We didn’t even hear about Angkor Wat until we were in Thailand at an elephant sanctuary. One of our group members had been recently and was comparing it to Machu Picchu. Not that they were same, but that Angkor Wat was amazing in a different way. Knowing how much we loved Machu Picchu, we started researching Angkor Wat for a possible stopover on our way from Vietnam to Portugal.
That stopover decision was winning.
Angkor Wat and the other temples in Siem Reap were like nothing we’d seen in any other civilization. So today, I am sharing all of the photos, details, and need to know info about Siem Reap and Ankor Wat temple tours with you.
Siem Reap Details
We stayed three full days and that was great. But you could literally only stay one full day and see everything on the typical tourist check list. So, one to three days is all you need.
Our hotel was great. And we were ending our year around the globe so we wanted time to just chill out. We stayed at the eOcambo Resort, laid by the pool, napped and ate there for several meals per day. Only one of our days was taken up by the tour.
The great thing about Siem Reap is that Angkor Wat and the temples are the reason people go there. So your accommodation will likely have tours available. We booked directly through our hotel at the front desk. It was seamless.
Know that all tours start at 4:30am. And typically go in the same order. You start with sunrise at Ankor Wat, then venture to the other temples throughout the day. If you don’t know…the Millers (that’s us), hate tours and tourists. So we opted to go rather quickly through each temple. While this might seem disrespectful or ungrateful, it allows us to see the temples with less people. And that’s what we like. We were also there in the off season which meant even less people were fighting for epic photos of these jaw dropping structures.
I don’t know the extent of low-season, but we were there in May and it was super freaking hot and humid. Nate continuously let me know that my mustache was sweating profusely…and I am not normally sweaty, so you know it must have been warm.
I didn’t have to photoshop any humans out of these photos, so that should give you an idea of how busy the temples were. The most condensed it got was definitely at Angkor Wat for sunrise. After that the tours break off. We paid for a private tour so we got to choose our order of temples visited.
Below you’ll find a photo diary of our day. I don’t know the names of the temples, but it was the typical tour fam. You’ll see all of them if you go. Promise. Among them is the “Tomb raider” temple.
Angkor Wat at Sunrise
Guided Tour Through the inside of Angkor Wat
The Bayon (many faces)
Unknown Temple
I cannot for the life of me find this temple on Google. But it was included. Though I will say, we only saw two humans while we were here.
Preah Khan (Tomb Raider Temple)
We were so glad we made the trek to Siem Reap. Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples were definitely worth it. Make sure you dress appropriately (long dress or pants, and cover the shoulders). It could have just been the season, I’d still prepare for HEAT + HUMIDITY. Linen and flowy fabrics are your friend.
If you’re in Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam or Thailand, you might as well hop the border into Cambodia to visit one of the oldest and well preserved wonders of the world.
Planning a trip for the future to Cambodia? Pin this post for later!
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