I do regret starting this thread--but I can't find the reference to a guide in Angkor called Pon Heary. Any help would be much appreciated.

I'm guessing you may have see her on Fodor's BB, and not here. [email protected]

I actually came across Pon Heary in an FT thread which I can no longer find. Regardless, I emailed her based on the recommendation of others. She was not available on the dates we were travelling, but recommended me to her brother, Dara. She still arranged everything for us, and Dara and his driver turned out to be excellent. We briefly met Pon Heary as well. I would highly recommend either Pon Heary or her brother if you are headed to Angkor!

Thats good to hear about having good guides in Cambodia. Be careful if you go, it seems just about anyone could claim to be a "guide" there, and some of them just suck, but on a different point of view, I guess they need money, but sometimes they are so pestering! Argh Even little kids. (Don't take this comment offensive as I am Cambodian too, and only speak from experience)

And if anyone has a semi large group, up to 15 people and need a driver, I have a really great recommendation, he is based in Phnom Pehn, but he can take you all through out Cambodia, and we just heard he got a new van to drive. =D

I have been to Siem Reap....Spent 4 nights at the Ankor Village and did some touring....Knowing what I know now I would do the power tour thing. On the first flight and back on the last via a tour group and I HATE tour groups.
Spend alot of time doing transit, maby 2 days in time out of 4 days there. Siem Reap is a dusty place in the old town. Out near the airport is a newer section but no culture...there has been alot fo money from Japan to mnake it a tourist place etc. The tours are very oranized and time efficient. I'm very comfortable in strange places in Asia and found Siem Reap to be boring and the Temple to be a bit repetative....Too much talking etc.
If you have lots of time and like to waste money go for a few days....I'm glad I went but would rather have done more efficient thing. Cambodai is years behind thailand and I would have thought it were many many years ago except for the MOBILE is everywhere.

I did the "classic" Angkor experience back 12 years ago, before Bangkok Airways flew the route and started the ruin of the place. It included the boat ride in the unsafe, overloaded boat across the Tonle Sap, leading to the pier where you'd get mobbed (literally) by guesthouse touts. Just getting transit without guesthouse stickiness was tough, and I went for a pricey $4/night one with fans and mosquito nets. Competition for the moto-driver business (paid $6/day) was fierce and usually the guesthouse owner would be aggressive in "helping" you take care of that need with someone who probably was a family member. He'd take you between sites but would sleep in the hammock when there and didn't double as a guide. Kids with precocious English skills would eagerly volunteer, but the Lonely Planet Guide was a good reference and really helped.

You didn't see much in the way of crowds at most places, and a few backpackers on the grounds of the main temple would be smoking funny cigarettes. Going to Banteay Srey required an armed escort.

The Khmer Rouge even briefly held the area in an uprising later in the year, back in the days when they were still operating.

Am glad I got to see Angkor before it was overrun, though. Saw it again in 2000 and crowds were noticeably heavier, though probably nothing like they are now.

Recommendation for guide posted by spammer; restored with redactions to preserve thread.

Thanks for the tip. Noted you made a similar post back in July :http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/12018945-post7.html

From the reviews I read and my e-mail exchanges, I expected Kim San would be a good guide. He was very patient with me trying to tweak my itinerary over several e-mails over a week and he replied promptly.

I'd like to give my full recommendation for Kim San. He speaks excellent English and is very knowledgeable. He was constantly pointing out areas of interest as we were driving. He helped us understand the history of the temples and told us some stories about growing up during the civil war. He pointed out the good areas for pictures and was happy to snap photos for my mother and I. He made a big effort to help my mom. She's in her 70's and recently had a knee problem so it was hard for her to walk steps. He helped her up the stairs and through the more difficult areas. Of course, I tried to do that myself, but it was nice that he was so helpful. Finally, he went the extra distance with service in general. He insisted on carrying our umbrellas for us. He had cool towels and cold water ready in the car after each temple stop. Having a cooler was nice touch. We had just finished a two week tour in Vietnam. They had bottled water for us there every stop but none of them had a cooler for us. Oh, he even bought me a Diet coke one day. I inquired about how much a can was and I didn't want to pay $1 for it. The next thing I know, he surprises me later with a Diet Coke.

If you do decide to hire him, and really want to make his day, please pay in $2 bills. I remember reading a Conde next article that was linked here on flyertalk saying people love the $2 bills in Cambodia. It's so true. I paid him in all $2 bills and he loved it. He says he now has neat gifts for his relatives and can spend them and make the vendors and clerks happy. Anytime I paid in Cambodia or in Vietnam with $2 bills, the clerks were trying to change the money out so they could have the bills or people were asking me if I could change some $2 bills with them. The tailor in Hoi An, Vietnam wanted to buy $100 worth off of me, but I only gave him $50 as I wanted to save the build of my $2's for Cambodia.

We are using him in Jan for 4 days. Seems like a great guy and very responsive and helpful with all queries.

Thx. That's nice to know.

A perhaps oddball chocie, but for a guidebook I liked using:

THE MONUMENTS OF THE ANGKOR GROUP
by Maurice Glaize

(A translation from the 4th French edition).

This is a 1944 edition with nice black and white illustrations.
You may be able to find a free pdf downlaod without much trouble.

edit: go to this page:
http://www.theangkorguide.com/download.htm

right click, "save target as" on the link there.
7 mb

Many thanks, Mr H!!

All good information here - just curious what these guides would charge for 2 or 3 days touring at the temples, for 4 people? Is it appropriate to ask them via email prior to arrival?

Definitely appropriate to discuss fees in advance.

Remember, a guide is a guide, and a driver is a driver. Not the same thing.

I would expect to pay US$25-30 a day for a guide, and the same for a car with driver, or maybe about US$15 a day for a tuk-tuk.

Remember admission to the Angkor park, last year was US$40 for 3-day pass.

But, yes, definitely ask about fees prior to arrival. It is expected.