Every Cambodian will tell you: Siam Reap was a sleepy town till Angelina Jolie filmed Tomb Raider. Have never seen Tomb Raider, but I can see why they filmed there and the attention the spot is getting from travel enthusiasts.
First thing you notice about Cambodia, its really hot & dry, all year round!. Stay hydrated! The airport is new, but an organizational mess. In acquiring my visa, to skip the line, you pay an extra $5. Don't need to tell me twice. A Lexus 4-wheel cab takes you from the airport to your hotel for $12. We stayed at Popular Residence, which is a little bit off the beaten path (10 minutes by Tok-Tok, $2 ride to town center), with a nice pool, lovely staff and very comfortable room. A good hotel with air-conditioning is important given the dry climate.
We hired a tour company, Buffalo Tours, something we don't traditionally do, but it was cheap $100 (divided by 2 people) They pick you up in your hotel, drive you in a air-conditioned Toyota, give you constant supply of water, and interesting information about the temples. When we saw other travellers struggling in the heat, walking long distances, we knew we made the right choice by going with a tour company. They are at your beck and call, will take you to whatever temples you want to see. They aren't stuck on an itenieray. The flexibility we value.
We visited 3 temples, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Bayan. We also did a couple of small temples on the side, but these 3 are the important ones. The temples are a mix of Hindi and Buddhist gods and deities, I'll let the photos speak for themselves.
Attacked by my monkeys: on approaching Bayan, there were dozens of moneys outside the temple, some resting on cars. Didn't pay them any mind. As i was standing, one of them climbed my leg, as I stared at it, it was uninhibited. It ended up on my shoulder as gathers started laughing. So did I. The tour guide made it seem like a dangerous situation, it wasn't! All it wanted was water. A second monkey approached and climbed as well. At that point, despite the heat, I threw out my 2 water bottles, the monkeys un-humped me, ran towards the bottles, and I felt whole again. But water supply now diminished. The whole thing was caught on video.
How about Siam Reap? the old town and market are quite charming. Full of vendors and restaurants and clubs. Siam Reap is a party town. They line up several streets in a big square. We stopped by for good Cambodian food, which ended up being decent curry. But for the most part, the food was unimaginative. There was a street vendor selling scorpions, cockroaches and other unidentifiable bugs as a delicacy. We skipped that. Had scorpion in China, that was good enough. We tried several spots (Italian, American, etc) over our 2 day stay but found no food worth mentioning. At the market, i recommend heavily bargaining, you can walk away with about 50%-60% off asking price. There are some nice statutes, paintings, and clothes that you can pick up for friends back home.
On the trip we met some interesting people: A couple from Tennessee, who up and left the States 30 years ago. They travel around Southeast Asia playing music. Our conversation centered on politics, religion, the local culture and the environment. We also met an Iranian who fled the Islamic Regime to East Germany, where he tunneled to the West, learned the langugae and has been teaching in Japan for 20 years. He moved to Cambodia two years ago, met his Cambodian wife and started a business. He was very insightful, giving us tips on the local economy, how life there was very difficult for the locals, little healthcare, and expensive staples.
Word of caution: the massage places in Cambodia are alot more shady and significantly cheaper than Vietnam. Girls walk around trying to sell you a one hour massage for $3. I would avoid them like the plague. There are many beggars and hagglers, be careful. No reason to be alarmed, but worthy to stay vigilant. You need no more than 2 days in Siam Reap and