Has anyone used Kim San as a guide in Angkor?

[cruisenebraska]

I have seen a number of online recommendations for Kim San as a tour guide in Angkor. However, I cannot find a mention of him on the cruise critic site. Has anyone used him to tour Angkor? Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Nytimes]

Last summer my husband and I traveled to Siem Reap for 5 days. We really wanted to be sure to see the temples but also to learn more about the intersection of ancient and modern Cambodian history. We found recommendations for Kim San on TripAdvisor and contacted him. He promptly got back in touch with a detailed email and a very reasonable price quote given his knowledge, expertise and the time that he spends making sure you enjoy your experience in Siem Reap (you get what you pay for in terms of guides!). We've recommended him to other friends who have visited and they have enjoyed their time touring the temples with him as well. Seriously, it's been a year and and my husband and I still very fondly think of him and his family. I wrote another review of him (with more details on "36 hours in Siem Reap" on the New York Times travel guide: which I am posting below:

 

Just got back from a trip to Siem Reap. An amazing place! If you choose to see the temples with a guide (which I would highly recommend, particularly, if you only have a few days) a good guide makes all the difference. Our guide, Kim San, was amazing and we highly recommend him. His English is excellent, he knows a ton about Cambodian history both ancient and modern, and he's a really pleasant person. He also knows how to avoid the crowds and gives you an excellent detailed and "big-picture" history of the temples. We found great recs for him on Fodor's and Frommer's. And he has a wonderful website: www.angkor-guides.com If you email him he will promptly email you back a suggested itinerary that he is more than happy to adjust according to what you want to see.

[cruisenebraska]

Nytimes, thank you for the feedback on Kim San. Like you, we first saw him on tripadvisor and Fodors, but these boards were very quiet about him. So I am reassured to hear that you had a great experience. We have booked him for our visit in Oct/Nov, and are looking forward to it.

[Nytimes]

Thank you. Please feel free to contact him directly. Cheer and enjoy.

[Nytimes]

I just got a new mail from Kimsan, but he uses both of them.

[Saravan]

I have already contacted Kim San as my tour guide in October 2010. Kimsan is very promptly answer my emails, and give me the best itinerary for a 3-day tour.

[lewbook]

Please post how your trip with Kim San worked out. I am thinking of hiring him but am not sure.

[Saravan]

Hello Lewbook,

 

My husband and I just returned from our trip to Thailand , of which 4 days were spent in Siem Reap. Based on what I had read on internet I knew that in order to get the most out of your trip you should book a guide to take you around to see the best sights. So that we would not miss out on this highly recommended guide. Kimsan will very promptly answer your emails, and will do the best to make your trip fantastic. We were first timers so we let him take us to places he thought that we would like. We had only booked 2 days, but enjoyed it some much that we spent a 3rd day with Kimsan and his driver. The very best though is all of the priceless pictures that Kimsan took, with us in them, in the most perfect places. It is amazing as we all know that you don’t often get to be in your own pictures. Priceless! We have kept in touch and will continue to do so I am sure. Don’t waste your time in Cambodia , contact kimsan and enjoy! Pl contact http://www.angkor-guides.com

[cruisenebraska]

We booked Kim San for two and a half days of tours in Siem Reap. We were met at the airport by his "brother" who informed us that Kim San's son was ill and that Kim San was unable to be our guide. Nak would be taking his place. We had read about this sort of bait and switch on other chat boards and were not happy about the change. We decided to give it one day, and if we were dissatisfied we would find another guide for the rest of our stay.

 

As it turned out, Nak was knowledgeable about the sites we visited, and was good at picking times and routes that avoided some of the large tours groups that were also there. Nak's english was good enough that we were able to understand most of what he told us, and he was able to answer our questions about the temples and about the Cambodian people. The temples and other ruins at Angkor were spectacular, and we ended up being very satisfied with our experience. Still, we felt that we were on the receiving end of an unprofessional bait and switch.

[Saravan]

When I had a holiday in Siem Reap, Kim San invited me to visit his family. He has got a son, 2 years old and a daughter, 4 months old. They are very nice people and I was invited to join one dinner with his family. It was great and fun.

[Rajarit]

I just got back from Siem Reap and my friends and i used Chomrong as our guide. He was very knowledgeable, spoke excellent English and provided us with 2 great days of touring (temples and the floating villages). Check out his site under the testimonials section to get a feel for what people like about his services - it's helpful. http://www.angkorguides.net. I never considered doing the touring on our own actually - I suppose you could but i thought it was nice to have someone with us that could answer questions on the spot; it made for a richer experience. Have a great time!

[Rajarit]

Dear Travelers,

I would like to add one when I had a holiday in Siem Reap with Tour Bike. I spent one day tour with Angkor Cycle Tours ( http://www.angkorcycle.com)

I rode the bicycle in Angkor Wat and Ta Promh temple.

Cheer.

Thanks.

[Saravan]

Great

[Nytimes]

Thank you

[Nytimes]

Thanks for sharing your experience

[Nytimes]

Do you know Kiri Boutique Hotel (http://www.kiriboutiquehotel.com)?