ANGKOR NIGHT MARKET IN SIEM REAP, KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA

Unlike many of its neighboring countries, Cambodia did not have any after-hours traders until early in 2007. The scene changed with the opening of the first market of its kind in Siem Reap. Drawing on their experiences as visitors, the market's founders were careful not to create a tourist park, as is often the case. 

There's no warehouse-like setting nor masses of stalls offering the same souvenirs. Instead, you will find smoothly laid-out huts, more than 200, built from natural materials and designed in a beautiful Khmer style. Traditional Cambodian handmade products feature strongly, including clothing, silks, art, jewelry, wood and stone carvings and other handcrafts- often produced by orphans and handicapped people who are allocated stalls at a discounted price. 

The setting is made for a perfect shopping experience among friendly and courteous sellers. Of course, bargaining is a must as it is part of the Cambodian culture, it is a great way to mingle with the locals in a friendly manner. 

Hungry after along day, there are three location within the Angkor Night Market from which to choose: the superb Island Bar with acoustic live music, the Brick House Bar with an amazing BBQ and a selection of Thai street food or the Coco House which offer a variety of Asian specialties. 

You can also visit the fun Dr. Fish massage pool where small fish happily nibble the death skin of your feeling and legs. Please note that while there are several Night Market operating now in Siem Reap, the Angkor Night Market is the original market and a accessible from three different directions. We do have a strong philosophy of Hassle Free Shopping. 

KAMPOT PROVINCE & KEP CITY

Sunny, peaceful and a few degrees cooler than Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Kampot and Kep are favoured holiday getaways for Cambodia's city-dwellers. Kampot, a quiet but happening riverine town, and Kep, a sleepy coastal city, are must see destinations for any travelers searching for a taste of Cambodia's South.

GETTING THERE

Traveling from Siem Reap, you will need to head first to Phnom Penh in order to make it to Kampot province. Once in the capital, National Route 3 takes travelers to Kampot, with buses taking about 4 and 5 hours and costing around $5. A private taxi for this same journey will set you back $35, but it will take only 3 hours.
If you are starting off from Sihanoukville, the 80 miles journey to Kampot will take around 1 to 2 hours, with road in a surprisingly good condition. Expect to pay around $30 to $40 for a private taxi. Shared taxi cost $5 per person, and usually carry six or seven passengers. While there are no proper buses currently, there are several Van companies that go between Sihanoukville and Kampot. Kampot Tours and Champa Mekong Tours are the most popular with expats. The trip will cost $5 and take 2 hours. The quiet seaside resort of Kep is about 30 minutes south of Kampot. The trip is only 25 Km and takes between 30 minutes to an hour depending on which type of transport you choose; your options include Reu Mok (around $12 one way), Moto $6, Taxi $20 boat $9.5 and bus $3. More adventurous readers might hire a Motorbike and ride the journey instead. This is quite a popular choice especially in the dry months from November onwards.

WHERE TO STAY

There are numerous places to stay in Kampot, and they can roughly be divided into two distinctive areas. The town centre hosts various accommodations that cater for the budget backpacker to the high-end tourist. For a room with a view, there are several guesthouses that sit on the river just out of town and offer the perfect place to kick back and relax or party, depending on which one you pick. A room with a twin bed and a shared bathroom can go for as low as $6.
Although much smaller, Kep caters for the medium to high-end tourists, with a good choice of hotels and guesthouses, many of which boast pools to help you cool down after a day of sightseeing. Kep's accommodation is quiet spaced out, and while there are some within easy walking distance of the beach, many of the options are clustered on the hill off the Kampot road, which begins at the bus's station. These places deliver excellent sunsets, but the further you go, the more you'll be relying on transport to get you around. Prices start at around $20 a night.

ACTIVITIES

Kampot is home to historic Bokor Mountain, which makes a great day trip by motorbike as the road is now in excellent condition all the way. Kayaking and other water activities are also available and, during high season, a recommended activity is stand up paddleboarding through the mangroves further upstream. Exploring the surrounding countryside is a must when in Kampot and the best way to do this is hiring a motorbike and hitting the roads.
Despite being laid-back and sleepy, Kep is home to a wealth of activities to enjoy. As well as boasting a beach with white sands, there's Kep National Park, boat trips, snorkeling and the famous crab market where visitors can enjoy the town's signature crab and Kampot pepper. Rabbit Island also site off the coast of Kep and is a 20 minustes boat trip away. Other popular activities include Kompong Trach and its caves, which are about 35Km northeast of Kep. The limestone caves can be explored and inside sites a huge reclining Buddha and a small lake, which is perfect for swimming in on a hot day.

FOOD & DRINK

Kampot and Kep may not have the extensive culinary range of Phnom Pen but most tastes are catered for. Fresh seafood is widely available, with crab, prawns, squid and many types of ocean fish caught fresh daily. No visit to Kep complete without a taste of the Kep crab. This blue swimmer crab is specially renowned for its taste in curries. Options abound when it comes tom sampling the gorgeously sweet and meaty crab. Culinary adventures head straight to the Kep crab market, where they can choose the choicest live catches from vendor's  baskets, haggling down the price before paying a few thousand Riel to have them steamed at a nearby stall. This is the cheapest and most interactive crab experience, but visitors looking for a more hassle-free dinner will find it in the homey row of restaurants near the market, which all have crab platters as the highlight of the menu. Served still in the shell often with a thick, peppery sauce, dinners get to dig into each crab, scooping out the flesh in a messy and satisfying culinary experience.

NIGHTLIFE
Kampot is home to several bars, mostly along the town centre, with some of the venue that sit on the river hosting live music at weekends. And while nightlife in Kep is fairly scare, there are a few bars near the crab market that can get quite lively at nighttime.

Coastal Cambodia, Sihanoukville

SIHANOUKVILLE

To escap the Siem Reap's sizzling heat, head down to Sihanoukville, the laidback epicentre of Cambodia. While serendipity Beach's popularity continues to rise among backpackers, the beautiful Otres Beach, south of town, is the ideal spot for a relaxed, family vacation. The southern island are the place to be if you are looking for the tropical paradise vibe.

GETTING THERE

Unfortunately, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville- two of Cambodia's top tourist destinations are on opposite side of the country. Although less than 200 miles apart if you fly, on the road the journey can be as long as 350 miles. Traveling by plane is by far the easiest and safest way to do the journey. Cambodia Angkor Air offers flights four times a week, with one way ticket going for $115 to $150 and roundtrip tickets setting you back up to $300. Flight time is a little under an hour. By the road, the journey on bus or mini-bus almost inescapably entails a stop in Phnom Penh, and usually takes around 12 to 14 hours( including the layover in the capital). Giant bus and Mekong Express are some of the companies that offer this route. Ticket go from $20 to $24. Taxi between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville are also available, costing between $120 and $150. The trip on taxi will take about 10 hours.

WHERE TO STAY

Sihanoukville has a variety of accommodation ranging from a basic fan room at $5 to luxurious suite for $250 a night, with several boutique hotels in the $30-60 range. Most are located either downtown, near the bustling Ochheuteal Beach or at Victory Hill. Otres Beach, which sits about 10 minutes away from town is a popular option for budget travelers seeking peace and quiet, although the area is rapidly changing as more upmarket accommodation and restaurants set up shop there.

ACTIVITIES

Sihanoukville is, without a doubt, the sports capital of Cambodia, with a long list of activities offered to the visitor. Many visit this beach town in search of their scuba diving certification, or to relax with a fishing, snorkeling or standup paddle boarding session, while others go for more action-oriented activities, like Jet skiing and fly board. Countryside tours and trips to the nearby island are a popular recreational option. A great number of fascinating places lie within a 1-2 hour-ride from town. You can visit the small, charming towns of Kompot Province and Kep town. Stueng Hauv, a small fishing community, can be found an hour outside of town. Other day trips include Ream National Park and Tek Chou Waterfall. If you are craving some adrenaline, keep in mind that most of these trips can be done by dirt bike or quad.

FOOD&DRINK

Finding a place to satisfy your cravings for good food and refreshing drinks is never a problem in Sihanoukville. Its numerous expat-owned restaurants have brought many international culinary delights to the city, including French, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and of course, Chinese. Restaurants specializing in local food are also widely available: from fish amok to beef  Lok Lak, finding your favorite Khmer dish will be a piece of cake. Sihanoukville is a fishing town where fresh seafood is brought to the market daily in astonishing variety. Restaurateurs buy fish from the different markets around town and use it in many different dishes, from Amok to fish and chips. Make sure you visit one of the city's many fish markets: you'll find your  favourite seafood, from barracuda and marlin fillets to crabs and squid.

First time in Siem Reap City

Is it your first time or planning to visit Cambodia, particularly Siem Reap? The name would ring something that you have known, but definitely this place is different and it will surely surprise you. Yes there's beer, and it's reasonably priced, but there are great dish too! Yes, there's music, but is something friendly and welcoming to everyone. Yes, there's crowd, it's diverse and it really makes the place lively.
Pup street is a small street between Street 11 and 2 Thnou Street. It's line up with restaurants and bars serving many food Westerns and Asian cuisines. Its quiet at daytime and as the sun sets, the street is closed  to traffic and it becomes alive. Just tell you  Roemuk's driver that you are going to pub street, they will know how to bring you there as there is no other place here in Siem Reap. The driver will drop you off on the corner, there's a sign on the both end of the street that you will never missed it.

Pub Street at night in Siem Reap

A Place for Everybody

There's a place to drink and dine for everyone in Pub Street. For a delicious meal reasonably priced compared to other high-end restaurants and hotels in Siem Reap. There are several places to dine such as the Red Piano, corner of Street 11 and Pub Street, the sidewalk seating at Cambodia Seafood, Banana Leaf, Soup Dragon, Temple  Bar, Khmer Idea easy speaking and a lot of more. Want to watch Cambodian traditional dances? Go upstairs of the Temple Club and enjoy your dinner watching the performance. Do come early as the place is normally packed.

Pub Street Siem Reap

Want to have some good time dancing with your friends while enjoying a reasonably priced beer? Check out Angkor Wat Bar, the first and the one who started to give name to this street as to what is it today. The Bar also serves other spirits and drinks that best suits to your budget. In case, you missed buying some souvenir at here. Don't Forget to Visit Cambodia !!!

Siem Reap Kingdom of Cambodia

Welcome to another new year 2016 of travel to this Kingdom of Wonder. If this is your first time to visit here, it would be fitting if we give you a preview of the most visited and never to be missed place here in Cambodia, Siem Reap Province. The gateway to the ancient Temple of Angkor, Siem Reap continuously develops as it is poised to receive a growing millions of tourists for the year to come. There are many place that await to be discovered and things to do here.

Visit The Ancient Temple

Angkor Wat Temple

Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex in the world and the symbol of this Kingdom depicted on the national flag. Its architecture is truly impressive and its majestic view won't disappoint you. Others temples not to be missed are Bayon inside the Angkor Thom complex and the other nearby ruins scattered around. Ta Prohm Temple should be your next visit after Bayon where you will be awed by the roots of the trees that had grown on top clamping down the ruins. There are a lots of ancients temples to discover that even few days would not be enough. You can hire a Taxi or Reumok ot trek the road to these temples through a bicycle.etc.