Enter your keyword

Outside the Temples in Siem Reap

After every temple run, I get the chance to explore what Siem Reap has to offer outside the confines of ancient ruins and temples. Siem Reap has an artistic and cultural vibe that I came to love unexpectedly. There was the typical backpacker restaurants, bars, and night markets, but there were also small, intimate family-owned restaurants and stalls that have endeared me to Siem Reap.

Pub Street
Pub Street is a popular place for tourists who visit Siem Reap. The street is teeming with restaurants, shops, and bars. The hostel I stayed in was a mere 5 minute walk from Pub Street which made the restaurants and shops accessible to me.

For a third world country I found Siem Reap's restaurants a bit pricey compared to Kota Kinabalu's and Thailand's.

Lok Lak
For $6 up this meal was pretty steep for a budget traveler. This restaurant was right out side Angkor Wat, the meals were mostly $3.50 up, unless you just want to eat dessert. The serving was rather big for one person which to an extent justified its steep price.

Lok Lak
Lok Lak was the only Cambodian dish I ate during my stay. It had 3 variations which were pork, chicken, and beef. I'm no food critic but I liked how it was a bit spicy and flavorful, and reminded me of beef steak back home. This Lok Lak dish was from a restaurant near the hostel I stayed in, this meal was only $3.50 and the serving, depending on appetite, was good enough for 2. I found one fast food chain in Siem Reap, no it was not McDonald's, it was KFC. 

There are also lots of markets in Siem Reap, finding a souvenir is not hard to do in this charming town.



The markets sell a variety of things from trinkets, scarves, sculptures, shirts, dresses, paintings, and other things.



The prices of the items you buy will depend on your ability to bargain with the store owners. I got 6 key chains for $3 and two scarves for $6, I'm sure you can do better. Other items like the hand crafted wooden sculptures fetched for more than $100 per item, and there were also jewelry stores that sold rings, bracelets, and earrings for more than $100 also.

36 comments:

  1. For those items, I think it's better to just shop at our very own tiangges at 168 or Greenhills. Cheap and we don't need to pay for air fare and accommodation.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Rochkirstin: I'd agree that it would be better to shop here since we get the same stuff anyway haha

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wish you could feature more the items you bought and placse you shopped rather than photos of food.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lok Lak looks like beef steak too because of the onion rings. :)
    The souvenir stalls remind me of the stalls in Baclaran.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @iaadamlim: The places for shopping look just like the stalls we have here in Greenhills, 168, or other stalls so I just took a few pictures. I think in various parts of Southeast Asia we'll see the same kind of stalls and markets. I also saw the same kind of stalls and markets in Thailand and Kota Kinabalu. :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. I was also able to watch a cultural show in one of the restaurants in Siem Reap Then there's Cambodia Cultural Village too in Siem Reap.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Are those figures in USD? Pretty steep, indeed. But of course, it should already be included in your budget when you're out of the country.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes those figures are in USD that's why I think Siem Reap is a pretty expensive place

    ReplyDelete
  9. Parang manila/ongpin/quiapo din pala. Mahal din pala ang mga items na nila dyan.

    ReplyDelete
  10. wow! i got excited when i saw the night market picture!!! i love nigh markets! the food looks yummy and affordable for me. xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wish you could post some of the stuff you bought. but that Lok Lak dish looks pretty tasty :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. The place resembles that of Mabini at night. I agree the foods seems pricey. But I am curious about Lok Lak, Ano ba talaga ang lasa?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I wish to visit siem reap too and see how it goes. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Same here in Davao we do have like that, shopping for cheap prize. LOK LAK, hmmmm a must try dish.

    ReplyDelete
  15. i always love to go at night market. love the food and the tiange, very affordable!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Pretty expensive! Do they have nice items? Not naman made in china?

    ReplyDelete
  17. night markets just means how busy the place are. even at night time, a lot of people are still roaming around to buy something. Yahweh bless.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Looks like you got a great experience there in Cambodia. With the foods you ate and stuffs you buy, you sound so satisfied with your Cambodia travel.

    ReplyDelete
  19. @Cai Entereso: that depends on your taste it had the same stuff like most of the markets I saw in other Southeast Asian countries and here in the Philippines. I think the items were authentic to Cambodia. :D

    ReplyDelete
  20. wow.. it is my first time to read a post about Cambodia trip. for foods, i do not see it as a waste of penny for you will only get into a country once, so try any dish from the place. for stuffs, a souvenir will do. but for shopping, i heard that thailand is a good place to shop.

    ReplyDelete
  21. After reading your blog post, I imagine that there's definitely a lot to do in Siam Reap. And the best thing about it is the night market!

    ReplyDelete
  22. It's good that there are lots of cheap food there but I'm worried that the locals cannot communicate well in English. Can they?

    ReplyDelete
  23. The place looks peaceful based on the photos. The items are quite pricey though. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. @Rochkirstin: yes they can their accent is more understandable than the Thais haha

    ReplyDelete
  25. Siem reap is really alive at night. It's really fun in there though a bit expensive compared to other parts of Cambodia.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This place should be included in my Travels List. Though I wonder, does Lok Lak taste like Pinoy's Bistek?

    ReplyDelete
  27. wow! ang mahal din pala ng foods dyan. I might buy from our street carenderia. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  28. $6 dollar meal is not cheap indeed! haha i mean if you're a budget traveler or for everyone right? wanted to see this place very soon too! must try the shopping too! xx

    ReplyDelete
  29. OMG $6 for a meal that would be P240. It's quite costly. Looking at the food photos I think it looks yummy. During my travels either abroad or locally here in the Philippines, I make it sure that I have at least one little souvenir to take home as a remembrance that I can afford to buy, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  30. What I like most about traveling is the shopping experience. and that Lok Lak, dunno if I can brave that one, am not spicy eater he!he!

    ReplyDelete
  31. $3.50 for the Lok Lak doesnt sound too shabby and it looks delicious too. I better start Googling for this recipe to at least, get a bit of the experience you had on this trip. :D

    ReplyDelete
  32. I can do better than you. My hubby says that I am the discount lady,lol. The food looks good.

    ReplyDelete
  33. First time I've heard about Siem Reap in your blog. It's wonderful to check out and try the food specialties of Siem Reap and wonder around their souvenir shops. It really matters to me when I bought some memorabilia from a visited place to always remind me the places where i've been. Despite the steep price.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I think almost every country in Asia has popular street or night market for tourists, with restaurants, bar and souvenir shops.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Makes me want to fly to Cambodia now! I wanna go to Siem Reap too! Please take me there!! =)

    ReplyDelete
  36. there are a lot of cheap finds there!! I wish I could go there too so I can buy a lot of stuffs! :)

    ReplyDelete

Recommended

Tags