Siem Reap Pub Street

Bar Street Siem Reap

Pub Street or Bar Street in Siem Reap is located in the town area next to the Psar Chas (Old Market) and is the most popular entertainment and nightlife place

Besides seeing Angkor Wat and other beautiful places here, most tourists and travellers would end up here to experience the Cambodian party lifestyle.

Fortunately, I had my chance to hang around town for a few days since I spent five full days in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Pub Street or Bar Street at Siem Reap Town

Siem Reap Pub Street
The Temple was one of the popular bars in 2009.

Travelling to Pub Street or the main town in Siem Reap is very easy as there are hoards of Tuk Tuks or motodop (motorbike taxis with drivers).

Taxis are widely available, and from your guesthouse or hotel, you can simply ask the bellboy to arrange this for you.

Some Tuk Tuks can also be hired for US$10 to $15 per day, and they will take you anywhere you want.

Siem Reap Funky Buddha
The Funky Buddha Bar at Pub Street.

We hired a young Cambodian Motodop rider as he took us around for our entire stay in Siem Reap, which I highly recommend if you plan to move about a lot.

He was a tour guide in training and wanted to practice his sessions, which turned out excellent as his local knowledge was priceless. His English was perfect too.

And since his young age, he knew a lot about what we wanted to see and do. He would also tell us which places to go and which to avoid.

Photos of Pub Street Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Pub Street main road in 2009.

Waking around Pub Street will be quite an adventure, as the entertainment is endless. You name it, bars, pubs, cafes, restaurants and massage centres dominate the entire area.

I assume this is for something other than the family traveller and more for the single, couple or group travellers. Local Angkor Beer is cheap, and the food selections there are unique.

So, when the sun comes down, you would see the entire tourist population hanging out at Pub Street, downing some Angkor Beer or having some authentic Khmer Meals.

Bar Angkor What?
Famous Bar called Angkor What?.

The one place that started it all is not other than a bar called Angkor What?, which has been in operation since 1999 and is the pioneer bar on Pub Street.

The walls of this place are literally covered with graffiti from travellers around the world. This is also one of the favourite places for many travellers as they are listed in guidebooks.

Also, most pubs and bars have happy hours' meaning cheaper beer before 8.00 pm. Some places even offer Angkor Draft at Pub Street for as low as $0.50c per mug.

If you are a serious beer drinker, keep looking for this; it is so worth it.

Siem Reap Red Piano Bar
The famous Red Piano Bar at Pub Street.

One place that made Siem Reap extra famous was the Red Piano Guesthouse, Restaurant, and Bar on Pub Street.

Here at the Red Piano, Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie and her crew for the movie Tomb Raider made this place their official hangout while making the movie.

They even have her name plaque where she sat in the Red Piano Bar and her picture on the menu with a cocktail named Tomb Raider.

I walked in, saw the chair, and looked around but did not stay as I was hurrying to get elsewhere. Just ask anybody in Siem Reap about Angelina Jolie; she is like a goddess and is highly worshipped.

After all, she and the movie brought in even more tourists and visitors, making Siem Reap one of the bucket list places for any traveller.

Night photo of Pub Street Siem Reap
Night view of Pub Street.

When night falls at Pub Street, the music gets louder, as do the locals, customers, and visitors here. Bars, clubs, and restaurants are located next to each other, serving food and drinks to the curious tourist walking around.

Some even hop from pub to pub, having an Angkor Beer at every outlet. The bars' decorations are stunning and creatively designed to impress consumers.

They already look very inviting from the outside alone, and once inside, you see lovely sculptured paintings, statues of Buddha, and many other Indochina-related decorations.

Siem Reap Massage Price
Massage centre menu.

Massage Centers at Pub Street


If you had a long day exploring the vast Angkor Wat grounds, your legs should be killing you, and what better way than to have an authentic traditional Cambodian massage in town.

Several massage and spa outlets at Pub Street cater to the tired traveller. You have one of the best massages to choose from by simply walking around and checking prices.

The famous Khmer massage is one that you must try, and of course, they have many other types of massages from various parts of Indochina and around the world.

Choices include ancient Thai, Swedish, Shiatsu, and various other styles are available. Prices are dirt cheap, too, so take your time when you are here.

The beauty of these massage places is that they are absolutely authentic, unlike what you find in Thailand, where they tend to offer you extra services.

Unfortunately, you will not be getting that in Siem Reap. At one of the massage centres I tried, the offer was US$6.00 for an hour or US$10.00 for 2 hours.

If that is not cheap, then I do not know what is. I recommend you try it like I did, 4 days of it too.

Some of the beautiful decorations at one of the bars.

Pub Street also has many working girls, so if you are a single traveller or a bunch of guys out to have fun, please be extremely cautious about the girls there.

The Cambodians have a strict law for foreigners who are caught with girls under the legal age, plus there are also many scams that you need to be aware of.

And drugs are always a massive problem with travellers; hence, I advise avoiding any form of drugs, especially in Indochina, where it is readily available.

The strict laws are unforgiving, and I am sure you have heard horror stories of foreigners being caught with drugs.

Bar decorations in Bar Street Siem Reap
One of the wall decorations here.

What I really admire about Pub Street is the decorations in the outlets. All of them are well done, and in almost every outlet or bar I patronized, there was always something interesting to look at in awe.

I am not joking. The effort put into these places is amazing, and I take my hat off to the locals for this.

Siem Reap Bar Street
Exploring Bar Street in Siem Reap.

After a full day of exploring Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, sitting down with a nice cold Angkor Beer and watching the people go by on Pub Street is a beautiful feeling.

Observing the area, I see many travellers enjoying people-watching in the busiest street of Siem Reap, which is common here.

Siem Reap Banana Leaf Restaurant
Banana Leaf Restaurant in Siem Reap.

For food at Pub Street, a good variety is available to suit your taste. There is authentic Khmer food, Indian Food, Tapas, and even Western dishes.

One unique place would be the Pizza joint which serves the 'happy herb pizza'. Look up if you need a clue as to what this is.

They even have Halal Indian food there, so Muslim travellers do not have to worry. Also newly opened is a Tex-Mex restaurant on Pub Street.

Prices range from around US$3.00 right up to splurge, so check the menu outside before you decide what you want. The area also has a 24-hour convenience store for you to buy snacks.

*Please note that this article about Siem Reap Pub Street was done in 2009, and many of the places may have closed or changed names or ownership. And the prices have also since increased from the time of this writing.

Me taking a quick pose in one of the restaurants.

Conclusion

Many people plan to visit Siem Reap as one of the must-visit destinations in Indochina, and when they are here, the number one place to visit is, hands down, the majestic temple of Angkor Wat.

While all the sightseeing is done during the day, most travellers would hang around Siem Reap's city to relax, eat, drink, and just hang out.

Overall, when you visit Siem Reap in Cambodia, it is hard not to find Pub Street, and if you love the nightlife, this place is spot-on and perfect for you.

I enjoyed my stay here, and visiting this area was a great Cambodian experience, especially if it is your first time in Siem Reap.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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