Cambodia: Arrival in Siem Reap
Siem Reap International Airport facade
Our flight going to Siem Reap was around 10am that morning. What I really don’t like about the KL airport is that we have to drive around at least an hour just to get there from the city. We took an AeroBus service which is a Ringgit cheaper than AirAsia’s SkyBus. Fare is 8RM one way and 14RM round trip from KL Sentral. Some people go to Siem Reap via a 6 hours bus from Thailand crossing the border but I don’t want to waste that much time and I’ve heard a lot of Bus Scams there where the bus intentionally tire out their passengers and check them in on an affiliated (commissioned) hotel. So the 6 hours travel extends longer. However, the flight from KLIA to Siem Reap International Airport took only about 2 hours. And boy what greeted us on our arrival is one good looking airport.
A official welcomes us to Cambodia
I must admit, I’ve never seen much airport around the world yet but Siem Reap International Airport is the most stylized I’ve seen so far. It looks more like a Bali inspired resort than an airport. So from the tarmac, people started taking pictures already.
Native sculptures welcomes us at the immigration booth
The interior isn’t huge but it felt more like I’m inside a museum with all those statues greeting us on the entrance. The immigration even have more high tech equipment that those in Singapore and KL. They have cameras to quickly take a quick snapshot of incoming visitors for their database.
Baggage claim hall
Their baggage claim hallway is also very spacious with some modern artworks to spice it up. And is that a mirror ball I see hanging up there? I bet the folks here at the airport convert this hallway into a disco hall at night. Haha.
Airport Departure hall
The theme runs through out the airport. Even their departure hall is very spacious with modern artworks adorning the ceilings. Impressive design and very fitting for the place.
Riding a Tuk-tuk to our hotel
When we got outside, I looked for someone at the folks holding a placard or a piece of paper who was supposed to pick us up from the hotel I made reservations with. I did find the guy and greeted us and quickly led us to our transfer. I was half expecting a car or a van or something. And there it was. A tuk-tuk! How convenient. Hehe. Not that I’m complaining but it was somehow unexpected, but neat still that we get to ride one early in our trip.
Golden Temple Villa facade
It was a 15-20 minute pleasant drive passing by humongous hotels that seem to pop-up like mushrooms along the airport road. I tell you they are so extravagant. But I don’t need that extravagance (or I don’t have the funds for that) so I opted to get reservations at a hotel named Golden Temple Villa. There are numerous budget lodgings around Siem Reap but I chose this primarily for its location. It’s neatly tucked in a quiet neighborhood yet very accessible to the happening area at the Old Market.
Restaurant and Bar
Aside from that they have very nice facilities; you get free tea and coffee at their restaurant, free pick-up at the airport, free internet access and nice and helpful staff. They’ll give you a booklet with detailed information and maps that would be very helpful during your stay. When the staff greeted us at the reception “Good morning!” I was taken back a bit and looked at my watch. Oh yeah, I remembered the time here is GMT +7. Their an hour behind the clock.
Our room in the Golden Temple Villa
Here we got a twin room worth $18 USD a night. Another reason why I took this is the design of the rooms. It has very nice interiors and very cozy environment. Has a bathroom en suite with hot shower, Aircon (since I heard it’s very hot here at this time of the year) and a Cable TV. This will be our home base for the next 4 nights as we explore the famed Angkor Wat Archaeological Park and surrounding area of Siem Reap.
Tags: Airports, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Sleep, Structures, Transit
Posted on
Sunday, April 15th, 2007 at 3:30 pm 
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April 15th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Amazing photos!
(:
April 15th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
not bad ha… i mean.. free internet access? and all those free services? :p nice…
and ang nice nga ng airport…
April 15th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
woow ayos dre ah… ganda nga ng idesign ng kwarto… free internet access pa huh…
show more pix dre hehe
April 15th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
ang ganda ng room sa tinuluyan mo ha..
BTW regarding sa question mo:
bumaba sya in the sense na hiniwalay nila kasi yung bayad sa harbin ice.. if you want to see it you have to pay a separate fee of Php100 aside sa entrance na PhP200.
April 16th, 2007 at 12:05 am
Wow, that is a very cute air port. One of the pretty ones I have seen. I used to have a classmate from Cambodia…a diplomat’s daughter. I have associated all Cambodians with multi-lingual talent. She speaks 8 languages, and works as UN interpreter for summer jobs.
That villa, it’s so beautiful!
April 16th, 2007 at 1:31 am
very convinient naman pala ang paglalakbay mo. at nice, cozy at may freebies pa silang offer. thanks sa suggestion mo.
April 16th, 2007 at 2:15 am
Very cute airport. And I like the spaciousness. And that’s a very exotic looking hotel.
So Cambodia, huh. The land of the great Toe?
April 16th, 2007 at 8:03 am
That’s a nice looking hotel room. and cheap, too.
Had no idea that cambodia looks very touristy pala (as in having modern conveniences for the traveler/tourist).
April 16th, 2007 at 10:28 am
hope to visit that place. nice pics …and thanks for dropping by my site.
April 16th, 2007 at 10:31 am
ganda nga ng airport nila. mas maganda pa ‘to sa airport ng Bali, pramis. ito ang maganda kapag nagta-travel sa SE Asia, ang intricate at ganda talaga ng mga architecture saka yung structures, nakaka-enganyo talaga. $18 a night? hmm, not bad. yung location din ang first and foremost concern ko more than the extravangant place, tipong di ka naman pupunta dun para matulog, right. I know they speak Khmer there, pero marami pa rin bang nagsasalita ng French?
April 16th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Cool intro to Cambodia. Hotel and airport pa lang, very much in Cambodian style na.
The airport is newly renovated because Siem Riep receives so many visitors. Can’t wait for the continuation. 
April 16th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Nice pictures. Congrats for the recognitions given u last month. U truly deserve it. Too bad, i will not push through with my Batanes trip coz it co-incides with my oath-taking. Maybe next time…
April 16th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Your hotel looks great! Especially for that price!
Will keep this in mind!
April 16th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
ayos! hmmm parang alam ko na kung san susunod mong destinasyon…
April 16th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
eagerly awaiting your next installment bro ferdz
salamat for dropping by and for the advice. will size down the images as soon as i find the time 
April 16th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Everything seems so nice and inviting, Ferdz!
I read in the paper today how much Diether Ocampo loves Cambodia (he’s now a photographer as well) and now truly understand why.
April 16th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
korek ferdz, di ko nga rin inakala na ganun kalayo yung airport ng KL from the city…
ayos ang trip mo ah, airport pa lang, dami ng subject…
natawa ako sa crustal ball, naalala ko tuloy “night at the museum”…
ganda ng facade ng villa, at free internet acces pa, solve na solve ka na nya…
pero winner talaga ang room interior, love the bright colors of your room…
April 16th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
wow great series of amazing place and subjects
have fun ferdz !
April 16th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
wow nice airport ha.. parang spa salon lang
excited naman ako sa iba pang mga post mo
lam mo kapag ikaw ang nag-travel feeling ko pati ako nag-travel na din haha, very nice indeed, thanks for sharing ferdz 
April 17th, 2007 at 12:34 am
maliit lang ang airport ng cambodia pero maganda at cute ang pagkakagawa, kitang kita ang uri or type ng arhictecture meron sila
April 17th, 2007 at 2:45 am
Oo nga Iskoo. Parang konti din yung mga tao noh? Yan ba yung pinaka NAIA nila?
April 17th, 2007 at 4:00 am
Ferdz nasa Philippine blog awards kananaman…. may mga kilala ka ba sa mga judges… kasi your blog is always nominated. joke lang alam ko you work so hard to make this Blog
April 17th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Awesome photos…..love the room. Did you sleep well?
April 17th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
When you have longing for vietnamese coffee and noodles, Pho Saigon at Banaue near corner Retiro will bring you back the memory of your trip.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:34 am
i was there in 1993…nothing like in yr photos….at the airport i had to walk on the runway to pick up my luggage from the truck that loading from the airplane. i have to go back there again one day they really look nice. thank for sharing yr story:-))
April 20th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Ferdz, kainggit ka! Nung minsan, nasa Batanes, ngayon naman, Cambodia!
Ganda ng mga pics! Really, very inviting magpunta sa lugar na ito!
April 30th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
nakaka-excite naman ang cambodia pictures mo! airport pa lang, mauubos na ang memory card ko n’yan! bali is also a great place to go to, punta ka din do’n! very much like the siem reap airport, nasa immigration ka pa lang, pa-picture ka na ng pa-picture. sayang, sana, ganito rin sa ‘pinas….