Shopping in Siem Reap

my tip is always BARGAIN! always.. you can shave off 30 to 50% if you out heckle the sales person.  Also if you buy more you can always heckle a bit more down like some sort of wholesale price.

basically things that are 18$ you can probably get down to 10-13$ etc..etc.. Old Market is notorious.  If you're going to buy ANYTHING like clothing, be sure to feel the fabric to ensure it's to your liking, also review the stitching and make sure pockets and such aren't abnormal...

if to you got a Khmer buddy, bring him/her with you.. they usually know the prices better via comparison from PP or other markets.

Also, if you buy anything Buddha related.. I recommend not going near Thailand.. they'll jack that stuff right away as they really don't allow that stuff in/out via customs.

Bargaining is really only for Khmer Market's anything Barang (or seems western) is not meant for bargaining..

I just recently did some grocery shopping.. something after a night out at a decently looking 24/hr shop which (BTW) if you see a bottle of 4.50$ Table Wine (Red) from France IS exceptional for it's value. I buy it all the time.

But anyhow as for late.  I have been able to shop during the day at 2 of the larger Grocery Stores/Market Stores.  First being Angkor Market which had a variety of selection and I was able to find Packaged Smoked Salmon (Which was kept way too cold) for $3.60 but not the brand I wanted but bought some anyways. It seems like it was very up to par.  However I was very impressed with the Lucky Market which is located of course in the Lucky Mall which well is Lucky Everything.  I'm sure you can't miss the place if you're in Siem Reap.  The Market has very presentable, it seemed like everything fresh was local but as well packaged and presented nicely at a fair price (at least for foreigners) AND I was able to find the packaged Smoked Salmon that I liked which is from Norway and it was $4.50 which normally in Thailand I buy for 200 Baht which is about $6.66.  The only thing was that it too WAS KEPT at a overly cold temperature.  I don't know why they do that, might be because it keeps longer? Anyways, Lucky Market has a much much much larger variety as well as almost any western product that I needed as well as a nice selection of wine.  I was also able to get some pate for a decent price but they had some there up to $30+.

Anyways, being a Canadian Cambodian in Cambodia possibly going to become a Cambodian Canadian.  I found that mall was a very good place to shop.  Even the Point of Sale system was very detailed.. as products were scanned.. the image if the product appeared.   

so +1 for Lucky Market for Groceries.

Hi, i love shopping and when my company transfered me to Siem Reap, I was so worried where am i going to shop? But because i am going to life an expat life, I say to my self, what the heck, let me try living in a country life.

After six months living here, I have found a few places to shop and these places are:

1) Angkor Shoes - You can custom made leather shoes at this place starting at US$39 per pair. This is my Jimmy Choo heaven. I feel like a rich guy because I can now custom made shoes. This is not cheap hobby if i was back home...

2) There are a few places where you can get factory outlets but I dont buy clothes here as i think is really overpriced for common brands such as Gap, H&M etc. Really nothing special, a basic t shirt can cost US$19. My tips is go to Russian market in Phnom Penh, go to a street shop opposite FOS Outlet. Here you can get Abercrombie & Fitch or H&M T shirt from US$3 onwards.

3) Smateria Bags - Nice Cambodian brand using recycle materials. I treat this place like my own Prada or LV.

4) For groceries there are 2 good supermarkets. Angkor Supermarket and Lucky Supermarket. Just remember, some brands are not available such as my favourite biscuits, Jacobs are not sold here.So better stock up your favourite brands or just ask me!

5) Generally eating in a nice restaurant is really good value for money. I dont think is expensive thing to do even for 3-4 times a week e.g. is about US$6-US10 for a nice meal like a pasta + a cocktail or wine. In fact i find it more expensive to eat street food especially if you come from Malaysia. To be frank, it doesnt make sense for me to eat in street food because is expensive and I am not a big fan of Cambodian food generaly as it is not spicy unlike food from other South East Asian region.

6) Heaven place if you love arts. I recommend go to an art street located near Angkor Wat. Here you can get a nice oil panting for about US$20. You can haggle like hell here. I bought too much paintings here!

7)I shop clothes in old market or new market. Sometimes you cannot help it and buy those imitation but look really good quality Ralph Lauren, Timberland or Lacoste.

8) When you live in Siem Reap, you will change your shopping habiit and will start spending money on wellness such as Spa or Massage which is really cheap here. Yes, you can have a massage almost everyday and you can afford to hire a private massuer. A basic foot massage on the stret is US$1 for 15 minutes.

9) Alchohol and Cigarettes are amazing cheap here but be warned!! It is really easy to turn in to an alcholic with all these cheap cocktails. A Magarita would cost around US$2.

10) If you are earning an expat salary, living in Siem Reap is a heaven. You will be spoilt.

Thank you Dennis Kam!

Aurélie

What a neat post! Thx for your advices, Dennis. I will travel to Siem Reap, Angor Wat n Phnom Penh for Easter. Your advice is definitely helpful.

Thanks guys,

I am moving down in a couple weeks and this answered several of my questions about the basics of shopping. It is those little everyday things which make up life's routines that help newbies most. Great post.