Dreamers of Dreams: Angkor on a Budget: Getting the Most Out of Cambodia’s Majestic Temples

Angkor Wat is the pride of Cambodia, and of the Cambodian people. Believed to be the largest religious complex in the world, it is one of many temples found in and around what used to be the city of Angkor, a metropolis of around 2 million people that was abandoned for unknown reasons. What is left is Angkor Archaeological Park, an UNESCO World Heritage site and Cambodia’s biggest tourist draw. For temple enthusiasts, Angkor is a must-see on the travel circuit. For budget travelers, the $40 three-day admission price may send chills down one’s checkbook, but if you spend your time wisely, the price is well worth it. Here’s a run-down of our time in Siem Reap, the town just outside of Angkor National Park, and our adventures in the ruins in Angkor.

Siem Reap:

We arrived in Siem Reap from Battambang just in time to meet a friend of mine I met traveling last year in Nepal. The bus ride from Battambang was four hours and cost five U.S. Dollars, and a tuk-tuk ride from the bus to our hotel was one dollar. We stayed at Garden Village Guesthouse, which I recommend. It’s a five minute stroll to the center of town and there are rooms for every budget. We booked two $1 dorm beds on HostelWorld and were surprised to see when we arrived that the beds were outside under a corrugated metal roof! We each got a mattress, a mosquito net, and our very own Cambodian stray kitten. If you’re not down for a little camping though, private rooms are available. If you do the dorms, bring your own padlock for a free locker.

Our "dorm" at Garden Village Guesthouse. Very cozy!

What to do in Siem Reap: The town of Siem Reap can be a bit overwhelming, mainly due to the millions of tuk-tuk drivers desperate for business during the rainy season (I think our record was about 10 yards between subsequent offers from a driver). Most people travel to Siem Reap solely for Angkor, but there are a few gems in the town itself that make up for the overabundance of transportation. One of my favorite parts of Siem Reap was the number of wonderful fair trade shops in the city center. Before you do any shopping in the Old Market or the Night Market (both good for local art, tea, and spices) check out the fair trade shops for more unique gifts and souvenirs that benefit poor or disabled Cambodians. My other favorite was our go-to restaurant, Navi Khmer Kitchen. This is a small, unassuming family-owned shop right down the road from Garden Village Guesthouse on the way to town. The sign outside says Navi Khmer, but the menu says Khmer Cafe Des Sports; anyway, it’s right across from My Best Western Guesthouse and we ate almost every meal there! Go there for $1 breakfasts, 50 cent fruit shakes, yummy Samla Ktiss (traditional soup), and the best pancakes in Cambodia!

The French influence in Siem Reap is lovely!

If you’re going to be around after your Angkor pass expires you might end up booking a tour of the surrounding area. A floating village is nearby, but tours can get pretty pricey. Some tours, including one through our hotel, include a stop at a local orphanage. While this may sound like a nice idea, these tours actually cause more harm than good. A former guest of our hotel who vandalized the sign advertising the orphanage tour summed it up nicely: “An orphanage is not a zoo.” Before you book any sort of tour please read this article on why orphanages are not tourist attractions.

Angkor Archaeological Park:

Guide books will do a better job of explaining the history of Angkor than I can, so I’ll just stick to what I know, which is the most rewarding way to visit Angkor if you’re traveling on a small budget.

Angkor Prices: When it comes to entrance fees, you have three options: a one-day pass for $20, a three-day pass for $40, or a one week pass for $60. Conveniently, the passes do not have to be used on consecutive days, so if you need a break amid all the temple-hopping, you can feel free to take a day to relax in Siem Reap. I do not recommend getting a one-day pass, as you’ll only have time to see a few of the big hitters and will miss out a lot of the quieter ruins (which were some of my favorites!). If you have time for the week pass, go for it. But for our purposes, the three-day pass was perfect. $40 sounds like a lot, but I’d say it’s a worthy sacrifice to experience this amazing archaeological park!

Transportation to Angkor: There are basically two options, unless you’re with a tour group: tuk-tuk or bicycle. A tuk-tuk can cost anywhere from $12-$15 for a day, depending on how many temples you see. Bicycle rental is a more rewarding and cost-effective method, if more time consuming, at around $1-$2 for a day. We rented bikes for two out of our three days in Angkor and hired a tuk-tuk the other day for $12 ($4 per person). The bicycles limited what we could see somewhat, but we only missed one of the heavy-hitters, Banteay Srei, because it’s over 20km away. If you want to see this one, your best option is to hire a tuk-tuk. Considering we saw everything else we really wanted to see, I’m happy with our decision to rent bikes and discover Angkor at a more relaxed pace.

Angkor Itinerary: Lonely Planet’s guide to Cambodia has some very useful itinerary suggestions, along with descriptions and history of individual sites. We based our itinerary loosely on Lonely Planet’s suggestions. My friend Courtney was only with us for the first two days, so we saw most of the biggies in the main temple group in those two days, saving the most impressive temples for the second day. (Be sure to see our photos of Angkor below!)

Day 1: Banteay Samre, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Krol Ko, Ta Som, East Mebon

We rented bikes on our first day and visited seven temples North and East of Angkor Wat. Banteay Samre was the farthest ride, so we visited this one first. Rainy season in Cambodia is June through early November, so half of our ride ended up being in the pouring rain. Although we were soaking wet, the rain didn’t dampen our moods, and Banteay Samre proved to be a delightful introduction to the Angkor temples with very few tourists to disturb the serenity. We ate lunch afterwards across the road (where, by the way, they have two menus: a tourist menu with higher prices and a secret low season menu that you may get if you say you’re going to look for somewhere cheaper) and headed to the other six temples. We started with the farthest, Preah Khan, and worked our way back toward the entrance to the park. These six temples are easily accessible from each other as they are all located on the same main road. It was a long and full day, but as long as you get a decent start in the morning you’ll be able to hit all of them! If you must sacrifice any of these temples, Neak Pean and Krol Ko were probably the least impressive; don’t miss the other ones! Ta Som was one of my very favorite temples; make sure you walk all the way to the back and through the stone archway to see a tree that has grown around/become part of one of the structures.

Day 2: Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat, Ta Prom, Pre Rup

The first three in this group are the biggies. If you see anything in Angkor, let it be these ones! The labyrinthine structure and impressive sculptures in Bayon (in Angkor Thom) and the sheer majesty of Angkor Wat warrant quite a chunk of time, so plan on this taking a whole day. We rented a tuk-tuk for this day so we wouldn’t have to leave our bikes outside these very busy temples, each of which can take up hours of your time. We were able to negotiate a $12 price for the four temples, or $4 for each of us.

Day 3: Roluos group: Preah Ko, Bakong, Lolei

Kim and I rented bikes for this day as well, a great way to enjoy the scenery on the 13 km ride from Siem Reap. To reach these temples, take National Road No. 6 heading East until you see a sign on the right for Bakong. Preah Ko and Bakong are on this same road. There’s also a ceramic workshop on this road where Khmer ceramics are made and sold that is definitely worth a look! Preah Ko and Bakong are worth the ride, but it’s a good idea to take a lunch with you so you’re not rushed. To reach Lolei, ride just a little farther on No. 7 and turn left onto a dirt road. This temple is smaller but is worth a look as long as the road isn’t muddy. I’m somewhat less coordinated than Kim and I definitely fell completely over on my bike attempting to navigate the muddy tire tracks!

Eating in Angkor: Expect to pay a little more if you eat in the park. If it’s low season, you may be able to get a discount at some of the restaurants, but we found it was more economical to take lunch with us. When we ate lunch in the park we each paid between 2 and 3 dollars, but a take-away fried egg sandwich from Navi Khmer Kitchen is one dollar and allowed a more leisurely lunch.

Our total cost per person for 3 days in Angkor (admission + transportation): $46

Is it worth it?

Yes! If you think you’ll get templed out before your three days are up in Angkor, think again. The temples of Angkor were built during different time periods and under many different kings, creating diversity among the ruins. Some of the more well-known temples will be flooded with tourists (for good reason), but there are also those lesser known temples whose natural and man-made beauty is combined with serenity that will make you feel like the first person to have stumbled upon them. I could spend pages and pages describing the beauty of the ruins at Angkor, but I think a few pictures will probably do a more efficient job. So here you go! Decide for yourself, but I promise a stop at Angkor will not disappoint!