Home » Cambodia » Angkor What? Angkor Wat!

At last! Jeff and I had reached the apex of our journey, Siem Reap, home to the famous Angkor Wat. Among all the places to go in Southeast Asia, visiting Angkor Wat was at the top of my to-see list. Angkor Wat lived up to all my expectations with its beauty and grandeur. Others may disagree with my opinion, in fact I am sure many do, due to the influx of tourists and expectations too high. I guess Jeff and I timed it right, meeting little crowds and felt as if we were the few lucky people to wander in and around these temples. Angkor Wat was spectacular. Definitely ranks up there, if not surpassing the temples of Ayutthaya, the Vatican, and the temples of Kyoto.

Angkor What? Angkor Wat!

Casey Lary
2007-04-21 23:36:46

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we were going to crash. I would let out an 'omigod,' clutch Jeff's arm, and everyone would ask 'what did you just see?' I would reply 'Better you didn't see that.' The other seats were not able to see out the front, only the beautiful scenery along the side of the road. I decided that with Southeast Asian bus rides, ignorance is bliss and not sitting in the driver seat is a wise decision! The only thing that caused the bus to stop, let alone break, was when a cow meandered onto the road.

We somehow arrived safely in Siem Reap and were on our next mission: finding accommodation. Many places that we were interested in staying in were full. We thought about splurging, but decided we wanted to stay in budget. We ended up staying at the 'Angkor Green' in the side addition of the hostel- aka the dungeon. But for $7 a night (which for Siem Reap hostels is a little expensive!) who could beat the price? It was originally 8, yet I talked the guy down to 7 since it was one bed instead of two- I am quite the bargainer if I say so myself. We met up with our friends for a delicious Cambodia BBQ meal where we got to cook our meat on a grill in front of us.

I had heard from friends and read online horror stories
of Siem Reap and how the charming little town was being inundated with massive western hotels, enticing European travelers to come see the temples of Angkor. Heaven forbid they stay in anything of lesser quality in a poor third-world country. Upon arriving we did see some large hotels, but nothing that measured up to what we were told. The town had definitely been transformed to cater to travelers- cute little alleyways with open-air cafes and restaurants spilling into the streets. It was much cleaner than Phnom Penh (I have decided it is the dirtiest city I have ever been in). Prices were much higher due to the tourism, and there were some very expensive hotels. In extreme contrast, along the streets there were many people ...