Cambodia: Siem Reap

I just want to take a moment to share the amazing hotel we stayed at and the restaurants we ate at while in Siem Reap.

We stayed at the Shinta Mani Shack and it was one of the better hotels I've stayed at. The staff is really quick and efficient and attentive. While we sat by the pool in the afternoons the massage staff came around and gave us free 5-10 minute (strong) back massages. There was also free ice cream handed out (just a small scoop though). The hotel also had snacks and coffee/tea at 5am the day we went to Angkor Wat. Just a few little things that made the experience special.

Below are a few pics of the pool and our happy hour drinks from the first day.


Before you get too jealous, here's what we woke up to one morning:

We went into town a few evenings but didn't take many pictures. There were insane happy hour deals we had to take advantage of, as you can see.



And a really amazing sunset, hidden behind buildings, to make up for our busted sunrise over Angkor Wat perhaps.



We wandered through the old market one evening but it was a little too warm to really shop much. They sell a lot of elephant pants, spices, fruits and fish, ... the usual Asian market.

We ate dinner at 3 different restaurants, all of which I'd recommend. The first night we went to the FCC (foreign correspondent's club) which is where journalists would gather during wars but now it's just a restaurant and bar. Very reasonably priced and the food was good. And as an added bonus it was only a block from our hotel. The second night we went to Sokkhak River, where I had the most amazing tofu and eggplant dish. They really do great things with eggplant, and pumpkin (who knew?!), here. Atmosphere was fancy but not too fancy and service was great. Highly recommend. The third night we went to Square 24, where the food was more of a fusion and it was excellent. The chocolate ice cream was also delicious. The owner chatted with us for awhile and he was really friendly and engaging.

To get to all these places in Siem Reap, you take a tuk tuk, which is like a 2-person wagon pulled behind a moped. Picture below, though it's from Phnom Pehn. The rides around town cost $2-$3 and it's a nice way to get around. No taxis in sight so it's tuk tuk or walking.

We really enjoyed the lively pub street and the good restaurants here - I liked it much better than Phnom Penh and would definitely return.