Cambodia : Touring the Angkor Temples



The kids at Bayon temple



We are beach people. For the Angkor temple tour, a one-day pass ($20) would just be right for us. Tip: buy the ticket around 4:45 pm the day before, and start exploring.

We did. We went straight in after buying the ticket. This temple faces the west, hence best seen in the afternoon sun. As the sun went down, we selected a good spot and enjoyed the sunset.

Monday, the day of the tour. We were picked up at 5am to catch the sunrise in Angkor Wat. Hundreds more wanted to do the same. For photo enthusiasts, including M and my daughter H, getting a good spot in front of the pond was a big challenge. Vendors were selling hot coffee for $2 (it's just 3in1 in a cup!) plus a free mat to sit on; hot chocolate or tea were available too. My son D and I came for the view, not for photos, so we chose to sit on the library (very few people there) and chatted with our guide about life in Cambodia. T'was a very cloudy morning, hence the colourful sunrise did not materialize. We headed back to the hotel for breakfast. I didn't feel disappointed though.  



The smiling stone faces of Bayon



A cute pose by J,
M waiting for his turn

There was an upside. The cloudy sky made the first part of the day less hot and humid.  Our guide followed the typical itinerary - Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Phimeanakas along the way to Terrace of the Leper King and the Elephant Terrace. Temples typically face the east; the smiling stone carvings of Bayon are best seen in the morning sun. We spent the longest time there - there was still the novelty of the temples and we were taking a lot of photos.   



Baphoun with its grand elevated walkway



Baphoun, a temple mountain with a long, elevated pathway looked grand; I really like it though it did not have the beautiful carvings and bas reliefs. According to Wikipedia, restoration was finished on April 2011 - our timing's just right then :) The view at the top must have been gorgeous  (I stayed with the young kids on the ground - they weren't allowed to climb up). 

A three-headed elehant

On the last 2 stops - Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King - we were all tired and hungry as it was almost noon. Quite hard to appreciate the sights and absorb all the info by then.

Lunch was nearby. There were restaurants (and souvenir shops) in nipa huts where many tourists break at mid-day (brought there by their guide or driver). Tourist prices (fresh coconut at $1), but that's to be expected.

At Ta Prohm

After a quick shower at the hotel, we went back. Ta Prohm was founded as well by king Jayavarman 7 as a Buddhist temple and monastery. Its claim to fame is being in the Tomb Raider movie (and Indiana Jones, we were told). Giant silk cotton trees engulfed parts of the temple. (Cambodia does not have typhoons, hence trees can really grow old and tall). As expected, the sites shown in the movies are favorite spots for photos.

 

Approaching the Gateway
of  Angkor Wat


We spent the rest of the afternoon till after sunset in Angkor Wat. We parked near the southern part where the monastery was (also the  restroom), it was a much shorter walk from the parking space in front where most of the tourists come from (I was surprised on how our guide was able to do convince the guards to let us through).

Angkor Wat is the largest religious building in the world. Originally a temple for Vishnu, but later on converted to a temple for Buddha. (The guide told us that the king never lived in the temples; they lived in wooden palaces nearby that were destroyed long ago.)  Unlike the other temples, Angkor Wat is oriented towards the west. It is impressive and grand. We went around, as the guide explained to us the history behind the temple, the stories behind the extensive bas reliefs on the walls, and the carvings.

Angkor Wat bathed in the
afternoon sun

Won't be complete without mentioning our tour guide, Mr. Park San.  He is a good one. He came prepared with a torch for the dawn tour,  cold water and juice for the day,  maps and pictures. He was enthusiastic to share info about the history of Cambodia,  the temples, and was patient as our group stopped at almost every bend to take photos. (If he said something we find interesting,  we'd stop to take a photo. Ain't that exasperating?) He proudly shared that the Khmer empire was once mighty,  stretching to Thailand, Laos and southern Vietnam. Wars being fought were a major reason why some temples were never finished... During our breaks, we would just choose a cool spot and chat about life in Cambodia. I liked those moments, as it gave me a deeper understanding as well of the country and its people.  (For greater appreciation, even with a guide, best to read up on Cambodia and the Angkor temples before visiting).

The Angkor temples are magnificent. Truly worth seeing.