A visit to Cambodia will be incomplete without a visit to the Angkor region. Before Phnom Penh, Angkor was the ancient capital city of the Kingdom of Cambodia. However, in 1431 after the Khmer kingdom was defeated by the Thais, the people started to abandon Angkor and moved the capital city to Phnom Penh due to good prospect of coastal trading. Angkor region is the house of the world-famous Angkor Wat, the icon for what the country is mostly known as you can see on the national flag of Cambodia. My husband and I were excited to see this world’s famous Buddhist monument that is located in Siem Reap province. Siem Reap which means the “Defeat of Siam” used to be a sleeping city but thanks to its close proximity to Angkor Archeological Park / Angkor Temple Complex that has transformed it to be the most prosperous region in Cambodia and one of the world’s premier tourist destinations with a vast array of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Over one million people from various countries travel to the city annually to explore the Khmer heritage of over than one thousand years. The best time to visit the town is from October to March when the weather is mild and the sun shines most days. We were excited to visit the site not because we wanted to pray there, but only to watch one of the seven wonders of the world. We asked one of our Cambodian friends, Meng Heng, to accompany us. Early in the morning we departed from our lodging in Phnom Penh by tuk-tuk to go to the bus station. The journey took about four hours and finally we arrived at Siem Reap.
Angkor is one of the most prominent archaeological sites in South East Asia that consists of a vast region of forested area and magnificent remnants of different capitals and ancient temples of the Khmer empire from the 9th to the 15th century. Besides the relics found in the Valley of the Nile River in Egypt, maybe there is no place on earth that has such monumental scale of ancient artifacts like the ones in Angkor. Angkor used to be the center of the Khmer kingdom that was populated by almost one million inhabitants who lived and built their villages. They heavily relied upon rice cultivation and fishing. It can be seen from the remnants of impressive monuments, large water reservoirs and urban plans. The temple structures at Angkor vividly demonstrate the epitome of Khmer architecture which evolved from the Indian subcontinent and then became distinct in its own way. Since the Thais invaded and defeated the Khmer in 1431, Angkor was largely abandoned thus making most of its temples neglected and slowly reclaimed by the surrounding jungle. Although the Khmer people knew that there were massive scales of marvelous monuments inside the jungle, the outside world knew nothing about it until a French explorer named Henri Mouhot discovered the site in 1860 and began writing about it in the middle of the 19th century. Since then, archaeologists started to clear the area and began the renovation and conservation works.
Because of its massive area, there is too much to explore in Angkor. So if you are a fans or researcher of Khmer architecture, a one-day visit to the site will not be enough. You must at least spend three days or seven days or even a month to explore the whole area. Since the area is vast, it is best traveled by tuk-tuk (a rickshaw with the front-end of a motorcycle) but remember to agree on the price first before you get in. Usually the tuk-tuk fee is $10 – $15/day. Besides tuk-tuk, other means of transportation are also available like car taxis which cost $20-$30/day, motorcycle taxi (motodup) for $8-$10/day and bicycles for $2-$3/day. Make sure you negotiate the details first before making the deal such as the meeting point, the starting and finishing time, the visited areas, etc.
You need to buy admission tickets at the front gate to enter the Angkor area. Ticket for 1-day visit is $20, 3-day $40, or 7-day $60. Cambodians and children under 12 can enter for free after showing a passport. The 3-day pass is valid for any 3 days within a week, while the 7-day pass is valid for any 7 days within a month. The ticket is non-transferrable therefore your personal photograph is required at the entrance. The officer will help you take your photo and print it on your pass. Be sure to carry your pass at all times for regular check is done at almost all sites. You should have itinerary to explore the complex and that should depend on your length of visit and level of interest so feel free to decide. The Angkor Temple Complex is open daily from 5.30 am until 6.30 pm.
This is my admission ticket with my photograph printed on it. The ticket is really non-transferrable.
The Angkor Temple Complex is divided into five main groups:
- Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, the major attraction of the site and the ancient capitals of the Khmer empire
- Little Circuit (Le Petit Circuit), taking in major sites to the east of Angkor Thom
- Big Circuit (Le Grand Circuit), taking in major sites north and further out east
- Roluos group, 15 km east from Siem Reap along National Highway 6
- Outlying temples, located over 20 km from Angkor Wat
Because of time constraint, we only spent one whole day to explore the site. So we only took the small circuit tour and visited some of the main temples without going thoroughly the whole area. In the next paragraphs, I will explain broadly about Angkor and some of its temples I visited.
Angkor Wat
Before we discuss further about Angkor Wat, let me make it clear for you that Angkor Wat is different from what most tourists think of. At one’s impression, you might wonder that Angkor Wat is only one temple but it is actually just one most popular temple out of the other hundred surviving temples and structures within Angkor Temple Complex. Located 5.5 kilometers to the north of the modern province of Siem Reap, the legendary Angkor Wat is situated within the Angkor Archaelogical Park/Angkor Temple Complex that stretches over 400 square kilometers.
Angkor Wat is a precious jewel for Cambodia because without it Cambodia is only one of the poorest countries in South East Asia. Out of so many structures inside the Angkor Temple Complex, Angkor Wat is the centerpiece and the main draw for tourists. I somewhat regret my last trip to Angkor Wat because I did not do any pre-reading to understand the site better. The local guides who brought us had very superficial knowledge of the history. Even more, to the untrained eyes of foreign visitors like me, the structure of the temple looked almost the same everywhere. As far as my eyes could see were just stacks of stones and ruins of temples. However, if you are keen on studying ancient Khmer architecture, a profound reading must be done before making a visit and make sure you bring a professional tour guide to accompany you so you can get deeper explanation of the site. Do not randomly pick any locals or even tuk-tuk driver who offered their service. Therefore, I suggest for those who plan to visit the site to know at least the history of the temple so you will not be confused of what to do there. And this is the history of Angkor Wat:
Originally called Preah Pisnoluk, the name “Angkor Wat” is derived from Khmer language and consists of two words, Angkor meaning “city” or “capital city” and Wat meaning “temple grounds”. So, Angkor Wat means “Temple City” or “City of Temples”. The history of Angkor is closely related to the history of the rise and fall of Khmer Empire (Khmer is the dominant ethnic group of Cambodia). At the beginning of the 9th century, King Jayavarman II united the two states that covered the present Cambodia and claimed himself to be god-king. He then laid the foundations of the Khmer kingdom and led the kingdom to be the major power in South East Asia for over than five centuries. The first capital city of the kingdom was located in the Central Cambodia to the north of Tonle Sap (the Great Lake). However it was then moved to the present Angkor by Jayavarman’s son, Yashovarman. Since then, Angkor became the capital of the kingdom until the 15th century.
In the early 12th century, at the golden years of the Khmer empire, a Khmer king named Suryavarman II built the most impressive of all Khmer monuments, an enormous Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu (the protector god) in the old capital city of Khmer empire Yasodharapura (the present Angkor). Initially the temple served as a capital city and state temple but it then became a mausoleum temple to commemorate the king’s decease. Scholars believe the temple was actually built to prepare for the king’s funeral for it is the only temple in Angkor facing the west that symbolizes the association of the setting sun and death. Unfortunately, the king could not see the temple’s completion for it was finished shortly after he passed away. After his death, the kingdom had hard times due to internal conflicts and external pressure. 27 years after the king’s death, the Khmer empire was defeated by the Chams (from Southern Vietnam), the strong opposition of the Khmer people. A new king called Jayavarman VII then restored the situation and also established a new capital just a few kilometers to the north of Angkor called Angkor Thom as the capital city and the Bayon dedicated to Buddha as the new temple state. Besides the temple state Bayon, the king also built Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Ta Som, and Banteay Prei. Angkor Wat gradually became a Therevada Buddhist temple in the late 13th century and some Buddha statues were added, which still remains likewise until present day. After the king’s death, no other king after him built any major monuments until the end of the Khmer empire in the 15th century.
Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world that is most admired for its grandeur architecture. Its temple-mountain structure actually symbolizes Mount Meru, the mountain of the gods in Hindu mythology that the Khmer learnt from the Indian traders. The temple has five peaks that look like lotus flowers representing the five peaks of the mountain while the walls and the moat represent ocean. The temple was built using sandstones instead of bricks, which were transported by raft along the Siem Reap river from the quarry at the Mount Kulen located 40 km to the northeast of the temple. Scientists estimated that with such great care to transfer the sandstones from the quarry to the site, the temple construction must have taken around 300 years to finish, but it surprisingly only took around 40 years to finish. Therefore, it is also believed that the temple was built by god instead of man.
Angkor Temple Complex is listed as the World Heritage Site established in 1992 that provided the funding and encouraged the local government for conservation and preservation of the site. The organization conducted a survey and found out that around 20% of the devatas were in poor condition mainly due to natural erosion, deterioration of the stone, looting, illegal excavations, land mines and unsustainable tourism. The influx of tourists who arrived in Seam Reap and visited Angkor Geographical Park has also contributed to financial assistance for maintenance. Approximately 28% of ticket revenues were used for the temple conservation, which unfortunately is mostly carried out by foreign government-sponsored team rather than the local authority. Despite the good tourism prospect, tourism is also predicted to bring irreparable destructions to the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the site. But thanks to the efforts to safeguard the temple that it was finally removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2004.
The visiting hours to the temple are 5 am - 6 pm. Visitors can only enter and exit the temple from the west gate. Look at the moat that surrounds the temple. The moat was built to stabilize the water level from Tonle Sap and accommodate the need of water for almost one million people. The moat also saved the temple from the jungle encroachment thus making it as the best-preserved temple in Angkor. 
From afar, visitors cannot see the five towers of Angkor Wat for they are hidden by the three towers with broken summits at the entrance gate. It is the majestic facade of the temple. The temple is surrounded by outer wall that corresponds to the mountains at the edge of the world and by moat that represents ocean that surrounds Mount Meru in Hindu mythology. The outer wall stretches over 1024 by 802 meters and stands as high as 4.5 meters. The moat is 200 meters wide with a perimeter of 5.5 kilometers. 
The long sandstone causeway to the entrance gate is in the shape of a cross and is 250 meters long, 12 meters wide and 4 meters deep. The causeway is the only access to the temple. 
For first comers, the size of the temple might seem overwhelming. To get the best picture of the five towers turn right from the entrance gate.
To visitors who have extremely limited knowledge of Khmer architecture like me, the temple area looks almost the same everywhere. There are many repetitive elements in the architecture galleries with columns, towers, curved roofs, tympanums, steps and the cross-shaped plan. 
This structure is called the library. There are two libraries that stand on the left and right of the courtyard. 
Encompassing a rectangular area of about 208 hectares and surrounded by laetrile wall, Angkor Wat is a replica of the universe in stone. The temple has five peaks that represent the five-peaked Mount Meru, the home of the gods. However, the five towers can only be seen from certain angles. The central tower that stands as high as 213 meters from the ground symbolizes Meru as the center of the universe. From afar, Angkor Wat looks like a mountain of stones but from close up it is a series of elevated towers, galleries, chambers, porches and courtyards on different levels linked by stairways. 
Unfortunately when we visited the temple, some parts of it were under renovation and covered by green tent that obstructed the full view of the five towers. I hope the renovation will finish soon. The picture of Angkor Wat I took last time was not very clear because I did not know the perfect time to take it. I took the photo around 11 am when the sun was backlighting the clear view of the towers. So, I regret it… If you want to take the best picture, you should come early in the morning when the sun rises or at the late afternoon around 1 or 2 pm when the sun shines on the face of the temple. In front of the temple there are two ponds, which are 65 meters long and 50 meters wide, which are ingeniously placed to capture the reflection of the towers in the water. The one on the left is filled with water and water lilies, whereas the other one (where this photo is taken) is usually dry. Most tourists choose the right pond to take clearer pictures. 
This is the pond at the left of the temple. It is frequently filled with water lilies that may obstruct the mirror qualities of the five towers. So, to capture the clearest picture go to the right pond instead. 
I also found some cute monkeys near the temple. We gave them some peanuts and they were excited. However, be careful not to irritate them for they could be very aggressive. 
The construction of the temple shows the skillful hands of Khmer architects. Most visible parts of the temple are made of sandstone blocks while only minor parts are made using laterite. The binding material used to stick the blocks together remain a secret and still in search. 
The roof of the temple still looks very strong despite its long age. 
The bas-reliefs depict scenes from the Ramayana story, designed for viewing from left to right in the order of Hindu funereal ritual.
The steep stairways represent the difficulty to ascend the kingdom of the gods. 
One of the five towers in Angkor Wat. The stones are as smooth as polished marble, laid without mortar. 
This is the statue of Vishnu that is located at the heart of the central tower. However, at that time almost all statues looked the same to me so I did not take the picture personally. 
Another Buddha statue inside the tower. Some worshippers especially Cambodians and tourists asked the priest to pray for them. Someone might offer you to hold incense in return for some donations, however you do not have to accept his offer. 
Shortly after exploring Angkor Wat, we exited from the west gate and met a couple in Cambodian wedding dress preparing to take their wedding pictures. Yes, Angkor Wat is also a famous site where wedding pictures are mostly taken. Do you want to have yours here too?
As soon as we left Angkor Wat, we had our lunch in a nearby food stall. We ordered pork rice and fish rice. It was delicious enough but did not really suit our taste. Anyway, after that we called our tuk-tuk driver and continued our journey to other temples. The next place we visited was the famous Angkor Thom, the second capital city of the kingdom after it was moved from Angkor Wat. Following the defeat of the previous Angkorian kingdom by the Chams, King Jayavarman VII began to restore the condition by establishing a new capital city called Angkor Thom, which is the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. Angkor Thom was the largest city in the world in the 12th century that covers an area of 9 km2. The total population living in the city could reach almost one million people.
The Bayon Temple
Situated at the heart of Angkor Thom, the Bayon was the official state temple established by the Mahayana Buddhist king, King Jayavarman VII at the late 12th century. The temple is the most celebrated structure in the Angkor region after Angkor Wat. It is most famous for its 54 stone-faced towers representing the 54 provinces in Cambodia at that time. Each tower is carved in the shape of four stone faces so there are 216 faces in total. Whose face it is remains a debate among scholars. Some suggest that it is the face of Avalokiteshvara, Mahayana Buddhism's compassionate Bodhisattva, while others said it is the face combination of King Jayavarman VII and Buddha.
Ta Keo Temple
Ta Keo Temple was built in the late 10th to early 12th century by King Jayavarman V and Suryavarman I, dedicated to Shiva Brahmanism. It stands as high as 22 meters. The temple is a replica of mount Meru with a rectangular plan and five square towers.
Ta Prohm Temple
Originally called Rajavihara, Ta Prohm Temple is located one kilometer east of Angkor Thom. Built in 1186 by king Jayavarman VII for his beloved mother, the Buddhist temple is most celebrated for its unique combination between nature and human handiwork. When it was first discovered, the temple was teemed with wild trees and shrubs that were later removed. The temple entertains visitors with the unique sight of gigantic fig, bayan and kapok trees that stretch our their roots all over the stones. However, the temple is still in poor condition and in danger of collapse, therefore, a lot of conservation works are being carried out to restore the structure.
The gigantic roots of the tree have taken over some part of the temple’s walls creating an impressive display of nature and man’s work. 
Banteay Kdey Temple
Situated at the southeast of Ta Prohm, Bateay Kdey Temple was built in the latter half of the 12th and early 13th century by Jayavarman VII. The temple has similar architecture and art with the one in Ta Prohm but it is smaller and less complex.
One of the Buddha statues inside the temple
The route to exit the temple is a long and dusty one. Be careful of the sunstroke. 
Some people were asking for donations through Cambodian music performance.
Srah Srang
Located just across the Banteay Kdey Temple, Srah Srang is a beautiful lake built in the late 12th century by king Jayavarman VII. The size of the lake is 700 by 300 meters. The lake offers visitors a different view apart from giant piles of stones and temple ruins. Always filled with water and surrounded by greenery, it is a perfect place to just relax and cool down after a tiring trip to the temples.
Visiting the lake really gave me fresh air. I felt much relieved after seeing other view besides temple ruins. 
We started our journey to the Angkor Temple Complex at 8 am and finished at around 5 pm. Exhausted and sleepy we finally decided to end our trip and went back to our inn. Though we only had a short visit to the region, we were amazed at the vastness of the area and the large scale of the monuments. Indeed, Angkor deserves the reputation of being one of the largest ancient cities in the world.
Sources:
Personal experience and additional information from other online articles
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