Siem Reap Local Guide
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At the turn of the millennium Siem Reap was a Cambodian provincial town with few facilities, fewer surfaced roads and little in the way of nightlife. The tourism industry catered mainly to hardy backpackers willing to brave the tortuous road from the Thai border.
The proximity of the Angkor ruins turned Siem Reap into a boomtown in less than half a decade. Huge, expensive hotels sprang up everywhere and the number of budget hotels mushroomed. Property values soared to European levels and tourism became a major source of income for local people. The Siem Reap of today is barely recognisable from the Siem Reap of the year 2000.
Though some of the town’s previous ramshackle charm may have been lost to development, this same development has brought wealth and livelihoods to many of Siem Reap’s citizens. Unfortunately this has been at a cost to the poor living in and around the town’s limits. Like most Cambodians, these people survive on poorly paid construction work or subsistence farming. Local wages have not kept pace with the inflated prices in Siem Reap’s markets. If Cambodia is a country of contrasts Siem Reap is the embodiment of those contrasts. Despite the massive shift in its economic fortunes, Siem Reap remains a safe, friendly and pleasant town. There is an endless choice of places to stay or dine, and a host of possible activities awaiting the visitor.
