Siem Reap: What to Know Before You Go

Short answer: buy a three-day official Angkor Pass so you can split your temple walks into cool early-morning and late-afternoon sessions with a poolside break at midday, inspect any US banknotes carefully for tiny tears, and arrange a trusted remork driver for your stay.

How the official Angkor Pass works

Entry to all temples inside the UNESCO park (including Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm and outlying Banteay Srei) is covered by the single Angkor Pass, issued in 1-day, 3-day (usable on any three days within a ten-day window) or 7-day versions. Purchase it either online through the official Angkor Enterprise website or mobile app, or in person at the official ticket hall on Road 60 four kilometres east of town, where a webcam takes your photo on the spot and prints it onto your pass (or generates your digital QR code). If you buy your ticket at the counter after late afternoon, entry for sunset that same evening is included on the following day's pass. Note that a few distant jungle temples outside the core park, notably Beng Mealea and Koh Ker, check tickets separately or under updated Angkor Enterprise rules; verify on the official portal.

Pacing the temples around midday heat

Walking across exposed dark laterite and sandstone causeways between late morning and mid-afternoon is exhausting. Seasoned visitors follow a two-part daily rhythm: head into the park at dawn with your remork tuk-tuk driver for four hours of morning exploration, return to your Siem Reap hotel for lunch and a swim during the hottest hours, and head back out for late-afternoon light when tour buses have departed.

Dual currency, pristine banknotes and Bakong Tourist QR

Cambodia operates a dual-currency system using both Cambodian riel (KHR) and US dollars, with small change routinely handed back in riel notes (there are no coins). Crucial local rule: Cambodian banks and merchants refuse foreign banknotes with even a tiny two-millimetre edge tear, pinhole, ink stamp or heavy crease. You can also download the official Bakong Tourists app (supported by the National Bank of Cambodia) to top up via Visa or Mastercard and scan local KHQR codes across cafés, markets and restaurants.