Most visitors come to Siem Reap for the temples. The ones who linger discover a second reason to stay: a small, confident craft scene of silk, silver, stone and lacquer. This guide to shopping in Siem Reap gathers a handful of addresses, from a celebrated craft workshop to a lane of boutiques in Kandal Village, so you can carry home something made well and made nearby.
Go in the late afternoon, when the heat eases and the light turns soft. Hours shift through the year, so confirm before you set out.
Artisans Angkor and the Pleasure of Watching Craft Made
Artisans Angkor grew out of a training program for young Cambodians that began in the early 1990s, and it remains the best-known name in local craft. Its Siem Reap workshops produce silk, lacquer, wood and stone pieces, and visitors can usually watch makers at work before stepping into the shop. It is a calm place to learn what quality looks like. Study the hand finishing, ask where the silk was woven, and take your time.
Shopping in Siem Reap’s Kandal Village
Kandal Village lies a short stroll from the Old Market, a few lanes of boutiques, cafés and galleries. Louise Loubatières Gallery, on Hap Guan Street, is known for homewares such as lacquer bowls and textile table runners, with arts and design objects gathered from across Southeast Asia. On the same street, trunkh. at 11A Hap Guan Street sells Cambodian-themed objects, from vintage shop signs to hand-carved wooden buffalo. Both reward a slow browse, and a cold drink afterward.
The Raffles Arcade and the Riverside
For fashion with a Cambodian signature, the Raffles Arcade is a gracious place to start. Galerie Cambodge sells fair-trade clothing and accessories made in Cambodia, among them cotton shirts, scarves and leather sandals. Down by the river, the arcade at the FCC on Pokambor Avenue is home to Jasmine Boutique, known for handwoven Cambodian silk garments and scarves.
The Old Market, for Texture and Spice
Psar Chas, the Old Market, is the place for silverware, silks, spices and stone carvings, and a little bargaining is part of the rhythm. Go with good humor and a rough idea of what you want. Pick up a krama, the checked cotton scarf worn across Cambodia. It makes a practical, lovely gift.
Keep an evening free for dinner, and our guide to fine dining in Siem Reap will help you choose a table. Keep a morning free, too, for the temples at first light, as described in Dawn at Angkor. The best souvenirs here are the ones you carry home from a day well spent.
