We took a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap. It was relatively cheap and took us through both borders. I would not recommend trying to do it by two seperate buses because you do not really know when you will arrive through borders and do not want to risk missing your connection. Plus who knows what you will encounter on the infamous Scambodian border. More of this later...
So we arrived at Mochit 2 and exchanged our tickets for actual tickets. Note, that if you are in the Bangkok area, come and book it at the bus station but if not, online is fine. Once we were on the bus we were presented with orange juice and pastries. Once we were near the border, we stopped and a travel agent got on with forms for your visas. Do not accept this offer, it's a scam. I mean you will get your visa but you will pay a lot more. Whilst the other passengers deliberated about the prospect of getting this random man to get their visa, we were all given some lunch; pork curry and rice.
The scamming does not stop there I am afraid... The Cambodian officials will then ask for your $30 and a fee in baht. Refuse to pay the baht, they will shout and probably make you wait but they will give in after a minute. Have the correct amount of dollars aswell, it's easier. You then have to go to another office down the road to get stamped in. It's a lengthy process and it explains why many choose to fly.
Angkor Wat Tour
If you come to Siem Reap and don't do the Angkor Wat tour, I am not really sure what you are doing here! The tour can vary depending on how you plan on doing it but it consists of several Buddhist temples.
You can do this via bicycle which most hostels let you rent although when I traveled (April-wow I really am behhind with these posts) the temperature was not lower than 30 degrees Celsius, so take this in to consideration. The next option is organising a tuk tuk yourself. This is easily done just be careful to agree a set price for all the sights you want to see.
The guesthouse we were staying out actually organised tuk tuk tours so for $10 you can visit all the temples and the driver waits for you at each one. We were under the impression that our driver would be our guide, however this was not the case.
Please remember if you do pay for tours, this often does not include the entry price. Entry prices are $20 for a day and you can also get passes for 3 or 7 days. These do not have to be consecutive.
I would recommend going early because in the mid day sun you will die doing this. Many, swear by sunrise however due to the recent early starts we could not bring ourselves to do it. We were at our first temple by around 8:30 though.
Bring plenty of water and snacks because you are going to need it. This trip is not for the faint hearted. You need strength and stamina, there are a lot of steps and all the blazing sun. Furthermore, if you have knee issues, some temples may just not be a go-er for you because it will put too much pressure on them.
I would recommend the order in which we did visit the monuments. This is because Angkor Wat is not particularly strenuous so eases you in. As you go on, you find them getting steadily harder before returning to the less heavy going temples. Plus, if you do have a fear of heights, do not go in the largest tour at Angkor Wat because it will be your worst nightmare.
What to wear?
You should dress conservatively. Although, this is a tourist attraction it is still first and foremost a Buddhist temple. Many people don't and you can either be refused entry or made to wear a shame robe.
Please enjoy my snaps of the day...
Banteay Kdei
Angkor Wat
Angkor Thom
Takeo
Ta Prohm
999 BBQ Restaurant
We were here every night! There is a good selection of Cambodian rice and noodle dishes. I really recommend the cashew nut dishes! Staff are attentive and the food is cheap. It's popular with locals aswell so you know you are getting decent food here!
What we missed:
Siem Reap Pub Crawl
We missed this because it's only Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and we came over the weekend. I have only heard good things about this place so if you are in the area, take a break and have some fun!
-Loving life in the back of a tuk tuk!
Love Imogen xoxo
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