Most of the two million international travelers who visit the Angkor ruins each year arrive at Siem Reap’s modern airport. As Bangkok Airways/Siem Reap Airways have a monopoly on flights from Thailand, prices on this route, the busiest, are unreasonably high; it’s actually cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh with Air Asia, Cambodia Angkor Air, or Air France and then on to Siem Reap on a domestic flight with Siem Reap Airways, although this is, of course, a lot of hassle. It is now also possible to fly between Sihanoukville and Siem Reap on Cambodia Angkor Air. Still, as the road between the Thai border and Siem Reap is a chore, Bangkok Airways is the convenient choice, with five direct Bangkok–Siem Reap flights per day. It’s also possible to fly into Siem Reap from Singapore on Silk Air, from Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia, from Ho Chi Minh City on Cambodia Angkor Air and Vietnam Airlines, from Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines, from Kunming in China on China Eastern Airlines, from Cheng Du on Angkor Airways, from Inchon in South Korea on Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, and from Hong Kong with Dragon Air and Siem Reap Airways.

The airport is six kilometers from town; a taxi costs US$7, and a motodup will take you for US$2. Note that the domestic departure tax is US$6, while the international departure tax is US$25. Many hotels provide free pickups and drop-offs, if you make arrangements in advance.

AIRLINE OFFICES

           Siem Reap has the following airline offices:

           Air Asia: Room T6, Phnom Penh Airport Office, tel. 023/890-035, www.airasia.com

           Bangkok Airways/Siem Reap Airways: Sivatha Blvd., tel. 063/965-442, www.bangkokair.com

           Cambodia Angkor Air: Sivatha Blvd., tel. 063/969-268, www.cambodiaangkorair.com

           China Eastern Airlines: 304 Steung Thmey Village, Svay Dangkum Commune, tel. 063/965-229, www.ce-air.com

           Korean Air: Room 120, Airlines Office Building, Siem Reap International Airport, tel. 063/964-881, www.koreanair.com

           Lao Airlines: 114 Sala Khanseng Village, Route 6, tel. 063/963-283, www.laoairlines.com

           Malaysia Airlines: Rooms 172–184, Siem Reap International Airport, tel. 063/964-761, www.malaysiaairlines.com.my

           Silk Air: Room 122–123, Airline Office Building, Siem Reap International Airport, tel. 063/964-993

           Vietnam Airlines: Angkor Shopping Arcade, Route 6, tel. 063/964-488, www.vietnamairlines.com