Siem Reap Travel Tale: A Gracious Host and a Base for Angkor Archaeological Park

I didn’t mind the mosquitoes buzzing around, trying to bite me. I was comfortably lying on a hammock in the front yard of the guesthouse, a lovely, family-owned place tucked away in the Wat Bo area of Siem Reap. This neighborhood is lined with guesthouses and small restaurants, and for two nights, it felt like home. Each night before bed, I’d unwind on that hammock, listening to the sounds of the evening.

Fresh from Phnom Penh with barely any sleep, I boarded a minibus for the journey to Siem Reap. 

I booked the $12 ride through my guesthouse in Phnom Penh. The minibus was a 16-seater Ford van. Clean, air-conditioned, and complete with a free bottle of water and a wet wipe. I pre-selected seat no. 5, a solo seat near the door with extra legroom, which let me sneak in a few naps during the 6-hour trip (seatbelt on, of course!).

We made a 30-minute stop for lunch at a restaurant across from Kampong Thom Market. I didn’t feel like eating and instead lounged on a makeshift swing tied to a big tree outside the restaurant. Before reboarding, I paid a small fee to use the toilet. Worth it, since it was our last stop before reaching Siem Reap.

An old building in Kampong Thom

Siem Reap, in northwestern Cambodia, means “Defeat of Siam”. A name given by King Ang Chan in 1549 after defeating the Siamese (Thai) king. But today, Siem Reap is better known as the gateway to the majestic AngkorWat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

My take on street photography (a simple mode of transportation seen in Cambodia)

Around 3 PM, I arrived at my guesthouse. The tuk-tuk driver guessed I was Korean and looked surprised when I responded in English. Too tired to explore, I crashed on my big, comfy bed (no dorm room this time) and tried to catch up on sleep. But after lots of tossing and turning, I gave up, took a shower, and headed out. By then, it was already dark.

My bed in Siem Reap.

I had hoped to visit Wat Bo at night, but after walking down a long, unlit road lined with trees, I stopped at an archway and turned around. On my way back, I passed two young monks and realized that I probably had reached the temple without knowing it. If I hadn’t been so lazy earlier that afternoon, I could have seen the temple murals that Wat Bo is known for.

I also missed out on Wat Preah Prom Rath, a modern temple with an interesting legend, and Wat Po Lanka, a quaint white-painted temple. I had planned to visit them before dinner along Street 8, the heart of Siem Reap’s nightlife. But by the time I crossed busy National Route #6, I was too tired and too hungry to go on. I hadn’t eaten anything decent the whole day, which was not a great idea.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find a place to eat. Along a road lined with old colonial houses, I spotted Bayon Restaurant and took a seat on the upper floor. The place had a nice vibe, and there was a buffet dinner with a traditional puppet show. I ate my fill and left just as the performance began. I needed sleep more than entertainment.

On my last night in Siem Reap, I finally had a taste of Cambodian street food. I was heading to a convenience store to grab a quick sandwich and chips for dinner when I noticed a small food cart on the corner across the road. I crossed over, joined a few locals sitting on the sidewalk, and had a delicious dinner of fried noodles with egg (mi char) and a perfectly grilled sweet sausage on a skewer, served with a baguette.

The convenience store that I had been frequenting while in Siem Reap.

A Western girl sitting nearby mistook me for a local. Delighted to find someone she could talk to in English, she told me she’d been eating dinner at that same spot for two weeks straight.

On a hammock :)

I didn’t get to see much of Siem Reap’s temples, but the hospitality I experienced, especially from the guesthouse owners, was unforgettable. And that hammock? It gave me the rarest of feelings while traveling: A true sense of home away from home.