Entering Cambodia was no problem for us. At the relatively straightforward airport, we were issued a visa on arrival right in the arrivals hall. This costs 20 USD, there's an ATM available, and you need a photo. Unfortunately, I didn't have one, so I had to pay a penalty fee of 1 euro. The photo seems to be for your records anyway, as it's not included in the visa.
Our hotel: New Angkorland Hotel
We took a taxi (fixed fare: USD 7) to our hotel, the "New Angkorland Hotel" in Siem Reap. Despite our early arrival, just before 10 a.m., we received the keys to our room after a half-hour wait.
Armed with a map of the town and the temple complex, we headed to downtown Siem Reap. After lunch at an Indian restaurant, we talked to some tuk-tuk drivers (a moped with a trailer) about fares. We arranged a full-day tour for just $13 for the next day. Our personal driver will pick us up from our hotel at 8 a.m. and then drive to several temples.
Fish Massage
On a side street, we passed a "Fish Massage." Attracted by the "No Piranhas" advertising slogan, we took a closer look at the two tanks filled with fish of varying sizes. For $3, we could soak our feet in the tanks for 30 minutes and even get a cold beer. The fish eat away excess skin.
You can actually feel the little teeth biting along your feet. The skin on our feet felt incredibly smooth afterward. It was so much fun!
Departure by tuk tuk to the Angkor Wat temple complex
At 3 p.m., we were picked up by a tuk-tuk driver to take us to the Angkor Wat temple complex. The ticket office is located halfway there. We opted for a 3-day ticket for USD 40. There are also day tickets for USD 20 and a weekly ticket for USD 60.
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is the largest contiguous temple complex in Siem Reap. The temple was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu when it was built in the first half of the 12th century. It was later converted into a Buddhist monument.
Phnom Bakheng Temple
We spent about an hour and a half here before heading to Phnom Bakheng Temple for sunset. It's located on a 60-meter-high hill, which we climbed via a circular path. Unfortunately, we were too late to be allowed into the temple, so all we could do was take a photo from just below the mountain.
