Siem Reap (Angkor Wat, Cambodia)

Siem Reap is a Siem Reap River (Mekong River) cruise port and capital city of Siem Reap Province (northwestern Cambodia). The city has population around 200,000 and is popular as resort vacation destination and gateway to Angkor (Khmer Empire's capital in the period 9th-15th centuries).

Siem Reap is best-known among tourists for its colonial and Chinese-style architecture, museums, traditional Apsara dance performances, silk farms, handicraft shops, floating fishing villages, paddy fields in the countryside, Tonle Sap Lake. The city has numerous resorts, hotels and other tourism-related businesses. This industry is largely based on the proximity of the Angkor temples - Cambodia's main attraction.

All cruisetour itineraries between Siem Reap and Saigon (Vietnam's capital city) pass through Phnom Pehn (Cambodia's capital city) and cross through Tonle Sap Lake. Among the largest river cruise companies with ships homeported in Siem Reap are CroisiEurope, Avalon Waterways, Emerald Waterways, Scenic, Lindblad-National Geographic, Nicko-Mystic.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat ("Capital Temple") is a temple complex ranked as the world's largest religious monument. It measures 163 ha (402 acres / 1,3 km2) and was originally built as Hindu temple dedicated to God Vishnu, but gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple.

Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century in Yasodharapura (present-day Angkor), as Khmer Empire's capital city, state temple and royal mausoleum. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west. This is Angkor's best-preserved temple and the symbol of Cambodia. It appears on country's national flag, and is Cambodia's top tourist attraction.