• Introduction
• First Stop: Cambodia
• Second Stop: Thailand
• Seeing More of Southeast Asia
• Making it Happen

Making it Happen

Getting There and Around
Thai Airways flies to Bangkok from New York and Los Angeles (www.thaiair.com). From there, take Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) to Siem Reap. You won’t need a visa for stays in Thailand lasting less than 30 days, but you will for Cambodia. Obtain one at the airport in Siem Reap (bring a spare passport photo). You’ll need a pass to visit the Cambodian sites. Stop at the ticket booth on the drive from Siem Reap to Angkor Wat; you’ll be photographed and issued a laminated pass (a 3-day pass costs $40). No such pass is needed in Thailand, where all sites are free.

Where to Stay 
In Siem Reap, Hotel de la Paix (from $185/night; www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com) is a chic 107-room design hotel with a spa, a striking pool area, and a lounge that displays the work of local artists.

On a tile-paved passage near the Old Market, The One Hotel (from $225/night; www.theonehotelangkor.com) offers just a single sumptuously furnished suite, with a rooftop Jacuzzi and lounge area. 

Affiliated Hotel Be Angkor (from $95/night; www.hotelbeangkor.com) has three rooms, each showcasing the work of a different Siem Reap artist, and two with rooftop lounges. 

La Residence d’Angkor (from $175/night; www.residenceangkor.com), reflects Khmer style with hand-carved wood accents and a shady pool surrounded by flowers. Many Siem Reap hotels, including Hotel de la Paix and La Residence d’Angkor, encourage guests to donate to and visit local organizations such as orphanages or sewing schools. We recommend doing so. 

Set on the edge of Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, 125 miles northeast of Bangkok, Kirimaya (from $200/night; www.kirimaya.com) is a beautiful design resort and a popular golf retreat with a spa. All rooms come with terraces or balconies. 

Also in Thailand near Nakhon Ratchasima, the Dusit Princess Korat (from $40/night; www.dusit.com) is a great value three-star hotel. 

Hiring a Guide 
Tourists typically locate guides through their hotels. Prices vary, but at The One Hotel and Hotel Be Angkor, the typical charge is $40/day for a car and a driver-guide; extra fees apply for sunrise trips or travel to more distant temples. (Tip about 10 percent.) Buses are available to some sites, but they tend to be uncomfortable and their schedules erratic. 

Where to Shop 
At Artisans d’Angkor (www.artisansdangkor.com) in Siem Reap, tour the workshops and then shop for all things silk (from scarves and handbags to pillows) as well as wood carvings, sculpture, and wall art. Another shop with high-end style at reasonable prices is Khmer Attitude (www.raffles.com) in the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, which sells gift items and the work of top Cambodian designers, as well as Carol Cassidy’s silk shawls woven by survivors of land mines in remote Preah Vihear province.  

When to Go
November to April is the dry season and peak tourist time, with elevated rates and temperatures in the 80s. May to August, the rainy season brings periodic downpours and 100-degree spells. In late spring and early fall you’ll find bearable weather and (virtually) tourist-free temples.

Proper Temple Behavior 
Visit responsibly – resist the all-too-human impulse to touch the carvings (admiring hands are wearing away reliefs in Angkor Wat and elsewhere). Never buy looted goods: Any artifact for sale has been looted, and for every lintel in a Singapore antique shop, there’s a crude gash on a temple. For more information, consult UNESCO (www.unesco.org) or the World Monuments Fund (www.wmf.org).

See Bangkok Travel Guide | See Hanoi Travel GuideSee Angkor Travel Guide