Travel: Cambodia - Siem Reap

[Mdm Koh]

windows:

Thks, Mdm Koh. Ya, read fr travel bks n blogs that things aren't cheap, even accommodation, n this boat rides n tix are q ex too.

You're welcome. Yup, even the tuktuk drivers have an agreed price among them for trips, such as from the town area to Angkor. They don't spoil market by charging lower prices, so it was hard for us to bargain. We asked around and all of them were just as expensive. I guess it's good for them but bad for us tourists. :faint:

Many of the Cambodians are very poor, though. You'll see if you go there. Many of the drivers and tour guides are not from Siem Reap but people from other provinces who go there to work. I just told myself that at least I was contributing to their economy and helping them.

[windows]

Btw, do we need to bargain when buying things? Do u engage guide or walk through the temples on ur own?

[Mdm Koh]

windows:

Btw, do we need to bargain when buying things? Do u engage guide or walk through the temples on ur own?

You can try bargaining for souvenirs, but probably not for transport, because they seem to have a fixed market rate. We engaged an English-speaking guide. He was helpful because he could tell us the myths and legends depicted by the carvings in the temples. Without him, I think my friend and I would've just blur blur walked through the temples without learning anything new.

[hopeful4future]

hello hello, eek i missed out on a lot of this conversation! ha... for transport, tuktuks are so cheap, you should be able to arrange one tuk tuk for your whole day journey. make sure to set a rate before leaving in the morning. mostly your hotels would arrnage for pick up service and the driver will try to \"reserve\" you as their customers for your whole trip it can be good sometimes. for us, we change mostly USD as this is more commonly accepted. their notes are cumbersome but can be fun for kids to collect.. mostly used to buy cheaper things like bottled water.. how, sept hols over, where did you guys go? for us we did a lot exploring in SG

[hopeful4future]

forgot to add that for me it may be quite different as we went on group tour… not DIY!

[windows]

Hopeful4future-thks for the reply. Planning for dec, now reading up n collecting info. Seems like besides the temples n floating villages, there aren’t much to see, thinking of visiting the homes there but read that many r commercial n out for tourist donations. Also deciding btw two hotels, one is inclusive of tuktuk throughout stay. How many days were u there? Any kids w u? What r the must-see? TIA

[Dnls_mum]

windows:

Hopeful4future-thks for the reply. Planning for dec, now reading up n collecting info. Seems like besides the temples n floating villages, there aren't much to see, thinking of visiting the homes there but read that many r commercial n out for tourist donations. Also deciding btw two hotels, one is inclusive of tuktuk throughout stay. How many days were u there? Any kids w u? What r the must-see? TIA

Windows,
You may wish to check out the website http://www.beyonduniqueescapes.com/
They offer Cambodian cooking class and Day in the Life tour which may be what you are looking for in terms of experiencing village life. I have not done it, but heard that it is good. May try it if we go Siem reap next year.

[windows]

Thks for the responses. Just wondering if anyone hired guides for the temple visits or village tour? Is it worthwhile? Do we need to pay for the tuktuk/car separately or are the fees inclusive?

[ccgoh]

Is Siem Reap suitable to bring young children? I would like to go myself but not sure if there are enough children-friendly attractions for kids?

[MustKiasuParent]

We are planning to have a trip with two kids to Siem Reap for few days on June holiday. Will anyone share your experience for recent trip? Or any recommendations? TIA