by Jason Livingston
If you find yourself already in Thailand on your next vacation, why not make a quick stop in Cambodia? Cambodia is easiest to reach from Thailand and makes a nice 2 or 3-day getaway from the overwhelming Thai experience.
The main attraction is the Angkor Wat temple complex, which includes some of the world's largest and oldest temples (parts of Tomb Raider and Mortal Kombat were filmed there). It is located in the "city" of Siem Reap. I recommend getting a tour-guide tuk-tuk or motorbike driver to take you around and explain things, as there are so many small and interesting spots to see. The spots are definitely not within walking distance of each other (and the winter temperature is around 35C, so you don't want to do too much walking around anyway!)
The best time to go is between November and February; you can expect extreme heat, humidity, and frequent heavy rain the rest of the year. (Gee... not unlike Japan!)
Although Cambodia has a native currency (the riel), you'll find everyone wants US dollars, or rarely Thai baht. Cambodians don't use coins, and at 4000 riels to the dollar (with 50 and 100 riel notes being common), you might get back a huge wad of bills in change for that bottle of water. If you stay at a guesthouse, you could probably get by on $25/day, or $50/day if you share a nice hotel room with a friend.
Getting there: The easiest way to get to Cambodia is by direct flight from Bangkok, but at over $300 roundtrip, it's a bit expensive. If you want your hand held through the whole process, get a bus ticket on Khao San Road (the backpackers street in Bangkok), but be prepared for long waits, an uncomfortable ride, and being sold to a shady guesthouse when you arrive in Siem Reap at 1AM. If you want some adventure like I did, take a public bus from Bangkok's Morchit terminal to the border town of Aranyaprathet, cross the border into Poipet, and then hire a private Camry taxi for 1000 baht (a 4-hour ride on rough dirt roads). Once in Siem Reap, you'll find a lot of budget (but nice) hotels and guesthouses on Airport Road, just outside the rather dirty and depressing city area.
If you have a few extra days, you could check out a few other places in Cambodia such as Tonple Sap Lake or Phnom Phenh. Just keep a close eye on your belongings!
For lots more info and pics, please check out the links below. Enjoy!
My report and pictures
Jack Pescatello's site
Transportation info