Phnom Penh

Accommodations

Aquarius Hotel: 4-star hotel that I booked, arrived into, and promptly checked out of the same day. This hotel has a wonderful rooftop pool but I found their rooms disappointing and buggy - literally. After seeing multiple dead bugs in my bed (not bed bugs) but nonetheless gave me the hebegebees, I left.
La Rose Boutique Hotel and Spa: 4-star hotel I booked on the fly while checking out of the Aquarius Hotel above. There are less than 20 rooms at La Rose so you definitely feel taken care of with a very friendly staff. The rooms at La Rose are quite large and very comfortable. My booking also came with a free one-hour massage but I honestly didn't have time to use it within the short 36 hours I was there as I had packed my daytime/evening schedule. There's also a restaurant on site which was fine. Every time I was down there I was the only one there, which was kind of a strange feeling, but it's also because the hotel is small and I went during off peak times.
White Mansion: 4.5-star boutique hotel. This was actually my first choice for where I wanted to stay in Phnom Penh, but they were unfortunately fully booked. Fun historical factoid, this used to be the residence of the US Embassy! When I return to Phnom Penh, I will look to see if I can get in here.
Plantation: 4-star hotel hotel that still calls itself "boutique" but with expansions, is getting on the large side. This is the other hotel I had toyed with booking for my trip prior to landing on Aquarius. This has a solid reputation and very centrally located.

Sites/Tours

Vespa Adventures: Pop on the back of a Vespa to buzz through the city and hidden treats off the beaten path! Love this company, did a variety of tours with them as it's always small groups and between the guides, drivers and other guests, you get to know a fun and friendly bunch!
- "The Insider's Phnom Penh": I did this tour in the morning vs the afternoon due to the heat of the day. This is the best way to get a flavor of the city as a whole. My favorite areas to see were the market and street art area.
- "Phnom Penh Nightlife Experience": This tour is the favorite of the staff as it's a let-loose kinda time. Be whisked away to different spots in the city for drinks and local street food.
S-21 Prison and Choeung Ek Killing Fields: Visiting is heart wrenching and angering to see such atrocities, but I absolutely recommend going to learn and pay respect for the victims of this genocide. The prison and killing fields are at separate locations, you should dedicate at least half a day for this.

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Siem Reap

Accommodations

Viroth's Hotel: 5-star boutique hotel in Siem Reap. I stayed here four nights and everything from the room, service, pool and breakfast, was fantastic. This will be my first choice of stay for any time I go back to Siem Reap. Check out my TripAdvisor review.

Sites/Tours

Angkor Temple Complex: Inclusive of the well-known Angkor Wat, learn more about this UNESCO heritage complex here. To visit, you'll need to get a one-day or three-day pass and transportation. I strongly recommend hiring a tuk-tuk for all the days you need and if you want a guide to go with you, you can arrange for that as well (I did a guide for only one day). Also don't forget to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated and dress appropriately (gals this means wearing clothing that goes below the knees and having shoulders covered, no spaghetti straps or shorts).
- Angkor Wat: This is the most recognizable temple of all the temples in the Angkor complex. Because the of the lakes in front of the temple, it creates an amazing visual at sunrise with the different colors playing off a mirror effect of the temple.
- Small Circuit: If you only have day to visit, the small circuit is a good way to see the big ticket items in the complex. This includes temples such as; Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayon (the one with the faces on each tower), Ta Phrom (known from "Tomb Raider"), Baphuon (the top has open doorways to the sky) and Elephant Terrace.
- Grand Circuit: If you have 2-3 days to spread out visiting the temples in the Angkor complex, you can also get to temples further outside of the central area. This includes temples such as; Banteay Samré, Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Preah Khan and Neak Pean (small temple on a mini island, the walkway over the water to get here is nice).
Landmine Museum: If you are doing the Grand Circuit, definitely stop off at this museum as it's also a bit out of the central area but completely worth going to. Keep in mind this museum started off at someone's home, so you aren't going to roll up to a giant concrete official looking building but the content inside is extremely good.
Pub Street: The main drag of the city, this is a pedestrian only area where you can find tons of restaurants and bars pounding out Western music and if you need a photographic snack you can buy fried tarantulas, snakes and maggots from the bug stand. I did not partake in this but watched a friend dig into it, hey, to each their own.

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