Overview
Located the northwest of Cambodia about 300km from Pnom Penh capital, Siem Reap is an invaluable world’s cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO in 1992. This site has preserved ruins of the ancient Khmer Empire with the mysterious Angkor architectural ensemble. The number of international visitors to Siem Reap accounts for about 85% the one to Cambodia per year.
QUICK FACTS:
- Location: In northwestern Cambodia
- Status: The gateway to Angkor region.
- Population: 174,265
- Religions: Theravada Buddhism
- The popular tourist destination in Cambodia
- Many forms of varied entertainment
Located the northwest of Cambodia about 300km from Pnom Penh capital, Siem Reap is an invaluable world’s cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO in 1992. This site has preserved ruins of the ancient Khmer Empire with the mysterious Angkor architectural ensemble. The number of international visitors to Siem Reap accounts for about 85% the one to Cambodia per year. Siem Reap is a small town with narrow streets, many greenery along roadside and old houses with bold of local shades in ancient Khmer architecture. Unlike many tourist cities in the world, Siem Reap particularly don’t have high-rise buildings because city government has controlled the height of houses to maintain its traditional classic beauty. There are not any buildings taller than Angkor Wat temple. The personality of people in here is also gentle and simple as the beauty of landscape. They are very friendly, always respect visitors and especially speak English very well so you will not feel too strange when in contact with them. The commercial centers, resorts, restaurants and hotels use the U.S. dollar for the transaction. It can be said that Siem Reap is a harmonious combination between classic and modern, between culture, history and endless inspiration of human. Dubbed as “Kingdom of Wonders”, Siem Reap is the place aggregating almost all attractive destinations of Cambodia, in which the most famous structure is Angkor Temple complex. This is a spectacular and mysterious stone architectural ensemble, representing the unique architecture of the Khmer. The beauty of each tower, each stone and each sculpture seems to belong to the divine world and hide stories about human aspiration from the past to the present and future. Angkor has an area of 40km2, including 4 major works: Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat, Bayon, Taprohm along with some other ancient ruins. Among them, Angkor Wat temple is considered one of the most important monuments in Cambodia as well as the peak of Khmer’ art and architecture. The Cambodia people usually said that: “If you travel to Siem Reap without visiting Angkor Wat, it means you have never gone to Siem Reap”. Even if the industrialization takes place in Siem Riep, The Angkor Temple complex remains intact as the ancient temples ensemble in the interior jungle attracting the curiosity and the desire to explore of tourists from all over the world. Coming to Siem Riep, you will not only admire the breathtaking and mysterious landscapes, the climax of art and architecture characterising the Khmer’ inspiration but also enjoy a quiet space for the soul. The great blend between the past and present will take you on an amazing and full of surprises adventure Best time to visit Siem Reap Siem Reap can be visited at any time during the year including the rainy season when weather in this location is never considered as severe as in other countries in South Asian region. Irrespective of the weather condition in Siem Reap travelers can always enjoy their visits to the nearby beautiful Angkor temples. January is typically known as the best month for visiting Siem Reap as it is the coolest month of the year with no rain. February is the busiest tourist month in Siem Reap at this time is considered as the peak high season. Weather is at near perfect levels with a cool climate, clear blue skies and amazing picturesque sunrises and sunsets. Angkor temples feature high traffic during this time of the year. March is another pleasant month for visiting with the climate remaining quite cool. The sky however, becomes partly cloudy by this time of the year. By April, weather in Siem Reap turn quite hot and humid but still you can visit the Angkor temples if you plan to avoid the sunniest time of the day when the heat is intense and unbearable. May marks the beginning of monsoon rains but still it is a good time to visit Siem Reap, especially for those who like to enjoy their surroundings without being jostled by heavy traffic. May is also the start of the harvesting season in the country. Temperatures start rising by June. As the temperature is still bearable this is a perfect time for taking in the picturesque rain washed attractions in the area. July and August the temperatures remain hot. However, since the rainy season has not reached its peak as yet this is a good time to visit Siem Reap especially, for families with school children on summer vacation. September is the wettest month of the year but if you are willing to brave a little rain this is the best time to experience Cambodia and Siem Reap in its lush green glory and to take in the delightful Angkor temples in the best peaceful manner. The cool and wet October gives way to a pleasanter climate during November and December which are generally regarded as peak tourist times in Siem Reap.
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