samrong01 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 5:35 pm

ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 4:45 pm @lagrange Thank you for the contrasting view. It's been about two years since I last visited. Still quite liked the town. But I think the coming Chinese commercial invasion will change the north forever -- that is, if it actually happens. I, for one, would be happy it didn't. I'd like to try living there for a while. But that will be a long wait.

BTW, is SR still suffering electricity brown-outs and blackouts?

Yes electricity cuts now are much more extensive than before. Six times a day with durations from 5 minutes to an hour have been happening. Not necessarily for all the city all the time.

I guess Mr. lagrange does not get out much if he thinks that Wat Bo road is the worst. What about the new road parallel to Wat Bo road that has been bulldozed through residential property? Thousands of people have had their houses demolished - dozens in my street. The north and west sides of the old market will be knocked down but work has not yet started on that. My former small lane is now a wasteland which we think will stay that way for months. There is no intention to actually repair any of the really bad roads - only to build roads where none are needed. If they are ever finished they will quickly fall into disrepair when no maintenance is done.

The invasion of the Chinese is really all rumours at the moment. There is speculation that they will be given large tracts of Apsara land near Angkor Wat to build some kind of Entertainment City. Who knows what will happen.

I guess it is in our nature as people to generally focus on the negative (daily news - if it bleeds, it leads). After living and working in diverse places such as Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, Myanmar, NZ and UK, I was looking for somewhere peaceful to retire,away from the crowds, where I could have minimal contact with my fellow man if I felt like it, where the weather was always warm, locals were friendly, accommodation and food not expensive, and living generally easy. I tried PP - too many people, too big, noisy, dirty. Siem Reap is a pretty little place despite the current construction - and as the reply above suggests, you dont have to see it if you dont want to. There are plenty of friendly little cafes and bars, I struggle to find a beer that costs more than $1, I love walking around the river bank area and all the brightly lit food stalls in the evening, the local coffee stalls by day, out of town runs down to Phnom Krom for the crispy shrimp pancakes. Power cuts? Just an excuse to get on my scooter and cruise around town for a while. Will it change? Of course it will, thats also the nature of our world. But right now, me, I have found the paradise I was looking for, and I know a few expats who say the same thing.

The grass is always greener on the other side. If not for the job, I would love to move to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh any day. Siem Reap is just a much nicer place without the constant Phnom Penh crowds, traffic, with actual nature and jungle around the town, places to go for a weekend, and lower prices.

ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:24 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 6:44 pm

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 6:33 pm Tbh for me Siem Reap has been going downhill since 2013

Going downhill for me since 2000.
I still like it a lot but the development is very messy in a lot of areas. Haven't been since mid 2019 but there were too many construction sites and derelict hotels. Some parts of the center are pretty enough and the surroundings can be very pleasant.

^^^ This. It's what appealed most to me when I visited SR, probably half a dozen times at least. The river splitting the east side gave the place a relaxed air of the countryside. And this from lagrange:

There are plenty of friendly little cafes and bars, I struggle to find a beer that costs more than $1, I love walking around the river bank area and all the brightly lit food stalls in the evening, the local coffee stalls by day,

Plus there are some pretty nice apartments in low-rise buildings around town and very decent supermarkets and markets.

However, as the tourist numbers soared, it was bound to destroy Pub Street with its drunken millennials and ear-splitting noise. I'll stop there.

upstairs at Triangle bar was great for an afternoon drink at 35c a beer from 10am-4pm

Mr.November wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:47 am The grass is always greener on the other side. If not for the job, I would love to move to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh any day. Siem Reap is just a much nicer place without the constant Phnom Penh crowds, traffic, with actual nature and jungle around the town, places to go for a weekend, and lower prices.

That's what it used to be like.

ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 3:03 pm

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 11:42 am

ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:24 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 6:44 pm

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 6:33 pm Tbh for me Siem Reap has been going downhill since 2013

Going downhill for me since 2000.
I still like it a lot but the development is very messy in a lot of areas. Haven't been since mid 2019 but there were too many construction sites and derelict hotels. Some parts of the center are pretty enough and the surroundings can be very pleasant.

^^^ This. It's what appealed most to me when I visited SR, probably half a dozen times at least. The river splitting the east side gave the place a relaxed air of the countryside. And this from lagrange:

There are plenty of friendly little cafes and bars, I struggle to find a beer that costs more than $1, I love walking around the river bank area and all the brightly lit food stalls in the evening, the local coffee stalls by day,

Plus there are some pretty nice apartments in low-rise buildings around town and very decent supermarkets and markets.

However, as the tourist numbers soared, it was bound to destroy Pub Street with its drunken millennials and ear-splitting noise. I'll stop there.

upstairs at Triangle bar was great for an afternoon drink at 35c a beer from 10am-4pm

Never been. Next time.

that was back when in 2013, used to have a live band on there in the evenings too was a great place to chill

I guess it all depends what you want out of life. To be honest, the descriptions of how SR has gone downhill make it sound even more like paradise to me. I was nodding all the way through reading lagrange's comment above. If you're the outgoing, sociable, extrovert type, I can see why SR would no longer appeal to you, but if you're someone like me who just enjoys the simple things in life and the occasional beer with one or two friends, SR sounds ideal.

As someone already living in PP, I'd happily swap places with the op, if work and other circumstances allowed it.