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Itinerary & Expenses in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap was a worthwhile trip for me not only because of its temples and ancient ruins, but also its people. The people were friendly and welcomed tourists to enjoy what they have to offer. There were still touts and the occasional pesky vendors who charge extreme amounts of money for food, beverages, and items, but nonetheless Siem Reap and its rich history more than make up for it.

Angkor Wat
At first I thought that Siem Reap would be a cheap place to stay in because of the low priced hostels I found online, but as soon as I ate in some of the restaurants I found out that Siem Reap was a pretty expensive place to eat in. I wasn't able to find any cheap place to eat in that didn't charge less than $2.50 for a meal, unlike my stay in Thailand where I found food for 30 Baht or $1.

Here is a breakdown of my expenses during my trip to Siem Reap:

I'll put the expenses in $US since that was the currency commonly used in Siem Reap

$40 - Temple Passes for 2 Days
$20 - Souvenirs
$5 - Beng Mealea Temple Pass
$19 - Transportation
$14 - Grand Tour w/ Sunset Viewing in Phnom Bakheng
$32 - Beng Mealea Tour w/ Guide & Lunch
$19 - 3 Nights Lodging at Siem Reap Holiday Garden Villa
$28 - Food & Drinks
_____________________________________________

$177 or P7080 - Total Spending in Siem Reap for 4 Days & 3 Nights

P6674 - Airfare & Taxes

P13754 - Total Expenses Including Airfare & Taxes

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Siem Reap

Day 2
Beng Mealea
Dinner in Pub Street

Day 3
Mini Tour (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm)
Souvenir Shopping
Dinner in Pub Street

Day 4
Banteay Srei & Banteay Samre
Grand Tour (Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, Preah Khan)
Dinner in Pub Street
Depart to Philippines

Suggested Itinerary

You can significantly cut down on your expenses by choosing which temples to visit. In my experience you don't have to visit all of them since there are temples that are just a variation of the major ones. Unless you are really interested in visiting the temples, choose which temples to visit. Here are is my suggested itinerary:

Day 1 (Start at sunrise 5AM)
Angkor Wat
Bayon
Ta Prohm


You can spend hours in any of these temples, but the downside is that a majority of the tourists come to these places. In my opinion, you can't go to Siem Reap without seeing these temples. The best time to go is early in the morning (6AM to 9AM) and late in the afternoon (3PM to 5:30PM) to avoid the crowds.

Day 2
Beng Mealea or Bantey Srei & Banteay Samre
Pre Rup
Ta Som
Neak Pean
Preah Khan

Aside from Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei, the temples on this list are the least visited. There aren't that many people visiting these temples. You can enjoy getting lost and wandering in these temples without the hordes of people taking photos and jumping onto things. Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei are far from the town, these temples would require 1-2 hours of travel time just to get to them. The best time to visit Beng Mealea or Banteay Srei is early in the morning (6AM to 9AM), then you can visit the other temples at 10AM onwards.

If you only have a day to visit the temples...

Day 1 (Sunrise start at 5AM)
Angkor Wat
Bayon
Ta Prohm
Neak Pean
Ta Som
Preah Khan

The temple pass for one day costs $20, for 3 days its $40, for 1 week its $60. Depending on your haggling skills, you can explore the ruins near Angkor Wat for only $10-$15 back and forth and the ruins in Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei for $20-$30. Guides are also affordable, you can hire a guide for $20-$25.

These are only suggestions, explore and get lost in whatever Cambodia has in store for you.

35 comments:

  1. The food is expensive indeed. Very different with Thailand where you can buy much cheaper food. Maybe they want to get more money tourists.

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  2. I agree, food is expensive especially water! Imagine paying $2 for a bottle of water in one of the restaurants inside Angkor complex.

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  3. I think that place full of temples is not for me haha. What's their religion and were you allowed to take your shoes with you and take photos inside each site?

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  4. @Rochkirstin: they were Hindu and Buddhist, yes we were allowed to take our shoes and take photos inside :D

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  5. Too expensive even for the food and even for a drink! X_x

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  6. Did you visit Cambodia Cultural Village too in Siem Reap. I learned a lot about Cambodia by just visiting that place.

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  7. Wow, your trip is quite good and affordable. I wish we can also travel to see the beauty of Cambodia.

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  8. I guess you enjoyed well your trip in Cambodia but If I have that amount I'll choose the best places in our country, first.

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  9. Will bookmark your Iti as am i am planning to explore and know more Cambodia soon :) Medyo expensive nga ang food :( but anyway a friend of mine who also visited Cambodia last year said na kumain daw ay sa tumpukan ng streetfoods- mas mura at mas masarap :)

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  10. Wow, I never knew food cost too much there. But it's all worth it, I guess. I plan on visiting some time next year. Now I know better thanks :)

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  11. looks like an fun trip to absorb the area and its surroundings.

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  12. @Franc Ramon: didn't visit the cultural village was more interested in the ruins :D

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  13. this could be more a fun trip if the foods are cheaper or affordable... he he he

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  14. this looks like a great plan for Cambodia

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  15. Gosh the price of food is higher than the hotel rate. Nevertheless, it seems a fair overall expenses for a 4 days/3night visit at Siem Reap

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  16. Cambodia is by no means an expensive country... for example, $19 for 3 nights lodging is amazingly cheap. The food may be more expensive than in other places, but Siem Reap is the most popular tourist destination on the country.

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  17. whenever I go I always find myself buying expensive things since peso is very low in value already. I would love to go shopping back in philippines again and go ukay because the trueh is philippines wud be the cheapest for me. though getting used to singapore dollar. thai and viet and others seems very cheap nrin love the details!! hopefull ican visit this place too! xx

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  18. Ang mahal nang food pati tubig...hehehe...but anyway thanks for the info. Kailangan ko mas malaking budget to visit here, I rather choose another place to tour as of the moment.

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  19. Whoa, I thought going to Siem Reap was that cheap, or maybe I just hallucinating.

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  20. Wow! Hindi pala ganoong kabigat ang expenses when in Siem Reap. I'm gonna be inspired saving-up for this trip. ^_^

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  21. nice of you to detail your trip experience. this would truly benefit those who wants to travel cambodia. Yahweh bless.

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  22. This is a great post. I am curious and for sure others too for the travel expenses especially out of the country.

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  23. it's quite affordable for a 4 day out of the country trip.. Cambodia is a really great place if you are into rich culture and history.. :)

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  24. taking note of your tips and looking forward to visiting this place...

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  25. Hi! Can you please tell us where din you book your Beng Mealea trip? Going there this May. Thank you!

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  26. @Mayeeta: Hi! I booked a tour through Beyond Unique Escapes http://www.beyonduniqueescapes.com/cambodia/small-group-tours/remote-temple-tours/beng-melea-jungle-temple-ruins-tour.html

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  27. I agree with you.sa food medyo mahal nga sa siem reap pero super mura naman sa ibang bagay.accomodation dun mura.

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  28. Hi bro...how did you go to Siem Reap? Galing ka ng Bangkok? What mode of transpo did you take? I'm planning to take a bus though from Chon Buri. I'll only have a day to visit Siem Reap in October, so I am researching on how to make the most out of it. Anyway I am only interested visiting Angkor Wat and the Tomb Raider Wat too...

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  29. @erratic lakwatsero: nageroplano ako bro mnl to siem reap

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  30. Hi, may travel tax din ba sa siem reap airport pabalik ng pinas? :)

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  31. Hi Joshua, may I ask where you stayed in Siem Reap? Or any hotels or hostels you can recommend?

    - Janice

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  32. Hi. Family and I are going to Cambodia in November 2016. We plan to do 2 nights in Phnom Penh because our stay in Cambodia is from November 22-27. Is it ok? I have my 4-year old son with me...

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  33. @anonymous: yes it's ok but the bus ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is long. :D

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  34. Siem Reap is such a great place for budget traveller! I never ventured out of Siem Reap...Phnom Penn never made it to my list...
    http://www.tickingthebucketlist.com/2016/05/angkor-wat-costs-and-budget.html

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