Travel Guide: How To Spend 48 Hours in Siem Reap
Ancient temples, French bakeries and farm-to-table restaurants are what Siem Reap is all about.
Credt: Alex Teuscher/Zannier Hotels
Siem Reap is a staple on Cambodia’s tourist trail, and even easier to visit in the past few years thanks to Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport which opened in 2023. It’s a vibrant traveller’s hub, where Pub Street, akin to a smaller Khao San Road, draws backpackers in for cheap drinks, music and good food. But above all, the UNESCO-listed archaeological complex of Angkor Wat brings visitors from across the world to Siem Reap to discover its ancient history and architecture. Beyond the temples, which remain top of every sightseeing list, visitors to this peaceful city can uncover traces of French heritage, dive deep into local culture and in just two days, explore Cambodian flavours, people and history which weave through the city.
Day 1
With just 48 hours in Siem Reap, we’re going to suggest arriving the night before - that way, there’s time for a good night’s sleep ready for sunrise at Angkor Wat. Not to mention the chance to pick up your breakfast for the next day from Eric Kayser, one of the city's best bakeries, which bakes pastries, sandwiches and sweet treats fresh each day.
Wake up in darkness on your first day and take a private tour to Angkor Wat. The area opens at 5AM and getting there on time is essential, to get in front of the throngs to witness the red and gold sunrise over the iconic spires of Angkor Wat, which is so central to the country’s past that it appears on the Cambodian flag. Angkor Wat was built by Khmer King Suryavarman II in the 12th century and is one of the most unforgettable monuments in the world. Private, expert guides will take you through the complex, explaining the stories behind the statues and bas-reliefs that adorn the temple.
Close by, Ta Prohm, made famous for being a filming location in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, takes visitors back in time with its crumbling temples that are being slowly reclaimed by creeping trees and vines that wind themselves around the stone. And if you only explore one more spot, make it Bayon, built by Jayavarman VII, where more than 200 intricate faces of the Buddha are carved into the stones of its 54 imposing towers.
Angkor Wat involves plenty of walking and depending on the season, plenty of heat too. Take sturdy shoes, a cover up - for temple etiquette and to protect from the sun, and enough water. Most sunrise tours return in good time for lunch, and the best place to refuel is at Little Red Fox Espresso Cafe. Aside from doing some of the best coffee in town, they also serve a delicious all-day breakfast, bagels and salad bowls.
All that temple hopping calls for some relaxation and retail therapy. Just south of Siem Reap’s French Quarter is Kandal Village, the city’s up-and-coming area for all things artisan. It’s packed with galleries, cafes and shops which are perfect for browsing in the shade and perhaps picking up some local textiles, ceramics or toiletries to take home.
Siem Reap’s culinary scene is on the up-and-up, so with no time to spare, Cuisine Wat Damnak is one you can’t afford to miss. Created by French chef Joannès Rivière, this traditional Khmer restaurant combines French techniques with local flavours through two tasting menus, earning it a spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Finally, put turning in early on hold this evening in favour of one of Siem Reap’s coolest experiences: a trip to Phare Circus. During the show, traditional Khmer legends and stories are told by the students of Phare Ponleu Selpak, a performing arts school in Battambang created in 1999 following the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Every show is a spectacle of theatre, dance and circus acts and tickets, starting from just USD $18, support the school in providing a performing arts education for Cambodian children.
Credit: Facebook/Paris Bakery
Day 2
Coffee is always a good idea, so start the day with a stop at Paris Bakery in Wat Bo, which is always overflowing with everything from freshly made pain au chocolate to croissants and French toast. Next up? A half-day tour to Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest lake. It’s home to hundreds of fish species and floating villages where it’s still possible to get a glimpse of traditional village life. Finding authenticity here is getting harder with large group tours ferrying visitors to the same, one commercialised villages. Go deeper to find villages still preserving Khmer traditions, such as Kompong Phluk, still a very popular spot, and Prek Toal, which promises impressive bird watching.
Credit: Facebook/WAT Chocolate
After lunch on the water and a sleepy journey back to the city, sugar is exactly what the doctor ordered. Find a healthy dose at WAT Chocolate Factory, which has guided tours of the factory producing Cambodia’s inaugural chocolate. Their melt-in-the-mouth chocolate also happens to be vegan, palm-oil and dairy free. They have a few Temple of Cacao stores scattered around town, including at the airport, where you can pick up some of their signature bars, flavoured with local ingredients such as galangal, pandan and chilli.
Winding down before dinner, pick up some final pieces at the Made in Cambodia Market, where the stalls are laden with spices, paintings, jewellery and more. Lum Orng Restaurant awaits for dinner, another standout on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The impeccable and creative presentation of every dish here only elevate the already fresh flavours designed by Chef Sothea Seng. The farm-to-table menu consists of classic yet contemporary Khmer dishes, which use seasonal ingredients from Cambodia and beyond. Highlights from their current tasting menu include Kampot pepper encrusted scallop ceviche, honey-glazed pork brisket and sweet and sour sandai fish.
Once upon a time, FCC Angkor by Avani was Siem Reap’s Foreign Correspondents Club, with stories from journalists shared within its palatial walls. Now converted into a mansion-style hotel, its bar, Scribe, is the perfect place for an alfresco nightcap, offering innovative cocktails infused with only the best local ingredients.
Hotels to call home
Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor
There’s really only one choice if you want to stay in the lap of luxury while being in the ideal spot for exploring both the sights of Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, and that’s Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, which has hosted everyone from presidents to A-list celebs. Raffles has made its name on grand dames and their Siem Reap property is exactly that, a historic colonial mansion with a grand white facade, peppered with artwork, photographs and decor that tells stories of the building, and Cambodia’s, heritage. Rooms are bright and breezy, with dark wood flooring and balcony doors you can throw open to let in the warm air. And it’s comfort all the way thanks to comfortable seating areas and Italian marble bathrooms, complete with a rain shower.
Credit: Raffles
After being on your feet all day at Angkor, the hotel’s 110ft pool is a welcome respite, as is a treatment in the spa. Raffles also hosts activities such as traditional dance performances, sunrise blessings and cooking classes. Naturally, tours around Angkor Wat are available but why stop there? They also offer bucket-list hot air balloon trips over Angkor Wat and private dinners at temples within the UNESCO-listed site.
Zannier Phum Baitang
There are several one-of-a-kind properties we’d put top of the list in Siem Reap (Amansara and Shinta Mani Angkor, if you need further suggestions), but Zannier Phum Baitang wins hearts thanks to its traditional design and peaceful location, where your morning view is of buffaloes in the rice paddies from a private balcony. The wooden villas, many of which have private pools, are based on traditional Khmer houses and have cool interiors of wood and earth tones, made modern with TVs, Nespresso makers, large bathrooms and outdoor furniture for whiling away the hours.
Credit: Patricia Parinejad/Zannier Hotels
Days here are spent shoulder-deep in the saltwater infinity pool or at the pool bar. There’s also a spa, featuring treatment rooms and a sauna, and an overflowing list of experiences, including Angkor Wat sunrise tours, lotus flower-folding classes and a Kmher cooking class. Most enjoyable of all, guests can hop into a Land Rover Defender for a private tour of Siem Reap.
