My Fave Things To Do in Siem Reap

Ask me what I love about my Siem Reap experience (Oct-Nov 2013)! I would mention the night markets (Art Center Market, Old Market, Angkor, and Noon Market), The Haven, daily Chatime I got to drink off the Pub St, and massages at Lemongrass Garden :)

$3 t-shirts at one of the night markets

Outdoor Khmer BBQ on Pub St. Meals priced at $4-$8

To be honest I forgot the distinctions of Siem Reap night markets until looking at the map now. But I remember the Old night market and Art Center Market (both are very lively day and night) were separated by Siem Reap River. I also remember crossing the bridge that connected the two almost every night in Siem Reap. The area was very much alive with shops, restaurants, food and clothes street vendors galore. You'll see locals and travelers blended together in night markets in Siem Reap, and this simply made me feel welcome.

Local craft souvenirs at Art Center Market

These lights look more beautiful on site

I pretty much hunted for most of my Cambodian souvenirs at the night markets. My favorite markets had to be Art Center Market and Old Market, which was close to the Pub St. I do not recall going to the Angkor and Noon Market since it seems that we spent almost every night in Siem Reap hanging, eating, and haggling souvenirs in the Old Market and the adjacent Art Center Market. Yeah, you are expected to haggle there to get the best price! Like I said in the Phnom Penh post, any USD bill denomination is taken in Cambodia -making shopping at small shops so much easier!

So, what was I to talk about next? This was something we did out of hesitation at first because we heard that it was hard to get a reservation if book wasn't made early enough. It's a restaurant called Haven, located on Sok San St. This place won a certificate of excellent from Trip Advisor in 2014, and is rated number 2 out of 537 (and growing) restaurants in Siem Reap by the same website. 

What I love about this Swiss-origin enterprise (other than its delicious grub) is that they provide cooking and waiting training for the underprivileged young adults from orphanage, safe shelters, and poor Cambodian rural areas to . For more information please visit www.havencambodia.com.

Delish fried noodle dish for $5.50

Creamy mushroom stroganoff for $7

I must say, food in Haven was the best one we had in all the dining out experiences while in Siem Reap! I had some fried noodle dish, while hubby had some mushroom stroganoff. Sooo delicious! The restaurant is also nicely designed; It has a laid-back yet a lovely ambiance. Thumbs up for Haven's crew for their great work! :)

Speaking of my favorite beverage spot, you wouldn't be surprised if it's bubble tea related, would you?

Chatime Pub St

It was so perfect all day everyday, taking the crazy humidity in Cambodia into account. I was ecstatic to learn that Chatime had an outlet on Pub St. The large pearl milk tea -priced at $2.50 here, which is only about $1 cheaper than in the States, if you would like a comparison- totally made my day!

Complementary drink post massage at Lemongrass Garden

Last but not least, another favorite spot of mine in Siem Reap was a spa named Lemongrass Garden. It has two locations in town, both lying on the long Sivatha Blvd. We went to the one close to Pub St -oh so convenient after grabbing bubble tea at Chatime!

After trying several other spa places in both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Lemongrass became our favorite. Another place that could beat Lemongrass's massage was the hotel spa at Siddharta Hotel, where we stayed (one hour massage was priced at $20). But since we spent more time downtown than in hotel, we ended up having more massages done at Lemongrass. One hour oil massage was priced at $15, not including tip. Neither hubby or I was a fan of Khmer massage so we always went for the oil massage. For more info you can visit www.lemongrassgarden.com