Siem Reap is all about the temples. So, before the main event, I'll tell you what we did in Siem Reap when we weren't off exploring ancient temple ruins. We ate Mexican food, shopped at night markets, and had our feet nibbled on by sucker fish. 

Also, before checking out the temples, we went to the Angkor National Museum. A few people had recommended this as a way to get perspective and understand the history of the region and temples before going to see them in person. I'm so glad we did and would definitely recommend that anyone going to Siem Reap do the same! We spent about 3 hours at the museum but could have spent even more time. There is so much to see, read and learn.

Finally, the next day, we embarked on our full day of temple hopping. All the Angkorian temples are located just outside the city, so visitors can take a car, tuk-tuk, motorbike or bicycle (it's too far to walk). We decided to see them all and get a bit of exercise by riding bikes with a guide. Although it was supposed to be a small group, Mike and I were the only people that day, so we had the wonderful guide all to ourselves and got to set the pace for the day. Score! In total, we rode 28 km. (Confession: our legs were sore the next day.)

Starting with Angkor Wat in the morning, we explored the most famous temple in Cambodia and then continued on to the South Gate, through the wall to the "death gate," the Bayon, Ta Keo, the terrace of elephants and then Ta Prohm. 

It was a HOT day but oh, so worth it. The temples are magical - you walk around imagining what they looked like in their prime and marveling at what people (okay, let's be real for a sec, slaves) were able to do before modern machinery. I mean, they used elephants to move all that stone! Impressive is an understatement. 

Even though we only had one week in Cambodia, experiencing Phnom Penh and Siem Reap was enough to feel we had a solid introduction to the country.