Siem Reap and Battambang

Siem Reap, the gateway to the temples of Angkor, is a mix of traditional and colonial architecture set on the banks of the Siem Reap River. This once sleepy-town has seen a huge increase in the number of visitors keen to discover the temples, and its centre is a daily (and nightly) throng of activity.

Battambang, Cambodia’s second city, is a charming, compact town packed with faded colonial buildings and narrow streets lined with shophouses. The city is located at the heart of the country’s ‘rice bowl’, surrounded by vivid green paddy fields stretching into the distance, and many Angkorian-era temples.

In and around Siem Reap and Battambang Province
The temple complex at Angkor is massive in scale (the entire site is 400 square miles in size) so plenty of time is needed to explore the temples in any depth. Allow at least three days in Siem Reap if you only plan to cover the main sites (these being the legendary Angkor Wat, reached via an extended causeway; the Bayon, with its 54 distinctive towers; and Ta Prohm, the ‘jungle temple’). Many of the temples are spaced far apart, requiring you to drive between them, so some planning is needed to make the best use of your time. See our Khmer Heritage itinerary for ideas.

Getting the most out of your time in Angkor really means balancing visits to the main sites, which are typically packed with visitors all year-round, against visits to the more remote and smaller sites, which generally see far few visitors and thus provide better photo opportunities, but which also require more time. The green season, when visitors are fewer, can be the best time of year to visit, if you're fortunate and don't encounter heavy rain.

Away from the temples, the town of Siem Reap is worth exploring for its lively atmosphere and overall ambience. The night market is a favourite with visitors and a great place to shop. From Siem Reap, you can also enjoy a fascinating excursion to the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake. Here you’ll find floating houses, shops, schools, a health centre and even a floating petrol station. The lake is also home to the Prek Toal bird sanctuary, a refuge for many rare and threatened species.

Battambang is much less visited than Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, but here you can get a feel for small-town Cambodia (it may be the country’s second city, but it doesn’t feel like it). The area surrounding the city is rich in Angkorian-era temples, including Wat Banan, a 10th-century mountaintop pagoda; Phnom Sampeau, spectacularly located on a soaring rocky outcrop that is visible from miles away; and tumbledown Ek Phnom. For a bit of fun, take a ride on the enterprising bamboo train; powered by a motorbike engine, the small cart transports people, goods and motorcycles between Battambang and the surrounding villages - don't miss it!

Keen to experience the temples of Angkor? We can help you plan your visit, whether you want an extended exploration of the most remote temples, or a short fly-in tour of Angkor Wat and the more prominent sites. We can also arrange for specialist photography tours. Let us help you plan your Cambodia holiday.