Comments on: Siem Reap: a tacky, soulless gateway to Angkor Wat?

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:58:54 +0000

haha, good advice Nico. Having tried to man-eating fish experience once I will avoid it in the future. As you say, the magnificence of Angkor Wat more than makes up for the disappointments in the nearby town. I suspect though that you would see a change in the place even since your visit.

By: AirTreks Nico

AirTreks Nico — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:26:10 +0000

Was there in ’07 and found SR to be pleasant. But I didn’t venture much into the tackiness. I can understand your sentiment about the tourist center (what is it about tourism that makes shop-owners think people want shot glasses and salt shakers?) but I didn’t feel it was different from any other town on the tourist highway. I do agree that Pub Street was “western overkill” but I felt most of the rest of the town was mellow and given to good experiences if you wanted. It easy to steer clear of backpacker central if you want to.

Since I think the temple area is so worth seeing perhaps avoid the old town and turn a blind eye to kids and their heel-sucking fish.

By: Fida

Fida — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:56:52 +0000

I didn’t recognize Siem Reap in your description anymore. I guess tourism changes things pretty quickly. I was there 12 years ago and it was still a sleepy town, actually more village. Pol Pot had just died and tourism started to catch up again. People lived for so long in fear and unbelievable poverty, I suppose they are happy for every chance they get to make a living. I stayed with a family who had just opened up kind of a B&B – two rooms and a shared shower (clay pot filled with water). They spoiled me rotten, washed my cloth (I was almost unrecognizable after arriving via pick-up truck from the Thai border;-), served breakfast and even dinner, when I was returning late from a day at Angkor. I had a guide on a motorbike who drove me around circles, even visited his relatives in the countryside with me. Everybody was so gracious. Sitting at the busiest intersection of town was fun, even hilarious at times – overloaded bicycles and bikes I wondered how they even managed to drive. Some places were still off limits because of mines.

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:19:34 +0000

Thanks Wendy. Agree with you about the kind people. We found the Cambodians kind, hospitable and fair wherever we were. Having arrived after visiting the north of the country we feared the worst coming to a major tourist centre and were constantly and pleasantly surprised. Even our tuk-tuk drivers offered a fair price without haggling.
The money from the entrance fee is still an issue, with various stories circulating about where it goes. Alas, it’s a payment that you have to stump up…

By: Wendy Sewell

Wendy Sewell — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:38:12 +0000

We were there only 4 1/2 years ago and it sounds like it’s changed a lot in that time. For one thing, I have no memory of fish massages! I’m not sure if it’s accurate or not, but at the time the profits from the ticket sales were actually going to a foreign company – I think they may have been Vietnamese?

We found people to be amazingly kind. I have a vivid memory of bargaining for a silk pillow case. I was telling Ian how he’d already spent too much money on pillows, how we didn’t need another, etc. in a pretty half-hearted effort to bring the price down since it was already very little to begin with. Well, after he bought it he walked away to go get something we had seen earlier for a friend of ours, while I continued to look at some jewlery. The lady selling the pillow cases was really upset that she might have been part of us arguing – thinking that Ian had walked away because he was angry!