Siem Reap City by the dark: a Tuk tuk ride tour (Pub Street and Night Market)

Type: Seam Reap City Centre Tuktuk Tour

Date: 27 June 2019 (night)

Mode: Tuk tuk ride and some walks

Duration: 5 hours (5:30pm to 10:30pm)

Fare: 10 USD (Included in the day tour to Angkor Temples)

Difficulty: Air and noise pollution

Highlight: Pub Street, Night Market, shopping for give away, Tonle Sap River by night, street food

After a long day walking cum tuktuk ride tour, my driver picked me up at the western side of Angkor Wat. The location was just at the road near the bank of the moat. His return and subsequent touring around the city had laid the foundation for my trust in him.

We then bought some pre-cooked meat at the market, returned to his house and ate for dinner. I immediately took a bath after dinner and at 9:00 pm we started to roll and went to Siem Reap city center.

The center is around 10 minutes  away from his house including traffic during the early evening rush. We then passed by the usual road entering the city center, went to the old market, then to the post office and the Tonle Sap River bank. We also went to to the Night Market. The market is prominently located because it is at the bank of the river and is brightly lit at night.


Inside the market are stalls selling mementos like metallic and wooden figurines, sculptures, scarves, shirts and other stuff intended for gifts back home. I discovered that the 2-dollar  shirt in Angkor area was only 1 dollar there. Also, the bell which was offered to me at 15 USD in Angkor Wat was given for 4 USD at the Night Market. I mentioned this only to let you imagine the difference in prices especially if you are on a tight budget.

I invited my driver together with his son for a snack but he declined. We continued going around the city again until we passed by the Pub Street. It is a relatively short street with pubs, disco houses, massage parlors, hotels, and other entertainment boutiques.

Along the street there are also peddlers selling exotic street food like tarantula, scorpion, etc. I saw a white woman giggle in hesitation as she took on the challenge of eating a fried spider. It was 1 USD per piece. There is also an aquarium full of fish used to massage the feet. People were giggling of the sensation as their feet are bitten by small fish.

I walked along the street and took a video of people walking in curiosity, others seated drinking beer and spirits, having conversation, dancing and nodding their heads to the upbeat sounds of a live band. I did not intend to drink or enter into the establishments though. My time of merriment with such kind of entertainment was gone. I enjoyed them to the full when I was a bit younger. It delights me though to see the entertainment centre of Siem Reap and watch people young and old, man and woman, gay and lesbian, locals and visitors join together seeking for happiness in life in whatever form.


After reaching the end of the street, I went back to where they are parked and told the driver that we can already move to other places. We then visited the driver's wife and he introduced me to her. She has blemish-free and fair skin. Her height is around 5 feet. Her gait reveals a submissive aura. She works as a housekeeper at a hotel there. She is on an afternoon shift (1pm to 11pm).

The driver also introduced his friend to me. He is also a tuktuk driver. He knows how to speak basic English. To spice up our conversation, I asked if he could buy beer for us. He invited me to ride in his vehicle as we left to buy beer near a store along the side of the street. We bought 2 cans for each of us including my driver. When we went back, the son of my driver already started to enjoy playing near the roadside. So, we continued our conversation while watching him play. I realised how difficult it is also to live a life like a driver and depend on it for daily living.

After I finished my first can of beer, I already felt sleepy. The wife of my driver also noticed me nodding in sleepiness so she told her husband to send me home and take a rest. I never hesitated to agree when my driver invited me to go home. Besides, I started to feel my exhaustion from the whole day tour.


When we arrived at his house, I took a bath first before I slept. I really felt relieved by the cold water flowing all over my body. My back was also relaxed as it touched the soft bed prepared by the driver. As soon as I lied down, I just felt the wind coming from the fan like a massage to me. It had effectively drowsed me and made me sleep. I only gained consciousness when I heard the first crow of chicken at the neighborhood the following morning.