Monday 20 April 2009

From Singapore to Siem Reap......

We arrived at Siem Reap International Airport early on Thursday morning - Thursday April 16 - via a direct flight from Singapore on Silkair. The regional arm of Singapore Airlines.

http://www.silkair.com/mbe/en_UK/content/experience/index.jsp

Great flight with good food and service.
after alighting you walk a short distance across the tarmac and are directed into the immigration and customs area of the airport.

The cost per adult for the Cambodian Visa is USD $20.00 which is paid in USD on arrival.


and so we have arrived in Siem Reap. The name Siem Reap means the 'Defeat of Siam' —today’s Thailand —and refers to a centuries-old bloodbath, commemorated in stone in the celebrated bas relief carvings of the monuments.

Our driver (Mr Phanna) and guide (Ly Heng) from PTM ASia Travels were waiting for us. We had arranged to have their services for the four days we were there from pick up at the airport to drop off back at the airport on Sunday April 19.

PTM Asia Travel:

http://www.ptmasia.com/

Our complete tour including flights, accommodation, tours, guide, driver etc were booked thru TRAVEL TRAVEL at Plaza Singapura:

Travel Travel
68 Orchard Rd #06-10A Plaza Singapura
63339633
trvltrvl@singnet.com.sg

Our accommodation was at The Prince D'Angkor Hotel & Spa, Siem Reap which is in the heart of the city, just 10 minutes drive to Angkor Wat. For those seeking relaxation the spa provides personalized treatments to laze by. Rooms are elegantly furnished in a traditional Khmer style. The Prince D'Angkor Hotel & Spa the perfect base to explore the legendary Angkor temples and undiscovered treasures in Siem Reap.

http://www.princedangkor.com/

am sure there are many hotels and resorts just as pleasant and comfortable, but this is the one we were booked into and we found it clean, comfortable and the service was good.




Not so sure about this bar area though..... it was pleasant to sit there listening to the piano. But don't ask for anything 'exotic' in the way of an alcoholic drink.

I had requested a Brandy and Dry, ended up with a large glass of Cherry Brandy mixed with a small amount of Ginger Ale..... ooop's!


The restaurant served lovely meals and an excellent variety for breakfast. They even give you a 'lunch box' to take out for the day if requested.

Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. In town, there are Apsara dance performances, craft shops, silk farms, rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary near the Tonle Sap Lake.

Siem Reap today, being a popular tourist destination, has a large number of hotels and restaurants. Most smaller establishments are concentrated around the Old Market area, while more expensive hotels are located between Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport and the town along National Road 6. There are a variety of mid-range hotels and restaurants along Sivatha, and budget to mid-range hotels in the Phsar Leu area.

Siem Reap: Provincial population 798,000 (estimated 2004, Ministry of Tourism and provincial census). Town population 85,000 (estimated 2002). Siem Reap town, the gateway to Angkor, is Cambodia's Las Vegas. The luxury hotels are built to cater to the needs of foreigners: the tourists. Countless hotels and guesthouses, big and small charging at a rate of a few dollars up to hundreds of dollars per night, spring up like mushrooms.

Tourist Police:
Telephone (012) 969 991, (012) 402 424 ( note that the number can change without notice).


Medical clinic favored by tourists:
Naga Medical Center. Telephone (063) 964 500. Provincial Hospital, telephone (063) 963 111, is mainly run by charitable organizations.


Hottest time of the year is April/May when the temperature averages around 35 deg.

.... and here is John on our last morning at the hotel.
More to follow on our visit to the Orphanage, our picnic by the waterfall, places we ate and of course our visit to the Temples.....

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