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Back in town
After exploring Angkor, Siem Reap is
just the right place to go home to. As
there are no accommodations and only
a few facilities within the park, the town
serves as the tourist center. It provides
all sorts of comforts and distractions
— luxury digs, budget inns, museums,
marketplaces, a thriving dining scene
and nightlife — but it still remains a
small town at heart.
Many small rural villages are
clustered by the Siem Reap River, but
the center and more progressive part
is along Sivutha Boulevard from the
Old French Quarter to the Old Market
Area. There you can find a serene
assembly of spanking new hotels, old
colonial buildings and Chinese-style
architecture. Tourists flock here for the
bustling streets by the Old Market,
including the popular Pub Street.
When we were not up by dawn to
watch the sunrise, we would take an
early morning stroll along Pokambor
Avenue, which runs parallel to the river.
We found ourselves taking a seat on
one of the benches, watching monks
The easygoing atmosphere is
palpable, and Angkor retains its magic:
you can get it in a moment of solitude
in a temple corridor, in front of an
amazing sunrise, staring at a face on
a stone tower or climbing up a steep
stairway. You can’t help but take your
time — unless your tuk-tuk is late.
Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to Siem
Reap.
www.cebupacificair.com
After touring
the temples, shop
for temple-inspired
pasalubong
PHOTOS
JOREM CATILO
Small pieces of
Angkor history to
take home; have
some local snacks
between temples
pass by and waiting for the town to
wake up on its own leisurely pace.
When we were not waiting for
the sun to set atop Phnom Bakheng,
Bayon or Pre Rup (a must-see temple
that’s not as visited as the other two),
we chanced upon a vendor selling
pancakes (their version of crêpes)
across Psar Chaa (Old Market). It was
greasy and sweet, filled with bananas,
chocolate and condensed milk.
T H E S O U L O F C A M B O D I A