Two Days Angkor Tour

Posted By : D767IEannal
Dara came highly recommended by friends and we were very happy we took their advice and booked two days with him. Dara was easy to contact via WhatsApp, promptly replied with info, cost and suggested itinerary. We tweaked it to suit our family and it worked beautifully. His vehicle was excellent.
Dara is very knowledgeable about the temples, the history of the region and also about modern day Cambodia so we were able to ask various questions and learn a lot from him.
I e we hold absolutely recommend you book with Dara.
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Posted On : 2023-07-03 01:48:25

Posted By : Ranjinidg
Hi,
I have just returned from Siem Riep, Cambodia and had an awesome time.

We had a great guide Dara Rann (+855 12 784 448)
who was wonderful with my family and my 2.5 year old daughter. Dara was flexible and accommodative of our changing of our schedules and our dates. He especially looked for and found an electric handheld fan for our sweating baby who loved it. He took us to some amazing restaurants for Cambodian food that only the locals go to. We tasted such mouth watering dishes that you don't usually get in restaurants, thanks to him. He saw us off with a lovely bottle of peanuts that he had roasted himself with lemongrass and fried garlic. He was also very knowledgeable about the temples that we went to and I can testify to that as I am a Hindu and a voluntary Museum Guide at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. So, seek him out if you are going to Siem Riep.

This was our itinerary:

Elephant sanctuary (a must do - we got to feed, bathe and walk with the elephants in the forest)

Apsara Theatre Dinner and Dance which was a lovely experience with the beautiful music and graceful and expressive dancers. My little daughter was dancing away uninhibitedly in the audience, following the dancers' every move. The food was heavenly...what an array of deserts!

(You can get a combined deal for the elephant sanctuary and the Apsara Theatre Dinner and Dance - 90 USD per person from the Apsara Theatre. You can contact them on Messenger from their Facebook page. The dinner dance is currently held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Dara organised this for us.)

Angkor Wat in the sunrise which is a sight to behold. Angkor Wat is the world's largest Hindu temple complex.

Ta Phrom

Bayon

The temples were magnificent and reminded me of the strong cultural ties that Cambodia has with India.

We wanted to do the tethered balloon ride but the weather was not good that day. Sunset over Angkor Wat is said to be amazing from the balloon.

Apopo volunteer centre where you get to watch and interact with the hero rats from Africa who can smell out mines and bombs and tuberculosis! It was an amazing experience. You need to call them and let them know that you are coming.

The National Museum with the beautiful sculpture of Cambodia is a must visit for anyone interested in Cambodia's history and culture.

Phare Circus with the incredibly flexible performers who performed impossible feats. What I liked best is the stories that they built into their performances and the beautiful accompanying music. The high energy performers energised the crowds. There is also a food Bazaar held in the circus premises where you can have a meal before the performance in the evening. (8 to 9 p.m.). You need to wear a mask here.

Khmer Ceramics - Pottery Class. We had fun learning to use the potter's wheel and made an array of ceramics.

We wanted to do the Khmer Cooking Class with Beyond Unique Escapes. But couldn't go that day. They are available on Trip Advisor too. They were very understanding and refunded us for it.

Kulen Mountain and waterfall and river of a thousand Lingas and the reclining Buddha. This was an amazing visit.

Banteay Srie Temple which is very pretty.

Kampong Kleang floating village where we took a 2 hour boat ride amongst the houses on the Tonle Sap lake where you can't see the horizon and it looks like you are on the sea.

Restaurants we liked -

Bongkong Dot Seafood Restaurant Riverside

Jomno - Modern Khmer Cuisine

Chanrey Tree

Sugar Palm Restaurant

The Hut

Romchong Restaurant

And especially the local restaurant without a name that Dara took us to.

Our hotel was a very comfortable but no frills hotel - Vihara Angkor. It is run by a Polish gentleman, Jerry, who was a wonderful host who entertained us with his guitar. The rooms were large and comfortable, it was well located in the city centre and the staff was very helpful and caring.

The Food Panda app works there.

Get a Cambodian sim card from just outside the airport. You can download the Passapp and give the Cambodian number and call Tuktuks or Remorques (the larger version) at the preset rate on the App.

Grab also works there to call Tuktuks or Remorques.

Carry US dollars with you in Small bills. Also get some Khmer Riel. You can pay the Tuktuk drivers with them. Don't fold the notes at all. They are rejected if they have the slightest crease.

The Angkor one day pass can be used twice within a period of 5 days to see the temples in and around Siem Riep.

You can try the night market for souvenirs.

We also went to a wholesale shop. Chum Theany Angkor Souvenir Shop.

But bargain in these shops- We usually paid around 60 percent of what was asked for.

Hope this information is helpful to people travelling to Siem Riep. The people there are very dependent on tourism and it is still nowhere near the pre pandemic levels, so you will not face crowds anywhere. They are very grateful to people from all over the world who are travelling there.
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Posted On : 2023-05-29 21:01:24

Posted By : Chanelle_Parker
Dara is a lovely man, it was a pleasure to spend time with him during our 4 days of temple touring. He was excellent on WhatsApp beforehand and was super accommodating, while we changes the plan each day around our 4 year olds needs! Nothing was too much trouble and he catered to all our wishes. I would recommend anyone to book with him, you won’t be disappointed.
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Posted On : 2023-01-15 22:10:11

Posted By : stella24601
We did the two days Angkor that included:

- Angkor Wat
- Taprohm
- Bayon
- Kulen mountain: River of thousands lingas and waterfall
- Old city of Rolous

We had a wonderful time with Dara as our guide. Dara was prompt to collect us in his SUV and had cold bottled water for us. He was very knowledgable and had an answer for every question, and was so enthusiastic about the history, geography, culture and beauty of Angkor.

But what was most important to us is that he was so great with my hyperactive pre-schooler. Dara was very kind with him, explaining what he could in an age-appropriate way and involving him in the tour. My kid was very happy to take his hand and be led around. Dara was very patient, helpful and just lovely when my kid just wanted to run around. I told Dara from the start that we needed flexibility for my child above everything, and Dara delivered.

Thank you for a memorable two days!
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Posted On : 2022-12-06 00:45:45

Posted By : namrata2016
Dara and his team was one of the best things we planned for Cambodia.They were prompt to pick us up from the hotel ,serve with cold water and advise us to pack breakfast before the sunrise tour in Angkor Vat along with a comfortable SUV car. Since we were travelling with our parents ,he was very cooperative to park the car near the visit so we didn’t have to walk too much .I will highly recommend his group for making any bookings in Angkor Vat
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Posted On : 2022-10-28 22:09:57

Posted By : Gillian R
We booked Dara for a day tour of Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm. Since we were touring with a fussy 3 year old child, we were time-bound as we didn't want to stretch ourselves. Dara managed our time perfectly and paced ourselves well. He pointed us towards the best photo spots and was quite patient when we needed a break.

I would definitely use his services again.
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Posted On : 2022-08-16 09:53:30