My family visited Siam Reap, and Nicky was our tour guide. My kids were 13, 9, and 8. We had a great time as Nicky knew how to balance the fun attractions of Angkor Wat with the more serious ones. He had incredible knowledge of all the places. He was helpful, funny, and provided excellent places to eat and visit when we were on our own. He arranged other fun stuff for my kids like horse riding through the country side, and visit to Tonle Sap. We were sad when it was time to say good bye, but we’ve stayed in touch with him. My kids really liked him and wish that all tour guides were like him. I recommend him highly!!!
An excellent guide for the whole regionI am still not sure what happy accident bought Yem’s reviews onto my laptop screen while I was actually searching for hotels in Siem Reap. It must have been Kharma!
Yem fully lived up to the reviews I had read. He not only picked us up from the airport but also took us back there (on a Sunday morning), even though he asked only for two days’ payment for the guided tours we had booked. His smile is as beaming as those on the towers at the temple Angkor Thom. His historic knowledge is complete but he does not feel the need to talk incessantly – he knows that you want just to enjoy the moment sometimes. He is a good judge of how much to do in a day – the heat is strength-sapping, even in February – and he took good account of minor mobility restrictions we have.
I especially liked the way that he did not only take us to the most famous sites but also identified hidden gems, where the crowds were mercifully absent. There was never a “why did he bring us here moment”, quite the reverse, we were glad not to have missed them.
On a personal note, I am not sure that it is worth doing the sunrise at Angkor Wat – it’s not a patch on sunrise at Luxor or sunset at Uluru – but it was our choice. Others may disagree, particularly if the morning has less cloud than we experienced.
Excellent Tour Guide for Siem Reap
My husband and I spent four days touring Siem Reap with Nicky. We had the most amazing time.The hire car and driver provided were excellent. Nicky knew the best times to visit each of the temples and other sights so as to avoid the crowds. My husband loves photography and Nicky was very aware of helping him get the best shots. He is extremely knowledgeable about all the sights. And he was able to take us to some very special places – for example a local school – memories that we cherish always.
Best of all Nicky is just the loveliest person. We shared a picnic lunch most days and I will never forget his stories about his life growing up in a local village. We have kept in touch with Nicky since our visit to Siem Reap and we are very happy for him for his achievements in the past few years.
Nicky is a knowledgable guide and a lovely person. We recommend him to anyone wanting to tour Siem Reap. And we hope to return and catch up again one day.
Perfect Tour Guide for Siem Reap
I am still not sure what happy accident bought Yem’s reviews onto my laptop screen while I was actually searching for hotels in Siem Reap. It must have been Kharma!
Yem fully lived up to the reviews I had read. He not only picked us up from the airport but also took us back there (on a Sunday morning), even though he asked only for two days’ payment for the guided tours we had booked. His smile is as beaming as those on the towers at the temple Angkor Thom. His historic knowledge is complete but he does not feel the need to talk incessantly – he knows that you want just to enjoy the moment sometimes. He is a good judge of how much to do in a day – the heat is strength-sapping, even in February – and he took good account of minor mobility restrictions we have.
I especially liked the way that he did not only take us to the most famous sites but also identified hidden gems, where the crowds were mercifully absent. There was never a “why did he bring us here moment”, quite the reverse, we were glad not to have missed them.
On a personal note, I am not sure that it is worth doing the sunrise at Angkor Wat – it’s not a patch on sunrise at Luxor or sunset at Uluru – but it was our choice. Others may disagree, particularly if the morning has less cloud than we experienced.
You can’t go wrong with Nicky!
Nicky was recommended to us by friends, who heard about him from other friends. This grassroots word of mouth really exemplifies the quality of Nicky’s tours.
He was responsive over email, setting us up for a 2 day tour – day one at Being Mealea and the floating villages; day two beginning with a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, Ta Keo, Bayon Temple, and a hospital temple.
He picked us up promptly at 9am on the first day with a Highlander and a cooler full of cold water. On our drive to Being Mealea, he shared lots of information about Cambodia, the culture – from the love of volleyball and what weddings are like – and the climate (we visited in dry season). Nicky’s driver was lovely and navigated some interesting road blocks (random cement pipes in the middle of the road) with ease.
We were hesitant to go to the floating villages after reading about the exploitation on Trip Advisor, but Nicky knew where to grab a boat run by locals and where to go in the village so that we supported locals.
Over two days, it felt like Nicky became an old friend. He pulled us into the right spots in the temples to get the best photos (including taking some of us!) and see the cool details that make these temples so incredible. He knew when to get over to the line to see the top portion of Angkor Wat (we waited for 7 min. tops; when we came down there was a line that easily could have taken 45 min.). Even better – he knew the PERFECT spot for sunrise at Angkor Wat that avoided the scaffolding, and he came prepared with a mat for us to sit and lay on for some extra shut eye before sunrise. He was patient and didn’t rush us as we soaked everything in, but still moved us along expertly so we were able to see as much as we did in 2 days.
Nicky clearly loves to share Cambodian history, and you can feel it when he points out information about each piece of the temples.
I cannot imagine having nearly as good of an experience without Nicky. He’s a gem that you should jump to book.
Logistical notes: We felt the car was absolutely necessary with the heat before we got to Siem Reap. When we got there, it was even more clear how critical an air conditioned car is. I have to imagine the days would be long with children, but the sights are something that will last a lifetime and inspire young minds.
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