Once a sleepy town, Siem Reap is now the base for visitors to Angkor, with international hotels and growing tourist facilities. Close by is the charming Tonle Sap - (Great lake) fed by the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. Most lours of the local area, include a trip to the fishing villages around the lake as well the Angkor ruins. There are also multi-country heritage tours which include river cruises on the Mekong from Cambodia to Vietnam, stopping for several days to explore Angkor.

Siem Reap is your starting point for the World Heritage site of Angkor. Many hotels are located in the town of Siem Reap, which is just a short journey from the site. Close by is tranquil Tonle Sap Lake.

Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian Hindu architecture, with key features such as the Jagati.