Wild: Siem Reap Travel Guide

Across the river from Pub Street

Siem Reap’s nightlife has a centre of gravity. Pub Street, by the Old Market, is where the neon, the happy-hour boards and the loudest speakers in town pile up together. Most visitors fresh from a day at the temples end up there at least once.

Wild sits away from that strip, in the Wat Damnak area across the river. It still turns up on lists of the town’s best party bars, and it has been singled out as an editor’s pick. The reasons are simple: live music and a cocktail list built with more imagination than a two-for-one bucket.

That combination makes it a different kind of evening. You come here for a band and a drink you can’t name in advance, not for a pub crawl.

The Wat Damnak side of town

Wat Damnak is one of the best-known neighbourhoods on the east bank. It takes its name from the pagoda at its centre. That site once held a royal palace under King Sisowath, and the temple grounds now house the Center for Khmer Studies.

The streets around the pagoda are quieter and leafier than the Old Market. They have earned a reputation as the part of Siem Reap where the more ambitious restaurants and bars open. Wild fits that pattern, and a lot of people start the night with dinner nearby and walk over afterwards.

If you arrive before dark, the pagoda grounds are worth a slow loop. Dress for a working temple: shoulders and knees covered.

Getting there after dark

Siem Reap is small, so you have options:

• Tuk-tuk: the default. Drivers wait outside most hotels and around Pub Street. Agree the fare before you climb in.
• Ride-hailing apps: PassApp and Grab both work in town and show the fare up front. That saves a negotiation late at night.
• On foot: from the Old Market, cross the river and head south-east into Wat Damnak. It’s a manageable walk, but some side streets are poorly lit, so use a map app.

Going home, a ride from an app is usually easier than flagging a tuk-tuk on a quiet street.

Ordering and paying at the bar

Cambodia’s money works in two currencies at once. US dollars are used everywhere for prices, while change under a dollar often comes back in Khmer riel. Carry small notes in both. Some bars take cards, so ask before you rely on one.

Tipping isn’t required, but it is appreciated in bars that serve tourists. Leaving the riel change or rounding up is the usual approach. You won’t find prices printed here, so read the menu or ask the bar staff for the current list.

With creative cocktails, it pays to talk to the bartender. Say what you usually drink, sweet or bitter, gin or rum, and let them steer you. A greeting of “sues-dei” (hello) and “aw-kun” (thank you) goes a long way. If a band is playing, keep your conversation down during the set. Clapping between songs is normal.

Building a night around it

Wild works as either end of the evening:

• Early: dinner in Wat Damnak, then cocktails and the band while the room fills.
• Late: an hour of noise on Pub Street and a look round the Angkor Night Market, then cross the river for something less frantic.
• Riverside: the walkways along the Siem Reap River link the two banks, a pleasant stroll between stops.

Watch the clock if you’ve booked an Angkor Wat sunrise. Temple tours usually leave the hotel before dawn, and a night of live music and a 4am pickup don’t mix well. Plan your big night for an evening with a lie-in after it.

Before you head out

Wild is a newer name on the Siem Reap scene. Bars like this change their nights, line-ups and hours more often than the old Pub Street fixtures. Check the bar’s official social media or website for current opening times, the night’s music and whether you can book a table.

Live-music nights tend to draw the biggest groups. If you’re coming with friends, a message ahead is the safest way to get somewhere to sit.