Angkor Things To Do

Come face to snout with Cambodia’s most ferocious beast. On the banks of the Tonle Sap, this farm raises thousands of Siamese crocs for their skins and meat. Take pictures, touch a crocodile, and experience the wild side of the jungle.

Milking tourists for every dollar, this village-turned-theme park is still worth the $10 entrance fee simply because it’s fun and educational. Learn all about Cambodia’s culture, history, and traditions, while simultaneously experiencing a whole breadth of local architecture. Activities include everything from foot massage to archery. End with some serious souvenir shopping.

Friendly Asian elephants carry passengers around the Bayon temple near the south gate of Angkor Thom for 20-minute rides ($10-15). Late afternoon rides go from Phnom Bakheng and up the hill for sunset views of the ruins.

Exhausted from a day’s sightseeing? Massage opportunities abound in Siem Reap, but nothing beats the feel-good experience at Seeing Hands, a Cambodian chain that has made a name for itself by training and then employing blind individuals as masseurs. For as little as $4 an hour they will soften your tired muscles and earn a living in the process.

Before you visit the temples, learn about them at this museum. Multi-media (and multi-lingual) presentations and high-tech displays reveal the history behind Angkor Wat and demonstrate what life was like at the height of Cambodia’s golden era. You'll also see how archeologists uncovered the massive city. Open daily 9am-8pm.

See where silk comes from: the worms, the cocoons, and the process by which it is spun, dyed, and woven. Shuttle buses run to the silk farm from Chantiers-Ecoles at the handcraft center in Siem Reap at 9:30am and 1:30pm daily. Be prepared to shop after the tour. Open daily 7am-5pm.

The ugly legacy of Cambodia’s many landmines is turned into something positive at this memorial museum and development project, the first of its kind in the world. The fund promotes awareness of landmine issues in a display of disarmed mines and armaments (see if you can spot the hidden mines in the museum garden – don’t worry, they’re deactivated). Proceeds go to help children and family victims of the explosives.

Get a better sense of the sheer size of the Angkor ruins by floating high above the jungle. For a fairly low price (under $30), this tethered helium balloon takes guests up to 600 feet above the ancient city for a rare bird’s-eye-view.