Last updated on August 2022
SIEM REAP YOGA | A TIMELINE
In 2010, there was only one place offering yoga classes in Siem Reap.
For years, Siem Reap was unnoticed as a yoga destination until 2015, when the first international Day of Yoga brought Siem Reap to the attention of the international yoga community. Due to its proximity to the temples of Angkor and the famous Angkor Wat temple, it is not surprising that Siem Reap aspired to become a yoga destination in South East Asia like Bali or Chiang Mai.
More Siem Reap yoga centers opened after this event and few focused on the more lucrative activities of yoga teacher training with some giving free drop-in yoga classes.
From 2015 to 2020, the number of yoga studios and yoga centers in Siem Reap increased steadily to up to 10 locations. The yogi community grew as more yoga freelance teachers were attracted to Siem Reap as a base to teach yoga at one or more locations.
As a way of differentiating their business and attracting wellness-conscious customers, hotels started offering yoga classes and retreats. There were even luxury hotels that offered private yoga classes.
In March 2020, when Cambodia closes its borders few yoga places managed to keep going relying on tourists stuck in Cambodia and foreigners living there. Unfortunately it is also the year when many yoga centers in Siem Reap closed down.
2021 was a very quiet year for yoga in Siem Reap although few yoga teachers proposed online yoga by zoom, the so called “pandemic yoga”. Some gyms offered yoga classes as well as restaurants in a bid to attract customers.
SIEM REAP YOGA | YOGA IN SIEM REAP IN 2022
As of 2022, the yoga business landscape in Siem Reap is very different from its golden years of 2018 and 2019. The activities of some yoga retreat centers have been relocated within Siem Reap province, Phnom Penh, Kep and Kampot. Yoga is currently most popular in Kampot and Kep, while Siem Reap is still far from regaining its crown. Two new yoga studios have opened in Siem Reap at the end of 2022 and we expect few more to open in 2023.
SIEM REAP YOGA | YOGA TEACHER TRAINING SIEM REAP
Yoga TTC stands for Yoga Teacher Training Course, and it is also referred to as YTT (Yoga Teacher Training). It is possible to complete a yoga teacher training program of 200 hours, 300 hours, or even 500 hours. Although becoming a yoga instructor is the ultimate goal, getting enrolled in a YTT can also be very fulfilling.
Yoga Alliance is the most famous certification that includes an annual fee for both yoga schools and yoga teachers.
In order to become a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance, a teacher must complete a yoga training with a Registered Yoga School (RYS).
The most communs credentials from Yoga Alliance are: Registered Yoga Teacher 200, Registered Yoga Teacher 500, Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 200, Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500
TTC is a profitable activity for yoga centers in Siem Reap, as courses range between 500 and 2500 USD depending on duration and teaching style.
SIEM REAP YOGA JOBS
In Cambodia, you can teach yoga in many different places, including yoga retreat centers, hotels, yoga schools, and even NGOs.
These yoga jobs are advertised on websites or social media pages, or on websites that specialize in yoga jobs like yogatraveljobs and yogatrade.
Yoga jobs include paid positions as a yoga teacher for which you have to be certified. Other paid jobs can include managing a yoga center in Siem Reap. There are also volunteer opportunities and work exchange opportunities.
Workaway is another platform where you can find many yoga work exchange or volunteer jobs. As part of a work exchange, you can for example work as a social media community manager and get free yoga classes, food, and lodging.
YOGA IN SIEM REAP | MEDITATION RETREAT SIEM REAP
Meditation retreats allow you to concentrate on your inner self, away from your daily occupations and daily distractions. During your silent meditation retreat in Siem Reap (vipassana), you are usually required to remain silent, only speaking to the teacher
A meditation retreat serves as a digital detox retreat, in which your phone and laptop are left in the retreat’s locker during the retreat’s duration.
YOGA SIEM REAP | SOME NUMBERS
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- Only one website is ranking for the keywords “siem reap yoga” and “yoga siem reap”.
- Two websites are ranking but not really competing for yoga related keywords.
- So far, only one yoga center is using Google Ads.
- One yoga retreat center leveraged its brand successfully to get organic search traffic from Google.
SIEM REAP YOGA MARKETING | PAY PER CLICK (PPC) VS SEO
Many yoga centers are using Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns in order to build a quick Google presence and bring organic traffic to their website. However they often skip the tedious task of keyword research which is very important step in SEO.
With PPC, advertiser pays a fee each time a user clicks on their ad that is placed on the top of Google maps and organic search results.
PPC is not SEO and SEO is not PPC !
SEO is a complex discipline that requires a step by step and very methodic approach to get results from SEO audit to onpage and offpage SEO.
SEO will give a long lasting competitive advantage on search results, brings brand awaress and trust (some people do not click on sponsored ads).
Organic SEO has overall a better cost-per-click than Google Ads as there is not charges for each click.
Although they can be expensive, SEO services are cost-effective on the long run.
With Google Ads, your competitors can also buy the same keywords and position themselves above you. Often, yoga platforms like BookYogaRetreats or BookRetreats and Trip Advisor/Viator are paying ads to get a dominant position on the first page of Google.
YOGA SIEM REAP | FAQs
How many yoga centers are in Siem Reap in 2022?
In July 2022, we could find only two yoga retreat centers in Siem Reap, only 3 kilometers apart, one focusing more on long yoga retreats.
How much is a yoga class in Siem Reap?
In 2022, the price of a drop-in yoga class in Siem Reap was between 7 to USD 8 depending on the venue.
What is the difference between RYT and YTT?
In Yoga, RYT stands for Registered Yoga Teacher. Meanwhile, YTT stands for Yoga Teacher Training. Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) is required to become an RYT. YTT is also called TTC
What types of Yoga can I find in Siem Reap?
Among the most popular types of Yoga you can find in Siem are: Hatha yoga, Iyengar yoga, Kundalini yoga, Power yoga, Restorative yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga yoga, yin yoga
How long is a meditation retreat?
Although you can find shorter retreats, Vipassana silent retreats typically last about ten days.