Temple Run in Angkor Cambodia
Angkor Wat is one of my dream destinations. Though, I can’t remember when I start liking it. Until one day, I find myself heading to Siem Reap, Cambodia with friends.
It was a long travel and you’ll be spending the whole day sitting at the bus, watching the scenery, and eating at the bus station for every stop-over. From Ho Chi Minh City, we traveled 4 hours to reach the border of Cambodia. It was my first time to cross a border. So far, everything went smooth with the help of our bus guide. As we reached Phnom Penh at 2 PM, we transferred to another Capitol bus bound for Siem Reap. Due to rain in some parts of Cambodia, we arrived in Siem Reap at 10PM and good thing we have a free tuk-tuk ride arranged by our hotel.
We stayed at Mandalay Inn for 2 nights. The air-conditioned rooms are clean, bath towels are provided, with cold and hot shower, and with cable TV. Also, the hotel staffs are very accommodating. Mandalay Inn restaurant serves good food too.
The next day, we went for the sunrise tour at Angkor Wat, riding a tuk-tuk arranged by Mandalay Inn for $16 only. At the entrance of Angkor, we paid $20 each for a one day pass and an ID will be given to you to serve as your access in every temple you visit.
The moment I walked at the entrance bridge of Angkor Wat, no words can explain my emotions of how happy I am to be standing right in front of it. I enjoyed every sight, every work of art the temple has, the smell of earth inside the ruins, and I wondered how the ancient Khmer civilizations worked hard for this magnificent old city.
Angkor Wat is the largest temple in the Angkor complex, surrounded by moat and a bridge made from sandstone blocks. It was built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. Inside the temple, you will see extensive decorations of bas-relief depicting scenes from mythological stories and historic events. The architecture is in high classical Khmer style that has become the national symbol of Cambodia.
linear arrangement of stone carving depicting histories and mythology
Devatas in every window
Me in black with friends
Next, we stopped for a while at the Bayon Temple of Angkor Thom. It was built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th or early 13th century. The temple is richly decorated, with sculpted faces on several towers.
Angkor Thom Entrance
Bayon Temple
Another famous temple we visited is the Ta Prohm. This was used as a location for the Tomb Raider movie, so expect many tourists flocking to this area. The trees are growing out of the ruins which made it more distinct and it is the only temple that best merged with the jungle.
Ta Prohm
After Ta Prohm, we headed to Banteay Kdei which means “A Citadel for Chambers” and also known for “Citadel of Monks.” It is a Buddhist temple built by King Jayavarman VII. Since the porches and galleries were built of sandstones, some of them have already collapsed. The design is somehow similar with Angkor Wat and Bayon Temple. There were fewer tourists here and I enjoyed the serenity of this temple except for those locals who will try to sell you something. Banteay Kdei was our last stop for the sunrise tour.
Banteay Kdei
One of the chambers
top of Phnom Bakheng
Rainbow at Phom Bakheng
Baksei Chamkrong built in the 10th century
Our frustration for a beautiful sunset brought us here at Happy Angkor Pizza. We tried their famous home-made pizza topped with marijuana. The use of marijuana is also prohibited in Siem Reap but for tourist you can buy pizza topped with marijuana without getting jailed. But locals are not allowed to buy this pizza. We also tried their local Angkor beer.
Four cheese pizza topped with marijuana
Then we strolled along the Pub Street located at the Night Market. Restaurants and bars lined up the streets. Street foods are everywhere. Souvenirs, clothes, scarves, bags, etc. can be bought here. So I bought some items to take home as remembrance.
at the night market
Since our hotel is very near from Night Market, we walked all the way to Mandalay Inn. We didn’t spend so much time because we need to wake up early for our next destination which is Bangkok.
A one day visit is not enough. I wish we will meet again Siem Reap. Not too soon, but I hope soon.
Travel Date: May 26, 2012
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