Our visit in January 2010 was my first and Ted’s second. Ted was struck by how many more tourists there were than when he last visited. We arrived in the afternoon and, after checking in to our hotel, the Orient Express Group’s lovely La Residence d’Angkor, decided to try to see some of the temples at sunset.
Though the temples turned out to have closed for the evening by that time, we climbed a nearby hill and, from the promontory, took in the languid Tonle Sap, whose fish account for a sizable portion of the protein of Cambodia’s diet.
The following morning, we thought we would get an early start – at about 7am – but it was too late. The temples were already starting to get crowded. We went on an elephant ride around Bayan Temple, and by the time we got to the temple that Ted most wanted to show me, Ta Prohm Temple, it was hot, the temple was under renovation, and the parts that were accessible were overrun by pushy tourists. Ted was crestfallen.
We retreated to the city for lunch, stumbling upon perhaps Siem Reap’s first and only Mexican restaurant, Viva. The margaritas and burritos were surprisingly delicious.
Dinner saw us at Siem Reap’s chic boutique Hotel de la Paix. The degustation menu featuring local specialties was marvelous. For a romantic dinner, book one of the day bed swings in the Fire Garden Courtyard, at the hotel’s Meric Restaurant.
We loved our hotel. It was great value, tastefully decorated with teak wood throughout, and offered a fabulous buffet and a la carte breakfast.
Those interested in splurging might wish to stay at the Amansara Hotel, which at about $800 per night in the off-season, must be heavenly. At the airport, our hotel provided a very comfortable Toyota Camry for the transfer to the hotel; the Amansara uses an elegant, vintage 1960s-era Mercedes limousine.
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