Showing posts with label siem reap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label siem reap. Show all posts

Where to Eat in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to eat. Food is my happy place. Whether dining out or cooking at home, I always enjoy food. Whenever I travel, I try to sample as many foodie spots as possible. From street food to gourmet restaurants, I am open to trying them all. During our travel to Siem Reap in Cambodia, we were able to try out quite a few foodie spots and I will list them here for you to check out on your visit one of these days.


Angkor Herb



If you are looking to sample local Khmer cuisine or the best grilled dishes in town, head to Angkor Herb. You will find this cozy spot along Pub Street. It is easy to distinguish this restaurant as they do have a grill station up front. We tried their Chicken Kebab, Pork and Beef Steaks and they were all delicious. The best part is that most of their grilled options are priced at no more than $3 each.


Angkor Cafe



This restaurant is easy to spot as it is located right in front of the entrance to the Angkor Wat temple. This is an international cuisine restaurant; hence, you and your group can share different dishes from across various cuisines. During our time there, we sampled their Korean dishes. We ordered two Korean meal seats for the five of us. It was a good deal especially given that the Korean dishes served to us were authentic.


Viva Mexicana



This was my favorite among all of the places we've dined in at Siem Reap! We happened to pass by this restaurant while walking around Pub Street one night. To be honest, I did not hold high expectations especially since it had an unassuming ambiance. But when the food was served, it was not only delicious but their serving sizes were also large! You can order a dish for $5 to $8 each.


Red Piano



When I was doing my research for the best places to eat in Siem Reap, or when we asked locals around for recommendations, there was one name that kept popping up: The Red Piano. We decided to give it a try for some late-night drinks and snacks. The Red Piano actually became popular because of Angelina Jolie. Word has it that this is where she dined while shooting the film Tomb Raider in Cambodia and she loved it so much that she raved about the place. Since then, tourists have become curious about The Red Piano. It didn't disappoint though, but I do wish we could have tried their other dishes. Definitely something to consider for a return trip!


Brown Coffee



This was my second favorite place to have dined in at Cambodia. I've been looking for a great coffee shop since we arrived in Cambodia and we discovered this place by chance aswe were driving around Siem Reap. The beautiful architectural details of the coffee shop was what caught our attention first. We decided to try it and was highly impressed with their selection of cakes and drinks. It is a bit pricey for Cambodia's standard (a slice of cake would require you to shell out $8 each) but the cakes were absolutely worth the extra dollar you spend.


Lucky Burger



This fast food joint is basically Cambodia's version of McDonald's. They have fried chicken meals, burgers and fries... the usual. We dined here while strolling and buying some groceries at the Lucky Mall. The quality is reasonable for its price - just as you would expect from a fast food restaurant.


Pub Street



When in Siem Reap, you have to go to Pub Street. This is the best place to be in if you want to eat or grab a drink and party the night away. I love the vibe here; lots of friendly locals and tourists. During the day, we usually visit tourist spots and then head back to our villa to rest and relax. By nighttime, we head to Pub Street to eat or get a massage. You can find a wide assortment of food here - from street food, to desserts, to all types of cuisines you could imagine!

Have you been to Siem Reap? What was your favorite place to eat at?



5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Angkor Wat


Angkor Wat was one of those UNESCO sites in my travel bucket list. And just recently, I feel beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to scratch it off that list. Angkor Wat is located in the province of Siem Reap in Cambodia. The name literally translates to "The City of Temples". I'm sure you have read about Angkor Wat, like I have, but I was still left in awe by the grandeur and size of the temple complex. I have read several travel blogs sharing tips about visiting Angkor Wat and yet there are still a few other things that I've only known once I got there. Hence, I am sharing five of those for you to prepare should you plan on visiting the site yourself:

It is MASSIVE! 



Contrary to popular belief, Angkor Wat is not a temple, but rather a temple complex. According to Wikipedia, it measures approximately 162 hectares in land area, making it the largest religious monument in the world! To make the most of the experience, I suggest you visit multiple temples because all of them are worth the visit. It took us almost half a day exploring just the main Angkor Wat Temple alone. 

Wear Comfortable Clothes and Footwear 



Due to the size of the temples, you will be walking around a lot, especially if you want to take photos of the temples. Hence, you should wear clothes and footwear that can cope with your activities. I made the mistake of wearing sandals with ankle straps (which I thought would be comfortable enough to wear and walk around with in the temples) and I got blisters on my feet by the end of the day. Lesson learned. Wear your trusty, comfy sneakers - don't even try breaking in your footwear to the temple!

Observe Proper Dress Code 



When visiting temples or other religious sites, it is common sense to wear appropriate clothes. Avoid wearing sleeveless dresses and tops or those that reveal the knees. Make sure it is the appropriate length so that you are given access to the temples. 

Know Your Ticket Options



When you want to spend more than one day in Angkor Wat, I suggest you buy the 3-day tour ticket that costs $40 as you stand to get more value out of that (one day ticket is $20). For our tour, we opted for the one-day ticket since we only had a few days in Siem Reap. But if you must go for the 3-day tour, you won't be disappointed. We tried to squeeze in as many temples to visit during our 1-day tour but we still missed a lot! 

Hire a Guide



As we were planning the trip, hiring a tour guide to Angkor Wat wasn't part of our plan. But we realized it would be a good idea to hire one and it was one of the best decisions we've made. You don't need to pre-arrange this one as you can ask the officials at the gate to help you find a guide. All tour guides are in English. We were lucky with the guide assigned to us because he was highly animated and made sure we enjoyed the tour. Plus, knowing about the history of the temples would give you much better appreciation of the temples than when you were to explore it on your own.

Have you visited Angkor Wat? Don't forget to leave your post link in the comments so I can check them out!