Hi All.
Will be in SR for 6 days later this month. Any recommendation about the city - sights, activities, etc.? We will obviously go to the temples but need more detail help with the planning. Is tripod allowed inside the temple complex?
We are not planning to go to PP.
Very open ended question... You don't indicate your interests so it's hard to give specific responses.
That having been said:
1) Tripods are permitted in the temples
2) get a guide to take you through angkor wat - you will get a lot more from the experience
3) take in an apsara dance in town - there's a hotel that has a smorgasbord dinner + dance show from 7pm for about $15 it's almost opposite the Lucky Mall complex
4) after a long walk through the temple complexes, go to one of the massage centres. They are NOT all knock shops, there are many genuine places that can revitalise feet (I love "master feet" in street 2 opposite blue pumpkin)
5) forget the balloon ride, it's not worth the money.
6) if you find that 6 days is a bit too much here, you could take a flight to PP and visit the genocide museum / killing fields. There's an airline (Bassaka (sp)), who have rock bottom prices and it's a quick 45 minute flight from one city to the next.
7)the Artisans d' Angkor is worth a look in - no pressure to buy and, some lovely work created by people.
8) the crocodile farm is a bit miserable, but if you've never seen crocs up close, it may be of interest.
9) for markets, there's Psa Leu and Psa Cheu that offer bargains - clothing, DVD's and more
10) for gastronomic indulgences, try some of the hundreds of restaurants in pub street and surrounds. One of the best I've found at this time is th Khmer Kitchen - slightly higher prices than some others but the portions sizes are good and, all meals come with unlimited free rice.
That should give you a reasonable starting point for your journey here.
@zoltan - Thanks a lot. I haven't considering visiting PP but maybe I might reconsider it. What about ATM's? Is it available in abundance? And what would be the best souvenir to get from there?
ATM's are readily available and dispense $US, even provincial towns have ATM's now and have for a while. A good souvenir might be a traditional Kroma (Khmer scarf) or a decent piece of artwork. if you get tired of temples you could head further out of town. kampong Phluck is a great stilted village and Kulen Mountain is a cool ride out.
Six days is a long time to spend in Siem Reap and at the Angkor temples. Most people spend 3-4. If you have that much time, I highly recommend a day trip to Beng Mealea temple.
http://navutudreams.com/2014/07/11/beng-mealea-angkors-best-temple/
Thanks everyone. We have to spend 1/2 days as a day trip for the 6 days to the nearby areas.
So, if the ATM's dispense cash in US$, all transaction (shops, restaurants, etc.) is done in US $? Can anyone clarify on the matter?
Yes, you can do any transaction in US dollars. All prices at shops, restaurants, etc. will be quoted in dollars. Try to bring small bills if you can. You will get Cambodian riel as small change. If something is priced at $4.50 and you hand them $10, you will generally get $5 back plus 2000 Cambodian riel.
You do not ever have to change dollars into riel.
It may be a little rushed, but for a 2-day side trip, consider checking out the cool colonial town Battambang.
ATM's dispense $10, $20, $50 & $100 notes. They do not dispense riel (except maybe at the international airports). Be aware of the charges that banks levy for using the machines. These are in addition to any charges levied by your home bank.
One of the worst is ABA Bank, who charge $6 or thereabouts for all withdrawals. ANZ are one of the better ones, they charge US$4.
Also, be aware of skimming devices which have started to be used on some machines. It seems nowhere is safe from these things.
As far as souvineers go, have a look at the Artisans d' Angkor for some ideas. The items are not going to be cheap but they are not mass produced and, you can get to see a wide variety of things on offer.