24 hours in Cambodia, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat Photo Tips

Where? The FCC Angkor Avani Hotel

Exactly? Siem Reap, Cambodia

When? August 2019

Why? As part of a luxury press trip to Cambodia and Laos, I was very lucky to be invited to stay at and review the newly renovated FCC Angkor Avani Hotel.

Keep scrolling to see my photo diary of the hotel and some tips on the best way to shoot the famous Angkor Wat Temple….

My favourite part of staying at FCC Angkor Avani Hotel was the floating breakfast I was treated to in the morning. What an insta fabulous way to wake up!

The Hotel

Housed in the historic mansion of the former French Colonial Governor of Siem Reap, the splendid FFC Angkor Avani hotel has undergone a £5.5 million renovation and re-opened its doors in summer 2019.

With 80 beautifully decorated rooms, central pool, open plan lounging areas and lush tropical gardens, the hotel is a serene retreat, perfect for a relaxing in the Cambodian sunshine.

Its fantastic location in a quiet street in the centre of Siem Reap is close to pub street for evenings out, 20 minutes from the airport and a 15 minute drive from the famous Angkor Wat temple complex.

In the evening head to the fairy lit bar for a delicious pre-dinner cocktail under the stars.

The Rooms and Suites

The 80 newly refurbed bedrooms are mixture of modern, colonial and Cambodian style. The colour palette includes soft natural tones, wooden floors, cream linens, with splashes of colour in the accessories and gorgeous patterned tiles in the wet room.

I loved the quirky retro touches like a type writer on the desk from which to create your holiday correspondences and the chic gowns and woven slippers, which I actually wore out and about in the day! They were so chic!

Eating and Drinking

The main hub of the hotel is the grand Mansion Restaurant. A beautiful colonial style restaurant with outdoor seating on the veranda for al fresco dining on hot summer evenings.

The menu is a delicious mix of European, Asian fusion and Cambodian Khmer signature recipes. I highly recommend the mango and coconut sticky rice for dessert, it’s divine!

Every morning the hotel is very happy to create the perfect insta breakfasts for guests. Pictured below, you can opt for a traditional Khmer breakie of noodles, classic dishes like eggs Benedict or there are lots of healthy granola, fruit and light options too.

Me and Dominica @theblondeflamingo cheers our fresh juices at the floating breakfast. Hats by @bambooandwind

What to See and Do in Siem Reap

Angkor Wat of course, it’s probably the main reason you’re Cambodia! The ancient city and temple complex of Angkor Wat is the largest religious site in the world and it is literally a 15 minute drive from the hotel. The world famous temple complex built in  the 12th century as a Hindu temple, which later changed to a Buddhist temple is a truly magical and historic place to visit.

Keep scrolling to see my tips on how to get the best photos at the site.

Tips on how to photograph Angkor Wat

We left the hotel at 4am to photograph the sunrise over Angkor Wat. I would highly recommend the early start as even though the hotel is nearby, by the time you’ve driven to the site, queued, had your photo taken and registered (remember to take your passport and you must cover your shoulders and knees). Then driven from the main entrance to the temple itself, walked from the car park to the best photo spots, you arrive just in time for sunrise.

The sky is actually at its most beautiful and colourful around 10 minutes before the sun actually rises. So check on google what time the sun rises and make sure you’re in your spot at least 15 minutes before that so you can enjoy it in all of its splendid glory!

Try not to follow the crowd to the water, instead head to the temple out buildings to the left of the crowd to get a much more beautiful and interesting frame that you can be pictured in yourself, whilst staying away from the hoards of people. I haven’t edited the people out of the image below, as you can see it’s not too crowded, but it’s fairly impossible to get a completely clean shot.

Once you’ve visited Angkor itself I highly recommend that you visit the Ta Prohm temple which is where Lara Croft Tomb Raider was filmed. (pictured below) It’s a much less busy temple and is way more magical.  You can wind your way through the crumbing walls and through decrepit arch ways and dark tunnels, it’s a great immersive experience.  The giant banyan trees whose roots have grown into the ancient temple walls provide an eerie and majestic back drop for you photos! I loved Ta Prohm temple!!

That’s all from Cambodia and the FCC Angkor Avani Hotel. It was such a fantastic hotel, thank you so much for hosting me. For more information on the hotel and prices, click on the website here.

Next stop, Luang Prabang in Laos!

Bon voyage xx