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Welcome to Siem Reap
When most people think of Siem Reap, they think of the Angkor Wat temple complex. While the majestic temples are undoubtedly a highlight of any trip to Cambodia, Siem Reap has much more to offer to those who are willing to spend a little more time and explore beyond the temples.
Siem Reap has undergone a staggering renaissance in the last few years, mainly due to the arrival of tourists using the
town as a base for visiting the temples. Despite this recent boom in tourism, however, the Siem Reap province itself,
located on the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake, remains one of the poorest in the country.
Siem Reap town is a cluster of small villages along the Siem Reap River. These villages were originally developed around Buddhist wats evenly spaced along the river from Wat Preah En Kau Sei in the north to Wat Phnom Krom in the south.
Whether you’re a culture vulture, a shopping fanatic or a nature enthusiast, the initiatives listed in the following pages will give
you a richer experience and better understanding of the country and its people.
Sangkheum Center for Children
The Sangkheum Center for Children is a joint project between the Italian NGO Progetto Continenti and the Khmer Angkor Development Organisation (KADO). In the Khmer language, Sangkheum means ‘hope’. Since 2001, we have provided hope for over 274 orphaned, abused or neglected children.
National Center for Khmer Ceramics Revival
The National Centre for Khmer Ceramic Revival (NCKCR) and its young Khmer students are passionate about reviving the ancient skill of creating traditional, high quality, Khmer ceramics that once thrived during the Khmer Empire from 802 to 1432. NCKCR was created in 2006 to revive this knowledge.
Senteurs d’Angkor
Senteurs d'Angkor uses the finest ingredients from all over the country - its Kampot pepper is well-known - to produce high-quality handicrafts such as silk products, hand-made soaps and massage oils, and exotic sculptures. It prides itself on sourcing all its products in Cambodia, from raw ingredients to the packaging materials and focusing on keeping jobs and incomes within the country. Travelers can either visit the boutique or workshop - both in Siem Reap - to discover more.
Samatoa
Created in 2004, Samatoa Cooperative is a community group that specialises in producing silk apparel. Our desire from the start has been to re-introduce the unique quality of natural Cambodian silk using the knowledge of skilled weavers and tailors. Samatoa offers a wide range of quality products made from natural Cambodian silk. We offer tailored, ‘made to measure’ silk clothes in 24 hours.
Centre for Khmer Studies
The Center for Khmer Studies support emerging Cambodian scholars, writers and artists, who almost disappeared during the Khmer Rouge regime. The Center boasts the largest specialized public library in Cambodia outside Phnom Penh, in the tranquil, restored Wat Damnak. It also prints books, research and reference materials.
Cambodian Living Arts
Founded eight years ago by a Cambodian-American refugee, CLA promotes the revival of traditional Cambodian art forms and empowers the students and master teachers to sustain themselves through the arts. Travellers can gain better insight of Cambodia's heritage by enjoying traditional shadow puppetry performed by firelight in the evening.
Artisans Angkor
Established in 1999 to help young people find work in their home villages, the self-financed Artisans Angkor's aim is to revive traditional craft skills. It has so far created over 1,000 jobs for both artisans and non-craftsmen in rural Cambodia. A visit to the workshops will take travellers from raw materials to splendid craft-wares.
Krousar Thmey
Krousar Thmey (New Family) gives material, educational and social support to abandoned and orphaned children, street children and victims of trafficking. It has created a Khmer version of Braille and sign language, and adapted vocational training for students with sight and hearing disabilities while its centres provide a much needed home for the children.