Bars and Nightclubs in Siem Reap

Visitors to Siem Reap fall into three main groups - tour parties, older wealthier tourists and then younger free independent travellers. For this group Siem Reap is starting to develop a very lively night scene - not only with fairly global styled bars of that funky backpacker style - the Angkor What? or Dead Fish Tower and Red Piano come to  mind - but also the cool neoon-lit cocktail bars. A good example is the (inevitably named) Buddha Bar in Siem's Reap "bar street." Huge cocktails and tres cool environment.  For something with a little more local flavour the Temple Club (again in Bar Street) offer a free show of traditional Khmer Apsara Dance each evening.  

Nightclubs have become increasingly wesyern in style, unfortunately - because the club scene with a Khmer spin was something quite special. If you're lucky at Martini Club (just over the bridge from Bar Street) the DJ will interrupt his hip-hop and play local Khmer music which absolutely packs the dancefloor. Martini is popular among locals. When you go in you may be patted down for knives (they usually leave locals alone) and when you walk in you'll be hit in the chest by the high decibel sound system.  Settle in: choose tyour preferred beer (Angkor is good stuff!) and that bar girl will replenish your glass all night. Your bar tab will be pretty modest however. This and other clubs are best enjoyed with locals: seeing things through their eyes. They won't let you remain seated: they'll force you onto the dancefloor: and yes - if you're lucky, that's when the Khmer music will be cranked up. Welcome to Cambodian nightlife.