R. Kipling's Majestic Realm: Angkor Wat

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Angkor is one of the most fascinating destination in Cambodia and is famous for the dozens of ancient temples which reflect the mysteries of a fascinating and extinguished civilization. Angkor is reached from Siem Riep, a small town with its share of fish & vegetables markets, tourist souvenir shops, night markets, fish massage places, restaurants and bars. There are a lot of tourists in Siem Riep, but the temples are spread over a very large area, and avoiding the crowd is not difficult. From Siem Riep town, it is a 30-45 min bike ride to the heart of the temples, after having passed the inevitable ticket booth. Riding bicycles to explore the temple is a very relaxing experience as traffic is scarce, and this easy mode of transport allows you to stop wherever you want, from remote and deserted temples to major sights with their inevitable load of tourists.

All the temples are very different. Some are high and offer a great view on the temples layout, while others are like mazes with dozens of corridors and hidden rooms. Some of the temples are in relative good shape and gives a good idea of what life was like, while others are completely destroyed so that even the pattern of the buildings are hardly recognizable. We spent 3 days in Angkor, and here is an example of itinerary (Map courtesy of www.tourismcambodia.com):

Day 1: Angkor by bicycle

We hired bicycles and cycled from Siem Riep to the temples (about 40 mins). The entry to angkor is quite expensive and there are no ways to avoid it. On the first day, we visited Angkor Thom and Preah Khan (North): The amazing Bayon temple, Elephant Terrace, Phimeanakas, Baphuon, Prasat TopWest. For information, there are food-stalls on a field opposite to the elephant terrace. Preah Khan differs to the temples in Angkor Thom because it is a long corridor with dozens of side corridors, with walls under the relentless attacks of trees and various vegetation. The temples in the Bayon are more of a majestic kind, taller and with larger statues of Nagas.

 

Day 2: Angkor and Tonle Sap by Tuk Tuk

On the second day, we hired a Tuk-Tuk for the day. We made a first stop in Ta Phrom, famous for its Tomb-Raider setting. This temple is an amazing combination of past & gone glory with a lot of vegetation everywhere. This place is definitely worth an early visit, before the arrival of the huge tourist mobs. We then went to the Woman Temple (Completely up-north, 1 hour away by tuktuk). This temple is a true delight (even under the burning sun). This temple is in great condition and the amount of things to see is truly amazing. Details everywhere, beautiful red stones, status and pillars... One of Angkor's highlights. Last destination of the day, completely to the south => the floating village on south-east Asia's largest lake! -With a sunset on the rice fields for a perfect ending!!-.

Day 3: Angkor Wat, Siem Riep & Museum

We watched the Sunrise from Sras Srang lake, a spot with great potential if the sky is clear, and relatively un-uninvaded by tourists. Bandtei Krei Temple, a long temple with great large statues of Buddha. And, at last, Angkor Wat. This temple, situated at the entrance of the temple complex, is the most famous Wat of Angkor. 5 towers overlook the plain, with the centre (and tallest one) reaching the heights of Paris's Cathedrale de Notre Dame. At the basement, the four walls oriented perpendicular to all of each cardinal points, are completely decorated with amazing bas-reliefs, revealing scenes of Buddhist tales, and giving pictorial accounts of the battles against the invaders. From the look of it, the great kingdom of Angkor had much to protect! The exploration of the temple then continues with the steep climb to the higher levels of the temple, to reach a secluded square at the top, where Buddha, protected by stuppas, calmly observe the constant flow of tourists... Angkor Wat is by far the largest, tallest and best preserved temple and is an amazing place to visit! 3 Days on site can be quite short, and the amount of temples to visit is just huge. A good recommendation however, is, before taking the plane back and after the visit of the temples, to spend some time in the Angkor Museum (on Charles de Gaulle’s avenue, north of Siem Riep). The museum contains some beautiful pieces, and give very good descriptions of things seen at the temples, as well as insights to the Buddhist religion explaining the stories and meanings of famous protagonists such as Garudas, Nagas, Ganesh, Rama, Vishnu and Asparas. A must after visiting alll the temples!!