Spa and Massage Traditions in Siem Reap & Angkor Wat
A visual guide from the Siem Reap and Angkor Wat travel guide — see all posters in Visual Guides.
A traditional Khmer massage begins with the therapist unfolding a thin mattress on the floor and handing over a pair of loose cotton trousers. There is no oil: the work is thumb and palm pressure along lines running down the limbs, finishing with slow assisted stretches that are gentler and far less acrobatic than the Thai version. Siem Reap has hundreds of places offering it, from air-conditioned rooms a block off the Old Market where an hour costs less than lunch, to garden spas behind high walls where the same hour costs several times more.
The treatments
Beyond the dry Khmer massage, two things are worth trying. The herbal compress uses muslin bundles of lemongrass, kaffir lime, tamarind and camphor, steamed and pressed along the back, and it suits legs wrecked by temple stairs. A straightforward warm-oil massage does the same job more simply. Foot massage in a reclining chair is the standard late-afternoon fix and usually runs an hour. Coining and cupping remain a household remedy in Cambodian families, leave visible marks and are rarely offered to visitors unless requested. The fish tanks along Pub Street are best avoided: hygiene is questionable and the fish are kept poorly.
Where to go and what it costs
The cluster of small spas around the Old Market and along Wat Bo Road, with Lemongrass Garden, Frangipani and Bodia among the long-established names, typically charge somewhere around USD 10 to 20 for an hour, with clean linen and air conditioning. Seeing Hands employs blind therapists trained in massage and charges less; the work is strong and precise. At the other end, the spas at Raffles, Park Hyatt and Anantara run full menus at hotel prices, usually from around USD 60. Two or three dollars is a normal tip. Book for late afternoon rather than after dinner, when queues build at the popular rooms.