Letters from Indochina (Part 6)

This entry is part 6 of 43 in the series Letters from Indochina

April 5, 2025

Letters from Indochina (Part 6)

By Simon J. Lau

Today, I arrived in Siem Reap, a town in northwestern Cambodia. While it’s known for its markets and nightlife, most visitors come for one reason: to see Angkor Wat. I’ll be here for five days, so I’m letting myself ease into things. First on the list: lunch.

I had chicken and rice, a simple and satisfying start. Portions in Cambodia are noticeably smaller than in the U.S., which probably explains why so few Cambodians are overweight and why so many Americans are. Still, I’ve always felt the servings here run small. That hunch was further confirmed when I overheard a Chinese couple order a second entree because they were still hungry. And let’s be honest, the Chinese aren’t exactly known for overeating either.

I hadn’t ordered seconds until now, but hearing them gave me the confidence to do the same. For my second dish, I went with amok, the same entree I had on my first day in Cambodia. (Although the place in Phnom Penh did it better.) I kind of regret it. One dish was too little, but two was too much. The food, combined with two large beers, really did me in, and I ended up crawling back to my hotel for a long nap.

When I finally woke up in the evening, the heat had started to break. My hotel sits beside the Siem Reap River, a slow-moving, tree-lined waterway that winds through the center of town. The river isn’t particularly scenic, but it gives the area more character, its still, tea-colored water reflecting the greenery along its banks. Simple pedestrian bridges, some painted in bright colors, others plain and utilitarian, arch gently across the water, linking both sides of the riverfront.

A few blocks away, the river widens at a point where a large fountain sends jets of water high into the air. At night, it transforms into a light and water show, drawing crowds who gather along the banks to watch the colors ripple across the mist.

Along the river is the Riverside Night Market, a casual open-air market with food stalls and vendors selling everything from clothes to trinkets. I picked the food stall that seemed busiest with locals, figuring it had to be good, and sat down for dinner. For a street stall, the prices were on par with the sit-down restaurants I’ve visited elsewhere in Cambodia, which made the disappointing food even harder to swallow. Still, the setting helped redeem the experience. It was warm, but sitting by the river with a cold beer felt like the right way to end the evening.

On my way back to the hotel, I walked past Pub Street. It’s a neon-lit strip packed with bars, clubs, and restaurants, all blasting music and catering almost entirely to tourists. Both Pub Street and the night market draw big crowds, but unlike Riverside, where you’ll still see locals enjoying a meal with friends or family, Pub Street feels like a total tourist trap. I walked in, took one look around, and walked right back out. There was nothing there I hadn’t seen many times before, and honestly, it’s just not the vibe I’m going for anymore.