Examine individual changes

'{{for|the province with the same name|Siem Reap Province}} ''There is also a village just south of Phnom Penh named Siem Reap'' <!-- Infobox begins --> {{Infobox settlement |name = Siem Reap |official_name = |other_name = |native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|km|ក្រុងសៀមរាប}}}} |settlement_type = [[List of cities in Cambodia|City]] |image_skyline = File:Siem Reap river.JPG |imagesize = 250px |nickname = Temple Town <ref>{{cite news |last=Glasser|first=Miranda|date= 14 September 2012|title=Temple Town, Cambodia's new ladyboy capital|url= http://www.phnompenhpost.com/siem-reap-insider/temple-town-cambodias-new-ladyboy-capital |newspaper=Phnom Penh Post|access-date=14 December 2015}}</ref> |image_caption = Siem Reap, town and river |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_blank_emblem = |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = Location of Siem Reap, Cambodia |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |pushpin_map = Cambodia<!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map --> |pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none --> |pushpin_map_caption = |pushpin_mapsize = 220px |coordinates_region = KH |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{flag|Cambodia}} |subdivision_type1 = [[Province]] |subdivision_name1 = [[Siem Reap Province]] |subdivision_type2 = |subdivision_name2 = |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 = |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = District Chief & Governor |leader_name = Khim Bunsong ([[Cambodian People's Party|CPP]]) |leader_title1 = Deputy Governor |leader_name1 = Kim Chay Hieng ([[Cambodian People's Party|CPP]]) |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = |established_title = Settled |established_date = 802 |established_title2 = Official |established_date2 = 1907 |established_title3 = <!-- Incorporated (city) --> |established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired--> |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion--> |area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox settlement for details on automatic unit conversion--> |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2008 |population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.go.jp/info/meetings/cambodia/pdf/a02_chap.pdf|title=Chapter 2: Spatial Distribution and Density of Population |work=Statistics Japan}}</ref> |population_note = |population_total = 230,714 |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title = |population_blank1 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi = |timezone = Cambodia |utc_offset = +7 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |latd=13 |latm=21 |lats=44 |latNS=N |longd=103 |longm=51 |longs=35 |longEW=E |elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags--> |elevation_m = 18 |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... --> |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = }} <!-- Infobox ends --> '''Siem Reap''' ({{lang-km|ក្រុងសៀមរាប}}, {{IPA-km|siəm riəp|pron}}; {{lang-th|เสียมราฐ}}) is the capital city of [[Siem Reap Province]] in northwestern [[Cambodia]], and a popular [[resort town]] as the gateway to [[Angkor]] region. Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. In the city, there are museums, traditional [[Apsaras|Apsara]] dance performances, a Cambodian cultural village, souvenir and handycraft shops, silk farms, rice-paddies in the countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary near the [[Tonle Sap Lake]]. Siem Reap today—being a popular tourist destination—has a large number of hotels, resorts, restaurants and businesses closely related to [[tourism]]. This is much owed to its proximity to the Angkor temples, the most popular [[tourist attraction]] in Cambodia. ==History== [[File:Thais return Battambang to King Sisowath.jpg|thumb|right|Sisophon, Battambang & Angkor Wat received by King Sisowath, 1907]] The name "Siem Reap" can be translated to mean "Defeat of [[Siam]]" (''siem'' in Khmer), and is commonly taken as a reference to an incident in the centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and Khmer kingdoms, although this is probably apocryphal. According to oral tradition, King Ang Chan (1516–1566) had named the town "Siem Reap", meaning "the defeat of Siam", after he repulsed an army sent to invade Cambodia by the Thai King [[Maha Chakkraphat]] in 1549.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.co.th/books?id=_CQjBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA34#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Elephants in Thailand Vol 3: White Elephants in Thailand and Neighboring Countries |author= Joachim Schliesinger |page=32 |publisher=White Lotus |year=2012 |isbn= 978-9744801890 }}</ref> However, scholars consider this derivation to be simply a modern folk etymology, and maintain that the actual origin of the name is unknown.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rs4IBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT53&lpg=PT53#v=onepage&q&f=false |author=Zhou Daguan|title= A Record of Cambodia |others= translated by Peter Harris |publisher=University of Washington Press |year= 2007 |isbn=978-9749511244 }}</ref> The traditional tale claims that King Ang Chan of Cambodia tried to assert greater independence from Siam, which was then going through internal struggles. The Siamese King [[Chairacha]] had been poisoned by his concubine, Lady Sri Sudachan, who had committed adultery with a commoner, [[Worawongsathirat]], while the king was away leading a campaign against the Kingdom of [[Chiang Mai]]. Sudachan then placed her lover on the throne. The Thai nobility lured them outside the city on a royal [[Royal Barge Procession|procession by barge]] to inspect a newly discovered white elephant. After killing the usurper, along with Sudachan and their newly born daughter, they invited [[Maha Chakkraphat|Prince Thianracha]] to leave the monkhood and assume the throne as King Maha Chakkraphat (1548–1569). With the Thais distracted by their internal problems, King Ang Chan decided the time was right to attack. He seized the Siamese city of [[Prachin Buri]] in 1549, sacking the city and making slaves of its inhabitants. Only then did he learn that the succession had been settled and that Maha Chakkkraphat was the new ruler. Ang Chan immediately retreated to Cambodia, taking his captives with him. King Maha Chakkraphat was furious over the unprovoked attack, but Burma had also chosen to invade through the Three Pagodas Pass. The Burmese army posed a much more serious threat, as it captured [[Kanchanaburi]] and [[Suphanburi]]. It then appeared before Ayutthaya itself. [[File:Night.Siem.Reap.City.jpg|thumb|left|Nightlife in Siem Reap]] The Thai army managed to defeat the Burmese, who quickly retreated through the pass. Maha Chakkraphat's thoughts then turned to Cambodia. Not only had Ang Chan attacked and looted Prachin Buri, turning its people into slaves, but he also refused to give Maha Chakkraphat a white elephant he had requested, rejecting even this token of submission to Siam.<ref name="Sochaczewski2009">{{cite book|author=Paul Spencer Sochaczewski|title=The Sultan and the Mermaid Queen: Surprising Asian People, Places and Things that Go Bump in the Night|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DowhYaCXBEQC&pg=PA100|date=29 January 2009|publisher=Editions Didier Millet|isbn=978-981-4217-74-3|pages=100–}}</ref> Maha Chakkraphat ordered Prince Ong, the governor of [[Sawankhalok]], to lead an expedition to punish Ang Chan and recover the Thai captives. The rival armies met, and Ang Chan killed Prince Ong with a lucky musket shot from elephant back. The leaderless Thai army fled, and Ang Chan allegedly captured more than 10,000 Siamese soldiers. To celebrate his great victory, King Ang Chan supposedly named the battleground "Siem Reap", meaning "the total defeat of Siam". [[File:Siem Reap Pubstreet.jpg|thumb|right|Pub Street in Siem Reap]] In reality, surviving historic sources make this folk tale appear very unlikely, since they date the decline of the [[Angkor]] kingdom to more than a century before this, when a military expedition from Ayutthaya captured and sacked Angkor Wat, which began a long period of [[Vassal state|vassal rule]] over Cambodia.<ref name="Bowman2013">{{cite book|author=John Stewart Bowman|title=Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cYoHOqC7Yx4C&pg=PA511|date=13 August 2013|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-50004-3|pages=511–}}</ref> The 1431 capture coincided with the decline of Angkor, though the reasons behind its abandonment are not clear. They may have included environmental changes and failings in the Khmer infrastructure.<ref name="Stone2006">{{cite journal|last1=Stone|first1=R.|title=ARCHAEOLOGY: The End of Angkor|journal=Science|volume=311|issue=5766|year=2006|pages=1364–1368|issn=0036-8075|doi=10.1126/science.311.5766.1364}}</ref> From the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, infighting among the Khmer nobility led to periodic intervention and domination by both of Cambodia's more powerful neighbors, Vietnam and Siam. Siem Reap, along with [[Battambang]] (Phra Tabong) and [[Sisophon]], major cities in the northwest of Cambodia, was under Siamese administration and the provinces were collectively known as Inner Cambodia from 1795 until 1907, when they were ceded to [[French Indochina]]. In fact, during the 18th century, under the rule of the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom]], it was known as [[Siam Nakhon Province|Nakhorn Siam]] (Siam's city), not as "Siam's Defeat".<ref name="FryNieminen2013">{{cite book|author1=Gerald W. Fry|author2=Gayla S. Nieminen|author3=Harold E. Smith|title=Historical Dictionary of Thailand|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XaRtAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA362|date=8 August 2013|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-7525-8|pages=362–}}</ref> === Re-discovery of Angkor === [[File:A part of Siem Reap.JPG|thumb|left|A part of Sivutha Blvd in the downtown area]] Siem Reap was little more than a village when French explorers such as [[Henri Mouhot]] "re-discovered" Angkor in the 19th century. However, European visitors had visited the temple ruins much earlier, including [[António da Madalena]] in 1586".<ref>Higham, ''The Civilization of Angkor'' pp. 1–2.</ref> In 1901, the [[École française d'Extrême-Orient]] (EFEO; ''French School of the Far East'') began a long association with [[Angkor]] by funding an expedition into Siam to the [[Bayon]]. The EFEO took responsibility for clearing and restoring the whole site. In the same year, the first western tourists arrived in Angkor, a total of about 200 in just three months. Angkor had been 'rescued' from the jungle and was assuming its place in the modern world. [[File:Grand Hotel dAngkor SiemReap.jpg|thumb|right|[[Grand Hotel d'Angkor]] was built in the mid-1920s.]] With the acquisition of Angkor by the French in 1907 following a Franco-Siamese treaty, Siem Reap began to grow. The [[Grand Hotel d'Angkor]] opened in 1929 and the temples of Angkor became one of Asia's leading draws until the late 1960s. when civil war kept them away. In 1975, the population of Siem Reap, like all other Cambodian cities and towns, was driven into the countryside by the communist [[Khmer Rouge]]. Siem Reap's recent history is coloured by the horror of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Since [[Pol Pot]]'s death in 1998, however, relative stability and a rejuvenated tourist industry have revived the city and province. [[File:Royal Palace, Siem Reap.JPG|thumb|right|Royal Residence, Siem Reap]] Siem Reap now serves as a small gateway town to the world heritage site of Angkor Wat. It is a vibrant town with modern hotels and restaurants, still managing to preserve much of its culture and traditions. Siem Reap ranked fourth in the World's Best Cities of Travel and Leisure survey in 2014. ==The Wat and the river== [[File:A bridge over Siem Reap River.JPG|thumb|left|A covered pedestrian bridge over the Siem Reap River, next to the Old Market in Siem Reap]] The Town is a cluster of small villages along the [[Siem Reap River]]. These villages were originally developed around [[Buddhist]] [[pagoda]]s ([[Wat]]) which are almost evenly spaced along the river from Wat Preah En Kau Sei in the north to Wat Phnom Krom in the south, where the Siem Reap River meets the great [[Tonle Sap]] Lake. The main town is concentrated around Sivutha Street and the Psar Chas area (Old Market area) where there are old colonial buildings, shopping and commercial districts. The Wat Bo area is now full of guesthouses and restaurants while the Psar Leu area is often crowded with jewellery and handicraft shops, selling such items as rubies and woodcarving. Other fast developing areas are the airport road and main road to Angkor where a number of large [[hotel]]s and [[resort]]s can be found. ==Economy== [[File:Siem reap airport.JPG|right|thumb|[[Siem Reap International Airport]]]] Tourism is a very important aspect of the economy of Siem Reap - it was estimated in 2010 that over 50% of jobs in the town were related to the tourism industry.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738314001522 |journal=Annals of Tourism Research|volume= 50 |date= January 2015| pages= 98–112|title=Limits to mass tourism’s effects in rural peripheries|author=Robin Biddulph|doi=10.1016/j.annals.2014.11.011}}</ref> The city has seen a massive increase in tourist trade in the couple of decades after the end of the [[Khmer Rouge]] era, and businesses centered on tourism have flourished due to the tourism boom. Visitor numbers were negligible in the mid-1990s, but by 2004, over half a million foreign visitors had arrived in the Siem Reap province that year, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Statistics/index.asp?Year=2005 |title=Executive Summary from Jan–Dec 2005 |accessdate=25 April 2008 |work=Tourism of Cambodia |publisher=Statistics & Tourism Information Department, Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080413115411/http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Statistics/index.asp?Year=2005| archivedate= 13 April 2008 | deadurl= yes}}</ref> By 2012, tourist number had reached over two million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tourismcambodia.org/images/mot/statistic_reports/tourism_statistics_annual_report_2012.pdf |title=Tourism Annual Report 2012 |work=Ministry of Tourism }}</ref> A large number of hotels have sprung up in the city, these range from 5-star hotels and chic resorts to hundreds of budget guesthouses. Most tourists come to Siem Reap to visit the [[Angkor Wat]], [[Angkor Thom]], (about 6&nbsp;km north of the city), and other Angkor ruins. There are also many shopping opportunities around the Psar Chas area, while the nightlife is often vibrant with a number of western-styled pubs and bars. There are also a large number of NGOs and other not-for profits that operate in and around Siem Reap, and play a vital role in the economy, as well as helping to develop it for the future. Thousands of expatriates call the city home and also significantly impact the economy. ==Attractions== [[File:Angkor Satellit mit Karte.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Satellite view of Siem Reap (to the left in the satellite image) in relation to Angkor archaeological sites such as [[Angkor Wat]] and [[Angkor Thom]]]] ===Angkor Wat=== {{Main|Angkor Wat}} [[File:Buddhist monks in front of the Angkor Wat.jpg|thumb|260px|left|Buddhist monks in front of [[Angkor Wat]]]] Angkor Wat ([[Wat]] temple) is the central feature of the Angkor [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] containing the magnificent remains of the [[Khmer Empire|Khmer]] civilization. Angkor Wat's rising series of five towers culminates in an impressive central tower that symbolizes mythical [[Mount Meru]]. Thousands of feet of wall space are covered with intricate carving depicting scenes from [[Hindu mythology]]. The most important are the Carved Bas reliefs of the Hindu narratives. They tell a story about gods fighting demons in order to reclaim order which can only be achieved by recovering the elixir of life known as [[amrita]]. The gods and demons must work together to release it and then battle to attain it. ===Angkor Thom=== [[File:Angkor, Bayon (6198899442).jpg|thumb|The towers of Bayon in Angkor Thom]] {{Main|Angkor Thom}} This magnificent inner royal city was built by the end of the 12th century and is renowned for its temples, in particular the [[Bayon]]. Other notable sites are [[Baphuon]], [[Phimeanakas]], The [[Terrace of the Elephants]] and The [[Terrace of the Leper King]]. The city can be accessed through 5 city gates, one on each cardinal point and the Victory Gate on the eastern wall. ===Other temples=== A number of significant temples are dotted around Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom within the Angkor Archaeological Park, including [[Ta Prohm]], [[Preah Khan]], [[Banteay Kdei]], [[Phnom Bakheng]], [[Ta Keo]], [[Ta Som]], [[East Mebon]], [[Pre Rup]] and [[Neak Pean]]. These temples may be visited along the grand circuit or the small circuit routes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canbypublications.com/angkor-cambodia/angkor-temple-guide.htm |title=Angkor Temple Guide |publisher=Canby Publications }}</ref> Other sites are the [[Roluos (temples)|Roluos]] group of temples located to the east of Siem Reap. ===The Cambodia Landmine Museum and Relief Center=== The Landmine Museum offers tourists and Cambodians the chance to see (safe) landmines up close, understand how they work, and what they can do to help rid Cambodia and the world of their continuing threat. It is located approximately 25&nbsp;km north of Siem Reap (30 minutes by tuk tuk), just 7&nbsp;km south of the Banteay Srey Temple complex in Angkor National Park. On the way to the museum there are quaint countryside villages, rice paddies and wide views of locals working their fields, as well as local handicrafts "outside the hussle and bussle of town."<ref>[http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org/where-are-we-located Where we are located - Cambodia Landmine Museum and Relief Center]</ref> Some two dozen at-risk Khmer children are educated and live, along with staff, at the Relief Center located on the museum property. The organization has plans for building a farm behind the Center sometime in 2016.<ref>[http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org/ Cambodia Landmine Museum and Relief Center]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fvjYqKv3xA&list=UUYUZ8KNUcPT5dTL2gYTCMzA&index=46 Land Mine Museum video by Al Brenner]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftKzM5t-JeI&list=UUYUZ8KNUcPT5dTL2gYTCMzA&index=45 Poem of the Land Mine Museum by Al Brenner, additional video footage of Museum]</ref> ===War Museum Cambodia=== The [[War Museum Cambodia]] covers the last three decades of the 20th century when the [[Khmer Rouge]] was active in Cambodia. There is a vast array of vehicles, artillery, weaponry, landmines and equipment on display. The museum is making use of guides who are war veterans who fought for the Cambodian army, the Khmer Rouge or the Vietnamese army. [[File:Siem Reap Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Angkor National Museum]] ===Angkor National Museum=== Opened on 12 November 2007, the [[Angkor National Museum]] offers visitors a better understanding of the area's archaeological treasures. The Golden Era of the Khmer Kingdom is presented, including the use of state-of-the-art multimedia technology. The museum covers Khmer history, civilization, and cultural heritage in eight galleries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://angkornationalmuseum.com/ |title=Angkor National Museum website |publisher=Angkornationalmuseum.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-31}}</ref> ===Markets=== [[File:A view of the Old Market in Siem Reap.JPG|thumb|left|A view of the Old Market (Psar Chas) in Siem Reap]] {{Main|Psah Chas}} The Old Market or [[Psah Chas]] is located between Pub Street and the Siem Reap River, and offers a mixture of souvenirs for tourist and a variety of food produce and other items meant for the locals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/siem-reap/shopping/markets-streets-arcades/psar-chaa |title=Psar Chaa |work=Lonely Planet }}</ref> Supported by the Shinta Mani Foundation in order to create jobs,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cambodiahotelassociation.com.kh/shinta-mani-club-resorts-made-in-cambodia-market-1415/|title=Shinta Mani Club & Resort’s “Made in Cambodia Market 14/15 |work=Cambodia Hotel Association }}</ref> the Made in Cambodia Market (initially called "Well Made in Cambodia") <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.siemreappost.com/shinta-mani-well-made-in-cambodia-market/|title=Shinta Mani “Well Made in Cambodia” Market |work=Siem Reap Post }}</ref> is a night market in Siem Reap where all the products sold should be made in Cambodia. The market hosts daily shows and other animation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/siem-reap-insider/laura-mam-and-krom-performing-town|title=Laura Mam and Krom performing in town |work=[[The Phnom Penh Post]] }}</ref> Other markets in Siem Reap include the Angkor Night Market which is located off Sivutha Street,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/siem-reap/shopping/markets-streets-arcades/angkor-night-market |title=Angkor Night Market|work=Lonely Planet }}</ref> Phsar Kandal (The Central Market) located at Sivutha Street which mainly caters to tourists, and Phsar Leu (The Upper Market) which is located further away along National Road 6 but is the biggest market of Siem Reap used by the locals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.siemreap.net/shopping-recreation/shopping/local-markets/ |title=Local markets in Siem Reap |work=Siemreap.net}}</ref> [[File:Craftsman at work at Artisans Angkor.JPG|thumb|Craftsman at Artisans Angkor creating Buddha images in stone]] ===Artisans Angkor=== {{Main|Artisans Angkor}} Artisans Angkor is a semi-public company founded in 1992 which aims to revive traditional Khmer craftsmanship and provide employment for rural artisans. It is also associated with a silk farm where visitors may learn about [[sericulture]] and weaving.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com.my/books?id=woPmXQOU4hUC&pg=PA208#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Textile Economies: Power and Value from the Local to the Transnational |author= Walter E. Little |publisher=AltaMira Press|year= 2011 |pages=207–208 |isbn=978-0759120617 }}</ref> It also participates in the restoration of historical Angkor sites by repairing and replacing damaged sculptures.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artisansdangkor.com/projects-22-restoration-of-angkor-site.php |title=Restoration of Angkor site |work=Artisans Angkor}}</ref> ===Cambodian Cultural Village=== Opened on 24 September 2003, the [[Cambodian Cultural Village]] assembles all the miniatures of famous historical buildings and structures of Cambodia. There are 11 unique villages, which represent different culture heritages, local customs and characteristics of 21 multi races. ==Notable sites near Siem Reap== [[File:Les linga dans le lit de la rivière sacrée (Phnom Kulen) (6824988525).jpg|thumb|Lingas curved into the riverbed of Kbal Spean.]] A number of notable sites further away from Siem Reap are also accessible from the town. ===Phnom Kulen=== {{main|Phnom Kulen}} The [[Phnom Kulen National Park]] is about 48&nbsp;km from Siem Reap and contains a number of attractions such as its two waterfalls and the [[Kbal Spean]]'s "river of 1000 lingas". [[File:Kompong Phluk.jpg|thumb|left|Floating Village of Kampong P'luk]] ===Floating Villages=== There are three floating villages around Siem Reap - Kompong Khleang, Kompong Phluk, Chong Kneas, with Kompong Khleang considered the most authentic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tripleacambodia.com/siem-reap-floating-villages-what-to-expect-and-why-choose-to-go-to-kompong-khleang/|title=Siem Reap floating villages: What to expect and why we choose to go to Kompong Khleang |work=Triple Adventure Cambodia }}</ref> ===Tonlé Sap=== {{Main|Tonlé Sap}} The Tonlé Sap, Khmer for "Vast Body of Fresh Water" and more commonly translated as "Great Lake" is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia. It is located in the heart of Cambodia about 30 minutes south of downtown Siem Reap and has many attractions. The area around the Tonle Sap including the province of Siem Reap is part of the [[Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve]]. [[File:Phnom Dei2.JPG|thumb|right|[[Phnom Dei]]]] ===Phnom Dei=== [[Phnom Dei]] is a hill near Siem Reap. ===Banteay Srei=== [[Banteay Srei]] is a 10th-century temple located about 30&nbsp;km northeast of Siem Reap. It is notable for its fine intricate decorative carvings on rose pink sandstone.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com.my/books?id=oR-Kmnj8wmAC&pg=PA196#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=The Rough Guide to Cambodia|author= Beverley Palmer |page=196 |isbn=978-1848368897 |publisher=Rough Guides }}</ref> ==Local specialty== [[File:Hand-painted bottles 1.jpg|thumb|Painted bottles of Sombai Liqueur with pictures of Angkor temples]] ===Sombai=== {{Main|Sombai}} ''Sombai Infused Cambodian Liqueur'' ([[Sombai]]) is a local beverage produced in Siem Reap.<ref>Nicky Sullivan {{cite web|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/siem-reap-insider/fruit-flavoured-infused-rice-wines-make-splash |title=Fruit-flavoured infused rice wines make a splash}} ''[[The Phnom Penh Post]]'', 7 September 2012,</ref> This beverage takes inspiration from the Sraa Tram (or soaked wine) that Cambodians drink traditionally and the infused rums from the islands.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER8BvY9WoNA |accessdate=2015-08-03|title=Associated Press: Rice wine spirit is rebranded as a tourist tipple}}</ref><ref>Lara Dunston {{cite web|url=http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/travel/travel-news-features/2014/7/cambodian-rice-wine-revival|title=Cambodian rice wine revival}} ''Australian Gourmet Traveller'', 11 July 2014</ref> The particularity of the bottles of Sombai is that they are hand-painted making it attractive to tourists visiting [[Cambodia]].<ref>Lara Dunston {{cite web|url=http://www.afar.com/places/sombai-krong-siem-reap |title=Taste Siem Reap’s Own Brand of Infused Rice Spirit}} ''[[Afar (magazine)]]''</ref><ref>Nick Ray {{cite web|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/siem-reap/entertainment-nightlife/other/sombai |title=Sombai}} ''[[Lonely Planet Online]]''</ref><ref>Peter Olszewski {{cite web|url=http://www.managementinsider.asia/cambodian-fusion/|title=Cambodian Fusion}} ''[[Management Insider]]''</ref> The workshop and its tasting parlour<ref>Miranda Glasser {{cite web|url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/siem-reap-insider/sombai-rice-wine-purveyors-open-new-showroom |title=Taste Sombai rice wine purveyors open new showroom}} ''[[The Phnom Penh Post]]'', 1 August 2014</ref> installed in a traditional Khmer wooden house, has become a tourist attraction in town.<ref>Robyn Eckhardt {{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/travel/what-to-do-in-36-hours-in-siem-reap-cambodia.html?_r=0 |title= 36 Hours in Siem Reap}} ''[[The New York Times]]'', 22 July 2015</ref><ref>Dana Ter{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2015/08/19/2003625684/3 |title= Searching for serenity in Siem Reap}}, ''[[Taipei Times]]'', 19 August 2015</ref> ==Climate== According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Siem Reap features a [[tropical wet and dry climate]]. The city is generally hot throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures never falling below 30 C in any month. Siem Reap has a relatively lengthy [[wet season]] which starts in April and ends in November. The dry season covers the remaining four months. The city averages approximately 1500&nbsp;mm of rainfall per year. {{Weather box|location = Siem Reap, Cambodia (averages: 1997-2010, extremes: 1906-2010) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C = 35.0 |Feb record high C = 36.7 |Mar record high C = 38.9 |Apr record high C = 39.4 |May record high C = 40.6 |Jun record high C = 38.9 |Jul record high C = 35.6 |Aug record high C = 35.0 |Sep record high C = 34.4 |Oct record high C = 33.9 |Nov record high C = 34.4 |Dec record high C = 34.4 |year record high C = 40.6 |Jan high C = 31.7 |Feb high C = 33.5 |Mar high C = 34.9 |Apr high C = 35.8 |May high C = 34.8 |Jun high C = 33.6 |Jul high C = 32.9 |Aug high C = 32.4 |Sep high C = 31.7 |Oct high C = 31.5 |Nov high C = 31.2 |Dec high C = 30.6 |year high C = 32.9 |Jan mean C = 26.0 |Feb mean C = 27.8 |Mar mean C = 29.5 |Apr mean C = 30.5 |May mean C = 29.9 |Jun mean C = 29.2 |Jul mean C = 28.9 |Aug mean C = 28.8 |Sep mean C = 28.1 |Oct mean C = 28.0 |Nov mean C = 26.9 |Dec mean C = 25.6 |year mean C = 28.3 |Jan low C = 20.4 |Feb low C = 22.4 |Mar low C = 24.1 |Apr low C = 25.4 |May low C = 25.4 |Jun low C = 25.1 |Jul low C = 24.9 |Aug low C = 25.1 |Sep low C = 24.7 |Oct low C = 24.5 |Nov low C = 22.6 |Dec low C = 20.7 |year low C = 23.8 |Jan record low C = 9.4 |Feb record low C = 12.8 |Mar record low C = 15.0 |Apr record low C = 17.8 |May record low C = 18.9 |Jun record low C = 17.8 |Jul record low C = 18.9 |Aug record low C = 18.9 |Sep record low C = 20.0 |Oct record low C = 17.2 |Nov record low C = 12.2 |Dec record low C = 10.0 |year record low C = 9.4 |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 3.7 |Feb rain mm = 4.7 |Mar rain mm = 29.0 |Apr rain mm = 57.3 |May rain mm = 149.7 |Jun rain mm = 214.1 |Jul rain mm = 192.6 |Aug rain mm = 208.9 |Sep rain mm = 287.7 |Oct rain mm = 199.6 |Nov rain mm = 51.3 |Dec rain mm = 7.3 |unit rain days = 0.1 mm |Jan rain days = 1.5 |Feb rain days = 0.7 |Mar rain days = 3.2 |Apr rain days = 7.6 |May rain days = 17.0 |Jun rain days = 18.0 |Jul rain days = 17.6 |Aug rain days = 17.6 |Sep rain days = 17.4 |Oct rain days = 15.4 |Nov rain days = 6.4 |Dec rain days = 2.0 |Jan humidity = 59 |Feb humidity = 59 |Mar humidity = 58 |Apr humidity = 59 |May humidity = 66 |Jun humidity = 70 |Jul humidity = 71 |Aug humidity = 73 |Sep humidity = 75 |Oct humidity = 75 |Nov humidity = 68 |Dec humidity = 64 |source 1 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]]<ref name = DWD> {{cite web | url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_489660_kt.pdf | title = Klimatafel von Siemreap-Angkor / Kambodscha | work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world | publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst | language = German | accessdate = 23 January 2016}}</ref> |date=August 2010 }} ==Transportation== [[File:Tonle Sap boat.jpg|thumb|The boat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap]] The town is 7&nbsp;km from the [[Angkor International Airport|Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport]] (IATA code REP). Siem Reap is accessible by direct flights from many Asian cities, and by land from Phnom Penh and the Thai border. It’s also accessible by boat (via the Tonle Sap lake) and bus from Phnom Penh and Battambang. A new airport is planned 60&nbsp;km from Siem Reap.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/22/347655/cambodia-eyes-new-airport-for-siem-reap.html |accessdate=2010-09-22 |title=Cambodia eyes new airport for Siem Reap }}</ref> It is possible to get from [[Bangkok]] to Siem Reap via [[Poipet]]. The road from [[Poipet]] to Siem Reap is newly paved and sealed as of 2013. If travelers take a taxi from [[Bangkok]] to [[Poipet]] and from [[Poipet]] to Siem Reap, it is possible to complete the whole journey in 6–10 hours, depending on border-crossing times. This journey is also possible by bus and minibus. The tickets can be bought online via the official Nattakan website. Getting to Siem Reap from Bangkok is also possible by train via the Aranyaprathet station to the border with Cambodia and later via shared mini-buses or taxis to Siem Reap. <ref> {{cite web|url=http://tripsget.com/blog/2016/05/from-siem-reap-to-bangkok-bus-train-airplane/ |title=How to get from Siem Reap to Bangkok? |publisher=tripsget.com |date= |accessdate=2016-05-31}}</ref> ==Sister cities== *{{flagicon|MMR}} [[Bagan]], [[Myanmar]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/myanmartimes/no192/MyanmarTimes10-192/19202.htm |title=? |author= |date= |work= |publisher=Myanmar.gov.mm |accessdate=}}</ref> *{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Fontainebleau]], France, since 11 June 2000 *{{flagicon|GER}} [[Sankt Goar]], Germany, since 13 May 2015 *{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Kōta, Aichi]], Japan <ref name=International>{{cite web|url=http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=23&n=Aichi%20Prefecture|title =Local Government International Exchange: Sister city information Database |publisher=Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)|accessdate=21 November 2015}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== {{commons category|Siem Reap}} *[http://www.siemreap-town.gov.kh/ Official Siem Reap website] *{{Wikivoyage-inline|Siem Reap}} {{Coord|13|21|44|N|103|51|35|E|region:KH_type:city(147866)|display=title}} {{SiemReapProvince}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2010}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Siem Reap| ]] [[Category:Cities in Cambodia]] [[Category:Populated places in Siem Reap Province]] [[Category:Provincial capitals in Cambodia]]'