Marvelous Mekong River Cruise: Siem Reap

In this second of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Siem Reap, Cambodia as part of her Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River cruise.

In February of 2020 I had the pleasure of sailing on my fourth Avalon Waterways river cruise. The Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River was my first river cruise outside of Europe. This time my adventures took me to Cambodia and Vietnam on the Mekong River. Of the five Avalon river cruises I have done (so far!), this is my favorite. Because there are so many wonderful stops along the way, this series is broken up into several parts. This second post highlights Siem Reap, Cambodia.

After a long journey from Tampa through San Francisco and Singapore, I finally arrived at the small airport in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Monday, February 10, 2020. I arrived on time, but unfortunately my luggage did not! A relatively short layover in San Francisco was the culprit. It would take another several days before I was reunited with my luggage. But I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying stunning Siem Reap!

Look for the following posts in this series:

• Cruise itinerary, first half: Cambodia
• Cruise itinerary, second half: Vietnam
• Spotlight on: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

Arriving Into Siem Reap

I was met at the airport by our wonderful local guide in Cambodia, Chantha. He took me back to the hotel I stayed in while enjoying Siem Reap, the Park Hyatt Siem Reap. Once at the hotel I met our fabulous cruise director, Sophea, who warmly welcomed me with a cool drink, gave me information about our upcoming time in Siem Reap, and helped me get checked in at the hotel.

Park Hyatt Siem Reap

This beautiful luxury hotel is centrally located in the downtown area of the city. The hotel opened as the Hotel De La Paix in 1957. It is a beautiful blend of traditional Khmer and Art Deco architecture. There is an on-site restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Two pools are also available here, one fresh water and one salt water. A spa and a fitness center are also on site. The Park Hyatt Siem Reap is a peaceful and luxurious oasis in the middle of the bustling city.

I had a very large and comfortable room with a King bed, seating area, large bathroom, and plentiful closet and storage space. The seating area is in front of a large, bright window overlooking the bustling city. The bathroom includes a huge tub as well as a large shower with a rainfall shower head, and a double-sink vanity.

Angkor Wat

After a good first night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we set off in tuk-tuks to explore the temples at Angkor Wat. It is the best preserved and most famous of all the temples, and it features five trademark towers. Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and was built in the early 12th century. It was constructed as a Hindu temple but gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple.

Angkor Thom

After exploring Angkor Wat, we walked across the ‘floating bridge’ (a large bridge made of individual tiles that sits directly on the water so it undulates slightly as everyone walks across it!) to the Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom. The Bayon Temple was built in the late 12th or early 13th century. It has 200 striking faces carved into 54 towers. There are also many impressive bas relief sculptures throughout the complex.

Apsara Dance Performance in Siem Reap

An amazing day of exploring temples was capped off by a beautiful Apsara dance performance. Apsara is an ancient dance form which incorporates graceful and deliberate gestures, beautiful costumes, and soulful music to tell religious stories and classical myths. We took a short bus ride from the hotel to the performance. After being greeted by energetic ‘monkeys’ at the entrance, we were ushered inside.

We enjoyed a delicious three-course dinner while watching four traditional Apsara dances:

• Peacock Dance
• Mekala Dance
• Fishing Dance
• Apsara Dance

Ta Prohm

The second full day in Siem Reap kicked off at another temple, Ta Prohm. Like the first two temples, this was also built in late 12th and early 13th century in the Bayon style. At this temple large trees have grown in, through, and over the structures, giving it an atmospheric and mystical feeling. Parts of the movie “Tomb Raider” were filmed here. While Angkor Wat is the most famous of the temples here in Siem Reap, Ta Prohm was unquestionably my favorite of the four temples we visited. So, fair warning that there are a LOT of pictures in the below gallery! It is a beautiful site with many interesting features, and it is fascinating to see how nature has taken it over throughout the years.

Noodle Making Workshop in Siem Reap

Between temples, we visited a local family who makes Khmer rice noodles by hand. They sell the noodles to local residents and restaurants in and around the villages. We learned how they grind the rice, make the dough, force the dough through a mold to form the noodles, cook the noodles, and finally cut the longer noodles into smaller pieces. This was the first of many such intimate local visits we made throughout the cruise.

Banteay Srei

The last of the four temples we visited in Siem Reap was Banteay Srei. This is the smallest of the four we visited, in both overall area as well as the size of the buildings. It was built in the 10th century and was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Most of this temple is built from red sandstone, which provides not only a gorgeous color but also a medium that can be elaborately carved. The result is absolutely gorgeous!

Phare Circus

My last full day in Siem Reap ended at an optional excursion to the Phare Circus. I was the only one who signed up for this excursion, so I did this one on my own! I enjoyed a delicious and relaxing dinner at the hotel before heading out in a tuk-tuk to experience the Phare Cambodian Circus.

The performers at the Phare Circus are all students and graduates at a nearby vocational training school that was founded by nine young men coming home from a refugee camp after the Khmer Rouge regime. Inspired by their art teacher who used drawing classes as therapy, they founded an art school, then a public school that offered free education, then a music and theater school, and finally, the circus school. The performance was bright, colorful, energetic, and entertaining. My fellow travel mates missed out on a wonderful experience, but I enjoyed it very much!

Conclusion

Siem Reap is simply stunning. From the gorgeous and intriguing temples (of which there are many!), to the bustling city markets, to the warm and welcoming local people, this city has a lot to offer. This was a fantastic way to start my cruise. I am glad I chose the Southbound version of this cruise so I could do this exploring at the start of the trip.

Links

Click the buttons below for further information about the places I visited in Siem Reap:

Click the button below for further information on the 2023 Avalon Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River itinerary:

Click the button below for the first post in this series:

Note: I fully funded this trip on my own and received no compensation or any other benefits from any service providers I used along the way. The opinions expressed here are my own and I am not being compensated by any service providers.