City of wonder: Siem Reap

Pub Street.[Photo by Shen Ye/For China Daily]

Siem Reap center is the perfect place to unwind after a busy day at the temples, with most of the nightlife spread between three areas - Old Market, Wat Damnak and Wat Bo - with an abundance of bars, restaurants, markets and massage parlors.

The busiest area is around the old indoor market, where you can buy anything from meat and spices to cheap silk scarves and T-shirts. It makes for an interesting stroll, but for souvenirs I suggest heading to the Angkor Night Market, where the quality is better and the haggling is more relaxed. There is also the Art Center Market for those looking for traditional handicrafts, such as instruments or hand-carved shadow puppets.

Nearby is a small network of alleys full of bars, restaurants, massage parlors and boutique stores. Look for Khmer Kitchen, where you can enjoy a delicious amok or Khmer curry for about $4, while there are also several tasty BBQ places around the much-visited Pub Street, which as the name suggests also has more than a few drinking spots.

Many places offer cookery courses if you want to know how to make your favorite dishes. Expect to pay about $15 per person, and most include a tour of the old market for ingredients.

To give the feet a treat after a hard day treading the temples, a massage in the night market will cost you as little a $2, but it's worth spending more to get a better quality of service. Many spas offer a 60-minute, full-body Khmer massage - similar to the Thai style but less punishing - for about $15, or alternatively you could let the "happy fish" put a smile on your face, with tanks available on most corners for you to dip your toes and let them eat away any dead skin.