Cambodia - Angkor Wat

This is the guide we used in early 2024: https://jamestoursguide.asia He was excellent to work with. He communicated with us with a suggested itinerary in advance, and adjusted it accordingly to fit with a couple of specific requests we had. He was knowledgeable, thoughtful, and personable and really helped us to have a great experience. His English is very good, and he is a very nice person, too. We toured with him for 4 days: 2 at Angkor Wat and the other temples in the area, 1 to Tonle Sap lake and an elephant sanctuary (which I booked separately, but James and his driver drove us there and back), and 1 to Beng Mealea and Koh Khe.

However, he contacted us after our trip, asking to borrow money. I've no doubt the need was genuine, as a lot of people in the tourism industry in Cambodia were still struggling with the aftermath of having no tourism in 2020-2021, and slower-than-usual tourism afterward, and they received no government assistance whatsoever. So, it may be that the request was an unusual circumstance that wouldn't be repeated. I did feel that the request was inappropriate, though.

I don't want to discourage you from booking with him. If you do, you will have a great experience. But I also can't make a recommendation without also including that information.

Typically when a first time poster asks for a guide recommendation, and gets a reply with one, it’s a set up, but BB’s response is obviously legit. I visited Angkor on a tour so it wasn’t a concern, but I would say, don’t worry about it too much, if you’re staying at a decent hotel ask them and you’ll be fine.

Isn't there fighting between Thailand and Cambodia now?

Yes, Siem Reap is far enough away from the conflict that it's currently safe, and we are flying in from Vietnam.