I write this blog entry from the infamous pub street in Siem Reap – watching the mix of tourists wander by looking for a cheap beer or souvenir, and the locals passing on their tuk tuks, hoping for a fare. I am actually drinking a $0.50 Angkor beer alone in the V Design Restaurant as Rhian sits in Pure Vida salon opposite having a $5 pedicure.
Whilst we didn’t come to Siem Reap for the night life, it certainly adds another dimension after you’ve had the quite frankly awe inspiring experience of visiting the Angkor Wat complex. But anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself…
We (eventually) touched down in Siem Reap airport after one aborted landing on our Lithuanian plane. Maybe he was lost.
After experiencing the cottage industry that is the Cambodian immigration service (US$30 for a visa, plus $2 if you don’t have any spare passport photos with you), we stepped outside to look for our transfer. Unfortunately it turned out that (according to the hotel) STA Travel had failed to inform them of our arrival time. After waiting for nearly an hour we decided to cut our losses and get a taxi to the hotel. Bit of a stress, but they did reimburse us straight away so all was not lost.
We were shattered on our first night, but we headed out for food in search of a couple of recommendations we found on the informative website VeganFoodQuest.com.
On our way towards the centre of town we found the Veg ‘G’ Cafe on Wat Bo Road. We headed down the dimly lit alley to the seating area around the back. We were served by the hospitable French (I assume from the Bretagne flag inside the doorway) owner who was more than happy to talk us through the specifically vegan choices on the all veggie menu. We both went for the beetroot based veggie burger and sweet potato fries which were fantastic. The prices were fairly average for Siem Reap but it was a little out of the main bar and restaurant district. Also of note was the fact that they don’t serve alcohol – but you can bring your own. Definitely worth a try though.
The next morning we had breakfast in our hotel (the Retreat Villa Spa Hotel, vegan options at breakfast were limited to fruit or bread) before heading out on our tuk tuk tour of the temples. We spent the morning visiting the magnificent Angkor Wat, the faces of Bayon and the Elephant Terrace before having lunch in one of the stalls next to Thommanom as instructed by the driver…or so we thought. It turns out that he meant “go to this temple and then we will go for lunch” rather than “go here for lunch”. Only afterwards did we realise that I had eaten some of the stall holders’ personal broth and been charged $3 for the privilege. To top it off I have no idea what was in the soup I was served and was grateful for a plate of plain rice that accompanied the meal. I suppose you won’t get a more authentic Cambodian lunch, but I think it was an experience I could have lived without. Rhian, meanwhile, was happy to sit there with her tube of Pringles and wait until we got back to town.
After ‘lunch’ we climbed (literally) to the top of Ta Keo and marvelled at the partially excavated Ta Prohm before getting the tuk tuk back to the Central Cafe near the old market. We were drawn here as one of the paninis on the menu was called ‘The Vegan’. Rhian duly ordered one while I had a steak baguette. Both were extremely tasty and perfect for lunch. Although prices were a bit on the steep side we thought.
After a quick wander around the market and a chill out next to our pool, it was time to head out for dinner. After my earlier experience I was adamant (at risk of being horrifically unadventurous) that I needed some western style food, so we headed for the Hard Rock Cafe. It was the usual decent food at the usual prices, so by Cambodian standards you can expect to pay triple the price you would by going to somewhere along Pub Street. Stomachs silenced, we went for a few drinks before grabbing a tuk tuk ride back to the hotel (one way was between a dollar or two).
The next morning we satisfied our need for retail therapy by haggling for some bargain souvenirs in the market before stopping in the V Design Restaurant (which brings us back to where we started!).
As it turns out, the menu wasn’t great for vegans. Rhian had bread and fries whilst I had a local dish of chicken, noodles and veg. Siem Reap definitely has better options for hungry vegans.
For our last evening we went for another one of the Vegan Food Quest recommendations and tried Chamkar. This is an all veggie restaurant tucked away in The Passage located behind Pub Street.
We shared a starter of the Wedding Day Dip which was absolutely stunning. For mains, we both had a traditional Khmer curry which was tasty but couldn’t quite live up to the standards set by the starter. Portion sizes were very large so it was good value for money (even though a local beer is three times more than in one of the pubs next door, still only $1.50 however!). Definitely worth looking out for if you are in the city.
Our thoughts on this leg of the trip would have to be that it was a once in a lifetime experience. Angkor Wat is something we have wanted to see for a number of years but I have to say it exceeded our expectations tenfold. It should definitely go straight to the top of your bucket list.
As far as Siem Reap goes, this really surprised us. The mix of lively bars and luxury hotels means there really is something for everyone after a busy day of exploring the temples. Plus, there’s some great vegan food to boot! Our favourite restaurants were the Veg ‘G’ Cafe and Chamkar – definitely worth checking out if you are planning to visit.
Next stop – Bangkok.
