The Best Part of Staying at Grandma's House Is the Ride

How to get around Siem Reap by tuk-tuk — and the one we keep just for our guests

When I first came back to Siem Reap, I didn't know how to get anywhere. I'd stand at the edge of the road trying to agree on a price before I even knew where I was going, hoping I wasn't being laughed at, squinting at a map I didn't really understand. It always worked out — people here are kind — but there was this low hum of am I doing this right? under every single day. I never forgot that feeling.

So when I think about what I actually want for someone staying with us, it isn't really the pool or the breakfast, lovely as those are. It's that the hum goes quiet. It's knowing that the moment you want to go somewhere, there's a ride waiting, and you never have to think about it twice.

That's our tuk-tuk, and it's the safest way I know to get you around.

The driver isn't a stranger I found for you — he's one of our own Phteah Yeay team, someone we know by name. He's been trained properly and he drives the way you'd want someone driving your own family: following the rules of the road, no weaving through traffic, no racing, no shaving two minutes off the trip by scaring you half to death. He knows the temples and the quiet way around the crowds, he speaks enough English to actually be useful, and he'll happily tell you where to stand for the morning light or which stall has the cold coconuts.

And here's the part I care about most. At the end of a long, dusty, wonderful day — or after dinner, when it's dark and you're tired and you just want your bed — he brings you home. To us. Every time. That worry so many travelers carry about getting back safe at night, especially on your own? With us, it never gets a chance to start.

You might have read about the apps before your trip. There's one here called PassApp — a bit like Uber or Lyft back home — and it can be handy. But I'll be honest with you from real experience: you usually need a Cambodian phone number just to create an account, so as a visitor you often can't use it at all. When it does work it isn't always reliable, and some of the drivers don't follow the rules of the road in a way that can honestly be a little scary. I've had rides like that myself, holding on a little tighter than I'd like. I didn't want that to be your Siem Reap.

The small stuff is handled, too. The price is set and fair, so there's no bargaining, no "special price for you," and no sudden detour to a cousin's gem shop. You won't even dig for dollars after every trip — your rides simply go on your bill and you settle up once, at check-out. Want a driver for the whole day to wander Angkor at your own pace? Done. Just a quick hop into town for noodles? Done. Chasing the famous sunrise? We'll have you there in the dark and back for breakfast in the courtyard. It's only for the people staying with us, and honestly that's how we like it — our own drivers, for our own guests.

You don't need to arrange a thing ahead of time. Just say the word to any of us at the front desk, tell us where you're dreaming of going, and we'll take care of the reservation and the price. That's what Grandma's house is for.