If You Only Have 3 Days in Siem Reap

"The Temple Where Angkor and the Jungle Collide Better known as the Tomb Raider Temple since its starring role in the Hollywood movie of the same name, Ta Prohm has at least as much star quality as Angelina Jolie. Cloaked in dappled shadow and locked in the embrace of the vast root systems that are still reclaiming it for the jungle, the temple is arguably the most atmospheric ruin at Angkor Archaeological Park. Construction on Ta Prohm began in 1186 C.E.; it was built in honor of the mother of King Jayavarman VII. Modern-day visitors are not permitted to climb onto the crumbling galleries of its 39 towers due to safety concerns. Nevertheless, picking a route around the various structures, close courtyards, and narrow corridors sprouting with lichen, moss, and creeping plants is one of the most enthralling experiences at Angkor."

"Old-School Retail Therapy While cute souvenir shops and even haute couture boutiques exemplify the changing face of the retail scene in Siem Reap , the city’s famous Old Market remains a heady hub of traditional trade and commerce. Located right in the heart of town, Psar Chas is amply stocked with lots of things that you might want to buy—as well as plenty of things you probably do not. That said, perusing the labyrinthine aisles full of silverware, silks, handicrafts, spices, stone carvings, and other assorted ephemera is worth a couple hours of anyone’s time. Stay calm and haggle politely with a smile on your face, and you're sure to find a bargain or two."

"Tuck into Cambodian food in a traditional house The Sugar Palm restaurant is the first Cambodian restaurant that many visitors to Siem Reap try, and it often becomes a favorite. The food is some of the most delicious, traditional, home-style Cambodian food in the country. It also happens to be served in a very traditional, Khmer teak-wood house, with high ceilings and wide verandahs—oozing atmosphere. Everything on offer is scrumptious, from the amok trei or fish amok, to the hearty Cambodian chicken curry. If you're not a fan of pungent and sour flavors but want to try one of Cambodia's quintessential ingredients, prahok (fermented fish), then this is the restaurant to do it. The prahok k'tis (a minced pork dip made with prahok) is a fairly tame albeit still very tasty iteration of the dish. The owner-chef, Cambodian-New Zealander Kethana Dunnett, is often around if you have questions about the cuisine. Kethana is the go-to person for celebrity chefs -- from Gordon Ramsay to Luke Nguyen -- when they are in the country filming food programs, and she certainly knows her stuff."

"Explore the remote ruins of Koh Ker The sprawling archaeological ruins of Koh Ker are a rewarding day trip from Siem Reap due to the number of ruins, the size of the site, and the fact that few tourists visit. I've often found myself alone at temples, or at most with just two other people and a guide. While the Koh Ker temples can be visited any time of the year, they're more alluring during the rainy season. Located in a savannah landscape the setting can look very dry in the 'winter' months of December to February. Come May when it starts to rain, the vegetation takes on an almost iridescent green, moss begins to dapple the temples, and flowers flourish in the surrounding forest. Tips: wear a raincoat, hat, sturdy waterproof shoes (things can get slippery and muddy) and take an umbrella and waterproof bag for your camera and valuables. Leave in the darkness so you arrive at the crack of dawn. When you're hungry, head for the food stalls. That fragrant stir-fried meat they're suspiciously serving up? No, it's not dog as many foreigners suspect. I was told it was beef, however, it's actually incredibly delicious venison. I later discovered that the deer is endangered. Hence the hesitation from staff if you say "I'll have what he's having."

"Wat Dam Nak, Siem Reap The former Royal Palace, Wat Dam Nak and its surrounding grounds are beautiful. This temple complex also serves as an independent institution which promotes education of the Khmer culture. The Center for Khmer Studies is housed here and encourage visitors to come by, their hours are 8 - 5:30 Monday through Saturday."

"Sample Cambodian snacks on a street food tour The excellent Cambodian chefs from River Garden hotel, who offer the Cooks in Tuk Tuks cooking class, also run a fun street food tour that gives you a great insight into Cambodia's culinary culture. Partly on foot and partly on tuk tuk, the tour starts at a few street food stalls where you can sample some popular late afternoon snacks before venturing into a local market. The tour ends at a very local street food destination that few tourists ever get to with a roadside picnic—a quintessentially Siem Reap experience!"

"Admire the stylized moves of the Apsara dancers You’ll see curvaceous Apsara dancers adorning the walls of Angkor Wat and other temples at Angkor Archaeological Park, so do try to see a performance of Apsara dancers so you understand why these ethereal beauties were carved in stone time and time again. Apsaras weren’t merely entertainers – they were considered to be messengers of the gods during the Khmer Empire era when they performed sacred dances at ceremonies, including Buddhist rituals and funeral rites. These days they are storytellers. The highly skilled artists learn their craft at dance school for many years, starting from a young age. The Apsara dance shows held nightly around town at restaurants and hotels feature interpretations of traditional myths from the Reamker (the Cambodian Ramayana) as well as choreographed folkloric dances. There is always a live musical accompaniment that can be as compelling as the dancers. Some, such as the nightly show upstairs at Temple Bar, are free but are mainly attended by a boisterous backpacker crowd and tour groups. To best appreciate the complex choreography and stylized steps, gestures and poses of the dancers, you’re better off watching a show in a quieter location. The Park Hyatt hosts performances in the hotel's tranquil courtyard outside the restaurant and bar – they’re free, you just need to buy a drink. Belmond La Residence d’Angkor hotel also has an impressive show, however, you will need to pay for a sit-down meal and book a table close to the show."

"Kompong Phluk village Kompong Phluk is a floating village located in the middle of Cambodia 's largest lake, Tonle Sap. The term “floating” is a bit misleading: the houses are actually built on very tall stilts around 8 meters high. During the rainy season, the lake rises and covers the stilts, giving the illusion that the homes are floating in the water. We learned that these types of villages are built in the middle of the lake to make it easier for fishermen and rice farmers to gather during harvest season."

"Meet locals on a Treak Village Walk and Talk Beyond Unique Escapes is arguably Siem Reap's best tour company, offering an array of excellent tours to the temples and villages. If you only do one tour in Siem Reap, this is the one I recommend. I've done it a few times and it's one of my favorites. The two-hour Treak Village Walk and Talk is an engaging walk with a knowledgable guide through tiny Treak village. Little more than a hamlet of bamboo shacks and timber houses on stilts, surrounded by rice paddies, the stroll offers a real insight into village life, the challenges of survival on so little, and poverty in Cambodia. It is a small group tour and the guide has a relationship with villagers, so is sensitive to their needs and knows who to visit for a chat and who to leave alone. To get the most out of this experience, you need to interact with the locals and use your guide as a translator to ask them questions about what they're doing and about their lives. Also be willing to share a bit about yourself, so it's a two-way exchange. But be prepared: Cambodians are very direct! The tour only costs $20 per person and profits go back to the village community fund to pay for everything from wells to houses for the poorest villagers, so you're also giving something back. You can do the tour in the morning or afternoon, however, I prefer the late afternoon for the kind of magic light you see above. This is a good tour to do in the wet season when the lush countryside is very photogenic. Take wet weather gear."

"Meet locals on a Treak Village Walk and Talk Beyond Unique Escapes is arguably Siem Reap's best tour company, offering an array of excellent tours to the temples and villages. If you only do one tour in Siem Reap, this is the one I recommend. I've done it a few times and it's one of my favorites. The two-hour Treak Village Walk and Talk is an engaging walk with a knowledgable guide through tiny Treak village. Little more than a hamlet of bamboo shacks and timber houses on stilts, surrounded by rice paddies, the stroll offers a real insight into village life, the challenges of survival on so little, and poverty in Cambodia. It is a small group tour and the guide has a relationship with villagers, so is sensitive to their needs and knows who to visit for a chat and who to leave alone. To get the most out of this experience, you need to interact with the locals and use your guide as a translator to ask them questions about what they're doing and about their lives. Also be willing to share a bit about yourself, so it's a two-way exchange. But be prepared: Cambodians are very direct! The tour only costs $20 per person and profits go back to the village community fund to pay for everything from wells to houses for the poorest villagers, so you're also giving something back. You can do the tour in the morning or afternoon, however, I prefer the late afternoon for the kind of magic light you see above. This is a good tour to do in the wet season when the lush countryside is very photogenic. Take wet weather gear."

"Meet a monk and learn the martial art of Bokator Sabai Adventures, which is best known for its moto tours through the countryside, also runs a half-day morning or afternoon Origin Tour that offers a taste of Cambodia's traditional culture, religion, arts, and crafts. The tour by tuk-tuk with a local guide first visits a pagoda where you learn about Buddhism and get a chance to chat to a monk, which is followed by a stop at a generations-old stonemasonry where you can watch carvers at work, while picking the brain of your guide about the history of the craft which dates back to Khmer Empire times. Finally, you visit the Bokator school to learn about this medieval martial art, and can even try your hand at this traditional sport, which is gaining in popularity amongst young people in Cambodia. Or you can simply watch the experts go through the moves. Tips: you'll need to wear long trousers or a below-the-knee skirt and cover your shoulders for the pagoda visit, however, you should take some loose comfy clothes if you're planning to get in the Bokator ring."

"Spend a night at the shadow puppet theatre Cambodian shadow-puppet theatre, known as Sbaek, is performed at a number of venues around Siem Reap , however, the best shows are by Cambodian Living Arts at the beautiful 18th century Wat Bo Pagoda. It's said that this medieval art form dates back to the Khmer Empire era and has barely changed in centuries. The intricate "puppets," which in fact are large, intricately patterned cut-outs made from ox, buffalo or cow hide, are attached to two bamboo rods and represent characters from the Hindu epic narrative The Ramayana. They are maneuvered by the puppeteers behind a back-lit screen in time to the wonderful live music. It's a lot more dramatic and entrancing that it sounds and it's one of my favorite things to do in Siem Reap. Performance days and times change depending on the season so it's best to phone or email to make enquiries and reservations: bookings@cambodianlivingarts.org"

"Try refined Khmer cuisine on the riverside Chanrey Tree's location on the leafy riverside makes it a lovely spot for both lunch and dinner. Delivering refined renditions of authentic Khmer cuisine, you'll find some of the same dishes on the menu that you'll see at the Sugar Palm, along with dishes that don't feature on other restaurant menus, including many of the owner’s mother’s recipes. I love starting with the crispy sticky rice with natang - a dip of minced pork, shrimp, coconut milk, and peanuts. It comes with fried tempura-like frangipanis and vegetables. Chanrey Tree is also the place to try char kroeung, a quintessential Cambodian dish of pork, chicken or beef stir-fried with kroeung, a paste that is the basis for many dishes. The basic yellow kroeung is made from lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, lime, garlic, and spring onion. Try the char kroeung with frog's legs if they're in season. They're wonderful! Another dish I adore is the free-range Khmer chicken, roasted with honey, rice brandy, young jack fruit and lemongrass, and served with a deliciously-pungent prahok (fermented fish) dip and fresh vegetable crudites. The restaurant itself is a stylish space consisting of a traditional Khmer timber house with a contemporary extension. If you're a people-watcher, sit in the front courtyard. If you enjoy the buzz of a chatty room, book a table out the back. Note the impressive sleek kitchen as you stroll to your table. Book a day ahead during high season."

"Savour sublime carvings at Banteay Srei The 10th century temple of Banteay Srei, known as the 'Citadel of Women', is one of the prettiest temples with intricately detailed carvings and decorative features painstakingly carved into the pink sandstone. It's also one of the most compact and can easily be explored in an hour or two. You can make a day trip of the journey out there (25km from Siem Reap ) by combining it with visits to the nearby Landmine Museum and Banteay Srei Butterfly Centre."