Siem Reap 3-day itinerary

Rise at 4:30am for the sunrise at Angkor Wat — the single most iconic moment in Southeast Asian travel. Position at the north reflecting pond and wait for the sun to rise behind the five towers. After the crowds thin, explore the temple interior: the ground-floor bas-reliefs depict the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, the Battle of Lanka, and scenes from the Ramayana across hundreds of metres of carved wall. Climb to the third level for jungle canopy views. The 3-day Angkor Pass costs $62.

Tuk-tuk to Ta Prohm — where giant silk-cotton trees have swallowed the temple walls and roots cascade over doorways like frozen waterfalls. The Tomb Raider filming location is clearly marked but the quieter eastern sections are equally photogenic and less crowded. Continue to Banteay Kdei next door — a smaller, less-visited temple with beautiful carved devatas (celestial dancers) and peaceful empty corridors. The Srah Srang reservoir across the road is a lovely sunset spot.

Explore the Old Market area for dinner. Fish amok ($3) is Cambodia's signature dish — fish steamed in banana leaf with coconut curry and kroeung spice paste. Try also beef lok lak ($3), Khmer red curry ($3), and num banh chok (Khmer rice noodles, $1). Pub Street has $0.50 beers and energetic bars. For something quieter, The Lane (a side street) has cocktail bars and live music. Phare Circus tickets (if attending tomorrow) sell fast — book tonight.

Enter Angkor Thom through the South Gate — the causeway lined with 54 stone devas and asuras (gods and demons) pulling a naga serpent is your first taste of the ancient city's scale. Bayon temple sits at the centre with 216 giant smiling stone faces carved into 54 towers. The bas-reliefs here are uniquely valuable — unlike Angkor Wat's mythological scenes, Bayon's carvings depict everyday 12th-century Khmer life: market scenes, fishing, cockfighting, and childbirth.

Continue the Grand Circuit to Preah Khan — a sprawling temple-monastery with long atmospheric corridors, carved lintels, and a unique two-storey structure with round columns (unusual in Angkor architecture). Then ride to Neak Pean — a small island temple in the middle of an artificial lake, accessed by a long wooden boardwalk. The lake reflects the sky beautifully and the setting is serene. Stop at Pre Rup for late afternoon light — its steep brick towers offer excellent sunset views.

Attend Phare, The Cambodian Circus ($18–38) — a world-class performance combining acrobatics, theatre, dance, and live music telling Cambodian stories. The performers are graduates of Phare Ponleu Selpak, an NGO arts school supporting disadvantaged youth in Battambang. Shows run nightly at 8pm and are genuinely extraordinary — this is not a tourist novelty but a real artistic achievement that supports a vital social enterprise. Book in advance as performances sell out.

Drive 55km east to Kompong Khleang — the largest floating village on Tonle Sap lake and far more authentic than the closer tourist-heavy Kompong Phluk. The stilted houses rise 10 metres above the dry-season waterline, and during the wet season the entire village floats. A boat tour ($15–20 per person through a community tourism operator) takes you through the village and onto the vast lake. Schools, shops, and pagodas all float. The scale of life on the water is extraordinary.

Visit the Angkor National Museum ($12) for essential context on the temples you have explored. The Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas and the Khmer civilisation exhibits explain the religious, political, and engineering achievements behind what you saw at the ruins. Afterwards, visit Artisans Angkor — a social enterprise training and employing local craftspeople in silk weaving, stone carving, and lacquerwork. Tours are free and the showroom sells high-quality souvenirs at fixed prices.

Farewell dinner at Haven — a training restaurant for at-risk Cambodian youth that serves excellent modern Khmer cuisine ($8–12 mains, reservation recommended). Or try Cuisine Wat Damnak for tasting-menu Khmer food ($15–28). Browse the Angkor Night Market for last-minute souvenirs — silk, silver, and handmade paper products. End with a final $0.50 beer on Pub Street and reflect on one of the world's greatest archaeological sites.