Angkor Wat - What the Guide Books Don’t Tell You
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Transport Car and driver is the most expensive ($20 per day, double that to the River of 1000 Lingas and Banteay Srei, which are visited in one five-hour excursion). By the way, the River of 1000 Lingas currently does not require either the entrance pass or an entrance fee. Therefore, it could be visited on a day that you were not using the Angkor Wat entrance pass, but Banteay Srei does require the pass. Some drivers, in fact many, also “guide” (probably for a small extra fee or tip).
Motos. These are small cc motor cycles used as taxis and their drivers might also offer to “guide”. These are fun, but not without danger as there is no driver’s license required to drive one, no license required to drive one with paying passengers, and no taxi license or regulations in effect! I do not know if the Cambodian language knows the words insurance and liability! No crash helmets are available either! They regularly carry two or even three (locals) as passengers. The latest transportation offerings are Tuk-Tuks, a three wheeled contraption based on a motorcycle with a separate, comfortable, seat for two people. It looks rather like a motorized rickshaw or pedi-cab. This looks like a really cool way to get around the main sites. Both of the above are substantially cheaper than a car and driver. Exposure to heat and dust are things you have to take into consideration when choosing your transportation. If going to the further out sites like Banteay Srei and Kobal Spien (River of 1000 Lingas).
I would definitely wish for enclosed transportation, the red dust cakes all vegetation within 30 meters of the road, and I hate to think what it does to lungs.
Lodging:
Siem Reap is going through a Las Vegas type boom in new hotel construction. Prices are high, as is occupancy. To our Western minds, this might be an off the beaten track exotic location, but to Asians it is a cultural Mecca, like Rome is to Europeans. Siem Reap has over 1000 rooms in inventory, and is building more like crazy. Last year Cambodia had a half million visitors, and I would guess that at least 95% of them visited Angkor Wat.
There are direct flights to Siem Reap from all major Asian destinations, including the beach resorts. It is possible to visit on a day trip from a Thai beach vacation and be back in time for dinner.
The old downtown core has the most going for it, though there are hardly any interesting retail options, except a very few craft shops set up by NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to help the disabled and rural cottage industries. The trouble with downtown is the noise and dust. This is where most of the very cheap accommodation is concentrated. There seems to be very little accommodation offering value for money, between $15 per room/per night and $75 per room/per night and up. The La Noria Guesthouse where I stayed ($31 including continental breakfast, room with fan but no AC) had great service, wonderful ambience, good food which was sensibly priced, but the rooms were too small for two people. One full sized suitcase, or two small roll-aboards, and the space was all used up.
As with most cheaper hotels, the beds were narrow singles, with very hard mattresses. But what can beat the elegance of a white hibiscus (which had very dark red stamens) lying on the very white freshly ironed bed linen. I should have taken a photo. And, like most hotels in this price range, there is no shower enclosure, just a shower head (no tub) on the wall. Whoever gets to use the bathroom second (if there are two of you) has to cope with the whole place being awash and every surface already wet. If I were just the tiniest bit fussy, I would ask about room size, mattress hardness, shower enclosure etc. before booking. And I would ask about the number of floors and availability of an elevator.