Siem Reap: A Budget Travel Guide for Juans

Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap sits high on the list of many travelers dream destinations. And why shouldn't it be? Consumed by the jungles of Cambodia and hidden for centuries, the city of Angkor is filled with limitless beauty, mystery, and wonder. 

Whether you want to snap amazing pictures of the iconic Angkor Wat, get lost in the ruins of the massive Preah Khan, or channel the spirit of Lara Croft or Indiana Jones in the famed Ta Phrom, there is a way to see Angkor and visit Siem Reap on a budget of less than PHP8,700. Here's our guide to doing it. 

Note: Exchange rate used is PHP52.10 for every USD1.

The iconic Angkor Wat at sunrise

The atmospheric Ta Phrom popularized by Tomb Raider

A two-story pavilion in the massive Preah Khan

Flights
Cost of flights vary depending on your itinerary and where you're flying from. When booked at least three months in advance, the usual cost of round trip flights from Manila to Siem Reap via Cebu Pacific is around PHP8,500 per person. Meanwhile, the cost of round trip flights for the same period from Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap via Air Asia is usually around PHP5,500. 

Of course, there's always the option to look out for seat sales to book the lowest possible fare. Since we found a great deal on airfares to Siem Reap and Kuala Lumpur in Air Asia's Red Hot Sale, we decided to make a dual country trip out of it. We got our round trip Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap flight for 0 BIG points and PHP2,261.15 in taxes and fees per person.  

Airfare: PHP2,261.15 total per person 
Travel Tax: None

Accommodation
Siem Reap has accommodation options that suit all needs, from high-end luxury hotels to cheap backpacker hostels. 

We stayed at Mei Mei Da Hotel. The hotel is about 700 meters from the Cambodian Cultural Village, 2 kilometers from the popular Pub Street, 5.4 kilometers from the airport, and 5 kilometers from Angkor Wat. 

Mei Mei Da Hotel

The hotel features an outdoor pool, garden, and rooms with balcony or terrace. We booked a Deluxe Double Room with Balcony for PHP1,324.28 per night via Agoda as it offered the lowest price with additional discounts through BPI credit cards.

We booked at this hotel as we preferred to have a peaceful sanctuary away from the busyness of downtown Siem Reap but close enough to enjoy the city's main attractions. We also wanted to be able to take refreshing dips in a swimming pool at day's end in hot and dusty Siem Reap. 

However, upon checking in, we were downgraded to a Superior Room without any valid reason. So avoid this property and choose from hundreds of other hotels in Siem Reap. Read: Mei Mei Da Hotel: Unbelievably Poor Customer Service

Accommodation Cost: PHP1,324.28 total per person 

Food
Food is probably the hardest for us to estimate as we do not set hard and fast rules about where to eat and how much food we'll consume. 

We would generally go to somewhere mid range such as small restaurants and fast foods. In some instances, we'd spend more than what was initially planned but mostly feel that what we ate is more than what it's worth.

The local favorite Beef Lok Lak

There is a wide of food choices in central Siem Reap
including western favorites such as Beef Burger

While in Siem Reap we ate at Monsoon Asian Fusion and Bistro in Pub Street, the hotel cafe in Mei Mei Da Hotel, Jasmine Cafe in NR6, Lucky Burger in Sivatha Road, Neak Pean Restaurant near Neak Pean Temple, and Yoshinoya in King's Road Angkor.

Fried Noodles with Chicken Omelette

Chicken from the homegrown fast food Lucky Burger

The average amount we spent on meals during the trip was USD5.20. You can further reduce this cost by eating where the locals usually eat. Street food and meals in the market food stalls normally cost between USD1 to USD2.

Food Costs: USD31.39 or PHP1,635.40 total per person

Transportation
While in Siem Reap you can take the local transportation called tuk-tuk to get around the city. Short journeys to and within the city would normally cost USD1 to USD3.  

From the airport, you may want to arrange your transportation with your hotel. Ours provides free airport tuk-tuk pick-up. We took advantage of it by letting them know of our arrival date and flight details. We also arranged our return transfer with the hotel for USD5. 

Transportation Costs: USD7.50 or PHP390.75 total per person

Tours
All foreign visitors are required to purchase an entrance ticket to the Angkor Archaeological Park. There are three types of tickets:

One Day Pass: USD37
Three Day Pass: USD62
Seven Day Pass: USD72

The tickets are exclusively issued by Angkor Enterprise located along Street 60, Krong Siem Reap. The Ticket Center is open from 5:00AM to 5:30PM daily. Cash and credit card payments are accepted. For more information, please visit the website here. 

Take note that One Day Passes issued after 5:00PM are valid for the next day. If you do this on the day before your intended visit, you'll get free entry into the park and watch the sunset from the temples.

The tickets are required to be presented to the ticket controller in every temple

The Angkor Archaeological Park is huge and a transport service is required to hop between temples. We tapped Angkor Tuktuk Travel for our service in touring the park. The rates vary depending on the type of tour and the type of vehicle chosen. 

For tuk tuks, the rate is USD15 for the small circuit tour and USD18 for the big circuit tour. To include the sunrise tour at Angkor Wat is an additional USD5. To buy the tickets the day before is another USD6 and USD10 in total if sunset tour at Prea Rup is included.

For air-conditioned cars, the rate is USD30 for the small circuit tour, USD35 for the big circuit tour, and additional USD10 for the sunrise tour.

We decided to book a tuk tuk service for USD23. This included pick-up and drop off at the hotel, an 11-hour private tour of the big circuit, sunrise tour at Angkor Wat, and unlimited bottles of cold water.

Angkor Tuktuk Travel and our driver Pin Ton is highly recommended. To read the positive reviews about Angkor Tuk Tuk Travel, visit their TripAdvisor page here. For bookings, email info@angkortuktuktravel.com.

Pin Ton of Angkor Tuktuk Travel

To save more, you can opt to book the small circuit tour and enjoy longer time at the park's most popular temples.

Tour Costs: USD48.50 or PHP2,526.85 total per person

Shopping 
Souvenir shops and markets are conveniently set within central Siem Reap where there are wide varieties of pasalubong options to choose from. Shirts, silks, paintings, jewelry, handicrafts, ceramics, souvenirs, food - you name it and they probably have it. These are also available in stores set up around the temples of Angkor but with limited designs to choose from.

Beautiful paintings of landscapes and sights in Angkor

The night market near Pub Street sells all sorts of souvenir items

To get the best price, haggle. You can haggle on almost everything there. When you decline and walk away, vendors would usually call you back to renegotiate and give you the lowest possible price. 

Shopping Costs: USD10.25 or PHP534.03 total per person 

Quick Breakdown of the Expenses
To sum it all up, here's how much each of us spent when we traveled to Siem Reap.

Item	Cost in PHP
Two-Way Airfare (from KL)	2,261.15
Accommodation	1,324.28
Transportation	390.75
Tours	2,526.85
Food	1,635.40
Shopping/Pasalubong	534.03
TOTAL	8,672.46

Siem Reap is often mistaken as an expensive destination for Juans. But looking at the above breakdown, it can be done without going into the red. Hopefully this guide has helped you learn how to experience Siem Reap and the magnificent Angkor Archaeological Park on a budget of less than PHP10,000. 

Share this to your friends and start planning your trip to the greatest legacy of the ancient Khmer Empire.

More Siem Reap posts:
Siem Reap: A Travel Guide for First Timers
Ultimate One Day Angkor Guide: The Best of Angkor
Seeing Angkor Wat for the First Time

Going Inside Ta Phrom Where Nature Has Taken Over
Bayon Temple: Face to Face with Giants