City guide · សៀមរាប Siem Reap
Siem Reap
Gateway to Angkor: Angkor Wat at sunrise, the smiles of the Bayon and temples in the jungle
Siem Reap is a small town that became Cambodia's tourist centre thanks to its location next to Angkor. Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm are all within a dozen or so kilometres north of town; it usually takes two or three days to see the main temples.
History
How the city came to be
Angkor was the seat of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century. In the 12th century Suryavarman II built Angkor Wat; after the Cham sacked Angkor in 1177, Jayavarman VII drove them out and rebuilt Angkor Thom and the Bayon. 'Siem Reap' means 'defeat of Siam'; oral tradition says King Ang Chan I named the town after repelling a Siamese army in 1549, though this is very probably just folk etymology.
- First half of the 12th centurySuryavarman II built Angkor Wat
- 1177Cham forces sacked Angkor
- c. 1181Jayavarman VII took the throne and rebuilt Angkor Thom and the Bayon
- 1549Legend says Ang Chan I repelled a Siamese army, giving the town its name
Stories
Stories of the city
History · Angkor Wat
Suryavarman II's temple
Angkor Wat was built under the 12th-century Khmer king Suryavarman II (r. 1113–1150); it is the largest Hindu temple in the world and the largest building in the Angkor capital.
History · Bayon (Angkor Thom)
Angkor Thom, rebuilt from the ruins
In 1177 the Cham king led a fleet up the Mekong, across the Tonlé Sap lake and up the Siem Reap River to the Khmer capital, sacking Angkor and killing its king. Between 1177 and 1181 Jayavarman VII, already in his fifties, led an army to drive out the Cham, and scenes of the naval battles are still carved on the walls of the Bayon. He then took the throne and rebuilt the capital, Angkor Thom, on the ruins, with the Bayon as the state temple, and built hospitals and roadside rest houses across the kingdom. He was the first Khmer king devoted to Buddhism, and the serene smiling faces on the Bayon's towers are often thought to be Avalokiteshvara — or perhaps the king himself.
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Before you go
Rules to know in Siem Reap
Cambodia: drugs, including cannabis, are a serious crime
- Stay away from drugs of any kind
- Possessing or trafficking any drugs
Can lead to a long prison sentence, up to life imprisonment.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Cambodia travel advice
Cambodia: ask before photographing monks
- Ask before photographing people, especially monks
- Photographing monks and religious figures without permission
Respect local customs.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Cambodia travel advice
Cambodia: cover shoulders and knees at Angkor Wat and other religious sites
- Cover your shoulders and wear trousers or a skirt below the knee
- Wearing shorts or a skirt above the knee
You may be refused entry to Angkor Wat and other religious sites.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Cambodia travel advice