ACTIVITIES TO DO IN CAMBODIA (DETAILED GUIDE)

ACTIVITIES TO DO IN CAMBODIA (DETAILED GUIDE) || Have you ever imagined running thru the beautiful structures and historical Temples in Cambodia? Finally watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat? Try those exotic food and visit the Pub Street at night, Be blessed and see a monk, feel that real life Angelina Jolie from Tomb Raider and expand your wildest fantasies, literally TEMPLE HOPPING all day.

There were definitely so many activities to do in this country, but if you are compressed of time. Check out the must-do activities you shouldn’t miss out in Cambodia.

ENJOY THE NIGHT AT THE PUB STREET

How to go there : Hopped in to our Tuktuk all the way to Pub Street.

Standard fare is 1 USD per way

Best way to spend your first night is to hit this famous Pub Street, party all night, meet fellow travellers around and enjoy what this place has to offer.

In Pub Street, it is more than bars and clubs – it actually has almost everything you’ll need as well. You’ll see various restaurants, various cuisines, spa houses or massage spots, stores and clothing shops, to exotic food stall, fruit shake stalls and our favorite pancake which sells for 1 USD per piece.

Your choice of food actually depends on your preference, the look and feel per each stall just keep on walking around the street as it is really a long stretch of everything.

*Note : trust that the party vibes does not seem better than what we have here in Manila *hahahaha! It was pretty plain and a bottle of beer or two would be just fine.

On our first night, we just had dinner across the Pub Street  and roam around the street – people were literally dancing already just right outside the bars and restos, I find it intriguing and disturbing also how the massage spas were all exposed and situated right outside the streets as well (some people might not actually care about it — *but trust me, I just do 😀 hahaha)

We made sure we are back in our place before 2AM to make sure we get ready for our next day’s adventure.

SPEND A DAY FOR TEMPLE HOPPING

Overview : This entire day was filled with Temple hopping, museum and everything in between

Entrance Fee : The Temple Passes actually depends on how long you would be staying  (1-day visit USD 37; 3-day visit USD 62 & 7-day visit USD 72)

Transportation : Book for a tuktuk service that would take you to all the temples for the entire day. Settle for a rate and plan your itinerary ahead of time.

Costing :  with sunrise + temple hopping – 30 USD, Temple Hopping without Sunrise – is less than 12 USD, a tuktuk service can accommodate up to 4 pax (*so you see, you’ll get to save more if you are 4 in the group as you get to divide your transpo expense)

4:00AM || Coming from an almost 2 hours nap time in our very comfortable beddddd (uggghhhh!! It was hard to resist the bed!!) but we had to be up and ready as early as 4AM.

• If you want to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat – make sure to start leaving your place at 4AM
• We had to go through the ticketing office first to buy for the Temple entrance fees.
• The ticketing office only opens at 5AM but people and tourists starts to line up as early as 4AM as well.
• Do not be deceived, as it doesn’t matter if it’s a weekends or weekdays – Angkor Wat is definitely a National Heritage, expect so many tourists as well

Ticket for the temple entrances depends on how long you’d want to stay.

As for us, we bought the 1 day Temple Pass worth USD 37, each tourist should line up as you’d be given an ID with your actual photo in it. They print it right away and you keep it with you the entire time.

The photo also makes sure that you cannot buy or use any other temple pass with you.

CAPTURE THE SUNRISE AT ANGKOR WAT

4:00AM || After lining up, we had to ride all the way to the Angkor Wat. You wouldn’t want to miss the sunrise so make sure you move pretty fast as well. The entrance was even very far from the actual Wat inside.  Be amaze on the beauty of the Sunrise and take that perfect shot.

Angkor Wat, is the largest religious monument in the world. There are still Buddhist in the temples. Grab that experience to be blessed by a monk.

BE BLESSED BY A MONK IN ANGKOR WAT

It is not everyday when you get to meet and see monks around the temple. This was definitely also part of my Bucket List — to be blessed by a monk.

They still do their own ritual tradition and it is a matter of respect from our end how we’ll get on with it. We left a small donation as well after the short ritual. I even had a bracelet from this.

*Note : make sure you wear proper attire when entering the temples. Consider it holy and make sure to pay respect as well.

No shorts, or mini skirts, sleeveless and sandos inside.

We made sure to maximize roaming around Angkor Wat, it was really amazing and fascinating.

DO A MUSEUM TOUR : The Legend Revealed

Entrance Fee : 12 USD

If you are that type who wanted to study the context out of all the temples and structures in Siem Reap, you may drop off and pay a visit at “The Legend Revealed Museum” it is the nearest one from the Ankor Wat.

But before you go all the way to the Museum, you still need to drop off thru this travel agency across — where they sell the entrance fees for the Museum. The cost is the same across all the agencies across.

You’d appreciate more the temples in Cambodia knowing what each means and some history behind it.

TEMPLE HOPPING

Entrance Fee : part of the package from the morning pass

Make sure you are ready for the Temple Hopping adventure! Wear the right clothes, not too tight not too loose, not too sexy but make sure you are comfortable with the best set of foot wear, bring water with you, a hat and a pashmina would do its wonder as well for the entire day.

After our Museum tour, we immediately proceeded with our temple hopping. We just had our lunch around but the cost was definitely much expensive.

Places that you should cover :

• Angkor Wat
• South Gate to Angkor Thom
• Bayon Temple
• Terrace of the Elephants
• Te Keo Temple
• Ta Phrom Temple
• Banteay Kdeis Temple

Trust me that after 4 and 5 temples we were freaking tired already. Some of the temples we didn’t took photos with and just decided to enter and explore it instead.

There were many tourists around but it is how you appreciate how intricate and how beautiful each temples were.

I was so fascinated how everything was preserved, and that various organizations were also helping and financing Cambodia to continue the maintenance of the Wat around.

I lost count how many temples were there, but make sure to visit the key highlights and explore it. If you have much time — you can sit around the temple read a book with you, appreciate the scenery and have a great time.

After almost 5 hours of Temple hopping, we went back to our room and rest for a while. 

As a whole, all of this activities is pretty much possible for a 2 day itinerary in Cambodia, it is actually a matter of where are you gonna be spending much of your time? Do you like socializing? or would rather stay in one temple for the entire day instead?

Let me know what you think by commenting below.

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Ciao!

All photos were all originals from the blogger @nathaliecsalcedo