Senior travel: Siem Reap
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 83 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Wat DamnakThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 40 min
- Banteay SreiThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 60 min
- BayonThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 75 min
- Ta ProhmThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 75 min
- Angkor National MuseumThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 100 min
- Angkor WatThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 150 min
Getting around in Siem Reap
Siem Reap is hard going on wheels. Temples are stone with steep steps and no ramps, town pavements are broken or used for parking, and heat limits how long anyone can stay out. Book a car with a driver and choose the outer galleries.
- Pavements:
- Broken, high kerbs and parked motorbikes; roads are the practical route.
- Getting around:
- A car with a driver is the step-free option; a tuk-tuk needs a step up. Book ahead for a larger vehicle if needed.
- Hotels:
- Mid-range and upmarket hotels have lifts and ground-floor rooms; guesthouses often do not.
- Toilets:
- Accessible toilets in the museum, larger hotels and malls; rare at the temples.
- Temples:
- Angkor Wat has a ramped path to the west gate and a lift-free upper level; the Bayon and Ta Prohm are reachable at ground level only in part (check).
Medicines and health on the ground
The Cambodia guide lists no medicine paperwork. Check the official customs page for your medicines.
- Dengue:
- Present year-round; the mosquitoes bite by day. Use repellent, cover up at the temples and in shady spots.
- Heat:
- Drink water constantly, wear a hat, take shade and AC breaks, and avoid midday exertion.
- Food and water:
- Bottled or filtered water only; eat where the food is hot and busy; wash your hands or use wipes.
- Rabies and animals:
- Dogs and monkeys near temples can bite; do not feed or touch them. Ask about a pre-travel rabies vaccine.
- Vaccinations:
- Routine vaccines plus hepatitis A and typhoid are usual advice; ask a travel clinic a few weeks before you go.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.