Angkor Wat & Siem Reap Guide

Day 1 — Small Circuit (17 km): sunrise at Angkor Wat (arrive 05:00), breakfast at the temple, Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider tree-strangled temple), Ta Keo, Bayon (in Angkor Thom, the 216-face temple), Baphuon, Terrace of the Elephants. Home by 14:00 for a pool break; late-afternoon return for the 5th tier of Angkor Wat.

Day 2 — Big Circuit (26 km): Preah Khan, Neak Pean (island temple), Ta Som, East Mebon, Pre Rup for sunset. Skip Angkor Thom today.

Day 3 — Rolous group + Banteay Srei: the earliest Khmer temples (Bakong, Lolei, Preah Ko) in the morning, then drive 40 min to Banteay Srei (the 'jewel of Khmer art' with the finest carving) and Kbal Spean (river of a thousand lingas) — lunch en route.

Optional Day 4 — Beng Mealea + Koh Ker: proper jungle temples, 2h drive, quiet.

Buy your pass the DAY BEFORE at the official ticket centre on the east side of Siem Reap (open until 17:30) — you can then use it the following morning at 05:00 for sunrise.

Sunrise at the northern reflection pool: face away from the crowd on the southern pool and you get the same reflection with 20% of the people.

Best sunrise months: November-February (clear skies). May-October: cloudy or wet, but the temples in the mist have their own drama.

Angkor Pass: 1-day USD 37, 3-day USD 62 (valid over 10 days — you don't have to use them consecutively), 7-day USD 72. Buy at the official Angkor Enterprise ticket centre with your passport photo.

Guide: absolutely essential. Book an English-speaking Angkor-certified guide via your hotel or GetYourGuide (USD 45-70/day). The temples make no sense without one.

Transport: an air-conditioned tuk-tuk (USD 20-30/day) or private car (USD 45-60/day) is the standard. Bicycles work only in the cool season and only for the Small Circuit.

Pub Street is fine for one dinner (Miss Wong for cocktails, Cuisine Wat Damnak for Khmer tasting) but base yourself elsewhere.

Phare Cambodian Circus (nightly show, ~USD 38) supports at-risk youth training and is genuinely great.

Apsara dance dinner at Templation or Angkor Village Resort — the best cultural performance dinners.

Tonle Sap floating villages: skip the Chong Kneas tourist trap; go to Kompong Phluk (stilted forest village) or Kompong Khleang instead.