Feature Image: Phsar Leu Thom Thmey (Upper Market)

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I came to Siem Reap with the full intention of immersing myself in the local culture, and there’s no better way to dive right in, than wandering around the local food markets, and chatting (or pointing and smiling!) with the locals to familiarize yourself with the fresh seasonal fruit, vegetables, and of course the animals products – some of which are still alive.

I was prepared for the vibrant colors and cacophony of sound at the food markets we visited, but I wasn’t prepared for the disturbing aromas that swirled up my nostrils and stuck themselves to my memory banks.

The challenge with Cambodia is that food preservation in a fridge or freezer is in short supply, so there are a lot of live animals at the market, which are killed and prepared when they’re bought, and any pre-killed meat has to be preserved by being covered into an vibrant red sausages (that I later learned were a chinese-style sweet sausage).

Of course, not all markets in Siem Reap are food markets, there’s the ubiquitous night markets selling clothes, crafts, and souvenirs, and specialist markets selling eco-friendly crafts that support the local community and do a good job at incorporating recycled products into their souvenirs. I made it my mission to see as many of these markets as possible during our stay, whether they were aimed at tourists of just attracted locals.

I was determined to get my fill of all of them.

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BB Angkor Night Market Market (Souvenirs)

The first night market we visited was the BB Angkor Market, which is  located at the western end of Pub Street. It’s an indoor crush of tourist magnets, selling clothes, bags, souvenirs, and artwork.

It’s located in the ground floor of a regular looking building, with a restaurant and rooftop bar above it. This seemed to be the most tourist centric market in Siem Reap located in the heart of downtown, If you have a soft spot for elephant pants you’ll get overwhelmed by the selection. The souvenirs seem more mass-market than unique and the items you see here are sold at other markets across Cambodia.

At first visit we thought this was the main Angkor Night Market and were highly unimpressed. But the following night we walked around the back of the building and discovered the actual Night Market – which was a lot more impressive.

• More info about the BB Night Angkor Market on siemrep.net 

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Angkor Night Market (Souvenirs)

The popular Angkor Night Market, also known as the Original Night Market, has been running for about ten years. This is where shopping starts to get really lively, and you have to have the patience of a saint walking around here, because the stall holders are very vocal and persistent.

It’s located just off the Sivatha Boulevard. Go down the little side street opposite Street 7, which is called Night Market Street. There are over 200 stalls here in an outdoors market with a roof protecting you from the sudden downpours that happened frequently when we visited in November. But they where short and sharp, and a welcome relief from the humidity.

There’s a long row of outdoor massage and pedicure parlors which offer a good vantage point for people watching. And there’s also a hidden food court consisting of a row of numbered stalls. It seems this mainly attracts locals, and the stallholders, but well worth a visit. Read about our favorite food stall #6. Open 7 days a week.

• More information about the Angkor Night Market website

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Noon Night Market (Souvenirs)

The oddly named, Noon Night Market, is smaller than the Original Night Market, and has about 100 stalls. There’s a sign at the original night market pointing to the Noon Night Market, but I have to admit we didn’t venture there, because we’d heard it sold more of the same. Open 7 days a week.

• More info about Noon Night Market on siemreap.net

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Siem Reap Art Center Night Market (Souvenirs)

This night market is located on the east bank of the river, just opposite the Old Market. There’s a vast selection of clothes, silks, souvenirs, bags and purses, arts and crafts as well as a few restaurants, and a couple of massage parlors.

Open 7 days a week. This market was actually quite chilled to walk around because it wasn’t as busy as the night markets nearer Pub Street. It tended to attract more groups of tourists, so the stallholders focused on the sales potential a group could bring, than with us.

We visited here a few times because it’s so lovely to wander to the other side of the river to explore the heart of town, and enjoy some quiet strolling, away from Pub Street, and our favorite street food vendor was only a short stroll away.

• More Information: Siem Reap Art Center Night Market Facebook page

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Made in Cambodia Market (Souvenirs)

This artisans market used to be known as the Well Made in Cambodia market, but was renamed and relocated to the Kings Road shopping area, which is just around the corner from the Hard Rock Cafe.  A visit to this market is a short stroll over the other side of the river, and is a good excuse to escape from Pub Street. It’s open 7 days a week.

The stalls are run by independent artisans, and sell ethically sourced and created items. There’s an eco-friendly tinge to some of the products sold here, as many of them are made from recycled materials like rubber tires, soda cans, plastic bags, and local newspapers. It’s an interesting spot, but if you’re on a budget it’s doubtful you’ll buy much. Forget shopping for elephant pants here, one of the shops (Friends ‘n’ Stuff) sells greeting cards made from elephant dung.

• More Information: Made In Cambodia Facebook Page

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Phsar Chas (Old Market) – (Food & Souvenirs)

One of the most accessible hybrid markets that attracts a mix of tourists and locals is located between Pub Street and the riverside. As well as selling souvenirs, crafts, and clothes, there are also pop-up hairdressers, and all the food produce you’d expect along your high street, like cooked and raw meat, fruit and vegetables, plus herbs and spices, and lots of house and kitchen wares that definitely aren’t targeted at tourists. Open 7 days a week.

Restaurants and businesses and locals head here in the morning to buy their food for the day, so if you want to be part of the action, head here in the morning, but if you want a more chilled experience wander leisurely around at your own pace later in the day, but don’t leave it too late in the hot season, because your nostrils won’t that you for it.

It’s a square covered building with rows of stalls that are easy to navigate, but it gets hot in there later in the day and that’s when the aromas start lingering and the flies are at their most vigilant. It seems like most stall holders have a smattering of English, and each time we walked through here we were welcomed with shouts of encouragement to visit a stall.

If you attend one of the local cooking classes, chances are you’ll be taken to this market to buy the ingredients you’re going to cook with. The seafood area is awash with melted ice, which is used to keep it cold, but if you’re wearing flip flops your going to end up with fishy-toes.

• More Information about Phsar Chas Market
• More Information about Phsar Chas Market on Tourism Cambodia

At night you should still head to this area of town, even after it’s closed, because it’s a lively spot with mobile bars (converted tuktuks) lined along the street between the market and river.

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Phsar Leu Thom Thmey (Upper Market)

Of all the markets we visited in Siem Reap, this was the biggest and most authentic. Our tuktuk driver was surprised when we asked to stop there on our way out of town (on our way to our sightseeing trip to the Landmine Museum and the Butterfly Park). It’s located on the National Road #6, about 3km from the center of Siem Reap.

They do sell clothes, housewares, toiletries, kitchen utensils, electronics and much more, but we went to experience the food market. It’s open 7 days a week, and costs ~$5 round trip. I was looking forward to meandering through this market for an hour or so, absorbing the sights and sounds, but the aromas emanating from all around us meant that we ended up rushing through as fast as we could.

The smell hits the back of your throat and is difficult to shake. My gag reflexes kicked in a few times when the smell of fermented fish sweating in the heat, screamed good morning to my senses.

But the worst smell was of rotting flesh, simmering in the sunshine, being dive bombed by flies. Any thoughts of eating meat while in Cambodia flew out of Red’s mind, and I was beginning to question my decision to sample the fish!

I had hoped to savor some of the street food that was in plentiful supply, but the only fish being bar-b-qued was laying top to tail with the meat, and so I gave it a miss.

If we hadn’t been in such a hurry to escape, and head to our next destination, it would have been good to spend time bartering for a couple of sarongs, which I’m sure were a lot cheaper here that at the night market. Not a lot of English is spoken here, but it caters to the locals so prices are cheaper. You’re undoubtedly going to pay more than the locals, but you should, you’re a tourist, but you can still expect a few deals — if you can just come to terms with the aromas.

I can’t say that this market visit was enjoyable, but it was eye opening and definitely an experience. The sights and aromas stayed with us for our journey into the countryside to visit the land mine museum, and we decided that we didn’t need to visit any food markets for a while. We’d had our fill.

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#SiemReap has a varied selection of markets, find out which ones we loved, and which left us gagging. Share on X

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Flashpacking through Cambodia

Flashpacking through Cambodia: For Baby Boomers on a Budget is my latest Roving Jay travel guide full of travel tips, advice, and sample itineraries for flash packers who want the back packing experience without foregoing some of life’s creature comforts – like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, free wi-fi, and somewhere to plug your electric toothbrush in. I spent almost three months backpacking around Cambodia in 2017/2018 to research this travel guide, and I share insights and first hand knowledge of tourist traps and off-the-beaten-path discoveries. We ate street food, drank 50c beers, and travelled by train, bus, minivan and tuktuk to identify the best ways to get from A to B. If you’d like to receive a free Review Copy ahead of the general public release, please click here. Here’s my Cambodia posts on this blog:

• Cambodia Visa and Arrival at Siem Reap Airport
• Cambodia: How to Avoid the Crowds at Angkor Wat
• Filling up your scooter in Cambodia
• The Best Tasting Street Food in Siem Reap
• Angkor Wat at Dawn: Is it worth it?
• Come face to face with Angkor Thom’s Bayon
• Good vs. Evil at Angkor Thom’s Impressive Southern Gate
• The Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
• Visiting Siem Reap’s War Museum
• Where to Stay in Siem Reap
• Visiting Siem Reap’s Markets
• Give your taste buds a disco at Siem Reap Night Market
• Responsible Tourism at Joe to Go in Siem Reap
• What to See and Do in Siem Reap
• Which Siem Reap Floating Village should you visit?
• Memorable Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang
• Libations and Bric-a-Brac tempt our purse strings in Battambang
• Vegetable Amok at About the World Restaurant in Battambang
• Cooking Classes at Nary’s Kitchen Battambang
• Pomme Bar, Restaurant and Hostel, at the Core of the new Battambang
• An educational trip around Battambang’s Central Market
• Sightseeing and things to do in Battambang Cambodia
• Bayon VIP Bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh Cambodia
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s 172nd Street in the dark
• The challenge of wandering Phnom Penh’s streets
• A visit to Phnom Penh’s Central Market
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s Markets
• Phnom Penh Photo Diary
• Tops sights to see in Phnom Penh
• Touring S-21 Security Prison (Tuol Sleng Museum Phnom Penh)
• A reflective visit to The Killing Fields
• Taking a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
• The majesty of Otres Beach sunsets
• Our Workaway Gig at Otres Beach Market Cambodia
• Working Away to make Cambodian Bagels
• Cambodia Pastry Wars: The Battle of the Quiche
• Our Cambodia workaway gig renovating a market stall
• Unwind on Cambodia’s Koh Ta Kiev Island
• Cambodian Beach Massage and Grilled Seafood
• Building Community during our Cambodian Workaway
• Gecko Village in Kampot Cambodia – a Photo Essay
• Christmas Eve in Kampot
• more coming

 

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