An Unforgettable Trip to Siem Reap

When you travel to Angkor, wear comfortable shoes and dresses. However, do ensure that you are wearing knee length and shoulder covered dresses or else they shall ask you to cover them up. Do take hats, caps, umbrellas and sunglasses and sunscreen if you need. You have to walk a lot and climb a lot, so stay prepared. And, of course, take lots of water, juices, fresh fruits and things that will keep you hydrated...

Cambodia had been on our bucket list for quite some time. An unexpected pregnancy and then the baby had delayed it. However, when our little one turned 20 months old and could more or less express his needs to some extent, we booked our flights and made plans for Cambodia. All the temple ruins of Angkor were our main target. We did not want to tire our little one, so we planned the trip only in and around Siem Reap.

My husband is a very meticulous person and likes to plan everything beforehand. Thanks to the internet, these days we can do everything from the comfort of our home. So, all the research work, places to visit, hotel to stay, tours to take, the costs, the bookings, more or less everything, is mainly done by him and I take a more relaxed approach to the proceedings. I help him out with some more detailed reading, in case he misses out on something.

Our flight from Singapore to Siem Reap took about one and a half hours. It was quite comfortable and without any incidents (our first travelling experience with a toddler requires a separate blog of its own). Our hotel had booked a 'tuk tuk' to receive us at the airport and the driver was waiting at the gate.

In terms of the visa I must mention that you can either choose an 'on arrival visa' or 'pre-arrival' visa. Pre-arrival visa costs you more but you can just reach the airport and check-out through immigration. The 'on-arrival visa' will cost less but you will have to wait and fill out forms and this might delay you a little. We chose the latter option and realised that actually it does not take much time to get the visa there. It is infact a very quick process. However, let me add that we had gone in an off-peak season.

Our hotel 'The Sleeping Angkor', located in Funky Lane in the Central Siem Reap area, was about 25 minutes from the airport on the tuk tuk. A quick check-in took us to our room. Spacious, well-lit, neat and clean it immensely appealed to us.

The shower area had no door and with a baby it was a little problematic but we nevertheless managed. We stayed for nearly a week and loved the experience. The room rates were inclusive of breakfast. With a pool, a lounge area with hammocks and chairs, this hotel run by a courteous and friendly French lady and her child-friendly staff translated to a home away from home for us. I would surely recommend it to any fellow traveler. Whether you are a couple or a solo traveler or a family, Sleeping Angkor will please you. The other advantages are that it is near to the Pub Street, the Night Market, pharmacies, restaurants, spas and even has a laundry service just outside the gate.

Since we had landed in the afternoon, the first day really could not be put to any use. We only explored the surroundings of the hotel, identified some good eating places and got sim cards for our phones. There were restaurants serving many types of cuisines: western, Khmer(of course), Italian, Mexican, Indian etc. So our food for the trip was sorted. We bought cakes, biscuits, water, juices and all the things that we needed for our daily travels. When you have a toddler with you, it is best to keep food handy.

The second day we went out to see the ruins very early in the morning but by 10 a.m. we were completely exhausted. All the climbing up and down, walking among the hot stones, the hot and humid weather and heavy bags (food and cameras) exhausted us quite severely. When you travel to Angkor, wear comfortable shoes and dresses. However, do ensure that you are wearing knee length and shoulder covered dresses or else they shall ask you to cover them up. Do take hats, caps, umbrellas and sunglasses and sunscreen if you need. You have to walk a lot and climb a lot, so stay prepared. And, of course, take lots of water, juices, fresh fruits and things that will keep you hydrated. For our baby we even took ORS water to be on the safe side.

Owing to our exhaustion we could not finish the trip that day. We visited only the Bayon Temple, Ta Phrom and The Baphuon.

The interesting part is that the Angkor Area has three types of visiting passes: 1 day, 3 days and 7 days. You can choose whichever suits you the best (of course prices differ). My husband likes to take pictures and we would have to walk at our toddler's pace, so we choose the 3 day pass and did not regret our decision. We visited Angkor Wat on the evening of our third day. My husband had gone there that day in the early morning hours too to take the mandatory Angkor sunrise pictures. In the evening we casually walked around and soaked in the history and majesty of the place and thanked our stars that we could ultimately make the trip. We visited Angkor Wat again on the last day of our stay in Siem Reap and from there went to see sunset from the Phnom Bahkeng platform. Unfortunately we were not lucky to witness the sunset because there was a very long queue. In between the two days of visiting Angkor, we went to the Kulen Mountains and Banteay Srey Butterfly Center. We also visited the Tonle Sap Lake and witnessed a spectacular sunset over the lake.

Our visit to Siem Reap was very relaxing and hectic at the same time. I must mention that it is possible to tour the places without a guide. All that you need to do actually is read up about the place online. People there know English well enough and you will not have any trouble in communicating. Siem Reap is a beautiful city and we were touched by the warmth and hospitality of its people. We would surely love to visit it again.

Disclaimer: This trip was in the pre-covid era so things might be different now.

By: Gargi Bandyopadhyay

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