My first exploration of my visit to Cambodia was the the floating village in Siem Reap. The floating village is a village that is located in the Mekong River where you can experience beautiful sunsets over the river. The residents who live there give the tours of the floating village. It is actually amazing that thousands of people’s homes are in the river and they travel around by boats.

As I said the sunsets are beautiful from the viewpoint within the floating village. The best time to take a tour of the floating village is in the evenings.

Now the reason people visit Siem Reap is to see temples. Siem Reap is the home of some of the world’s most beautiful ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples. Now if you Google how many temples are in Siem Reap it says 50. But in reality, there are actually 10 must-see temples. Now if you are planning to visit all 10 of the must-see temples please give yourself at least three days. You will need to purchase a pass in order to see the temples. I purchased a one day pass which costs $37 because my time was limited and I didn’t want to spend my entire time in Siem Reap exploring temples so I prioritized the temples I wanted to see. Now if you want to see all 10 of the must-see temples I would recommend you purchase the three-day pass for $62 because you can’t see all the temples in one day. If you have one day or three days the temple that you must see is the number one temple and the biggest is Angkor Wat. You can spend almost half a day just in Angkor Wat. And if you decide to take one of the guided tours than that could probably last a day but I didn’t do a guided tour. A must-see which supposed to be magical is to see the sunrise at Ankor Wat. I did try to see this mystical moment but unfortunately the morning I went it was an overcast.

Angkor Wat is massive. It is no wonder why it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The level of detail within and outside of the temple is remarkable when you realized all of it was built during the 12th Century. Please wear comfortable shoes because you will do a lot of walking and climbing stairs to cover this massive site.

The next temple on my exploration was Ta Prohm Temple. Ta Prohm Temple is also known as Tomb Raider because the movie Tomb Raider was filmed there. What makes this temple interesting is the huge trees growing out of the temple.

The third temple on my exploration was Ta Keo. Ta Keo is the tallest temple I explored. For some reason, Ta Keo isn’t listed among the 10 must-see temples. I really don’t understand how this temple isn’t listed but make sure you add it to your list of temples to see. The height and steep steps of this temple are spectacular.

Next on my exploration of temples in Siem Reap was Ba Yon Temple which is on the must-see list. The interesting thing about Ba Yon Temple is the Buddhist face carvings though out the temple.

The last temple on my day of temple exploration in Siem Reap was Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom is part of the must-sees and when you see it you would agree. The temple consists of tall gates with Buddha heads carved into them. Right before you get to the gates is a bridge with Budda heads on both sides of the bridge.

After a day of exploring temples you go and chilled on Pub Street. Pub Street is where you find restaurants, bars, shops, and massage parlors. Massages are very cheap, and you can find all different kinds from foot, hand, and body. In Cambodia you can you use US currency so there is no need to exchange currency and ATMs machines dispense US currency. I highly recommend you use smaller US bills when you are shopping to prevent receiving change in Cambodian currency. The Cambodian Riel, which is the Cambodian currency, the money feels like monopoly money because $1 is around 4,000 Cambodian Riel. Also,the hotels have US currency so you can exchange money at your hotel and the hotels don’t charge an exchange fee.

I strongly recommend you stay at Saem Siemreap Hotel (http://www.saemsiemreaphotel.com/). The hotel is very nice, offers daily buffet breakfast, centrally located, and close to Pub Street. The hotel staff provides excellent customer service and will arrange transportation for you with their tuktuk drivers. Tuktuks are the way to get around in Siem Reap. The tuktuks are Siem Reap version of the yellow cabs in New York City they are cheap and widely popular and everywhere. The city of Siem Reap, the temples, and the people will make your trip an unforgettable experience.