way to go, as distances are actually quite large. the only caveat is that the city has a rule against foreigners driving scooters. the lady renting the scooter to me told me which intersections to avoid, as there are only a few cops who enforce the rule and they always hang out in the same place, and all worked out! it was no problem at all riding my scooter to any of the temples!
the city of siem reap is now the second largest city in cambodia, and has grown to provide the visitors to angkor wat whatever they may need or want. the city centers on pub street, which as the name implies is pretty backpacker party centric, but there are many nice, quieter establishments in the blocks around it as well, and lots of great street food!
also of note, the tiny siem reap airport also had one of the nicest lounges ever!
one of the coolest things in siem reap is “phare,” a modern cambodian circus. it is held in a round-topped tent, and is an amazing combination of acrobatics and live music, all performed by specially trained young people from a nearby city who would likely be on the streets without this opportunity. highly recommend!
