Hi, we are visiting Siem Reap in March and wish to hire an excellent private tour guide. We can ask at our hotel, but would like to see if anyone here has a good recommendation.
Thank you.
Posted by
Calgary
1946 posts
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.
Posted by
Virginia
514 posts
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.
Posted by
9586 posts
Isn't there fighting between Thailand and Cambodia now?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
7526 posts
Yes, there is. But it's fairly limited, and most importantly, pretty far from Siem Reap and Angkor, and I'm quite sure the governments (both of them) would ensure it doesn't spread there. Just stay far away from the Thai-Cambodian border areas and you should be fine.
I'm going to Thailand in April, and family is planning a little side-trip for us all to the far southeast corner of Thailand, on a small island just off the coast and very close to Cambodia. I am repeatedly assured by all that it'll be no problem. (So far, I believe them...).
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Yes, Siem Reap is far enough away from the conflict that it's currently safe, and we are flying in from Vietnam.