Free Time in Siem Reap and Cambodia

Free Time when you volunteer in Cambodia

When you volunteer in Cambodia, you will work with our team in Siem Reap who are all very well travelled throughout the country and further afield in Southeast Asia and can offer plenty of travel tips. There are lots of options for weekends in the town as well as for travel before or after your placement. Here are just a few of Cambodia’s treasures to whet your appetite.

Siem Reap
Siem Reap temple
Thanks to the magnificent temples of Angkor, the major economy in the town is tourism. Siem Reap province remains one of the poorer provinces of Cambodia, and very little tourist wealth “trickles down” to rural communities. In addition to the ancient temple complexes, the town has many bars, restaurants, ATMs, internet cafes catering to foreigners’ needs. There are also dozens of working Buddhist temples all over town, known locally as pagodas. Saffron-clad monks are a common sight on the streets of Siem Reap.
Siem Reap's river
Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter and around the Old Market. In the town, there are Apsara dance performances, craft shops, silk farms, rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary near the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia. There is a lovely riverside garden and shady walks along the river which flows through the town.
Night life in Siem Reap
The area around the old market provides a lively night life, especially along the aptly named “Pub Street“. The town provides for all tastes, with worldwide cuisine from Thai, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Italian as well as menus catering to western tastes. There is everything from quiet cafes, lively bars and nightclubs in the town. Volunteer in Cambodia with Globalteer and experience this special little town!
Angkor Wat and the temple complexes
The temples of Angkor

Most visitors come to Cambodia to visit the temples of Angkor. There are over 100 temples scattered in the area in various states of decay, some in overgrown jungle, some on lakes. Rest assured everyone leaves with their own personal favourite temple!

Some people visit for one day to see the main attractions. We would recommend 3 days exploring the temples to get a much better overview of this incredible period in Cambodian history. On arrival, our friendly staff can advise the best ways and times to visit the temples.

Tonle Sap Lake
Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia

Tonle Sap is the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia and an attraction in its own right. About 10km from the town, the lake stretches almost as far as the country’s capital Phnom Penh. Its size varies enormously between the wet and dry seasons and half the year the waters flow into the lake from the river Mekong. For the rest of the year, the waters flow in the other direction, giving the lake a unique ecosystem.

Boat trips on the lake are very popular and you can visit lake the famous floating villages and stilt villages. Originally home to refugees which have grown into entire communities with schools, shops and houses sitting directly on or over the water. Also venture further to see the wildlife sanctuary which is home to several species of endangered birds and take a kayak through the famous sunken forests.

More great things to do in Siem Reap
Puppet Parade

For a small town, there are lots of things happening in Siem Reap!

From water festivals, dragon boat racing, Buddhist festivals, Apsara dancing to the biggest festival of all at Khmer New Year.

For a low down of events, you can read our blog on the Best Time to go to Cambodia to help you decide when to volunteer.

You could be there for the Siem Reap Puppet Parade or the Pchum Ben Festival honouring the dead.

Pchum Ben blessing Siem Reap
Further Afield
The coast of Cambodia

For a small country, Cambodia has a lot to offer those who have time to travel further afield.

Phonm Penh is a short flight away or 6-8 hours by road and is home to many popular attractions. The magnificent Royal Palace and the restaurants and bars along Sisowath Quay are on every visitor’s list. Along with the more sombre sites of S-21 prison and the Killing fields – reminders of Cambodia’s tragic past and the genocide under the Khmer Rouge Regime.

In the south of the country you will find the laid back coastal towns of Kampot and Kep as well as the lively beach resort of Sihanoukville. There are some lovely unspoilt islands where you can kick back and recharge your batteries as well as jungles, forests and the wildlife havens of The Cardamom Mountains. Buses and internal flights from Siem Reap airport make getting around easy and relatively cheap.

For those who have time, there are also regular direct flights from Siem Reap to other must-see Southeast Asian destinations such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore as well as long distance buses.