Siem Reap - what I've done and advise you to do

1. Art Center Night Market

The first evening, as we walk along the river, we arrive at a colorful enlightened market. We adventure us through the merchants. There's jewelry and clothes stalls but mostly paintings and sculptures related to Cambodian landscapes or Buddhism.

2. The famous fish "massage" (by Tobias)

There is no chance, that you'll miss this weird but famous attraction around Siem Reap. More or less big aquariums are spread over the whole city center filled with hungry fishes waiting to eat the dead skin of your feet. For me this sounds more strange than welcoming, but as I never did, I can't resist to give it a try. Mallaury already did the fish massage in Taiwan, so she encourages me to get barefoot, sit down on the bench and hold my naked feet into the mouth of "thousands" (maybe not) of small hungry fishes. When you first touch the water, every single fish in the aquarium swims to the point and tries to reach your foot. The first five minutes, it feels more like something is constantly tickling your feet and I'm not very good in taking that. As I laugh like an idiot I put my feet in and out the water. Especially when they are at the sole of your feet, it has more of a torture than what I expect under a relaxing massage. When your sole is finally grounded at the floor and the rest of your feet are getting used to it, I can see better why they call it a massage. After a long day of walking, it feels actually kind of releasing to let the fishes eat your dead skin.

However for 3$, this is indeed one of these ridiculous but funny must-do in Siem Reap.

3. Pottery class at the Khmer Ceramics Center

As it can be fun to see ourselves doing pottery, traditional Khmer art, we book a class.

For $20 per person you can create 5 pieces with the staff's help for the first ones, then decorate it and bring one at home.

The staff is really nice and helpful. They try not to joke too much our disability.

After few minutes, we're covered by clay. We have our fun this afternoon. At the end they bring us back by tuk tuk to our place for free.

4. Cinema screening : The Killing Fields

In the city center we fin randomly a cinema where you choose your movie among hundreds and watch it privately for $5 per person.

As being far away from home doesn't mean that I forget my love for cinema, it's perfect.

We choose to watch a movie about Cambodia's history. Even though we already watched it before, we pick The Killing Fields by Roland Joffré (La déchirure, in French and The Killing Fields – Schreiendes Land, in German).

Around the beautiful collaboration and friendship of two reporters who are separated when the Khmer Rouge win the civil war in 1973, the movie shows the terrible situation in Cambodia under their leadership. The American Sydney Schanberg, journalist for the New York Times reporting about the Cambodian Civil War, has to fly back to America and let behind him his Khmer colleague and friend, Dith Pran. The character Dith Pran brings you through the misery lived by millions of Cambodians in the rice fields under the worst fears.

What a deep feeling to be in front of such a movie in the country where it takes place, and mostly where these tragic events and their unimaginable violence happened.

I advise you genuinely to watch this movie. (Je vous conseille vraiment de regarder ce film.)

5. Rent a bike

At first, we consider renting a scooter, as we did in Sihanoukville. But we're informed that it's forbidden for tourists to drive a scooter in Siem Reap, even with possessing an international licence.

We rent a bike instead, for $1 per day.

Siem Reap has a concentrated city center and everywhere is flat. A bike is in fact a good mean to go through the streets and along the river, the days when the temperature allows it.

6. Eat Khmer : try the amok fish (by Tobias)

"Amok" is a traditional Cambodia dish served everywhere in the country. The actual word Amok refers to the process of cooking a curry in banana leaves, in which the fish is baked, as well. It is served as a thick coconut soup with lemongrass and other tasty vegetables... inside an empty coconut!

As we were told, Cambodians see Amok as a dish for special occasions, at birthdays or weddings.

It looks and tastes simply fantastic, don't hesitate to try !