Let's be realistic here. Everyone goes to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat. But aside from the massive flurry of temple ruins, Siem Reap is actually a cool city worth exploring.

On one of the days we spent in Siem Reap, instead of relaxing by our hotel pool enjoying a beer, Michelle planned a packed day that left us exhausted! We checked out the landmine museum (must see), headed to Banteay Srei (yes, another temple), and then hit up the town for a crazy night out.

THE DAY

We started the day with an early morning pickup by the hotel tuk tuk driver.

On the drive, we passed some friendly characters.

A laundromat.

And a nudist.

When we got to the Landmine Museum, things got a little more serious. To be honest, before this trip we had no idea about the landmine problem in Cambodia and Vietnam. In Cambodia alone, there are estimated to be 4-6 MILLION unexploded landmines STILL buried in the ground. There are over 40,000 amputees because of these landmines and on average, 200-800 deaths per year due to landmines in Cambodia. All of these landmines are remnants from the Vietnam War and/or Khmer Rouge era.

With the world littered with problems and tragedies, it's important to highlight the people that are actually making a difference. Aki Ra is one of those people. Growing up as a child soldier in the Khmer Rouge, he actually laid thousands and thousands of landmines in the 1980's. When he grew of age, he switched sides and began fighting for democracy and peace. Since the fighting ended, Aki Ra has dedicated his life to removing landmines from Cambodia, many of which he helped lay, by literally going into the fields and removing them by hand. In addition to disarming and removing the landmines for decades, in 1997 he set up the Cambodian Landmine Museum and School. The museum helps educate both locals and tourists, and the school is for Cambodian child amputees (most of the landmines don't kill; they just blow off an arm or leg). In 2010 Aki Ra was awarded a CNN Heroes award.

Array of land mines and bombs successfully removed from Cambodian soil.

This still a major unresolved problem, but it's inspiring to see that Aki Ra and his organization are trying to make the country safer and the lives of amputee children better (side note: if you want to donate click here).

relaxing tuk tuk drivers siem reap cambodia

After the Landmine Museum, and finding our driver asleep in his hammock (note, the above is not actually our driver), we needed a lunch break to lighten the mood.

So we hit the road again to find a good lunch spot...

We passed a tempting collection of hats...

By the time we got to lunch, we were starving, so we ordered a few dishes of Cambodian food (which we found to be a bland mix of Thai and Vietnamese food - don't tell anyone from Cambodia, maybe we just didn't pick a good place?).

That's not a bowling ball, it's a coconut!

After lunch, we arrived at Banteay Srei temple, and we were quickly reminded of the landmine problem. At the temple gate, a mostly blind, amputee band was playing music for tourists.

landmine victims band siem reap cambodia

Inside the temple complex, we were bombarded with amazing architecture, carvings, and landscapes.

After a long day, we headed home for a nap before dinner.

THE NIGHT

The night began and ended on Pub Street, which is the touristy stretch of bars and restaurants in the Old Market area of Siem Reap. Having relatively low expectations, the six-block square of alleys and streets made for an unexpectedly fun night. We started off with dinner and some Tomb Raider drinks (the drinks Angie Jolie herself used to order while filming in Cambodia - basically sugar and rum).

After dinner, and in between bars, we grabbed some dessert...

It was actually creepy just holding the fried Tarantula.

Actually, no joke, as we were posing and giggling about the crazy array of creatures, some guy walked up by himself, ordered a bbq snake and just bit into it like it was a hot pretzel. I almost threw up on the spot.

The only thing that could cure such a crazy sight, was another drink...

So we zigzagged down Pub Street, stopping at a few different bars, some a little more intense than others...

After many bars, we ended sometime in the wee hours of the night, dancing in the street.

dancing on pub street siem reap cambodia

All in all, Siem Reap treated us well.

- Stephen

PS - According to Michelle, there are a lot of other nearby places to see like Tonle Sap and the Kulen mountain area. We didn't check them out due to overlap with similar things we've done on the trip already, but they are worth looking into.