Angkor Wat What to Pack

Miscellaneous: I wouldn't have make it thru this trip wihout Lonely Planet. Read it rather religiously before the trip, but was surprised to see kids paddling bootlegged version of tour guides (LP included of course) around the temples. They are really cheap and look just like the original, fully coloured!. I got 'Ancient Angkor' for USD5 (Started at USD 10) after much bargaining with a kid in Ta Prohm. But when I was in Banteay Srei on my last day in Siem Reap, a kid was selling it for USD 1!

Miscellaneous: Useful to have some spare passport or similar pics for when you purchase your pass to Angkor Wat - especially if you care about how you look! My kids were horrified by their wilted photos, taken after a lengthy wait at the small office at the AW admin. As I understand it, you can bring your own pic - for the aesthetics and the avoidance of yet another wait.

Luggage and bags: Backpack is best for getting around as it offers more flexibility in a country like Cambodia where everything might not be as convenient as back home.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Sandals are nice but hiking boots come in handy when scampering around the ruins.

Photo Equipment: Zoomie for taking shots of the kids and elevations shots of faraway temples. Wide angle for taking in the vastness of some of the larger sights.

Miscellaneous: D proved once again that she is my perfect compliment not only for traveling, but for life. :)

Luggage and bags: Exploring the Angkor temples require a lot of walking and climbing around. So please bring along a small to medium sized backpack or daypack for you to put your necessities in as you wander about the place. You would want to keep your hands free so you can navigate your way around those dark corridors and steep steps. Keep those shoulder sling bags at home.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: A good pair of sports or running shoes (Slippers won't make it unless you are looking to get your toes cut by some boulder or rock).

Dress in a T-shirt and bermudas or shorts. Jeans might get rather stuffy and uncomfortable once you start sweating profusely.

Bring along your sunglasses, a cap or a hat as it can get really hot in midday. A bottle of sunblock lotion is highly recommended.

If you are going during the monsoon season (October to December), you might want to bring along a waterproof windbreaker or a raincoat as the skies just rip open their floodgates without warning.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: OK, this may sound silly but be sure to bring packets of tissue paper with in case you ever need to take a crap in one of the toilets around Angkor. Some of the toilets don't have any toilet paper at all. Fortunately, I didn't need to do anything beyond taking a leak at one of their toilets, which believe me, wasn't a pleasant sight at all.

Tip: Try to do your 'business' in the comfort of your hotel's toilet every morning before you leave for your explorations.

Bring some mosquito repellant as well as Siem Reap is rather infamous for its dengue epidemic. I suppose the touristy areas are safe but when you are out hiking through the remote areas, you should apply some repellant generously, especially onto your legs.

Photo Equipment: If you do forget about this stuff, you seriously need to be shot..twice over.

Miscellaneous: Have a large bottle of water (1 litre) with you; you will need it.

Get a good guidebook on Cambodia.

Luggage and bags: A travel backpack (size depending on your length of stay) and a day bag.

Day bag essential to put in items such as your guide book, water bottle, torch light, etc.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Leave your heels at home and bring out those rugged walking shoes....A pair of sandals like Teva are good, especially with all the walking you're about to experience in Angkor...

Wear tee shirts and bermudas or 3/4 pants as it is really hot...Do put on some sun block as the sun ca get a bit "fierce" at times...

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Don't be too overly concern about Malaria here...Just use a repellent in the morning and evenings...

I also did bring a mini first aid kit and a small toiletries bag

Photo Equipment: A good camera to capture Angkor at its best...If u're not too into photography, then a normal camera would do...Some people go all the way by bringing their tripod and the SLR cameras to capture Angkor at its best! And the results were fantastic!

Miscellaneous: If you can't afford to get your own travel guide, the one found in the tourist center is pretty good. It has the latest updates for places to stay and hanging-out. Very informative. I went to the tourist center, they ran outta them and the officer asked me to go to Grand Hotel d'Angkor across the street to get one.

Luggage and bags: I go to Cambodia with 2 backpacks. 1 for my stuffs and 1 for daily pack during visiting temples areas.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Cotton t-shirt and cargo pants will be fine. Beware about the weather which closer to the monsoon [on August - September]. Preparing light weight raincoat or umbrella will be fine. Especially if the rain comes suddenly whenever you climb up the temple. Then sneakers or sandals that make you feel comfy in climb up the hill [Phnom Bakheng] and Angkor Wat 'till the main tower.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Tissues and mineral water.

Photo Equipment: Warning for myself, since I love to picturing every single details of the temples so I have to bring more than 1 rechargeable battery for my digi-cam.

Luggage and bags: This book is a great intro to what you might finf there.
It is about the travel that this french writer did to this part of Asia in the beginning of the XX century.
In that times, it was a french colony and the temples were just discovered.
He, as a child, wrote an article on the discovery in a magazine that his brother (who trvelled there) brought, and decided he had to go there some day... and he did!

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Make sure to wear shoes which can be tramped in all day, as well as factoring in the huge number of steps - steep steps - and the general dirt and grime of it all. Open shoes would be a bit of a disaster, from my observation and experience.

Miscellaneous: I can heartily recommended that you bring a copy of Dawn Rooney's "Angkor - An introduction to the temples" with you when you visit the temples. We would read the corresponding chapter at each temple we visited. You'll gain a great insight into the history of the temples. If you don't want to load down your backpack, you can always buy a bootlegged copy from many vendors around the temples for about $3.