Cambodia

Cambodia, Siem Reap, and the magic of Angkor Wat

I highly recommend Cambodia as a country that Uni students should travel to. It is affordable, interesting, and full of history. I had the chance to travel to Siem Reap in 2012, and visit Angkor Wat. It is one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen- and I think it is a must see.

So first of all- where is Siem Reap? Siem Reap is in northwestern Cambodia, and it is the capital city of Siem Reap Province.

Second of all- what is Angkor Wat? It is the largest Hindu temple complex and religious monument in the world. It extends over 400 square kilometres and consists of temples, structures, and communications routes. 

I think it is best to travel to Siem Reap with a group of 4 or less. This way, your group will always be able to fit in a tuk tuk, and there is a greater chance that your group will be able to all walk around Angkor Wat at the same pace. You do not need more then a week to visit Siem Reap.

I recommend staying at the youth hostel Siem Reap Rooms. It is reasonable priced, has a good location, and the cleanliness is great. While it isn't as much of a party hostel, this is ideal for your trip to Siem Reap because you might be waking up early one day for the sunrise tour of Angkor Wat and you will want a full nights sleep! Also, with a great location near to the city's night life, you don't need to do more then walk out the door to begin a night of partying and meeting other travelers.

It is best to do a tour our Siem Reap by tuk tuk. You can book this tour at Siem Reap Rooms, or whichever hostel or hotel you stay at, and they will arrange for a local tuk tuk driver to drive you to Angkor Wat, drive your group around the temples, and then drive you back to your hostel or hotel.

I recommend doing a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. Your tuk tuk driver will take you out to Siem Reap just before sunrise, and then you will be able to see the sunrise over the temples, and see the reflection in the moat around the main temple. Similarly, you can also do a sunset tour. You can spend at least three full days exploring Angkor Wat, and you still won't be able to see it all! That being said, I recommend spending between 2-3 days exploring Angkor Wat.

As far as food goes, try to eat at restaurants that serve traditional Cambodia food, rather then western food. The food will be much better priced, tastier, and more authentic. I ate two meals at western restaurants, a Mexican restaurant, and an Irish pub- but the food was very overpriced at both places, and I preferred the food at the Cambodian restaurants that I went to.

Some helpful links for your trip:

This video by National Geographic is short and informative. I recommend watching it to gain some more insight about the background of Angkor Wat!
http://video.nationalgeographic.com.au/video/specials/ancient-mysteries/angkor-wat-temples/

The UNESCO provides some good background on Angkor Wat as well:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668

Siem Reap Rooms:
http://www.siemreaprooms.com/