Peace Corps Guide to Siem Reap

I am currently working on the updated Peace Corps guide to Siem Reap. This is what I have so far.

Welcome to Siem Reap! Hopefully this guide will help orient you to all that Siem Reap Town has to offer to PCV’s. There are a lot of western options here because of the tourists who invade the town looking for a glimpse of the famous Angkor Wat. However, one should know that this is also a curse. You will have to carefully budget your money because it can quickly slip through your fingers. Using khmer as often as you can will also differentiate yourself from tourists, and will help you get lower prices in the market. We hope this is helpful, and we look forward to meeting you!


Markets and Shops

There are several markets spread around Siem Reap town. The Old Market or Psar Chas and the Central Market (located downtown) cater mostly to tourists but are a great stop when t-shirts (one to two dollars, don’t pay more than this) you brought from home start to wear out. These markets offer gifts or local crafty items such as bags, scarves, shoes, and art. You can also find the “Cambodian market” further inside and get cheap fruits, veggies, clothes, and beauty products. Farther out of town is the Psar Lue (on Hwy 6 to Phnom Penh) which is one of the main markets for general goods. It’s less conveniently located but a good stop for food and other necessities you can’t find in your local market. At night there is also the Siem Reap Night Market. Again this is mainly geared to sell souvenirs to tourists but can be a fun and interesting place to browse or spend an evening. There is also a conveniently located bar there if certain individuals get tired of shopping and would rather sit down for a drink.

There are several Western-style supermarkets for your convenience. The Angkor Market on the Sisovath Boulevard offers everything – cheese, wine, milk, ice cream, canned foods, peanut butter…and a range of cosmetics and other goodies (peanut butter M&M’s can only be found here). Across the street from Angkor Market is Lucky Mall. Step inside its glass doors and you will be transported instantly back to America. It looks and feels like a western supermarket in every way, but don’t get carried away! A lot of what PCV’s shop for here are things they can take back to site with them for long periods of time; i.e. peanut butter, oatmeal, cereal, ketchup, pancake mix, and other things like that. Luckafé also has very good gelato and cold caffeinated beverages.

U-Care Pharmacy is your one-stop-shop for your entire cosmetic and health needs. It’s kind of like a miniature Walgreen’s or CVS that found itself stranded in Cambodia. The staff is friendly and helpful, and you can usually find anything you need.

Siem Reap Book Center is a stationary store between U-Care and The Blue Pumpkin. This store is great for stationary needs for school or personal use. They care a wide variety of papers, pens, books, and other things like globes, toys, art supplies, and have a great selection of nice postcards. They can also order specific books or supplies that might not be found in your village bookshop.

Restaurants and Bars

Are you craving a certain type of food? Are you just aching to have it again? Then congratulations! You have arrived at the right place. Any meal that you desire can be prepared for you here. The town offers food from nations all across the world, and is a cornucopia of delicious meals. However, be forewarned that other volunteers will hate you for having this place as your provincial town. Here are some of our favourites:

Blue Pumpkin: Great coffee, chic ambiance, and free wi-fi. It can get crowded with tourists as they day wears on. The couches upstairs are particularly comfortable, and the cinnamon ice cream is particularly good. Baked goods are also half price after 8PM.
Common Grounds Café: More comfortable than Blue Pumpkin and usually a big quieter. Offers a wide variety of coffee. Free wi-fi and also a desktop with internet connection for customers to use. French toast, pancakes, and the Baguette-Me-Not are all good choices for breakfast, and the lunch sandwiches are also very good. Closed on Sundays.
Viva! Mexican: Has most Mexican favorites like tacos, enchilada, and chimichangas. Saturdays are $1 taco and margarita nights.
El Camino: Viva’s rival. Opinion goes back and forth between which one is better. El Camino offers bigger portions and uses more spices, but it costs a little more.
Pizza Company: Like Pizza Hut in the states, with similar prices. Still, it is air-conditioned and never disappointing.
Swenson’s Ice Cream: Sundaes, banana splits, chocolate milk shakes, ice cream cones…
Paper Tiger: Free wi-fi, variety of food, and free book trade. On bar street.
NYDC: Expensive, but if you are really craving a burger these are probably better than anything you could make on the grill at home. Really good cheesecake too.
Angkor What!?: If you are looking for a place to grab a drink, this a popular spot but can be a little rowdy and packed in high tourist season (October to March). Also many other bars line the streets here so it’s easy to find a good watering hole.
Red Piano: Good western food at cheaper prices. Ideal for breakfast or lunch when it is not too crowded.

There are also lots of good Khmer restaurants around that are less expensive. The ones in the old market are pretty good, but there are other scattered across the town you might try and like.

Email and Internet Access

There are several choices for internet access. If you have a laptop, go to a place with wifi to help protect yourself from viruses. If not, one the best places in town is Wow Web next to the ACLEDA bank. Their computers all have virus software and a pretty quick connection. Many volunteers go to this place to use Skype because the connection is very reliable. 3000r an hour.


Telephone Access

International calling from Siem Reap is possible from most internet joints but much more expensive than Phnom Penh. Calls to the states average 2000r a minute where as Phnom Penh is about 100r a minute. It’s smart to save calls for a Phnom Penh trip.

Transport

Transportation in Siem Reap Town is easy as tuk tuks line the streets. To save on money however, we suggest bringing your bike along in a taxi from site, renting a bike, or purchasing a second bike ($30) to store in town. The money you save on tuk tuks will quickly pay you back for the purchase.

If you’re going to Phnom Penh, buses leave regularly from 6am-2pm from various companies. We usually ride Capital or Phnom Penh Sorya. Between $5-$6. There is also bus transport to Kampong Cham, Battambong and Sihanoukville but the schedules and prices are more variable. There are also mini-bus services that run between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap that are faster and more comfortable. Apsara Khmer, located near Highway 6, leaves twice daily for about $10 a person.

To and from specific sites will be different for each person. Once in Siem Reap Town you will need to find a pick-up truck taxi that is headed to your specific site. These trucks start running about 6am, and the last will leave about 30 minutes before dark. However, taxis only leave when full so there is no real set schedule. You would do well to develop a relationship with a taxi driver from your town. Remote sites off the national road will be much harder to get to.

Lodging

Hotels and guesthouses seem to be sprouting up every day. While most of these are catered towards package tourists and people with generally a lot of money, there are a couple of options for staying over night:

Popular Guesthouse: An old standby. The staff are friendly, and will remember you if you visit frequently. Most volunteers from other provinces stay here when they visit Siem Reap as well. Rooms range from $6 (cold shower, fan) to $12 (hot water, air-conditioning, TV). Located near the bend in the river off of Sisovath boulevard.

Udara: Standard room with wireless and air-conditioning for $15

Naga: Mosquito net, decent wireless, and cold water for $3 a night. Located near Hotel de la Paix.

MyHome: Apparently, this place gives discounts to volunteers. Located near the old market, it offers hot water, tv, and a fridge for $6 a night.

Medical Facilities

Getting sick/injured in this part of the world is scary, but fear not. Royal Angkor Hospital, located on the road to the airport, is a very good facility with an excellent western-trained staff. Chances are that if you need to go to the hospital for some reason, the PCMO will tell you to go to this one. Just remember to bring your Peace Corps ID with you, because otherwise you will have to pay for the treatment they give you.

Mail system

There is a post office in Siem Reap town that is open 7 days a week from 7AM to 3PM. It is great for outgoing mail, but getting mail is more difficult. With a large number of NGO’s in the city, there are currently no mailboxes available for PCV use. However, friends in town have reported that if you address the mail to the post office and put your phone number on it, the post office can call you and arrange for you to pick up your mail. While no current PCV has tried this yet, it might be worth testing to see if it works.

Leisure

As it is hot in Siem Reap swimming tends to be the easiest way to both exercise and reduce body temperature. Most hotels will allow you to use their swimming pools and gyms for around a $5 fee per day. There is also the Aqua Swimming pool, a public pool run by an Australian expat, for $2 a day (on the road to Angkor High School, with two spray painted signs outside the front that say “Aqua.” The front of it looks sketchy, but it is really quite nice inside). The Golden Banana guesthouse allows locals to use their swimming pool for free as long as you purchase something at their restaurant/bar.