This trip was completed in April 2025.
With the new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport being open less than two years ago, it was a timely visit for us to travel to Cambodia. The country is undergoing a rapid transformation to grow its tourism industry, with another new airport called Techo International Airport expecting to be operational in the second half of this year (serving the capital of Phnom Penh).
We spent most of our time around Siem Reap in the Angkor heritage sites, but later also embarked on a cross-country drive with a private-hire driver to get to Phnom Penh. The highlights of the trip were definitely the day tours we joined in Siem Reap.
Transportation: Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport Shuttle Bus
Rating 8.1/10
Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI) is located quite a distance away from the main tourist center of Siem Reap in order to preserve the Angkor complex and manage the traffic. Therefore, even though the airport is new and has a nice cultural design, it may be quite inconvenient for international tourists to get to the city center. From our experience, the tourist traffic is not high and so immigration clearance was also orderly and fuss-free.
As there are no public train transportation, we find that the Airport Shuttle Bus service is the next best alternative. The sales office and waiting lobby is clearly located right outside the arrival hall. The airport itself is not a large terminal with just a few commercial shops, however there are some international food options and a convenience store for quick bites while waiting for the Airport Shuttle Bus.
Some travellers may prefer to arrange a private car transfer from the airport to Siem Reap city. However, given the lack of availability, these tend to be expensive options either booking online in advance or even hailing a Grab taxi ride there on the spot.
For a country like Cambodia, a private airport transfer or taxi costing upwards of US$50 is prohibitively expensive by Southeast Asia standards. During our arrival timing in the afternoon, we also found that the Grab private-hire booth was deserted and it was difficult to find a ride. Perhaps the situation and supply of drivers will improve as the airport ramp up in passenger handling capacity and tourist arrival volume.
Transportation: Private car with driver from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
Rating 7.6/10
As mentioned earlier, this trip also consisted of a 6-hours drive from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. We booked this online via Klook and again, it is not that economical if your group of travellers is below 4 pax. However, booking a domestic flight also requires you to make the same journey from Siem Reap city centre to the airport before taking a flight to Phnom Penh International Airport and then travelling into Phnom Penh city too. Overall, we find that the transportation options for tourists in general are still pretty limited in Cambodia and so it may require more time for better infrastructure to be developed.
Currently, if time is not of the essence, we still find the cross-country road trip from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh to be worth trying out because it will allow tourists to see the local countryside of Cambodia and soak in the daily activities of villagers outside of touristy areas.
After all, travellers to Cambodia may already well understand the level of development in the country, so the raw untouched beauty along the journey more than make up for the inconvenience of a less-mature transport infrastructure. For the more adventurous, there is a more affordable option in the form of their local bus service such as VET Air Bus Express and Giant IBIS Bus to ferry passengers between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
Accommodation: Viroth’s Villa
Rating 8.0/10
This is a boutique hotel right by Siem Reap River in the quieter side of town. Across the river and situated 10-minutes walk away are the more touristy attractions like Pub Street and the Old Market. Location-wise, it is absolutely central and highly-convenient.
We find the compound to be maintained very well, with a small pool right by the entrance lobby area and wrapped around by the hotel bar and restaurant tables. Nice touches like cold towels and mosquito repellent at the front door also help guests to feel more comfortable throughout their stay.
The check-in process was smooth and there are two blocks of hotel rooms available in the compound. It is a low-rise building mainly accessible by staircases. The room designs are modern and stylish, going for vibrant pops of colour and fancy tiles finishes and textures.
Our pool view room also faces the road outside, but we did not find it noisy during our stay there probably because it is not a busy street to begin with. The room comes with a generously-sized balcony and an average-sized bathroom. Furniture and fittings also look new, and at 320,000KHR/night, we find Viroth’s Villa to be absolutely value-for-money.
Another positive surprise was the quality of the breakfast. The dining-in option was much better in our opinion as it was served as an a la carte buffet style through a physical menu order chit.
There was an option to have the breakfast in a take-away container style to cater to guests with an early morning tour (as early as 4am pick-up time). We tried that breakfast option and was unimpressed because firstly, you cannot choose what items they packed, and secondly, the food will be cold as if right out of the fridge due to the logistical and preparation reasons.
Accommodation: Shangri-la Phnom Penh
Rating 7.7/10
Technically this hotel review should not be included in a Siem Reap article, but since we also had a night stay in Phnom Penh for the Cambodia trip, we decided to give this a mention. This is a very new hotel which opened its doors as recent as December 2024 (soft opening).
As an integrated development with residences in adjoining towers and commercial shops below, this hotel offers an upscale option for travellers which tend to be quite limited in this part of the city around NagaWorld (while other international hotels can be found nearer to the Royal Palace of Cambodia and the Cambodia Railway Station). Another good locational attribute of this hotel is that it is near to a hip commercial area called Boeng Keng Kang (BKK1) where many good restaurants can be found.
Despite adorning the Shangri-La brand, we find the rooms to be average at best. We expected the bathroom to be bigger and also perhaps a more spacious lounging area beside the bed. Interior décor was decent but we felt that more design details can be incorporated into the room especially if they are going to be pricing their entry room at around 1,000,000KHR/night in a city like Phnom Penh (considering Rosewood Phnom Penh is only going at around 1,800,000KHR/night).
That said, the ground floor concierge and the mid-floor lobby reception area do exude the expected grand feeling of this hotel brand. In particular, we find the 49th-storey lobby to be welcoming and the rooftop swimming pool at the 54th storey to be picture-worthy.
Dining: Elia Greek Kitchen
Rating 8.2/10
Apart from the local Cambodian cuisine we tried, including at a restaurant opposite called iViva!, Elia Greek Kitchen was one of the top place we had for international cuisine. They served a good selection of Greek food items and also has a counter for Gelato ice cream. The exterior of the restaurant is aesthetically-pleasing, and the entire seating area is ample and decorated well. The restaurant is generally well-staffed so ordering and serving time were also fast during our visit there.
Do note that there are generally a lot of tourists in this area so it is definitely not a local food spot. However, the restaurant gives off a cheery holiday feel and it was a good respite for us to hide from the sweltering heat. We visited this restaurant twice, once in the afternoon and another time for dinner. Service level were consistent both times. It can be a good idea to have dinner here before walking to the famous Pub Street nearby for late-night entertainment and drinks.
Dining: Lao Noodles (Wat Bo Road Street 23)
Rating 7.9/10
This is a discreet eatery right at the intersection of a busy main road and a small street. Occupying a corner space, there seems to be a steady crowd of regular customers during meal times. The seating area is not huge, so most diners share tables. The local neighbourhood vibe is what makes the dining experience cosy in our opinion. Given the hot weather in Siem Reap, they installed cooling fans with mist along the seating area facing the road so it will not be as much as a sweaty workout for customers.
For a small streetside style kitchen like theirs, we find the menu selection to be reasonable. They serve dry and soup noodles, fried rice, spaghetti, as well as grilled meats. Overall, the food was tasty, retaining the flavors from the wok. However, we did find the portion to be rather small so we recommend also ordering a few sides for sharing.
Activity: Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour
Rating 7.9/10
There are numerous operators conducting Angkor Wat guided tours given that this is the top reason for travellers coming to Cambodia. Looking at the scale at which these tours are organised, it is highly commercialised and therefore tourists should not have much to worry about in terms of safety or scams.
We went ahead to book one of the more popular ones available online, opting for an open group (as opposed to a private personal tour) for an 8-hour sunrise temple run. Do note that an hour or two in the tour schedule will be for picking up and dropping off every traveller at their respective accommodation in addition to the travelling journey to the Angkor complex. There was also lunch provided at one of the nearby local restaurant but the quality was average at best.
While others may opt for multi-day pass to visit all the different temples in the area, we are not exactly avid fans so we found the standard itinerary of five to seven temples in the generic guided tour to be sufficient for our needs. However, what’s possibly more important is the choice between a sunrise or sunset tour as the types and sequence of temples visited will be different to align with the best spots to catch a sunrise or sunset.
Angkor Wat does live up to its hype in our opinion and it is entirely reasonable to be a bucket list item for many travellers around the world. The sprawling complex of ancient temples and being guided through the doors and corridors felt like weaving through time itself.
The main gripe we had was the scorching heat and humidity of the Cambodian weather. It can be unbearable at times so we recommend a tour that comes with an air-conditioned minivan rather than a tuk-tuk which will be exposed to the elements. Of course, we have also seen those who have done their homework and preparations touring the Angkor complex themselves in a self-directed exploration if that is something up your alley.
Activity: Countryside Jeep and Tonle Sap Floating Village
Rating 8.6/10
Arguably the most worthwhile tour we had done in Siem Reap was this Jeep tour to the countryside, visiting local farms and houses. The tour brings participants to various countryside spots in a converted jeep (apparently left behind by military forces during the war and retrofitted by the tour company with new engines and hardware). As the drive on dirt roads can get dusty, we highly recommend getting a mask or scarf to avoid inhaling too much of the dust particles. There is also a probability that light-coloured clothes may be soiled due to the open-air jeep ride.
Apart from visiting mushroom farms, rice wine distillery, and lotus ponds, the second part of the tour also included a boat ride to a floating village on Tonle Sap. This is the largest lake in Southeast Asia, an iconic tourist attraction in Cambodia that is likely only second to Angkor Wat.
We were pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed the Tonle Sap experience, from the boat sailing through the gentle waterways before opening up to an expansive lake where we found ourselves immersed in a community of inhabitants who conduct their way of life on stilts.
One element of the Tonle Sap experience which made it all the more enjoyable for us was the sunset we got to see from the floating restaurant. We believe that is the best time for the floating village tour, as the transition to nightfall and passing back the peaceful waterways in the dark offered a different sensory experience to the day. The vastness of the lake and sky, complete with plenty of bright stars, made this a highly memorable tour for our time in Siem Reap.
