Why go
Start around Psah Chas for the commercial centre, then follow the Siem Reap River to understand how settlements grew around pagodas. The Wat Bo side of the river and streets around the Old Market feel different from the routes leading north to Angkor. This guide helps you group town visits without confusing them with a temple excursion.
The full story
Siem Reap developed from settlements along the river, with Buddhist pagodas as important local anchors. That pattern is still useful when reading the town. The river offers a clear line of orientation, while Psah Chas and nearby streets form a busy central reference point. The Old Market area brings food stalls and shops together. Across and along the river, neighbourhoods around pagodas show another side of town. Older colonial and Chinese-style buildings remain part of the central streetscape. The main road north leads toward Angkor, so a town walk and a temple visit ask for different plans. Use the river and market as landmarks, then make a short loop through the streets that interest you. This is an orientation to several neighbouring districts, not a single attraction with a fixed entrance or route.