Looking for an English speaking tour guide for 2 days in Siem Reap, prior to meeting with our Gohagan & Company Tour group (which will spend 14 days in Cambodia and Vietnam). We are interested in exposure to sites/temples that the "usual" tourists do NOT visit. Also, does anyone have an opinion about visiting these Cambodian places: Beng Mealea, Phnom Krom, Preah Ko or Les Chantiers Ecole?
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Message Submitted by JDR on Wed, 01/25/2012 - 16:41
Dawn Rooney's guide
I had a live guide the first time I went to Angkor, on an Intrepid tour, but it's the kind of site I prefer to visit on my own. When I went back (two and a half days hadn't been enough) I hired a tuk-tuk driver, but I mapped out my route and "guided" myself using Dawn Rooney's excellent "Angkor". I see that a new, 6th, edition is now available on amazon.
I visited Angkor in 2002 and 2004, and didn't have too much trouble with crowds, but gather it has gotten much worse since. If you can stand the heat the middle of the day may be the quietest time, but it's much more comfortable to sight-see in the morning and late afternoon.
We went to Angkor in 1992 and
We went to Angkor in 1992 and swear there were no more than 50 tourists on the entire site. Then we went back in January 2011 and there were many thousands of people and the town of Siem Reap had changed beyond recognition. However, it was still fabulous and I recommend the following:
Stay at Amansara and you get the best possible, less touristed tours of the temples. Yes, it looks expensive but when you take into account what's included in the daily rate it's actually good value.
And the next time we will definitely visit in the rainy season because it's much greener, lusher and less chokingly dusty.
Slunkman's trip
Did you find any good guides or great places to go?