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Banteay
Meanchey
I
Battambang
I
Kampot
I
Kandal
I
Kep
City
I
Koh
Kong
I
Kratie |
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Kampong
Cham
I Kampong
Chhang I
Kampong
Speu
I
Kampong
Thom
I
Mondulkiri |
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Oddor
Meanchey
I
Pailin
City
I
Preah
Vihear
I
Pursat
I
Prey
Veng
I
Phnom
Penh |
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Ratanakiri
I
Sihanoukville
I
Stung
Treng
I
Svay
Rieng
I
Siem
Reap
I
Takeo |
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 Siem
Reap
province
is
located
in
northwest
Cambodia.
It
is
the
major
tourist
hub
in
Cambodia,
as
it
is
the
closest
city
to
the
world
famous
temples
of
Angkor
(the
Angkor
temple
complex
is
north
of
the
city).
The
provincial
capital
is
also
called
Siem
Reap
and
is
located
in
the
South
of
the
province
on
the
shores
of
the
Tonle
Sap
Lake,
the
greatest
sweet
water
reserve
in
whole
Southeast
Asia.
The
name
of
the
city
literally
means
“Siamese
defeated”,
referring
to
the
victory
of
the
Khmer
Empire
over
the
army
of
the
Thai
kingdom
in
the
17th
century. |
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At
the
turn
of
the
millennium
Siem
Reap
was
a
Cambodian
provincial
town
with
few
facilities,
minor
surfaced
roads
and
little
in
the
way
of
nightlife.
Tourism
industry
catered
largely
to
hardy
backpackers
willing
to
brave
the
tortuous
road
from
the
Thai
border
on
the
tailgate
of a
local
pick-up
truck.
There
were
a
couple
of
large
hotels
and
a
handful
of
budget
guesthouses.
Tuk-tuks
and
taxis
were
non-existent
and
the
trusty
motodup
was
the
chosen
means
of
touring
the
temples
of
Angkor.
The
proximity
of
the
Angkorian
ruins
turned
Siem
Reap
into
a
boomtown
in
less
than
half
a
decade.
Huge,
expensive
hotels
have
sprung
up
everywhere
and
budget
hotels
have
mushroomed.
Property
values
have
soared
to
European
levels
and
tourism
has
become
a
vast,
lucrative
industry.
The
Siem
Reap
of
today
is
barely
recognizable
from
the
Siem
Reap
of
the
year
2000. |
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Though
some
of
the
town’s
previous
ramshackle
charm
may
have
been
lost
the
developments
of
the
last
few
years
have
brought
livelihoods,
if
not
significant
wealth,
to a
good
number
of
its
citizens.
This
has
been
at a
cost
to
the
underprivileged
people
living
within
and
beyond
the
town’s
limits
that
now
pay
inflated
prices
at
the
central
markets
and
continue
to
survive
on
poorly
paid
subsistence
farming
and
fishing.
If
Cambodia
is a
country
of
contrasts
Siem
Reap
is
the
embodiment
of
those
contrasts.
Despite
the
massive
shift
in
its
economic
fortunes,
Siem
Reap
remains
a
safe,
friendly
and
pleasant
town.
There
is
an
endless
choice
of
places
to
stay
or
dine
and
a
host
of
possible
activities
awaiting
the
visitor. |
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