The Old Market
Psar Chas, by the river in the centre of town, is two markets in one. On one side, the food market: fish, herbs, fruit, spices, prahok, the fermented fish paste of every Khmer kitchen. On the other, stalls of kramas, silk, silver, pepper and souvenirs. Go in the morning, when the food market is busy.
Night markets and Pub Street
When the heat falls, the alleys around Pub Street fill with stalls: clothes, bags, paintings, fruit shakes and street food. Pub Street itself is the street of bars and restaurants, closed to cars in the evening. Loud and fun for a drink, quieter one street away.
Small tip: compare a few stalls before buying, and start at about half the first price. Bargaining is normal, never aggressive.
Psar Leu, the market of the locals
The biggest market in town, on National Road 6, where the people of Siem Reap do their shopping. Almost no tourists: kitchen tools, clothes, mountains of fruit and vegetables, and good noodle stalls for breakfast.
Craft workshops
Artisans Angkor trains young Cambodians in the old crafts: stone and wood carving, lacquer, silver, silk. You can visit their workshops near the Old Market and watch them work, then buy pieces made on the spot.
For silk, go to the source: Golden Silk Pheach, the workshop of friends of ours near Banteay Srei, still makes rare golden silk by hand, from the cocoon to the loom.
What to bring home
- A krama, the checked cotton scarf worn by every Cambodian.
- Kampot pepper, black, red or white, among the best in the world.
- Palm sugar, made from the sugar palms you see in the rice fields.
- Silk scarves, and carvings from the workshops.
Photos: Johm Kann / Unsplash