Ancient Angkor

Angkor Archaelogical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits on a land area of more than 400 square kilometers, and one, by any stretch of the imagination, can't visit all the temples and ruins within the complex in a day.  But we decided to buy the one-day unlimited pass for USD20.00 as we wanted to see only the most important and most famous of the temples.

Angkor Wat 


The world's largest religious building was first on our itinerary, as this is located in Central Angkor.

A very serene and picturesque  lake surrounding the moat surrounding the temple greeted us on arrival. We were also greeted by Cambodians, young and old alike, offering bikes for rent, postcards, bracelets and other Angkor memorabilia and souvenir items.

 Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, and is considered as the most sublime of all the Khmer temples. It also was a city in its own, serving as the capital in ancient Angkor.

Main entrance - Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat gives full expression to religious symbolism. It was built in dedication to Vishnu. The temple is a microcosm of the Hindu universe.

Entrance to the moat.

The moat which surrounds the temple, represents mythical oceans surrounding the earth and the succession of concentric galleries represents the mountain ranges around Mt. Meru, home of the gods.

Pathway to the moat entrance.

Moat entrance.

View of Angkor Wat from the moat.

Angkor Wat undergoing restoration process.

The gallery of Bas-Reliefs.

The towers represent mountain peaks.

Young buddhist monks on the temple grounds.

The ascent to the shrine is a fairly convincing representation of climbing a real mountain.

The Central Tower viewed from the courtyard of the 2nd level.

The bas-reliefs, carvings on the temple's exterior walls.

One of the basins in the cruciform cloister.

 The tower design represents a Khmer architectural masterpiece, rich in detail, and in fine proportion.

Stone windows with lathe-turned balusters.

Angkor Wat is truly the apogee of classical Khmer construction.

Angkor Thom - Bayon Temple


Angkor Thom, with an area of 9 square kilometers.  was one of the largest Khmer cities, built in the late 12th century, by King Jayavarman VII.

The Bayon Temple, located at the center of Angkor Thom, served as the State Temple of Jayavarman VII.

Bayon Temple

Ta Prohm


Located in Eastern Angkor, Ta Prohm has the reputation of being the location for Angelina Jolie's movie "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider".  To this day, locals refer to it as the Tomb Raider Temple. Ta Prohm is in fact a temple-monastery.

Ta Prohm is one temple which was left in its natural state, to show how most of Angkor looked on its "discovery" in the 19th century.

Entrance gate.

One of the gopuras, back of which was where Lara Croft was shot.

The trees whose roots have grown intertwined with the ruins, are what make Ta Prohm unique and special.

Elephant Terrace


In Central Angkor and within the Angkor Thom complex, near Angkor Wat, the Elephant Terrace was the foundation for royal reception pavilions.

Its modern name was derived from the carvings on the wall, which stretches 300 meters in length.

Ta Keo

Ta Keo is also located in Eastern Angkor.  It was built entirely of sandstone in the late 10th century by King Jayavarman V.

The temple features five massive towers which is a representation on earth of five-peaked Mount Meru, home of the gods.

Angkor in a day gave me a glimpse not only of the grand Khmer design, style and architecture, but also an insight into the hindu pantheon which encompasses the epic of the triumph of good over evil.

The temples were destined for the immortal gods. They have survived to the present day. With sturdy materials they were built in, and the massive restoration efforts of the French, these magnificent temples will survive for a longer time.

Siem Reap, Cambodia - May 2011

Siem Reap in Northern Cambodia has always been rated as one of the world's top travel destinations. Angkor District was the seat of Khmer civilization,  and the temples that still stand today, were said to have been built from the 9th century through the 13th century.

I was in the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh in February 2010.  I was impressed by the great Cambodian architecture in the city by the mighty Mekong River, but nothing prepared me for what I was to see in Siem Reap.

I booked for 5 persons 9 months in advance, long before low-cost carriers started imposing fuel surcharges on their ticket costs. Air Asia's Clark-Kuala Lumpur-Siem Reap return ticket per person was around PHP2,800.00, and this, as usual, was a steal. 

In transit, we decided to just stay within Kuala Lumpur city limits, as we were eagerly anticipating our trip to Siem Reap. And so the next day, we boarded our early morning flight  at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) in Sepang, Malaysia. We landed at Siem Reap International Airport after 2 hours and fifteen minutes. 

Collecting baggage at the terminal.

The terminal building was typically Khmer design.

After immigration formalities, we immediately boarded the van sent by Hotel 89 (our home in Siem Reap), to pick us up.

Hotel 89 (PHP1,100/USD25 for a triple room, with continental breakfast, unlimited brewed coffee, internet access - FREE).

On our way to Hotel 89, which I also booked in advance via my favorite Agoda, we passed by several upscale hotels built in traditional Cambodian style:

After check-in, we settled into the tuk-tuk that would tour us around the vast Angkor Complex.

And what a better way to cap the day than to indulge in a rejuvenating tantric khmer massage and gastronomic pleasures in an authentic Cambodian buffet restaurant with cultural shows.

Bullet dinner = USD12

The air-conditioned massage room replete with elaborate decor and an ensuite toilet & bath.

80-minute massage = USD15