Other Attractions

Old Market

The Old Market is in the centre of Siem Reap town opposite the Siem Reap river. Most visitors have heard of the Old Market and they have it on their list of attractions to see in Siem Reap. You will see many visitors looking for souvenirs or just browsing. Other things to buy in Siem Reap at the Old Market are gold jewellery, silver jewellery and gems. There is also a food section where you can buy fruit, vegetables, meats, fish and groceries.

Central Market

The Central Market is located on Sivatha Road and here you will see mostly souvenirs for sale. It is not as busy as the Old Market and you can walk around the Central Market with more ease without getting pestered so much from the sellers. The Central Market is geared more towards tourists and it is on a lot of visitors lists of things to do in Siem Reap.

New Market

The New Market is located about 3km from Siem Reap town centre on the way to Phnom Penh on National Road No.6. It sells everything from food items, housewares, gold jewellery, fruit and vegetables, clothes etc. If you would like some clothes made by a tailor, then this is also the market to go too. The New Market is mostly visited by the locals and you will see fewer tourists here, so you will not get as pestered and you will also find items cheaper here than any of the other markets.

Night Market

There is a night market called Angkor Night Market which is open from 4:00pm to midnight and is just at the back of Sivatha Street. This market sells many items such as handicrafts, souvenirs, clothes, jewelry and it also has an Asian food court, foot & head massage, live painting and a entertainment area. The Angkor Night Market opened in February 2007.

WARNING: Be aware of pick pockets in the markets and make sure you carry your bags and money close to your body.

Land Mine Museum

The Land Mine Museum is one of the biggest attractions in Siem Reap and because of this it has changed location to a bigger site about 6km south of Banteay Srey. Most visitors visit the museum on the way back from Banteay Srey Temple. There is also now a small admission fee of US$1 per person. It is very popular with tourists and is run by a guy called Aki Ra, who was formerly a member of the Khmer Rouge, Red Army and Vietnamese Army. You can visit the museum on the way back from Banteay Srey or Kbal Spean. The Land Mine Museum is probably on most visitors lists of things to see in Siem Reap.

War Museum

The War museum has tanks and other war artifacts from previous wars and it is located just off National Road No.6 to Siem Reap airport on the right hand side, where you will see a big sign when to turn off. The war museum is US$3 to enter and opens from 8:00am to 5:30pm daily. The war museum is not as popular as the Land Mine Museum, but may be more interesting to some people. The price of a tuk tuk to the museum is between US$5 and US$6 for a return trip.

Angkor National Museum

The new Angkor National Museum is expecting to open in November and will be exhibiting Khmers Art and Architecture. It is located on the road to the Angkor admission entrance.

Silk Farm

The Silk Farm definitely needs to be on your list of things to see in Siem Reap, because you are sure to find it very interesting to see how silk is made. It is located 16km from Siem Reap. At the silk farm you can take a guided tour around the farm, where you will be shown how silk is made. The silk farm is free to get in, the tour guide is free and there is even a free shuttle bus to/from Siem Reap. The price of a tuk tuk out to the silk farm will be between US$6 and US$8 there and back. A taxi will be between US$10 to US$12.

Artisans D’Angkor

Artisans D’Angkor was created to help young people find work in their home villages by teaching them different types of crafts. If you would like to visit Artisans D’Angkor, then you can visit their shop near the Old Market. The shop has many types of carved handicrafts made from different materials such as stone and wood. You can also take a guided tour to discover the traditional Khmer techniques used for stone and wood carving, lacquering and gilding, as explained by experienced guides. A complete tour of the workshops will take you from raw materials to splendid craft-wares.

Cambodian Cultural Village (Siem Reap Cultural Village)

There are 11 unique villages, which represent different cultural heritages and characteristics of 19 multi-races. At each village, you can enjoy the excellent wood houses, carving, soft skill in stone, traditional performances in the different style such as: Apsara dancing, traditional wedding ceremony, traditional ethnic dances, circus, peacock dancing, elephant shows, boxing and more. The entrance fee is US$9 per person. You can also see Apsara Dancing at the Cambodia Cultural Village with a buffet meal.

Floating Villages

Some of the main attractions in Siem Reap are the floating villages on the Tonle Sap Lake which are all pretty accessible from Siem Reap even in the dry season when the water is low. The three main villages are Chong Khneas, Kompong Phluk and Kompong Khleang which are listed below with more information.

1. Chong Kneas Village
   
   Chong Kneas is the village which attracts the most visitors from Siem Reap, probably because it is the closest. The price of the boat for visiting Chong Kneas is around US$10 per person although you should get it cheaper if you go in a larger group (this does not include transport to the lake) and this trip should take about 2 hours. Make sure that you ask the person who you buy your ticket from how long the trip will be, because some boats will try and do it as quick as possible.
2. Kompong Phluk Village
   
   Kampong Phluk village is a nicer village than Chong Kneas and it also does not get as many visitors as Chong Kneas. Kampong Phluk is further away then Chong Kneas. The trip takes around 2.5 hours and costs around US$15 for the boat per person, but again it should be cheaper if you are in a big group (this does not include transport to the lake).
3. Kompong Khleang Village
   
   Kampong Khleang village is around 35km from Siem Reap and but is probably the nicest of the 3 villages and as expected it has the least visitors. Kampong Khleang is only accessible when the water is high when going all the way by boat. When going all the way by boat, it is a full day trip and it should cost around US$50 including transport for the whole boat. If you want to go to Kampong Khleang village during the dry season then this is still possible and you can also do it this way if you do not want to spend the full day to visit. To go when the water level is low, then you will need to hire a taxi to a place called Dom Dek (35km from Siem Reap) which should cost around US$25 for half a day. Ask the taxi driver to take you to the lake from there and from here you can take the boat to Kampong Khleang village for between US$10 and US$15 per person depending on water levels. This way will take around a half day.

Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

If you are a keen bird watcher, then Prek Toal bird sanctuary is well worth a visit which has birds such as cormorants, pelicans, kingfishers, storks and many others. We advise that you spend a full day there, which will cost around US$50 to hire a whole boat to the sanctuary and then US$20 per person for admission and a tour guide. Serious watchers will know that best time to see the birds is early mornings or late afternoons, so you may like to know that it is possible to stay at the environment office. They have basic beds for around US$7 per night (you will need to get permission first which a good agent should be able to help you arrange). When visiting Prek Toal, sun lotion and a hat are essential. During December to May many birds gather here as the water starts to dry up during this time of year, but unfortunately it also makes it harder to get right into the reserve and small paddle boats maybe needed. You can also visit Prek toal bird sanctuary in a half day, but you will not have time to see much.

Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden is situated just off Wat Bo road not far from Siem Reap river and here you can sit and have lunch or dinner with the butterflies flying around you. There also quite often have art performances.

Miniature Angkor Wat and Banteay Srey

You can visit a miniature Angkor Wat and Banteay Srey just off Wat Bo Road opposite Wat Polanka. The admission to see these miniature Angkor temples is US$1.50.

Wat Thmei

If you want to go visit a small killing field in Siem Reap, as they are generally known as, then you can do so at Wat Thmei which is located on the left fork road on the road to Angkor. Wat Thmei has a small memorial stupa containing skulls and bones of some of the Khmer Rouge’s victims.

West Baray

The Western Baray is a man-made lake, which was excavated by hand to provide water to help cultivate the land around Angkor. The lake is over 2km wide and 8km long. In the centre of the basin is Western Mebon, where a giant bronze state of Vishnu, the Hindu God, was found. West Baray is very popular at the weekend for visiting Cambodians, where many use it as a huge swimming pool. Boat trips are also available.

Kulen Mountain

Kulen Mountain is a huge plateau which is around 70km from Siem Reap town. Kulen Mountain is a main attraction to many Cambodians as it is probably the most sacred mountain in Cambodia in the eyes of many Cambodians and it is often used as a place of pilgrimage during the weekend and public holidays. There is small Wat at the bottom of the mountain where there is a large reclining Buddha carved from sandstone. Nearby there is a nice waterfall especially during the rainy season and there a bathing pools which have carvings in the riverbed of a number of lingas. Kulen Mountain gets very busy at the weekend with Cambodians, but it is a fun place to go. The trip takes a while and you will need to go by taxi or mini bus as the road conditions are not that good plus you also have to get up the mountain which a tuk tuk will struggle to do. The entrance fee is US$20.

Crocodile Farm

The crocodile farm is located on the road to Tonle Sap Lake on the left hand side and admission is US$2.

Cock Fighting

It may not be to everyone’s liking, but if want to see some live cock fighting then you can on Friday, Saturday and Sundays. You will need to ask your driver for the whereabouts.

Zoo

Unfortunately the zoo has gone pretty much to ruins, but if you want to visit then it is located on the turn off just past the admission entrance to the temples on the right hand side about 1km down the road. Admission is US$1.50 and a tuk tuk should cost between US$5 and US$6 for a return trip.