Nightlife in Siem Reap

Cambodia nightlife in Siem Reap.

Night activities start when the sun disappears start at Pup Street which is the center of the old market. Here are the Siem Reap bars restaurants nightclubs discos dinner dancing show and everything in between. 

It is somehow like Bangkok's Khao San Street but less chaotic and everyone has fun that's the most important, many places are owned by "western foreigners" that means less chaotic and only minor cheating although some still do it.

Countless bars to choose, among other the Angkor What Bar?  Another is the Temple Club with sexy Khmer Girls dancing, probably one of the most "user friendly" in the local night business since it includes a restaurant upstairs with a free dinner show with slow motion dancing but also very fast native dances Cambodians like it both ways the fast stuff looks more contemporary. 

When this was built up the local Khmer people had other problems and many foreigners were around after the war to take a risk and created something rather professional. The Cambodians had no money to invest and actually no real interest. Looking back it was somehow a good thing because they were able to do a lot in terms of modern infrastructure locals would not do but is essential to keep the city moving compared to Thailand with their modern hit and run culture.  

Nightlife at Pub Street.

Here is a quantum leap although not immediately visible. Want to have some things to do with "home made" Siem Reap Angkor nightlife. The place is well known and market in any tourist guide which naturally brings customers, a nice beer source after an exhaustive day visiting temples and monuments, prices are, as practically everywhere, except the big hotels, very "user friendly".

This is nightlife at Pub Street in Siem Reap a lively nightspot and beer source with tourists graffiti at the walls.  br />

The Temple Club at Pub Street

Absolute top notch since where you get the entertainment for free including Cambodian Apsara Dance where you get anything anymore these days? The dancers are real good; this is not a cheap "wishi-washi". 

First they run the slow motion show and after the fast run both with pleasant Khmer music in the back coming from a whole native orchestra, no computer playback, all natural.

Entertaining the tourists.

Entertaining the tourists with the usual "melange" of beer and rock'n roll.
Now it's old style sexy Khmer dancing. That's the way it actually should be, check the pictures accessible through the link and don't forget the ads they are amazingly informative.

This establishment as a somehow universal place where everything for a great integrated, dance show upstairs, bar disco, pool etc. at street level.

Prices are also rather moderate, actually it is very similar to Thailand it looks as if they take the neighbor as a benchmark.

Visiting the old market at night in Siem Reap

Arriving in Siem Reap without major problems except for the long travel time and the typical Khmer dinner is the next after checking in at the hotel. No need to take a taxi because the bus matches the travel time and stops right at the old market. To handle this take the afternoon bus at 2 pm at Bangkok’s Mo Chit Station because that one drives right through no need to change to another coach and not getting annoyed by the guys at the border who try to sell all kind of useless junk. 

In the evening almost everyone is around Pub Street which has an atmosphere of a small town in southern France but much less expensive.

Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor Wat

Since the monument and temple precinct is closed at 6 pm the question is what to do at night in this rather small city. Actually small but a thriving Khmer city in the northwest of Cambodia every tourist visiting the country will pass here.

The city still has a variety of French colonial style buildings in the center around the Old Market it seems that everyone who is on a tour to Angkor come to this nightlife quarter of Siem Reap. The place is clean and functions perfectly it is clearly visible that some foreign professionals are running the show not groups of amateurs as in Thailand. Close by is the small river and across more markets with plenty of consumer stuff and souvenir, jewelry and Buddha wall paintings, statues and many other things imported from China. It’s not so easy to find any natively made handicraft anymore.

Although Siem Reap (which translates into “defeat of Siam” ) has a heritage stretching back the long time it was only resurrected in recent years as an appanage to Angkor because the tourists need hotels and places to stay, the archeological park is closed at sharp 6 pm.

At the old market area are dozens of alleys branching off from pub street with stylish local and foreign restaurants offering plenty of food, prices are moderate it's similar to Thailand. 

Here is Pub Street.

Siem Reap Pub Street is busy with tourists day and night and many budget hotels plus restaurants usually for dinner are around plus countless shops and tour agents. 

There are also several stylish French-type cafes which serve already in the morning breakfast with fine croissants it is very convenient to take accommodation here since every needed can be reached within a couple of minutes.

Most lower priced hotels, restaurants, shops, travel agents and more are around here which means find an accommodation and everything is around within minutes.



The main trail through is Pub Street here are also most bars restaurants and similar places. A refreshing picture is until now (2018) now US Junk Food such as KFC and McDonald's is not around yet on a relief not to see this "sugar dumplings" and all this other unnatural "fatty bum bum" around. I think soon "mother earth" will stop spinning since it gets too heavy.

Most people who did their Angkor Day Tour come here in the evening to enjoy a dinner in the tropical air. When hungry try the "Temple Balcony" restaurant means at the street level is a bar/club and a disco, at the upper floor food is available and fascinating Khmer Slow Motion Dancing is performed with a whole orchestra in the back.

It's a mixture of some folklore elements and old style Apsara Dancing, actually, they do a great job. I wonder if you believe it but it's free of charge naturally you need to have some dinner here and enjoy the show. The dancing is done by beautiful Khmer Girls who look very pretty in their ancient style costumes. But there are no nightclubs, go-go and similar with girls around like in Phnom Penh nightlife and in Thailand or Myanmar . Here is Siem Reap at daytime.