Siem Reap is the capital of a province bearing the same name in northwest Cambodia. Located 300 km north of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap becomes a gateway to the Angkor region. Siem Reap is alluring huge crowd for its Angkor Temples (Buddhist Pagodas or Wats) around 7 km away from downtown. Siem Reap means the “Defeat of Siam” and refers to the centuries-old conflict between the Siam (now Thailand) and Khmer people.
The town is a cluster of small villages along the Siem Reap River. These villages were originally developed around Buddhist pagodas (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.
In Siem Reap, you can not miss visiting the temples, the old market, narrow streets. Bearing French colonial and Chinese architectural influence, especially in the French Quarter and around the Old Market, Siem Riep is filled with delights for visitors. Authentic atmosphere, local street food, Apsara dance, craft shops in the city and silk farms, rice fields, fishing villages and the famous Tonle Sap Lake in surrounding areas, Siem Reap will charm you.