Angkor Wat, Cambodia’s treasure

My primary reason for visiting Cambodia was to witness the wonder that is Angkor Wat. Like Machu Picchu in Peru, it is someplace I have dreamt of visiting for a long time. I was quite surprised to have so many people ask me why I was going to Cambodia.

An actual conversation involved someone asking ‘What’s in Cambodia?” I replied, “Uh, Angkor Wat, of course. The world’s largest religious structure.” And they replied, “Huh, never heard of it. What’s it about?”

And that is when I realized that many people do not have a list in a notebook (remember, I am analog) called ‘Ruins, Temples and Wonders I must visit before I die.’ Apparently, me and my list are ‘not normal.’ Hopefully, after reading this blog, there will be more people wanting to visit the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park. And maybe even one person who also starts their own list of ruins, temples and wonders they must visit 😉

Angkor Wat

First, there is Angkor Wat, often called Cambodia’s treasure. It is the both the largest religious structure in the world and the most famous of the temples in Cambodia. But there is also The Angkor Wat Archaeological Park, which spans over 400 square kilometers and includes over 72 other major temples and dozens of lesser ruins. King Suryvarman II built Angkor Wat, the temple, in the 12th century. It took over 3 decades to build and he dedicated the temple to the Hindu god Vishnu. The 5 central towers, made famous by incredible sunrise photos taken by tourists and photographers, symbolize the peaks of Mount Meru. The temple is massive in and of itself but also includes several other buildings, as well as an enormous moat. Of the other buildings, the 2 libraries flanking the bridge were my favorite.

Angor Wat is the most famous for a few reasons. It is noteworthy as most temples in Southeast Asia face east while Angor Wat faces west. Most scholars believe that it is due to the temple’s original link to Hinduism. The Hindu God, Vishnu, is traditionally connected to the west. It is also notable that on the equinox, the first rays of the rising sun align perfectly with the central tower. My guide told me that Angkor Wat on the equinox is a magical event. It shows the advanced system of astronomy of the time and showcases the harmony between nature and man-made wonders.

I enjoyed the sunrise very much, although the crowd is very large every morning. I was expecting it but many people do not realize how crowded it will be. It would be both spectacular to see during the equinox but at the same time, I cannot fathom how much busier it would be on those days.

After sunrise, I actually left and went to visit other lesser known temples and came back to Angkor Wat in early afternoon. It was still incredibly busy. Climbing up to the top floor, which did offer amazing views, included a wait of 15 minutes to get up and then 30 minutes to climb down. There is only one small staircase and it was very, very crowded. For me, it was worth it. I had bought a 3 day pass so I didn’t mind but it was not the best view, in my opinion.

If you only had one day, I would suggest 2 other temples to ‘climb’ for the views. (Baphuon’s view was as impressive as Angkor Wat, in my opinion. And Pre Rup has an incredible sunset view that is worth the climb.) I feel like Angkor Wat is impressive and it is historically important and interesting. However, it was not my favorite, or even top 3.

Ta Prohm

I also visited Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei, Bayon, Terrace of the Elephants, Baphuon, Pre Rup and Beng Malea. Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Batneay Kdei and Bayon was with a guide on my first temple day. Ta Prohm was my favorite of those. It is also quite famous and featured in the original Tomb Raider film. You know how sometimes you see a place in ‘real life’ and it is not quite as good as you had hoped. You remember they use special lighting and angles in movies to make places seem more magical.

Well, Ta Prohm was magical for me without any special lighting or angles. There were other tourists there but it was not as crowded. Plus everyone seemed to feel the ‘magic’ and was very quiet and respectful. I also loved learning the history of Ta Prohm from my guide. Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple, built in 1186 and dedicated to the mother of Jayavarman VII . It is one of the only temples where an inscription provides information about the temple’s dependents and inhabitants.

Angkor Thom

Other favorites, which I visited on day two without a guide, were the Terrace of the Elephants and Baphuon. Both are lesser known, less restored and were not crowded. They are part of Angkor Thom, a huge building program within the larger Angkor at park. Many were built by King Jayavarman II – he was my favorite king. He was quite a socialist for a king and built some of the first hospitals. Angkor Thom was largely abandoned though in the late 16th century and less is known about many of the temples within Angkor Thom. The view from Baphuon was amazing and the light that afternoon was really special.

The Terrace of the Elephants was a favorite for a different reason. I had a fun but scary encounter with a monkey there which I will never forget. If you are lucky, you will see many monkeys within Angkor Thom but I wouldn’t suggest getting too close to them, as I did. One bigger guy let me very close to take a photo but then, while I was cooing at him, he suddenly rushed at me. And then he jumped! He shimmied up my skirt while I was momentarily paralyzed. Then he hopped onto my backpack and grabbed my snack out of the side pocket. He then hopped down, ripped open my bag of nuts and while looking at me, happily devoured them. He seemed so pleased with himself. It added a little excitement to what had been a very peaceful afternoon.

Local guides & drivers

One of the other things that I enjoyed about my visit was finding ‘Driver Srey.’ They are a local company of women only tuk-tuk drivers and guides, completely run as a cooperative. The morning I visited Angkor Wat for the sunrise, I had the ‘founder’ as both my driver and guide. She was sweet, funny and had so much energy. She was a little late but that was related more to my out of the way accommodations.

I had another driver and separate guide the rest of the day. The following day, I hired only the driver as I wanted to explore on my own. She was so sweet and always had cold water and these amazing lemon grass scented hand towels ready for me. For the rate, I cannot recommend them enough. The guide was informative and my driver was truly excellent. They both expressed how much they loved their work and especially meeting solo women travelers. Talking to them gave me a sense of their difficult lives but at the same time, they were so friendly and grateful.

I highly recommend trying to find small locally owned companies – it makes such a difference in their lives. It also makes you, as a traveler, feel better. The local companies may require cash or have less options but I have always received excellent service from a local company.

Beng Mealea

The last temple is Beng Mealea. It is part of the Angor Wat Archaeological Park but over 50 km from Siem Reap. I visited Beng Mealea with a tour group on my last day. It was also a favorite although we were so rushed that I wish I could go back. Beng Mealea was the most untouched and it really felt like we went back in time. I would recommend the trek out to Beng Mealea (but with a better tour group that gives you more than 30 minutes to explore;)

I hope this encourages someone to consider visiting Cambodia and especially Siem Reap. They are a country in need of tourism and everywhere I went, I felt safe and welcomed. If you are visiting Angkor Wat, do not just visit the main temple. There are so many places to visit within the whole of the park and if you have time, the 3 day pass is definitely worth it. And in my humble opinion, some of the lesser known temples are much more magical than the most famous.

https://www.driversrey.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIiZSRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbyCWCDSYgXfX5yxMj93LhOz_Hgbw4EWEtIDm4QYK5XpnTaceLz3ARLBZg_aem_ppUMM7Z8O5bpO6_o5qNT8g

https://www.angkorenterprise.gov.kh/temple/65/angkor-wat

5 brutiful days in Siem Reap, Cambodia