Our time in Siem Reap was short, sweet and full of amazement. This was my first time in Cambodia, and we chose Siem Reap because it is home to one of the wonders of the world, Angkor Wat. Here’s was we did during our two days in Siem Reap.

Day 1:

We checked into our hotel, The Park Hyatt. To our surprise, they offered us an upgrade that we simply couldn’t refuse for the price- so we were able to stay in the Rooftop Garden Suite. It was beyond spacious with a large living area that was connected by an outdoor space which led into the bedroom. There were two bathrooms and a balcony off of the bedroom overlooking the pool. It was really nice to spread out and relax here.

After check in, we decided to stroll around town. There’s a lot to take in on the streets of Siem Reap. Many vendors selling products or promoting their services. The traffic is wild and many are driving electric scooters or tuk tuks. We took the scenic route to Raffles and had a drink at The Conservatory, which is where they serve afternoon tea, cocktails and light bites. It’s a gorgeous living room set up with bamboos, dark woods, chinoiserie, beautiful fabrics, and a view overlooking the pool area.

After our aperitivo time, we walked back to our hotel for dinner in its beautiful courtyard setting. They have traditional Cambodian performances every night during dinner and you can opt for a several course (you choose how many courses) tasting menu with wine pairings or order a la carte. It was really neat to see their culture this way. Our night ended early since we had a 4am wake up call to tour Angkor Wat the next morning.

 

Day 2:

 

Our alarms went off at 4am, before the sun came up, and we quickly got ready and went down to the hotel lobby where we met our Angkor Wat tour guide. We booked him weeks in advance through the hotel concierge. He was great and spoke English! I would highly recommend getting a guide if visiting Angkor Wat because he drove us to the ticket building where you have to check in, then we got back into his car to go to the main temple for sunrise. A little side note: January is supposed to be the best month, weather wise, to visit Angkor Wat. Unfortunately, they were having unusual rainy weather while we were there. So, even though we weren’t able to see a beautiful sunrise over the temple, our early jump on the day gave us a good lead time to beat the crowds, which we were really thankful for.

We visited Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, and Bayon. Our guide drove us to each one, and it was nice to be able to relax in the back seat and drink some water in between visiting each temple. I can’t express how incredible it is to see these sites in person. They date back to the 12th century and the craftsmanship, thoughtfulness and detail that went into building these structures is absolutely mind blowing.

One tip I have is to bring snacks with you. There is no food on premises of the temples, and the only food offerings near by are road side stands which aren’t safe for tourists to eat. We were meant to come back to our hotel for breakfast and then tour some more after, but we decided to keep going so we wouldn’t get stuck in large crowds.

Once we were done touring, we came back to the hotel completely famished and exhausted. We grabbed a bite at The Glasshouse, which is a darling French inspired bistro connected to the Park Hyatt. It’s a great spot and was the perfect place to recap all of the amazing temples we had just seen. After our late lunch, we went down to the pool and spa and I was able to squeeze in a massage. It was fabulous. Austin hung by the pool and I met up with him after my treatment. It was so relaxing, with big lounge chairs and beds spread out all over.

Since we had a late lunch, we wanted something light for dinner and discovered a cute spot called Miss Wongs. It’s mainly known for their cocktails, but they had a great menu with small bites, which was exactly what we were looking for.

We closed out our night with a tuk tuk ride back to the hotel and a night cap in the hotel courtyard. Coming off of the holidays, I had been craving a milk punch (weird, I know), and there was one on the menu! Delicious and just what I wanted.

Day 3:

We had a leisurely morning where I FaceTimed my parents and ordered a ton of room service for breakfast. Then it was time to pack up and get to the airport for our next Southeast Asian adventure!

We absolutely loved Siem Reap and the Cambodian people were so kind. It’s a place unlike anywhere I’ve ever been and I’m so grateful for our time there. Even though it was so short, the experience left a big mark on my heart.