Siem Reap, Cambodia, travel guide and things to do: Nine must-do highlights

No Cambodian structure is as iconic as Angkor Wat.Credit: iStock

THE ONE WALK

Siem Reap has grown rapidly in recent years. It is best known as the gateway to the Angkor Wat temples and it is a charming, relaxed town that attracts creative types. Running through the middle of town is the Siem Reap River, with parklands lining both banks. Come here any time of day or night and it's likely you'll be sharing these garden pathways with Cambodians out on their daily walk. Join them and you'll pass the royal family's summer palace, 14th-century pagodas, market stalls, bird cages, anglers and covered bridges. See siemreap.net

THE ONE TEMPLE

The World Heritage-listed temples of Angkor are Cambodia's premier tourist attraction, built by successive dynasties over a 500-year period when the Khmer civilisation was at its creative zenith. Among the 100-odd temples are Angkor Wat, the world's largest temple complex. No Cambodian structure is as iconic; it even appears on the national flag. A Hindu temple built in a land of Buddhists, it's believed to symbolise the mythic Mt Meru, with five inter-nested rectangular walls and moats representing chains of mountains and the cosmic ocean, and more than 1000 stone carvings of Aspara dancers illustrated on its gallery walls. It's particularly popular with visitors during sunrise or sunset. See tourismcambodia.com

THE ONE HOTEL

Following an extensive makeover, the FCC Mansion reopened as the FCC Angkor by Avani in August 2019. Opposite the Royal Independence Gardens and next door to the Royal Residence, FCC Angkor was once the elegant mansion of the French colonial governor. It later became the Foreign Correspondent's Club, which has long been recognised as a popular meeting place for international journalists, celebrities and travellers from around the world. Reflecting its media history, each guest room and suite is decorated with vintage typewriters and framed front pages of regional newspapers. See

THE ONE CIRCUS

After Vietnamese invaders sent brutal Khmer Rouge dictators fleeing to the jungle in the late 1970s, eight young Cambodians who'd been in a refugee camp on the Thai border decided to establish a school for visual and performing arts, including circus skills. Today, Phare Cambodian Circus is an edgy, alternative, down-to-earth, all-singing-and-dancing Cambodian circus resembling a scaled-down version of Cirque du Soleil. Shows adopt a different theme each week. See pharecircus.org

THE ONE RESTAURANT

Wild opened on a quiet backstreet, a block in from the Siem Reap River, in 2017. What distinguishes this garden establishment is that it specialises in just one dish – spring rolls. Choose classic Cambodian deep-fried spring rolls with vegetable, chicken or duck. Or spring rolls containing cheese, chocolate or caramelised banana. Owned by a Frenchman, it doubles as a cocktail bar, with groovy Western tunes in the background adding to a relaxed vibe. See wild-siemreap.com

THE ONE STREET

Credit: iStock

It's loud, ostentatious and a little bit sleazy. It isn't long, but it punches above its weight. And it's not subtle, as its name suggests. Pub Street is everything a town like Siem Reap shouldn't be – more big-city Bangkok than rural Cambodia. Local residents will tell you to avoid it. But like moths to a flame, tourists seem to be lured to Street 8 – it's official title – like no other place in town. After dark, it becomes a neon-lit thoroughfare of bars and restaurants blaring ear-splitting music that makes conversations almost impossible. See siemreap.net

THE ONE WINE BAR

You don't have to travel far from Pub Street to get away from the noise. Continue walking towards the river along New Street and you'll come across Endora, a funky wine bar with a far less frenzied atmosphere. Formerly a kitchen hosting cooking classes, Endora underwent a makeover in March 2022 and it now serves wines by the glass or bottle in a lovely garden setting.

THE ONE TOUR

Gain an insider's experience of Siem Reap by joining a themed tour with Taste, travelling by tuk-tuk to the best restaurants, galleries and bars in town. Options include vegan discovery tours, cocktail crawls, family food tour adventures and shopping jaunts. See tastesiemreap.com

THE ONE ACTIVITY/ADVENTURE

Though the Angkor temples are fascinating, it's still easy to become templed out when that's all you're seeing, especially if you're a kid. So why not break up a Siem Reap visit with an adventure activity? Towering forests surround the town, and they're best seen from the treetops during zipline tours lasting up to three hours. Keep an eye out for roaming gibbons as you soar through the jungle canopy on up to nine ziplines inside the Angkor Archaeological Park. See angkorzipline.com

ONE MORE THING

Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists dominated international arrivals, forcing the Cambodian government to upgrade infrastructure in order to cope. It was almost impossible to visit the temples without busloads of tour groups pulling up out the front. Not so, now. Visitor numbers are currently manageable as foreign tourists slowly trickle back, but the good times will only last so long. The sooner you visit Siem Reap, the better the experience will be.

The writer was a guest of the Minor Hotels group that includes the Anantara and Avani brands.