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Voykit pocket guide · Cambodia
Koh Ker
កោះកែ
One day is enough for the main temple complex; skip overnight unless you want a 2‑day 4WD or bike tour.
Koh Ker is a remote Khmer temple site about 120 km northeast of Siem Reap. The main pyramid and a handful of nearby sanctuaries can be explored in 2–3 hours, making a day‑trip from Siem Reap realistic. Longer stays are only needed for 4WD or motorbike tours that visit the ring‑road temples and nearby villages.
- Country
- Cambodia
- Local name
- កោះកែ
- Best months
- Nov–Mar
- Avoid
- Apr–Oct (check)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.
- Daily spend
- Budget $30–$45 excl. bed · Mid $45–$70 excl. bed · High $70+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Smart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US and round European pins; newer hotels have UK-style type G.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.; Tuk-tuk: Round up; US$2–5 extra for a full Angkor day.; Guide day: US$5–10 per person.; Massage: US$1–2 per hour.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels have refill stations.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road. Paper goes in the bin in older places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Temple entry | $15 |
| Taxi Siem Reap ↔ Koh Ker | $100 |
| Guide (inscriptions) | $140 |
| Meal at temple restaurant | $5–$8 |
| Bottled water (500 ml) | $0.5 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- REP · Siem Reap International
- 2 h drive to Koh Ker via Hwy 6
Typical fares
- Taxi Siem Reap → Koh Ker (round‑trip)
- about $100, fixed price (check with driver)
- Temple entry
- $15 per person
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
No public transport. Hire a taxi or 4WD from Siem Reap (≈ US$100 round‑trip). In dry season a regular car works; in rainy season a 4WD is required. Motorbike tours are also offered.
See and do
Known for
- Seven‑tiered pyramid (Prang)
- Prasat Thom/Prang complex
- The Rahal baray
- Remote jungle archaeology
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Koh Ker main complex | Taxi or 4WD from Siem Reap, 2 h each way | ≈ 4 h total |
| Beng Mealea (combined) | Same taxi, continue after Koh Ker | ≈ 5 h total |
Sleep
- Hidden Cambodia Koh Ker Eco Lodge
- Eco‑lodge in a stilt house near the main temple; basic rooms, fan, shared bathroom
- Morokod Koh Ker Guesthouse
- Ten guest rooms with fan, cold‑water shower, electricity
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much? | ប៉ុន្មាន?bon man? |
| Where is the toilet? | បង្គន់នៅឯណា?bong knong nov aena? |
| I need water | ខ្ញុំត្រូវការទឹកkhnhom trow kar tek |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Sampeah (palms together, slight bow); higher hands for elders and monks; avoid: Firm handshakes with older women
- Head and feet: Keep feet down and pointed away from people and Buddha images; avoid: Touching heads, even children's
- Temples: Shoes and hat off inside, shoulders and knees covered; avoid: Sitting with feet toward the Buddha; women touching monks
- Keeping face: Stay calm and smile when things go wrong; avoid: Shouting or public anger
- Giving and receiving: Use the right hand or both hands; avoid: Tossing money or objects
- Photos: Ask first, especially of monks and at memorials; avoid: Selfies at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek
Scams and watch-outs
- Land‑mine signs mark cleared zones; stay on the paved paths
- Small poisonous snakes – wear sturdy shoes
- Malaria risk – use long sleeves after dusk
- Climbing the pyramid is forbidden
- No shops on site – bring water
Main zones are cleared of mines; main risks are snakes, malaria and climbing bans – follow local guidance.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Koh Ker yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Seven‑tiered pyramid (Prang)
- Prasat Thom/Prang complex
- The Rahal baray
- Remote jungle archaeology
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Cambodia Tourism Authority: www.tourismcambodia.org/
- Wikivoyage: Koh Ker, revision 5220325 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5220325
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/koh-ker). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.