The Angkor Wat Temples in Cambodia: Travel Cheap Yet Stay in Luxury

Most people are aware of the genocide that occured in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge. Even if they are not, the negative connotation that surrounds the name of the country stems from this event, which is why many people have been afraid to travel to Cambodia. However, their leader Pol Pot's reign ended around 1998 and since then, the kind, gentle people of Cambodia have worked to rebuild their community and come back from their devastating losses. Now is the time to travel to Cambodia, as it slowly becomes a tourist destination again, but still retains the feeling of a true, spiritual, genuine community that has not yet turned its historic sites into a zoo.

The most popular place to visit in Cambodia is Siem Reap, because of its close location to the Angkor temples. Siem Reap is a small area and just a few hours from the capital, Phnom Pehn.

There are great markets in Siem Reap where everything is very cheap. There's food stalls with decent food, and massage parlors at every block!

There are many options for cheap lodging in Siem Reap. There are also expensive options, but look out for these. You can find extremely accommodating staff and great lodging for around 20 US dollars a night, so don't buy into the $300 a night places. You don't need to stay there! Also, these expensive places are usually owned by the government, and you will quickly see that they money does not go towards the average Cambodian individual but to make the government richer.

I stayed at The Shadows of Angkor II and spent around $25 per night total, including double occupancy. It cost a mere $4.00 to have a tuk-tuk driver pick you up from the airport, and the $4.00 was waived if you chose to use that driver to take you to Siem Reap during your stay.

Other places to stay:

• Angkor Spirit Palace
• The Kool Hotel
• Ta Som Guesthouse

The prices for these places range from $12 (Ta Som Guesthouse) to $34.00 a night, and all of these locations have friendly, hospitable staff and good living conditions.

There is food in abundance in Siem Reap and it's all extremely cheap. Because of this, while tips are not expected, consider tipping a bit to help out the economy of the town. The official food is Khmer, which is similar to Thai and Vietnamese food. Rice is included in most every meal.

Try Le Tigre de Papier--they have authentic Khmer food, as well as European and American options that also taste great. I took a four hour cooking class there, and only spent 12 dollars! That included the groceries, the class, and them taking us through the local market and explaining all the spices and meats.

Other places to try:

• Happy Angkor Pizza
• Khmer Kitchen Restaurant
• Molly Malone's (frequented by ex-pats)

Sure, you can get $5.00 massages that last for an hour in Siem Reap. And you can enjoy the cheap food. However, you cannot go to Siem Reap without visiting the temples of Angkor. In fact, most people travel to Siem Reap only for this purpose. 

These temples were built between approximately 800 and 1200 A.D. The temples were used to celebrate Buddhism, but at various times over the years also became Hindu temples. Many of the temples have had all of the Buddhas chipped away. One claim to fame is Ta Prohm, which you may recognize from scenes in Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.

Entrance is $20.00, and as far as I know, you can't avoid that expense. However, other than that, there are many ways to experience the temples of Angkor. You can hire a tuk tuk driver and a guide, costing you all of maybe 30 dollars. It's worth it--the guides have an incredible amount of knowledge and can tell you about every carving, etc. You can explore yourself with a guide book; you can take a hot-air balloon ride to see them temples from above; and you can even ride an elephant there! Check out the pictures I took there, as it's the only way to truly understand how amazing they are.