Random fact alert, I love Tomb Raider.
Before we get to your Angkor Wat guide, I feel it 100% essential everyone understand how obsessed I am with Angkor Wat. When I was little, my brother would spend hours playing Tomb Raider and, I would just watch and watch him. I was always amazed at Lara. She was a kick-ass babe, but more important she went to the coolest places to save the world. So as you can expect when the movie franchise came out, I was all about it. Ever since then, I was obsessed with the idea of going to Angkor Wat. ( If you don’t understand the correlation then I suggest you go rent Tomb Raider and find out.) In fact, that was the sole purpose of why I picked my tour through Southeast Asia.
We arrived at Angkor Wat before sunrise when it was still pitch black.
Now I HATE waking up early, but wow this was worth it!! The sun coming up above the ancient ruins illuminating the sky a bright pink was so surreal. It was by far the best sunrise I’ve ever witnessed. This is one of those times where the touristy thing to do is actually worth it. The rest of the day we spent the day exploring the many different temples. This is the perfect place to wander for hours and marvel at the ruins. We knocked off a bunch of them before the huge crowds of tourist came.
I would highly recommend getting there early to beat the crowds.
I don’t know about you, but I find everything a lot less enchanting when there are selfie sticks and tour groups surrounding me. Side note at a certain point a bunch of children came out begging for money and selling goods. They are persistent and many are pick-pocketers so be mindful, you’re never too young to learn the art of thievery.
Below is your guide to visiting Angkor Wat
Where to Stay
There are a ton of hotels and hostels within the area and they can range from prices. We use Agoda when booking hostels and find TripAdvisor reviews helpful as a way to further verify we’d want to stay there.
Costs
Unless you are a Cambodia or related to a Cambodia you have to pay to get into the complexes. A 1-day pass is $37 USD, 3-day is $62 USD, and 7-day is $72 USD. Food in the temples complex will be a bit pricey than normal Cambodia street food but still a bargain for western standards. Cambodians use USD so no need to exchange money if you don’t have any.
Transportation
I was with a tour so transportation was taken care of. You can hire a tuk-tuk for about $25 to take you around all the temples. Negotiate and ask your hotel if they have any reliable drivers. This seems to be the best and cheapest way to see them. You can also hire a driver but do so in Siem Reap as it will be more expensive in the temple area.
Practical Stuff
The temples are in open air so bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent, you will need it. Angkor Wat is a religious site so please dress modestly, no short skirts and shoulders covered.
Tickets & Admission
Angkor Wat is open from 5 am to 6 pm, every day. Always carry your ticket with you as sometimes they check them before each temple. You can choose from 3 types of tickets.
- 1-day pass – $37 USD
- 3-day pass – $62 USD (has to be used within a week)
- 7-day pass – $72 USD (has to be used within a month)
-Jay
Written By:
Hi, I’m Jay. A twenty-something-year-old living in New York. There’s not all that much to say about me other than; I love to eat, drink and travel. I’ve lived in some incredible cities from Paris to New York to Florence, and along the way, I’ve crossed off a ton on my bucket list. I hope we inspire you to go out there and see for yourself, just how beautiful life can be.
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