How to Experience Siem Reap Like a Local - The Culture Hub

  Siem Reap is not to be missed if you want to delve more into the culture of ancient dynasties. Home to Angkor Wat, the World Heritage Site will leave you in awe of its rich culture and proud heritage. Besides, Siem Reap is perfect for that rustic holiday, exploring the backwoods and enjoying that Indiana Jones style holiday, while savouring the comforts of world-class 5-star hotels. Read this article on how to experience Siem Reap like a local to enjoy an unforgettable holiday.

Image via Anantara Angkor Resort 

 Practise Your Cooking Skills Like a Local

 There is no other better way of experiencing Siem Reap than through its delicious cuisine. The local delicacies and how they are prepared is an art that will fascinate you; especially when you decide to try your hand at preparing them yourself. Siem Reap is popular for its local cookery schools conducted by locals who enjoy teaching traditional techniques to foreigners eager to learn the basics of their culinary secrets. Cooking and eating your meals according to age-old customs is an incomparable thrill you will not get eating the same dishes in a restaurant. Choose your resort in Siem Reap carefully too, the area, although rustic and one of the best for enjoying nature, is home to top international resorts. Some like Anantara Angkor Resort are popular for their proximity to Angkor Wat. Plus, visitors can book stays at a top boutique hotel Siem Reap provides.

 Experience the Locality and All its Charms

 Once you settle into your Siem Reap resort, waste no time exploring. The best method is to get on a bicycle and cycle around the local village. The experience is quite remarkable as you get to learn all about a new culture. The locals too are quite friendly and eager to learn more about your side of the world and will share details about their daily lives. Exploring the villages is a valuable way to learn about the lifestyles of Cambodia’s villagers. Learn about farming; the cultivation and harvesting of crops and the general no-fuss lifestyles of the villagers. You may even pick up a few phrases in the local dialect, and leave with a rich knowledge of the nation. Your Siem Reap resort will easily organise these local trips for you. Choose to explore the villages on a bicycle, Vespa, quad bike or even a vintage jeep. You can even enhance the entire experience by exploring the area further because places like Anantara give you the chance to plan excursions to area waterfalls, and to even enjoy the thrills of a kayak trip, which give you the chance to enjoy paddling around the famous Tonle Sap floating villages; thus, savouring exotic experiences.

 Explore Angkor Wat

 This marvellous UNESCO World Heritage Site will sit quietly in the background visible from your resort in Siem Reap. Built in the middle of the 12^th century during the Khmer dynasty, the complex is regarded as one of the greatest legacies of the ancient culture and its religion. Besides, Angkor Wat is often called the eighth wonder of the world due to its impressive structure and massive girth.

 Enjoy a Step-Back-in-Time Experience Exploring Ta Prohm

 Ta Prohm is regarded as the star of the Angkor Archaeological Park. There, the Bayon Ruins are almost surreal and seem to have come from the set of an Indiana Jones movie. Ancient ruins are held tight in the embrace of hundred-year-old roots, as they twist and turn to wrap the stone ruins in their tight grasp. Enjoy the trek through the jungle, to suddenly emerge in front of the ruins. It is quite an experience and not to be missed when exploring one of the world's architectural wonders.

 Enjoy your experience of Siem Reap!