Best Places to Visit in Siem Reap for Tourists 2023

Siem Reap captivates people with countless unique architectural and spiritual works, beautiful pristine plateaus, and many other landscapes. Let's discover the best places that you should visit in this sunny and windy land.

Siem Reap, located in the northwestern part of Cambodia, is a popular tourist destination known for its stunning temples, rich history, and vibrant culture. With its ancient ruins, bustling markets, and delicious cuisine, Siem Reap offers a unique travel experience that attracts visitors from all over the world. If you're planning a trip to Siem Reap in 2023, you'll want to make sure you don't miss out on the best places to visit. In this article, we'll take a closer look at some of the top attractions and hidden gems in Siem Reap that are sure to make your trip unforgettable.

1. Angkor Wat - Famous tourist attraction in Siem Reap

Located in the forest in Siem Reap province, the Angkor complex is an ancient city 700 years old, with canals, temples, and tombs stretching over ​​nearly 400 km2. There is an architectural masterpiece showing the top construction skills of the Khmer people. The foreigners' one-day admission ticket price is 38 USD - so acceptable for a UNESCO-recognized monument.

Angkor Wat has breathtaking beauty as it is the perfect symbol of Hinduism. Initially, this temple was built to worship the Hindu god Vishnu. Angkor Wat is considered the miniature world of the Hindu universe.

Based on traveler reviews, Angkor Wat is one of the best places to visit in Cambodia to watch the sunrise and sunset. The temple quincunx of towers standing in the middle of the complex, representing Mount Meru- the center of the universe. Through each carving and design detail, each visitor seems to see the prosperous life of the previous era.

Overview of Angkor Wat

2. Ta Prohm - Siem Reap's beautiful place to check-in

Being a part of the complex of Angkor, Ta Prohm is a ruined and mysterious temple with bizarre stories about giant tree roots with strange shapes. To get to Ta Prohm, rent a bicycle or motorbike, or take a tuk-tuk if you are unfamiliar with finding the way. You must spend about 37 USD for a one-day ticket, 62 USD for three days, and 72 USD for seven days.

Ta Prohm is living proof of nature's miraculous and eternal power. Here is one of the must-see temples in Siem Reap, where you can contemplate the presence of great tree roots crawling on the rocks like giant pythons. The heavy tree roots meander through the mossy superstructure layers, creating a unique shape that attracts the eyes of anyone.

The tree roots cover Ta Prohm temple's gate

3. Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre

Banteay Srey Butterfly Park is a butterfly center located about 25 km from Siem Reap. Established in 2009, it is also Southeast Asia's largest open-air butterfly museum. The center is sometimes called the Angkor Butterfly Center.

The main highlight of the Banteay Srey butterfly center is a large net surrounding it with a variety of free-flying butterflies, most of which are native to the country. It is a beautiful experience to feed butterflies here and watch them fly from flower to flower—many butterflies in bright colors swooping down to land on the railing and even the human body.

One thing noteworthy is that if you come to Butterfly Park at any time of the year, you will have the opportunity to see this animal's beauty firsthand.

Butterfly at Banteay Srey

4. Tonlé Sap Lake - Scenic floating village to explore

Tonle Sap Siem Reap lake is Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake and a critical biosphere reserve globally. It takes about 25km from the center of Siem Reap. You should visit the site in the rainy season, from May to October, as the climate is pleasant and suitable for tourists for sightseeing.

Tourists are excited about the sightseeing tour from the wooden boat surfing on the lake as they can see the scenery around the two sides of the lake- vast green forests. The best experience is staying at homestays here. You can enjoy the floating life on the water and get in touch with locals.

This residential area around the lake has something very similar to the rural villages in the southern river region of the Mekong Delta. Welfare facilities, such as hospitals and schools, also have different colors. It's not modern, but the rustic, simple things will tell you many exciting things.

The stilt house and fishing boats at Tonle Sap Lake

5. Angkor Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity

The Conservation of Biodiversity covers an area of ​​ 25 hectares representing the forest ecosystem with a vibrant and diverse flora and fauna system and many rare and valuable species. The nature reserve is a lowland green tropical forest area, predominantly located in a part of the area inhabited by indigenous people.

Many areas in this plateau have ancient and ancient geological tectonics, over 2 million years old. This place has a large waterfall population, many craters are still evident, and there are traces of people living thousands of years ago.

The Biosphere Reserve is not only one of the best places to visit in Siem Reap but also a green lung for the Southeast region, contributing to forest protection and development.

The gate to go inside Angkor Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity

6. Kulen Nature Trails - Amazing outdoor place in Siem Reap

The beautiful mountainous region named Kulen Nature Trails is one of the must-have destinations on the bucket list of those passionate about travel, discovery, and love of fantastic nature. The mountainous terrain is steep, the mountains are high, the sky is blue, the trees surround the famous Phnom Kulen Waterfall Siem Reap, and most importantly, the four seasons are always excellent and refreshing.

If you are a professional backpacker, you should drive on winding roads with rocky mountains and a deep abyss with a gentle river. The overall picture of nature is magnificent, appearing impressively and overwhelming before your eyes.

The hotel and motel service is relatively developed, so your needs are still fully met whether you prefer a luxury hotel or a homestay hidden in a deep forest. Only more than 100 kilometers from Phnom Penh, you can visit the site by any means.

The stream at Kulen Nature Trails

7. Pub Street - Perfect place for Siem Reap nightlife

If you want to find a vibrant space that immerses you in Cambodia's extreme music, pubs are an ideal choice. There are a lot of pub types for you to pick up!

Visitors interested in Country Pub will find their own unique and cozy features. The pubs are pretty small, with very few benches for groups. It is mainly high stools gathered at the bar. You can also choose a chair on the 2nd floor if you prefer a private space. These places mostly perform live music and hold mini-game shows to stir the atmosphere.

It can't be attached to the American style, and City Pub can be considered typical. The first floor has a bar serving alcoholic drinks such as wine, cocktails and a small group salon. The 2nd one has large salon sets for large groups and snooker and foosball tables.

The space is young, dynamic, and full of sophistication. Musicians perform various genres of music for you to chill out with your friends. Most significantly, the creative cocktails will make you fall in love as enthusiastic bartenders make attractive cocktails with delicious flavors.

Angkor's Pub street

8. Psar Chaa (The Old Market) - Great place for shopping

Located among the ancient streets of Siem Reap, this unique market gathers nearly 4000 stalls with a wide variety of items. It ranges from clothes, toys, and souvenirs to handicrafts at relatively affordable prices. You will get lost in the space of colors and a vibrant and bustling atmosphere. In the bright lights, the items on display become shimmering and more brilliant, especially during a holiday.

Visiting the old town night market, you will feel overwhelmed by a prosperous and attractive dining paradise. Walking along the streets, you can freely choose a variety of dishes, from pure Cambodian to Asian-European-style words. The price is quite reasonable, so the market attracts many young people and tourists to hang out with friends.

There are performances of folk culture performed by the musicians association. This place is where Siem Reap has to offer beyond Angkor Wat to keep and promote folk art to international friends.

A street in Psar Chaa Market Complex

For eventful Siem Reap brings up, start your plan for Siem Reap 2023 with the best options right away 

9. Cambodia Landmine Museum

One well-known museum in Siem Reap also includes the Cambodia Landmine Museum. It is located south of Banteay Srey temple and inside Angkor National Park. Opened in 2007, including four galleries, this is a place to store a variety of bombs, guns, and guns that Cambodians used in the wars. 

Besides the function of displaying as a museum, the Mine Action Exhibition Center also has many other activities, especially educating the community about the dangers of explosions and humanitarian activities to support landmine victims. Many foreign guests reminisce in deep emotion to overcome the consequences of the war.

Bot at Cambodia Landmine Museum

10. Phare, the Cambodian Circus

Phare is a famous and long-standing circus in Siem Reap, with large-scale, diverse, colorful performances from talented artists. There are circus shows and comedies the audiences highly recommend.

Types of circus include acrobatics, magic, and animal training. Performances are meticulously choreographed, combining modern light and sound projection technology with high entertainment, meeting the tastes of the masses.

The unique performance is the motorcycle circus. The motorcycle circus stage can only accommodate about a hundred people. Three motorcycles jumped from the bottom of the well and jumped up along the sound wall. Two young male artists and one female artist are holding the steering wheel, reaching out to wave to the audience, smiling like flowers. They glide up and down like birds in the air.

The artists perform the show at Phare Circus

11. Flight of the Gibbon - Where the adventure begins

Flight the Gibbon is set in the magnificent ruins of the Khmer Empire. In this unique setting, your experienced guides will lead you on a thrilling and safe journey for an experience you'll never forget. When you try a one-of-a-kind eco-tour in Angkor Park, you'll feel the thrill of soaring through the jungle with breathtaking forest views.

Your guide will talk about the park's history, the herbs used for tea, medicine, and environmental protection. When you reach the end of the slide, they will continue to lead you on a scenic walk in the park.

You will experience a very different perspective of the massive temple complex from an overhead perspective. It's time to log in with the feeling of flying high above, through the forest, and enjoying the panoramic view of the Angkor Temple complex.

The woman plays zipline

12. Les Chantiers Ecoles 

Les Chantiers Ecoles is a social business creating job opportunities for people in rural areas. You can show up in a handicraft workshop, which displays many unique products, from oil paintings and wood carvings to artistic lanterns. All of them possess exquisite beauty thanks to their skillful hands. Visitors will enjoy admiring these works of art and can't help themselves buy souvenirs.

Visitors will witness the process of making products firsthand and feel the artisans' diligence, meticulousness, and enthusiasm. In some stages, guests can have an enjoyable experience under the friendly guidance of artisans.

The locals create a gypsum product

13. Kampong Pluk Floating Village

The village is located in Prasat Bakong District, about 15km north of the Vietnamese border. Visiting this floating village, you will be immersed in the unique nature of the southern river region.

There are fields of fragrant lotus flowers, the ponds make viewers fall in love, and unforgettable surely, everyone will have a virtual check-in experience. Many people come to the village to explore. Still, many tourists return to nature and immerse themselves in nature to feel the extraordinary simplicity, a moment of peace of mind.

If you go in a group, you can spend the night in the middle of the Melaleuca forest and enjoy barbecues, picnics, campfires, and team-building. The center of the resort can contact the tents. If staying overnight, you should remember to bring mosquito repellent and a bed net.

Stilt house at Kampong Pluk Floating village

Do not know where to go out and wonder what is interesting in Siem Reap, BestPrice Travel would like to list the top 13 famous tourist attractions above. The scenic spots in the province are breathtaking so they will be no more of a disappointment to you, buddies!

To overview the schedule and plan for the Cambodia journey, refer to our Best Cambodia Packages in 2023!