Siem Reap is known around the world as the home of Angkor Wat, so most people visit the city to explore Cambodia’s most famous temples. There are enough temples in and around the city to fill a week-long trip, but there’s only so many temple visits you can manage before getting ‘templed out’. So what else is there to do in Siem Reap beside Angkor Wat and the many temples?
Angkor Wat Temple, Siem Reap
1. Visit the floating villages
Visiting the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake is a great way to immerse yourself in Cambodian culture. You can travel by traditional wooden boat through the floating communities, and see fish farms and local markets.
2. Visit the war museum
Siem Reap’s war museum is an eerie outdoor collection of the tanks, planes, mines, bombs and guns used in the Civil War. The field that houses the war display was once a killing field, which makes the museum a little more hard hitting.
3. Take a trip to Phnom Kulen National Park
Phnom Kulen is quite a way out of the city, but it’s definitely worth it. You can hike up the mountain, and visit the temple at the top. You can also join the locals and go for a swim in the waterfall. It’s one of Cambodia’s most beautiful national parks, and there’s plenty to see and do there. You could also combine it with a visit to the River of A Thousand Lingas.
Related: 9 Best Things To Do in Siem Reap, Cambodia
4. Party on Pub Street
Siem Reap’s Pub Street is perfect for those that want to party. There are bars with free pool, free beer pong tables, and club-type bars with dance floors and blaring music. So whether you want to dance, play drinking games, or just enjoy a drink with friends, Pub Street is the place to go.
5. Go on a food tour
If you consider yourself a foodie, you need to go on one of Siem Reap’s food tours. You’ll get the chance to taste the flavours of Cambodia, and learn about the local delicacies.
There are different types of food tour, including vegetarian food tours, and even if you’re a little fussy, you don’t have to try everything if you don’t want to.
6. Go to a dinner and dance show
The Aspara dance is a famous dance from Cambodia, and a big thing in Siem Reap is dinner and dance shows. You pay a set amount for a buffet dinner, and whilst you eat you get to watch a live dance performance.
Related: What are famous tourist attractions in Cambodia?
7. Go horseback riding
Whether you’ve ridden before of not, horse riding through the countryside is a great day trip. You can master the skill of horse riding, if you haven’t before, and take in stunning views of rice fields, rural villages and temple ruins whilst feeling like a cowboy.