The Siem Reap Chilled Backpacker Hostel (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
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I was more than excited to begin my trip in Cambodia. Although this is already the second leg of my tri-country Indochina trip, the first part of my trip in Bangkok, Thailand did not really start well. After being hospitalized and being stuck in the hotel for days, my traveller self cannot wait to pick up things in Siem Reap.
I was working on a budget the entire trip and prior to my arrival, I have decided to book to two different accomodations in Siem Reap. I decided to stay for a night in The Siem Reap Chilled Backpacker Hostel mainly because their rooms are relatively cheap, but also because I've seen online that they also offer Angkor Wat tours which I plan to do on my second day there.
I arrived to a hot and humid Siem Reap from a short flight from Bangkok around 4:30 in the afternoon, purchased a local sim card in the airport, before meeting up with the tuktuk driver from the hostel, which is free as you book a room with them.
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| Hello, Siem Reap! |
We strolled for about 20-30 minutes around town before arriving in the hostel. There, I've seen locals, mostly children going home from school, people riding their motorbikes, other tuktuks going around the city, street vendors selling food and different trinkets and I though, yes, I guess I'm now ready to finally enjoy this wonderful trip!
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| Image from Booking.com |
I was welcomed by the receptionist with a huge smile and an ice cold welcome drink. It was such a great way to start my trip in Siem Reap! Everyone has been very warm and welcoming so far! (Little did I know that eventually I will experience a disappointing incident in the hostel).
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| Ice cold welcome drink for the hostel guests. (No not beer, unfortunately) |
I booked a Deluxe King room with free airport pick up via Agoda which costs me just PHP 650 / USD 13 per night. It was such a steal! While I wait for my room to be available, I also asked the receptionist about the available Angkot Wat Sunrise Tour that they offer and she told me that I can book through her for the next day's tour. It costs about PHP 700 / USD 15. Since Cambodia accepts both USD and Cambodian Riel, I made sure that I have USD with me upon arriving. I paid her USD 100 since I only have that as my smallest dollar bill. (Note this incident as I have some mishaps regarding this) and the girl gave me smaller bills as change. After waiting for a few minutes, my room was ready, and I immediately proceeded inside as it was really hot that day.
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| Deluxe King Room (image by orbitz.com) |
I was very much delighted with the room. I was not expecting such a spacious room for a very cheap price. The king size bed was comforable, with crisp white linens and soft pillows. There's also a flat screen tv with cable, a bathroom with bathtub, shower and toilet, and airconditioning. Pretty much almost everything you can think of to make one's stay to be deemed comfortable is there. The hostel also got good reviews from the site but most reviews rave about this place being a party hostel (they have bunk beds and dorm rooms for travelers in a budget) i.e. loud late night parties and loud tourists, but I didn't care since I only intend to stay there for only a night to avail of their Angkor Wat tour package.
I decided to take a shower and prepare for a lazy first night in Siem Reap. I was still recovering from being sick in Bangkok so I said I needed to take things slow and perhaps skip partying this night. Besides, the Angkot Wat tour I booked will start at around 4 in the morning so I had to make sure I sleep early to get ample amount of rest.
The hostel has an in house bar and restaurant and I decided to have my dinner there. I know I was not supposed to be drinking alcohol just yet, but the idea of an extremely cold Cambodian lager sounds so inviting, and so I did order one to end my first day in Cambodia.
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| An almost empty restaurant. Was I too early for the party? |
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| Lok Lak - a beef stir fry dish with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and a fried egg. If youre wondering where the beef is, its all under the egg. Hehe. Oh, I love the heart white rice! |
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| A bottle of cold Angkor Beer! Yummers! |
I ordered Beef Lok Lak which is one of the dishes that I know I will get when I visit Cambodia. It is pretty similar to the Filipino Bistek Tagalog but this dish skipped the citrus element of the dish. It is wonderfully eaten with the pepper sauce that came on the side. I also ordered a bottle of Angkor beer to end my day as I sit down and stare at the hostel's beautifully lit swimming pool. I was so tempted to take a dip as it was still very hot and humid even on night time, but I thought I have to rest and sleep so I can prepare for the exciting Angkor Wat tour the next day.
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| Taken from The Siem Reap Chilled Backpacker FB Page |
I went back to my room feeling a little worried about the loud sounds coming from the bar. I decided to have all my lights off by 9pm and it was wonderful that it was quiet and peaceful at that time. It all came to an end when a group of young people loudly shouts and party by the pool area at around 12 midnight until almost 3 in the morning. I ended up not having enough sleep as my call time for the tour was at 3:30 in the morning.
With less than 3 hours of sleep, I decided to just get up, take a shower and prepare for the Angkor Wat tour. Since the tour will last until the check out time, I decided to just check out from the room and leave my luggage so I can just come back to it after the tour. While I wait for the tourist bus to pick me up, I thought The Siem Reap Chilled Backpacker Hostel is quite a good place to stay for travelers on a budget. Their private rooms are clean and comfortable, their restaurant and bar serves decent food and drinks in an affordable price. The only downside for me is the noise which I already expected since this is a party hostel. So this place is maybe really not for travelers who wants peace and quiet. However, if you are someone who would like to mingle with other young travelers, then this place is for you. They also offer different tour packages that you can easily book through the hostel reception area.
Just a note thought that you want to be careful with the money being given to you as you receive your change when you pay for anything. It was unfortunate that the lady whom I book my tour with gave me an old 10 USD bill which I did not notice upon receiving it since I am not familiar with any US bills. It was only when I did my first transaction after that last one with her that I realized I was cheated by the lady from the hostel reception by intentionally giving me an old bill. I was purchasing something in Pub Street when I used the 10 dollar bill and the lady told me that they dont accept old US bills anymore. I felt a little sad to think that I know it was deliberately done by the lady. Lesson learned, when traveling to Cambodia, always make sure that you know the acceptable bills whether it be USD or Cambodian Riel.
So shall I recommend this hostel? Yes! Its close to Pub Street, conveniece stores, and restaurants and it is really affordable. Rooms maybe basic but it is clean and spacious. I do think its worth your money.
The Siem Reap Backpacker Hostel
Address: Wat Bo, Banteay Chas, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Central Area, Siem Reap, Cambodia
FB: https://www.facebook.com/siemreapchilledbackpacker
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