Best Things To Do in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap in Cambodia is a popular tourist destination due to the temples of Angkor, but what else is there to do in the town? We spent a week in Siem Reap, visiting the temples of Angkor and experiencing a wide range of other activities and attractions. Here is our guide to the best things to do in Siem Reap.

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN SIEM REAP

1. VISIT THE TEMPLES OF ANGKOR

Siem Reap is world renown for the temples of Angkor and no visit to the town would be complete without visiting these amazing structures. Built between the 9th and 14th centuries by the Khmer civilisation, Angkor rates among the foremost architectural wonders of the world.

Angkor Wat is the most well known and largest of the temples but there are many others spread across the park. The Bayon is an amazing sight with its fifty-four Gothic towers, decorated with 216 smiling faces. Ta Phrom has been swallowed by the jungle, with crumbling walls and tree roots growing into the temple walls.

It is also worth exploring the smaller, less visited temples, such as Preah Khan, Banteay Kdei and Preah Rup. The temples are easily and cheaply explored by tuk tuk.

For more on visiting the Temples of Angkor read: Exploring the Temples of Angkor With Kids

2. QUAD BIKING IN THE CAMBODIAN COUNTRYSIDE

To explore the countryside around Siem Reap, getting out into the rice fields and local villages, take a quad bike adventure.  Quad Adventure Cambodia arranged our tour. With two people per quad we explored for over two hours. A really fun way to spend an afternoon or morning. We absolutely loved it. The tracks are muddy, bumpy and wet, providing a truly adventurous time.

3. TAKE A CAMBODIAN COOKING CLASS

There are a huge variety of cooking classes on offer in Siem Reap. We chose the Countryside Cooking Class. This is no ordinary cooking class. First you visit a local market, a true locals market, with no other tourists. Prepare yourself, as alongside the fruit and vegetables are live chickens being killed and plucked! Then it’s into the countryside to an outdoor kitchen where you prepare your food and cook it all over an open fire. Once you’ve cooked your food you sit down to lunch or dinner, depending on the time of day.

We enjoyed every minute of our course. It was all very well explained, very hands on, and the end product super tasty. Different menus are offered but all consist of three courses. Ours was fried spring rolls, fish amok served in banana leaf bowls (which we made!) and banana rice cakes.

We were a group of two families and all were kept engaged and entertained throughout.

4. ZIP LINE WITHIN THE ANGKOR PARK

This is something we really wanted to do in Siem Reap but unfortunately the zip-lines were under maintenance throughout our visit, so we missed out. The zip-lines are actually within the Angkor Historical Park,  Angkor Zipline provides the perfect add-on to any temple visit. We did something similar in Chiang Mai in Thailand and loved wizzing through the jungle suspended by a wire! As well as zip-lining through the jungle, there are also bridges to bounce across. Children have to be a minimum height of one metre to take part.

5. VISIT THE FLOATING VILLAGES OF TONLE SAP LAKE BY AIRBOAT

Tonle Sap Lake is a huge freshwater lake (the largest in fact) in South-east Asia. There are several options to explore the lake and its floating villages but we opted for an airboat tour with Komnob Airboat Tour. It was our first time on an airboat, which is definitely a thrilling ride. An airboat is similar to a hovercraft, although an airboat actually sits in the water. They travel at high speeds, seemingly gliding through the water. They are noisy, hence the ear defenders!

A number of floating villages can be visited which gives a real insight into life on the lake. The houses, shops, workshops, and even schools, are all built on stilts to accommodate the fluctuating water levels of the lake. Everyone has a boat!

We opted to visit a floating restaurant for dinner and then travel back across the lake as it got dark. A really memorable experience.

To discover more about the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake read: The Floating Villages of Tonle Sap Lake

6. EXPERIENCE THE CAMBODIAN CIRCUS

Roll up, roll up for a visit to the circus! Phare the Cambodian Circus is no ordinary circus, as all the artists and performers are graduates of the Phare Ponleu Selpak, an NGO school and professional arts training centre in Battambang. Around 3/4 of all the profits go directly to the school, which offers training in a range of performing arts, including circus, to underprivileged children from across Cambodia. The big top is open for nightly shows at 8pm and should be considered unmissable when in Siem Reap.

7. LEARN MORE ABOUT LANDMINES

An interesting thing to do while in Siem Reap is to pay a visit to the Cambodia Landmine Museum. Cambodia remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world as a result of decades of conflict. Dozens of civilians are still injured or killed every year by landmines and other unexploded ordnance that have been left over from the fighting. Millions of the country’s landmines have now been cleared, but there is still a lot of work to be done. It is estimated Cambodia will not be entirely free of landmines for several decades to come.

At the Landmine Museum, just outside Siem Reap, there is a huge collection of landmines. The majority of them were found and disarmed by one Khmer man, Aki Ra, one of the founders of the museum. Their goal is to educate visitors of the importance of clearing landmines in Cambodia.

8. GET A MASSAGE

All that sightseeing may well leave you in need of some relaxation, and what better way to relax than by having a massage. There are plenty of massage places all over Siem Reap, ranging from cheap to the more expensive. Wander the streets and find one that suits you. Our kids loved having a leg massage!

9. HAGGLE AT THE OLD MARKET 

The Old Market (Psar Chaa) is right in the town centre, a tightly packed maze of stalls, selling everything from shoes and clothes, to meat and fruit.

There is also a Night Market in Siem Reap.

10. VISIT PUB STREET

Pub Street is lined with restaurants and bars and is always lively. Pub Street reminded us of Khao San Road in Bangkok, with its bars and restaurants, and always being busy.

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at the Golden Temple Hotel in Siem Reap. This delightful small hotel is set amidst beautiful gardens, with traditional Khmer décor and hospitality, blended with modern comforts. It features an outdoor pool, a restaurant and a bar. When we stayed numerous free-be’s were offered, including dinner, a picnic lunch at the Angkor temples, a massage and daily sundowners. The staff at this small hotel were super friendly and helpful.

READ ALSO:

Top 8 Things To Do in Cambodia with Kids

A Perfect 10 Day Cambodia Itinerary With Kids

Explore Phnom Penh with Kids

Have you been to Siem Reap? Do you have any recommendations of things to do in Siem Reap?