Siem Reap resources

Have you chosen Siem Reap as your new home? These resources will help you thrive.

Siem Reap is a fantastic place to live. Having spent time in other parts of Cambodia over the years, we have decided that this small town is the right place for us at this point in our lives. You will find countless accommodation options from inexpensive local-style rooms to large houses with private swimming pools. You'll also be spoilt by the incredible range of restaurants, cafes and bars on offer. The expat community is diverse and there are lots of planned events you can attend once you arrive. You will also have access to the largest concentration of ancient temples in the country, many of which you are likely to have to yourself when you visit.

Our aim is to bring together our knowledge of Siem Reap as a destination for new expats looking to move here, and those already living in Siem Reap. 

Siem Reap eating & drinking

The interactive map below presents our favourite restaurants, bars and coffee shops in Siem Reap. This is a curated list, and only places that we know to be great are included. Click the white icon beside the For Riel logo to see all listings.

• Restaurants - all of our favourite eateries in once place. 

• Bars - the best places to go for a drink in Siem Reap.

• Coffee shops - in a town full of coffee shops, these are our favourites.

Siem Reap resources

The interactive map below gives you the location of places that you will find useful when you move to Siem Reap or if you are already living in Siem Reap. Click the white icon beside the For Riel logo to see all listings.

• Markets - a list of the biggest and best markets in town.

• Supermarkets - all of the larger supermarkets in town along with their locations.

• Variety stores - everything you need to set up an apartment and for daily life.

• Thrifting & second hand - discover Siem Reap's second hand / thrifting scene.

• Gyms & fitness - there's something for every budget and new facilities opening regularly.

• Medical & pharmacies - find clinics, hospitals, specialists, pharmacies, a pathologist, and a TCM store.

• Visa agents - tried and trusted places to extend your visa in Siem Reap.

• Pets & vets - a list of vets around town, some pet supply stores and a dog park.

Navigating Siem Reap's administrative levels

It's important to understand the different administrative levels in Cambodia. This will help you in your accommodation search as sangkats and villages are sometimes mentioned in the property listing. Some real estate sites like IPS allow you to filter by sangkat, so knowing which ones you are interested in can save you some time by narrowing your search. Cambodia's administrative levels are as follows.

• Province or municipality

• District

• Commune (sangkat)

• Village (phum or phumi)

Provinces

Cambodia has 24 provinces. Phnom Penh is an autonomous municipality at the same administrative level as the provinces, so that's why the number of provinces is often shown as 25 when it's really 24 + Phnom Penh. They are listed below.

• Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kompong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Kep, Koh Kong, Kratie, Mondulkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Phnom Penh municipality, Preah Sihanouk, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Ratanakiri, Siem Reap, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Tbong Kmoum

Districts

Siem Reap province has eleven districts and two municipalities. The municipalities are Siem Reap town (Krong Siem Reap) and Run Ta Ek town. The eleven districts are as follows.

• Angkor Chum, Angkor Thom, Banteay Srei, Chi Kraeng, Kralanh, Puok, Prasat Bakong, Soutr Nikon, Srei Snam, Svay Leu, Varin

Sangkats or communes

Siem Reap municipality (Krong Siem Reap) has 13 sangkats or communes. The first four listed here are the most central, and tend to be where most expats live. Svay Dangkum and Sala Kamreuk are the most popular, followed by Slor Kram and then Kouk Chak. You can see them on the map below. To have a closer look at the different areas, watch this video.

Siem Reap town is quite small, and from one side of town to the other is only about 6km. The red circle in the map below has a radius of 3km and uses the Post Office as the centre point. Nothing is far, and many people use a combination of walking and tuktuks to get arund. You can really live in any of the four central sangkats and have everything you need very close to hand.

• Sala Kamreuk (blue) - this sangkat includes the villages of Wat Bo and Wat Damnak. It also has the highest concentration of schools, both international and English language, in Siem Reap.

• Svay Dangkum (red) - this sangkat includes Pub Street, the Post Office, and the Siem Reap Provincial Hospital. Svay Dangkum extends south all the way to the Tonle Sap, so you might want to restrict your property search to the section within the ring road.

• Slor Kram (green) - there are some lovely riverside properties in this sangkat. It is a good place to live for easy access to the Angkor Archaeological Park.

• Kouk Chak (orange) - this up and coming sangkat extends a long way to the north. Most rental properties in this sangkat are in the southern section between Street 30 and National Road 6.

The other sangkats are as follows.

• Nokor Thum

• Chreav

• Chong Kneas

• Sambour

• Siem Reap*

• Sra Ngae

• Ampil

• Krabei Riel

• Tuek Vil

*Please note that sangkat Siem Reap is not in the town centre. It is between Sala Kamreuk and Chong Kneas on the way to the Tonle Sap.